Collaboration Technology—Changing the Way People Live
I was just chatting with one of Cisco’s systems engineering managers, Roy McLean, and he told me a story that reminded me how important efficient communications can be, even something we take for granted, like voicemail. Roy works out of New York, and had been involved in a community outreach program in a small town called North Boston, New York. The town had had a very old fire station and they just recently raised money to build a new one. They contacted Roy at this time to get some ideas and a proposal on what to install from a communications perspective. The fire department ended up installing a Cisco Integrated Services Router, Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express and Cisco Unity Express. The installation was completed and the renovated station opened just a few months ago.
Then Roy told me this story.
Apparently, an elderly couple called the fire station because their home carbon monoxide detector was going off intermittently. Because the station is volunteer-based, there is no one at the station if there isn’t a fire. The couple didn’t think it was necessary to call 911, so they left a message for the fire chief. The Cisco Unity Express voice messaging system answered the call and then, using a set of notification rules, forwarded the message to the chief’s mobile phone and his home phone. Upon listening to the message, the chief immediately called the couple and headed over to their house with a carbon monoxide detector. He found that not only was there carbon monoxide present, but also hydrogen cyanide, at potentially fatal levels.
The couple was safely transported to the hospital and the chief called Roy and told him the story. Prior to the Cisco Unified Communications installation, the station’s communication system was simply an analog phone with an answering machine which may not have been checked until the following morning.
I think this is a great example of how collaboration technology can make a significant difference in people’s lives…and sometimes, even save them.
Congratulations to North Boston, NY on its new firehouse.
by LeAnne Schrotzberger, public relations manager, Cisco Corporate Communications
Posted by Leanne Schrotzberger at 09:20AM PST
Stan Mizerny Apr 22, 2009
Leanne, terrific story. Really puts the “unified” in unified communications. Great to hear it had a happy ending. Thanks for sharing.