What CAD actually does, and what it does not
Dispatch, unit recommendation, status tracking and the interfaces that hang off it — and why the answer to most integration questions is 'that depends on your CAD vendor'.
The short version
Computer-aided dispatch is the system of record for what happened and when. It takes the call, recommends units, tracks their status, and timestamps everything — and almost every other system you own reads from it. That last part is why CAD decisions outlive the CAD itself: the interfaces you can build later are constrained by what this vendor exposes, and by what your contract entitles you to.
Questions to ask your vendor
Take these into the meeting. A vendor who answers them clearly is one worth continuing with.
- Does unit recommendation use live AVL, or station assignment?
- Who owns the GIS layers, and can we take them with us?
- What API access is included in our contract, at no additional cost?
- Can we export our own CAD data without a professional services engagement?
- Which integrations are in production with departments our size today — not on the roadmap?
- Who is responsible for the interface when either product releases an update?
The full guide is still being written
What is above is the Hub’s framing and the best outside reading we could verify — useful on its own, and honest about being a starting point rather than the finished piece. If something here is wrong, or you know a better source, that is worth telling us before the long version is written.
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