SPD IT manager receives state award

When a Russian hacker tried a cyberattack on a Seymour Police Division server, fast motion by IT supervisor Ernie Davidson prevented information assortment.

When officers want updates on their sprint cams or produce other expertise wants, Davidson is there for them.

When the police station wants a brand new telephone system or CAD upgrades, it will get the job performed.

When dispatchers have ideas to make their job simpler, he is there to pay attention and make them occur.

Regardless of all that Davidson does for SPD, Communications Supervisor Toby Ortman knew he was the right particular person to appoint for the Tom Brindle Award.

Earlier this 12 months, Ortman acquired an electronic mail searching for nominations for the award, which is sponsored by INdigital for recognition of technical contributions to 911 providers in Indiana. Brindle was a thought chief for 911 in Indiana, offering recommendation, insights, and management on methods to use expertise to enhance 911 providers for Hoosiers.

The Fort Wayne-based public security supplier is searching for people or businesses who’ve used expertise in a single type or one other to enhance public security providers throughout the state to be nominated for the award. This will embrace the deployment of recent techniques, software program, insurance policies, group and/or procedures which have improved 911 providers utilizing expertise.

“I believed Ernie could be good for that,” Ortman stated. “We had tried cyberattacks that Ernie detected. We have had server upgrades, servers happening, our CAD happening, CAD upgrades, all the pieces. It is just like the coal retains the lights on, Ernie retains the lights on.

Ortman stated anybody within the SPD can name on Davidson 24 hours a day, seven days every week.

“If he is out of state, he can stroll away and sort things,” Ortman stated. “He by no means says no to you. He at all times does. He’s fairly particular.

When Ortman and Police Chief Greg O’Brien discovered Davidson had been shortlisted for the 2022 award, they solely advised his spouse.

Whereas attending the Indiana 911 Professionals Convention, introduced by the Indiana Chapters of the Nationwide Emergency Quantity Affiliation and the Affiliation of Public-Security Communications Officers, O’Brien advised Davidson that they have been going to find the brand new Motorola tools.

Davidson was unsuspecting on the time, because the division makes use of this tools.

Then he noticed indicators for NENA and knew Ortman was at that convention.

O’Brien advised Davidson they have been going to look at the opening ceremonies. Davidson was nonetheless unaware of the worth till it was introduced.

“It was ok to go away me speechless,” Davidson stated. ” I would by no means thought. For this group, it is their most prestigious award, so it is a massive check in telecommunications, 911.”

Ortman’s nomination letter was learn throughout the opening ceremonies.

“Ernie works tirelessly to maintain our system operational,” Ortman wrote. “Ernie is a real advocate for 911 and first responders. Ernie’s years of expertise and dedication have guided the Metropolis of Seymour and particularly the Seymour Police Division by means of deep waters throughout server outages, CAD upgrades and cyberattacks that may have crippled the entire division if it hadn’t been for him and him alone. ”

Ortman additionally famous how Davidson makes himself obtainable always and is “the epitome of what innovation is, as he’s at all times advancing in the direction of the way forward for expertise”.

“Ernie is a pal, instructor and mentor to everybody right here on the Seymour Police Division,” Ortman wrote. “Ernie was there at first when 911 first arrived in Jackson County. Ernie continues to be right here to meet his mission to the division by defending essential tools which in flip not solely protects the residents of Seymour, however all Seymour first responders.

Davidson stated he is at all times been biased as a result of that is the place he began almost 40 years in the past.

After leaving the US Air Pressure, Davidson went to varsity to grow to be a pc scientist, however determined he’d somewhat be a police officer. He was a dispatcher for 3 years and spent 32 years as a police officer.

“I at all times performed with computer systems and glued folks’s computer systems and stuff, so I ended up doing that right here,” he stated.

He retired in 2018 and left the SPD for round six months earlier than returning as IT supervisor.

“A server had overheated and wanted to get replaced and the info wanted to be recovered. That is after they known as me to return again since I knew,” stated Davidson, who had spent his final 5 years as an officer tending to the division’s IT wants.

“After I retired, instances have been altering. It was time to go,” he stated. “However the purpose I got here again is as a result of the police on the streets want assist. I’m loyal to the officers of the Seymour Police Division. They shortly turned like household after so a few years, so I did not allow them to dangle round.

In her function, Davidson stays abreast of the most recent and biggest expertise so dispatchers, officers and different SPD personnel can do their jobs to the perfect of their talents.

With the award, despite the fact that his identify is on it, Davidson stated he considers it an honor for the division.

“It is extra about the entire police division so far as I am involved.” he stated. “Sure, my identify is the one hooked up to it, however it’s thanks to those dispatchers and everybody else that I’ve been in a position to do what I do. Worth is not all about me. It is about everybody right here. It is in each subject, and it needs to be with expertise now. If we do not sustain with the expertise, the criminals beat us.