Z
zeppelin406
Is there a template or db already built, that I could get and change a few
things for my department?
things for my department?
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J
John W. Vinson
Is there a template or db already built, that I could get and change a few
things for my department?
Not to my knowledge. I've worked on a police dispatching system, and it was
pretty elaborate (and proprietary to the department for whom I developed it,
unfortunately).
You may well be better off designing one from scratch, perhaps with the help
of someone who's well versed in Access databases. If you want to roll your
own, there's some good introductory tutorials at:
Jeff Conrad's resources page:
http://www.accessmvp.com/JConrad/accessjunkie/resources.html
The Access Web resources page:
http://www.mvps.org/access/resources/index.html
A free tutorial written by Crystal (MS Access MVP):
http://allenbrowne.com/casu-22.html
MVP Allen Browne's tutorials:
http://allenbrowne.com/links.html#Tutorials
John W. Vinson [MVP]
Z
zeppelin406
Question 2 - Will MS Access support the dispatch stuff once I build it? Or is
there another program (like MS Access) that I should use instead.
there another program (like MS Access) that I should use instead.
Z
zeppelin406
Question 2 - Will MS Access support the dispatch stuff once I build it? Or is
there another program (like MS Access) that I should use instead.
there another program (like MS Access) that I should use instead.
J
John W. Vinson
Question 2 - Will MS Access support the dispatch stuff once I build it? Or is
there another program (like MS Access) that I should use instead.
Could you rephrase the question? You want to use MS Access instead of using MS
Access!?
The reason the dispatch system I built was not adopted by the agency was that
- over my objections - the user set it up over a Wide Area Network, with the
backend tables in one city and four frontends in other cities, interacting
over a 100K network. NOT a good idea! Storing the data in SQL server with
properly designed frontends linking over ODBC would have worked (and is
working fine for another client).
John W. Vinson [MVP]
Z
zeppelin406
Rephrasing - Is MS Access the best program to build the dispatch call sheets
on? Or, is there another program, either by MS or another vendor, that would
work better?
I've never built anything on Access. This is like a personal challenge...and
I know I can do it. If it works, then hopefully we'll use it at my 40 officer
department.
on? Or, is there another program, either by MS or another vendor, that would
work better?
I've never built anything on Access. This is like a personal challenge...and
I know I can do it. If it works, then hopefully we'll use it at my 40 officer
department.
J
John W. Vinson
Rephrasing - Is MS Access the best program to build the dispatch call sheets
on? Or, is there another program, either by MS or another vendor, that would
work better?
Hard to say. The answer will depend on a mass of factors - your programming
skill, the hardware, the network architecture, whether and how remote access
will be needed (e.g. will officers have laptops linked to the database over
noisy cell-phone modems, or will they talk to the dispatcher by radio)? Will
the officers and dispatchers be willing to change The Way Things Have Always
Been Done?
I've never built anything on Access. This is like a personal challenge...and
I know I can do it. If it works, then hopefully we'll use it at my 40 officer
department.
I still think it's a good idea... but don't be in a rush. This will be MONTHS
of work.
John W. Vinson [MVP]