Cybersecurity

Sacramento County is always on high alert to protect valuable information. However, because cyber criminals are constantly testing the information security perimeters of every business and government organization every day, Sacramento County created adaptive, multi-layered “defense-in-depth” strategies to combat ever-changing cyber-attacks. Measures are taken at the firewall (intrusion protection systems are on the perimeter and intrusion detection systems are at the network layer) to create a hard outer shell with a platform that catches newly contrived attacks.

Performance Dashboard for Public Assistance Programs

The Department of Human Assistance serves more than 325,000 County residents through public benefit and assistance programs. Moving from a paper-based file system to an electronic case management system with a digital performance dashboard improved both efficiency and customer services. Transforming to a business intelligence platform provides management with a comprehensive status update on each program and has saved the department $2M in labor hours, and identified potential points of failure so that workload can be redistributed and case resolution can now be easily tracked. 

Public Safety Radio Communications

The Sacramento Regional Radio Communications System provides interoperable radio communications coverage for more than 1,500 square miles of Sacramento County and parts of neighboring Yolo County for public safety first responders. Merging the City and County radio channels and transitioning to a digital radio communication enabled the various law enforcement and fire districts to communicate efficiently during emergencies using one system. This transition not only improved coverage, but saved money in labor, equipment maintenance, reduced backup control stations and redundant hardware, and limited audio delays.

GPS Improves Landfill Operations

Using a GPS based grade-control system for heavy equipment has improved Kiefer Landfill operation efficiency for the Department of Waste Management and Recycling (DWMR). This GPS system enables the equipment operators to accurately place refuse in the landfill, which increases site life and reduces environmental impacts. The use of modern technology and data handling has enhanced and improved sustainable landfilling operations and created cost benefits, decreased staffing labor, utilized the landfill space more efficiently, reduced soil usage and increased waste compaction.

Mobile Access Is the Future of Online Communications

The County has developed a responsive designed portal website, http://www.saccounty.net, to make online services and information easily viewable on handheld devices and up to widescreen monitors. The County’s responsive site was the first of only a few County websites in the country to be designed with the “mobile first” approach. The new site eliminates horizontal scrolling  and provide readily available information, easy navigation and a visually appealing site. . This redesign saves costs too, as technical staff no longer need to update a separate mobile site or support multiple content management platforms. The larger text improves readability and mega-menus and dropdown boxes allow faster access to content.

Regional Address Data Streamlined through GIS

An innovative map-based solution was implemented for maintaining the countywide address repository. The Master Address Geospatial Management Application, or MAGMA, centralizes and streamlines the address repository, improving the data quality that is shared with the County’s partners– such as city jurisdictions.  For example, public safety and emergency response department partners rely on the data to provide and improve their services, including dispatch routing and response times. And, because of the integration with city jurisdictions, all eyes across Sacramento County are looking at the same set of data, which is available immediately to the partner systems. MAGMA relieves staff hours, and the system includes the County 311, Tax System, Assessor, Permitting and Emergency Operations. Coming soon will be Utility Billing, Transportation and 911 Communications, and new services to include notification abilities for key partners such as the US Postal Service, telephone, television, gas and other utility companies.