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MEMO TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: BRUNO RUMBELOW, CITY MANAGER ��
MEETING DATE: AUGUST 5, 2008
SUBJECT: WORKSHOP — DISPATCH STAFFING STUDY
City Council will be briefed on a study performed by L. Robert Kimball & Associates with
regard to the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) Staffing Assessment conducted for
the Police Department.
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Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP)
Staffing Assessment
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City of Grapevine, Texas
July 2008
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EBENSBURG,PENNSYLVANIA CORAOPOLIS,PENNSYLVANIA PITTSBURGH,PENNSYLVANIA HARRISBURG,PENNSYLVANIA PHILADELPHIA,PENNSYLVANIA
STATE COLLEGE,PENNSYLVANIA WEST CHESTER,PENNSYLVANIA WILKES-BARRE,PENNSYLVANIA MELBOURNE,FLORIDA
TRENTON,NEW JERSEY ROCHESTER,NEW YORK DALLAS,TEXAS RICHMOND,VIRGINIA VIENNA,VIRGINIA CHARLESTON,WEST VIRGINIA
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� CITY OF GRAPEVI\E,TEXAS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. EXECUTIVE SU'VIMARY................................................................................................................................1
2. BACKGROtiND.................................................................................................................................................2
3. METHODOLOGY.............................................................................................................................................3
3.1 .AS SES SMENT.................................................................................................................................................3
3.2 ANALYSIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS............................................................................................................4
4. STANDARDS REFERENCES..........................................................................................................................6
5. ASSESSMENT....................................................................................................................................................7
S.l ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE.....................................................................................................................7
5.2 CENTER MANAGEMENT................................................................................................................................7
5.3 TRAINING AND QUALITY ASSURANCE..........................................................................................................8
5.4 TURNOVER RATE..........................................................................................................................................9
5.5 NET AVAILABLE WORK HOURS(NAWH�....................................................................................................4
5.6 AGENT OCCUPANCY(AO�RATE................................................................................................................1 O
5.7 DISPATCH SUPERVISORS.............................................................................................................................11
5.8 TELECOMMUNICATORS...............................................................................................................................11
5.9 OPERATIONS...............................................................................................................................................12
S.1 O ANCILLARY DU7IES....................................................................................................................................1 S
5.11 HUMAN RESOURCES...................................................................................................................................16
6. RECOAZMENDATIONS..................................................................................................................................17
6.1 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUC'I'IIRE...................................................................................................................18
6.2 CENTER MANAGEMENT..............................................................................................................................19
6.2.1 Communications Supervisor(1 j............................................................................................................19
6.2.2 Ti-aining and Oualitv Assurance (OA)Supervisor(1)...........................................................................19
6.3 OPERATIONS STAFF ....................................................................................................................................21
6.3.1 Dispatch Supervisors(5).......................................................................................................................21
6.3.2 Telecommunicatof•s(23)........................................................................................................................22
6.4 CALLPROCESSING......................................................................................................................................24
6.5 OPERATINGMETHODOLOGY.......................................................................................................................25
6.6 Cnt,L FLOw PxocESS .................................................................................................................................26
6.7 SERVICE LEVELS.........................................................................................................................................26
6J.1 Service Level.l�letrics (SL:�Is)................................................................................................................2i
6.8 ANCILLARY DUTIES....................................................................................................................................27
7. STAFFING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.....................................................................................................29
7.1 FIRST YEAR IMPLEMENTATION...................................................................................................................29
7.2 SECOND YEAR IMPLEMENTATION...............................................................................................................30
7.3 THIRD YEAR IMPLEMENTATION..................................................................................................................31
7.4 HIRING FOR RETENTION..............................................................................................................................32
S. COSTS...............................................................................................................................................................34
APPENDIX1 .............................................................................................................................................................35
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1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Grapevine 9-1-1 Emergency Communications Center (Center) processes an average of 133,522
emergency and non-emergency calls annually. The Center also provides dispatch services for an average
of 68,648 police, fire and emergency medical services (EMS) incidents annually. Kimball recommends
an operational process that utilizes Telecommunicators in dedicated roles of call-takers and dispatchers.
