If it wasn’t clear enough in our last article, Mike Gambrell knows how important innovative technology is for public servants. With more than 30 years of experience in law enforcement, Gambrell served at almost every level from officer to supervisory roles. Following his career in law enforcement, Gambrell sought to find ways to leverage his knowledge of the field to bolster the one thing he sees as critical to the future of the public sector: Technology.
The IT channel has adapted over the last two years, with hybrid work and remote file sharing solutions becoming not just commonplace but required for everyday operations. No industry has been spared by this digital transformation, but almost no industry has been affected more than the public sector. Gambrell saw the rapid evolution of technology solutions and told the EDGE360 editorial team that there are many ways for technology partners and VARs to help bridge the technology gap to best serve the citizens of their area.
According to Gambrell, the IT Channels can support the public sector in three main ways, including providing the means for more effective EMS response, helping to build public trust, and creating effective and budget-conscious IT solutions.
More Effective EMS Response
“Looking at the local agencies, there are many ways for us to connect them more with their counterparts in state and even federal levels of governments,” Gambrell told EDGE360. “We see a lot of opportunity for collaboration in the fields of homeland security, one being the modernization of state fusion centers.” These centers serve as the nexus around which emergency services operate. From EMS dispatch to police activity, the centers play a major role in providing much-needed services for citizens.
“As one example,” Gambrell began, “I worked with the city of Greenville, S.C., to implement a comprehensive system of cameras.” This system provided a much-needed foundation for the safe city concept and allowed emergency services to better understand pedestrian and vehicular traffic trends. “I was able to bring in more than 240 cameras and have them stream back to 911 centers.” Gambrell said this allowed the city to better understand situations before deciding how to respond and which service to deploy.
“If you have a train derailment, knowing what is on that train is key. Is this a rescue operation, or are we dealing with hazardous waste? What equipment do we need to respond effectively? The idea behind a smart city, a safe city, is that we can increase our responsiveness for citizens while decreasing risk to our responders,” Gambrell said.
Building Public Trust
Another area where Gambrell sees technology playing an increasingly large role in the future of the public sector is the building of more trust between the public and its civil servants. “Being able to have body-worn and in-car cameras allows us to stream into systems,” he said. If there needs to be a review of EMS actions, having that information readily available means quick and reliable review.
“Supervisors can review any complaints or requests for oversight right there with the individual. They can pull up the saved video data and walk through the interaction seamlessly,” Gambrell said. That would, of course, require a tremendous IT system that can handle the storage of high-quality footage for varying periods. “What I see, especially as we save data and find ways to make it more accessible, is the next level of community policing. Greater transparency, greater accountability and greater service is all possible utilizing modern-day technology.”
Best Practices for the Best Solutions
Looking to the future of the public sector, the best way for partners and VARs to connect is to leverage the expertise of companies like TD SYNNEX. “Lean on us, we have whole teams that are full of folks we hired for their expertise,” Gambrell said. “I’m experienced when it comes to EMS and government because of my background, but we have others who have entire careers in education, state, and local government, and health IT.” These experienced end-users provide the IT channel with insights that are not available elsewhere.
“That’s our biggest value-add and something that I hope readers will take away from this conversation,” Gambrell added. “When it comes to selling to the public sector, and specifically to state and local governments, it’s going to take multiple different vendors coming together to offer a holistic solution.” Gambrell notes that his team is prepared to help connect vendors. “We perform that task for you; we have the background knowledge to connect you with complimentary vendors and boost both of your businesses.”
As a final practice that TD SYNNEX can provide, Gambrell and his team can offer up cheat sheets for dealing with budget-conscious organizations. “When you are dealing with a Fire Chief or an EMS Director and they say, ‘that’s a great solution, but I don’t have the money for that,’ then we provide reference sheets for funding opportunities,” added Gambrell.
No matter what the issue is, there are multiple ways for the IT Channel to help their public sector partners address them. “When you are approaching the public sector, it’s important what the future of the public sector looks like, what their immediate needs are, and how your solutions best meet both of those,” Gambrell concluded. “If you’re interested in knowing more, please reach out to me. I’m more than happy to give a deep dive and make your public sector business thrive.”
To learn more about the many ways companies like TD SYNNEX can help support IT Channels looking to build their Public Sector business, click here.
