Aurora has adopted a new technology that helps first responders make decisions more quickly and efficiently by combining data from various city databases into a single shared resource, according to a news release. 

The technology, called ForceMetrics, was created by Colorado native Andre McGregor — who founded the platform in 2020.

McGregor’s idea behind the technology is that safety starts with understanding, according to the release.

Currently, ForceMetrics is being used by Aurora911, the Aurora Police Department, and the Code Enforcement and Crisis Intervention divisions within the Housing and Community Services department. 

By combining data from sources citywide, the technology allows those using it to “make data-driven decisions in real time … yielding a greater understanding of community needs and improved, safer outcomes for community members and public servants alike,” the release said.

Aurora911 was the first city department to use the platform with its entire staff, allowing their call takers to search vital safety, mental health and historical information in seconds rather than hours — helping them make more accurate and appropriate deployment decisions, according to the release.

It also helps the department monitor its employees’ exposure to traumatic stress and provide support for that, according to Tina Buneta, the Aurora911 director. 

Aurora911 is “incredibly proud” to be using the platform in their department, which receives more than 600,000 calls each year, Buneta said in the release.

“ForceMetrics provides us with the insights necessary to ensure no member of our team must deal with the aftermath of tough calls alone,” Buneta said. 

Recently, Aurora911 answered a call from a woman having a stroke who could not tell the operators where she lived, the release said. 

The woman’s phone GPS pinged her at a large apartment complex, but the call taker was able to find her specific apartment number quickly by searching her phone number in ForceMetrics, which found her number in an Aurora Fire Rescue database from a previous interaction. 

This meant responders could go to her door immediately without knocking on several to figure out which apartment in the complex was hers.

“Police departments across the country are crediting ForceMetrics for serving warrants, tracking group-motivated crimes via social media, identifying suspects and victims and generally cutting down on tenuous research time,” the release said.

The technology comes shortly after another new technological addition to APD’s toolbox. Earlier this year, they launched a platform that provides certain Aurora911 callers and crime victims with updates about their calls for service and ongoing investigations. 

Along with sending out updates about the status of calls, the platform sends users a survey that allows them to give feedback on their call. 

APD interim chief Heather Morris said the department has been committed to using technology to modernize and enhance their responses.

“ForceMetrics provides our officers with instant access to data and information,” Morris said. “The more informed our officers are on the streets, the better equipped they will be to make decisions to keep themselves and the community safe.”

In Colorado, Aurora was the first city to adopt ForceMetrics, with Castle Rock, Arapahoe County, Douglas County and Jefferson County following behind in adopting the technology. 

For Buneta’s team, being able to gather, decipher and act with information from callers quickly is vital to their jobs. The technology helps them do that more quickly and prescribe more accurate responses, she said.

“It empowers us to meet people where they are and provide them with the most appropriate resources while also supporting the safety of both residents and field responders,” Buneta said.