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Morganton Department of Public Safety Streamlines Operations and Costs with Panasonic TOUGHBOOK

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  • Challenges

    Based in Morganton, NC, the Morganton Department of Public Safety is a city initiative committed to providing safety for community members via professional law enforcement and fire protection services. Adopting the public safety model in the late 1970s, all public safety officers in the city of Morganton serve in both law enforcement and fire safety. Morganton has been using Panasonic solutions for a number of years, including Panasonic body-worn cameras and the TOUGHPAD FZ-G1, a fully rugged tablet. When updating its technology, the Morganton Department of Public Safety needed an agile device that was able to transition from patrol car to fire truck to office desk—all while seamlessly supporting each respective public safety officer’s roles, responsibilities and set of software applications.

  • Solutions

    To find a solution that would best address the department’s requirements, the Morganton Department of Public Safety worked with trusted Panasonic partner GovDirect. Both field and administrative public safety officers use rugged devices with dual pass-through docks and external antennas to operate and switch back and forth between multiple applications such as Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD), automatic vehicle location (AVL) and records management systems (RMS). As part of the department’s tech upgrade, Panasonic’s 2-in-1 TOUGHBOOK 33 was selected for its dual functionality as a laptop and tablet which allows the officers to use the device continuously throughout their different roles.

  • Results

    By providing their officers with one mobile solution, the TOUGHBOOK 33, the department streamlined cost rather than complicating operations with multiple devices. To date, the department has deployed 21 TOUGHBOOK 33 2-in-1s in patrol cars coupled with docking stations to ensure devices are charged and operational at all times. Using the Verizon 4G LTE network, the TOUGHBOOK 33 devices are able to connect securely and reliably. Additionally, the public safety department deployed several other laptops for select police officers and administrative staff. Since becoming a TOUGHBOOK customer, the department has worked closely with GovDirect and the TOUGHBOOK support team to ensure a seamless deployment process. Up to now, the department has experienced zero device failures. Thanks to years of success with Panasonic TOUGHBOOK devices, multiple Morganton departments now use the products, including Animal Control, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and more. These teams also use the Public Sector Bundle service package, which ensures tailored support for each department’s needs.

The Morganton Department of Public Safety in Morganton, NC is a city resource committed to ensuring community safety through professional law enforcement and fire protection services. Since the late 1970s, the city has adopted a unique public safety model in which all officers serve in both law enforcement and fire protection capacities. As a result, department members maintain a wide range of responsibilities, utilizing rugged devices to access applications such as CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch), automatic vehicle location (AVL) and record management systems (RMS).



Over the past decade, the department has enjoyed a productive working relationship with Panasonic and GovDirect, a trusted partner, implementing Panasonic body-worn cameras and the fully rugged TOUGHPAD FZ-G1 tablet. As the city looked to update current Panasonic equipment with newer solutions, they needed devices that could support a diverse set of software applications and ultimately, every responsibility of their public safety officers.  



The Morganton Department of Public Safety worked with GovDirect to select a Panasonic device that addressed the department’s challenges while transitioning between the varied duties of each officer. Before switching to updated Panasonic solutions, the department used both tablets and laptops to meet officers’ needs. Panasonic’s 2-in-1 TOUGHBOOK 33 was selected for its high performance functionality along with its dual use as a laptop and tablet, which allows the officers to seamlessly transition the device to different roles and responsibilities. With this deployment, the department was able to reduce the amount of devices utilized by their officers while investing in a reliable 2-in-1 package. 

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“We’ve been working with GovDirect for years, so when it was time to purchase new solutions for our department, our contact at GovDirect recommended the TOUGHBOOK 33 and gave us demonstrations that showcased the device’s best, and most useful, features,” said Suzanne Brandon, network administrator, Morganton Department of Public Safety.



To date, Morganton Public Safety has deployed 21 TOUGHBOOK 33 2-in-1 devices in patrol cars paired with docking stations to ensure each device is powered and ready for public safety needs around the clock. The department has also deployed a number of other laptops to support the needs of select police officers and administrative staff. Outside of the Department of Public Safety, Animal Control, CID and multiple other Morganton departments also use TOUGHBOOK devices as well as the Public Sector Bundle service package, which ensures tailored support for each department’s needs.
By investing in Panasonic solutions, the department streamlined its in-field technology from a laptop and a tablet per officer to one 2-in-1 that provides software capabilities for roles and responsibilities across the department. Thanks to unparalleled customer support and high-performance device functionality, the Morganton Department of Public Safety is able to provide their public safety officers with the tools they need to ensure community safety.