Although authorized for one Communications Supervisor, three Dispatch Supervisors and eight
Telecommunicators, the Center is currently operating with one Communications Supervisor, two
Dispatch Supervisors, and six Telecommunicators. Even at full-authorized staff,the Center does not have
the personnel positions to efficiently and effectively provide call-taking and dispatching services.
Kimball recommends a total staff of 30 positions, 18 more than currently authorized.
Kimball recommends the City of Grapevine (City), Texas consider PSAP consolidation as an option far
sharing services and costs among municipal partners.
This shortage of personnel endangers the public and public safety responders by increasing the time to
answer 9-1-1 calls, dispatch responders, and answer responders when they call for assistance.
The average time to answer during the Center's busiest hour of the day is a measure of ineffectiveness.
During the busiest hour of the day, the average time to answer a 9-1-1 call is over 15 seconds. National
standards call for 90 percent of these same calls to be answered within 10 seconds. This is one area �""�
where the Center is not meeting nationally accepted standards and endangering the public by increasing �,�.��
the wait time during an emergency.
Another area of non-compliance to national standards and best practices is time to dispatch. The Center
currently reports that their time from call pickup to time of dispatch for the highest priority calls is 4.1
minutes. This endangers the public by delaying needed resources and endangers the responders by
providing late information. Kimball recommends the implementation of service level metrics with a
periodic review in order to monitor the performance of the public safety answering point(PSAP).
There is no formal quality assurance program in place. With no such program in place, the Center
increases its risk and liability. Kimball recommends a Training/Quality Assurance Supervisar to institute
and maintain a formal quality assurance program.
Telecommunicators are tasked with ancillary duties that are not a function of a 9-1-1 emergency
communications center. An example of a non 9-1-1 function provided by the Center is that of female
Telecommunicators searching female prisoners. Kimball recommends that this function, as well as
others,be terminated.
The Center will incur additional costs to employ the increased staff recommended by Kimball. These
costs include pay, benefits, uniforms, and training. Kimball projects that the Center will spend
approximately $992,968 in additional funds over three years to reach the Kimball recommended staffing
numbers.
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2. BACKGROUND
The City requested L. Robert Kimball & Associates, Inc. (Kimball) to provide an assessment and make
recommendations relating to the staffing needs for the City's 9-1-1 emergency communications center.
The City's primary goal is to have its current Center operational staffing evaluated to determine the level
of staffing required to accommodate current and future growth as demands far services increase. The
City's secondary goals are to promote career development, job satisfaction and retention of personnel
among its Telecommunicators.
The City is located in Tarrant County, Texas and borders the northwest side of the Dallas/Fort Worth
Airport. The City's resident population is just under 50,000 people. Because of the City's physical
location, Grapevine is a thriving business and recreation community. The City's daytime population
increases to approximately 135,000 people. The City estimates have determined that approximately
60,000 of those 135,000 are tourists.
The City also estimates that State Highway 114, which cuts through Grapevine, has 100,000 cars pass at
the morning and evening rush hours.
The combination of residents, tourists and motorists creates an average public safety volume of over
68,000 incidents per year. Whether generated by units in the field ar called in by the public, the Center
processes each one of these incidents in one manner or another. Table 1 indicates the average number of
incidents generated by each service and the total average incident volume.
Table 1
Grapevine Communications Center
Average Annual Incident Volume
Average Number Annual
Police Incidents 64,305
Average Number Annual
Fire Incidents 1,934
Average Number Annual
EMS Incidents 2,409
Total Avera e Incident Volume 68,648
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3. METHODOLOGY
Coordinated through the Dallas, Texas office, Kimball initiated this project in May of 2008. Kimball and
Grapevine stakeholders developed a project plan and successfully implemented that plan. On May 20 and
May 21, Kimball conducted on-site assessments and interviews of stakeholders, including
Telecommunicators and end users.
3.1 AS5ESSMENT
Kimball utilized a data collection survey tool in an effort to obtain the best data possible. This tool was
provided to the Center priar to Kimball's on-site assessment. The completed tool was returned to
Kimball prior to the on-site assessment. The information contained in this tool is accurate and valuable
data.
A two-day on-site assessment by Kimball provided insight into operations,validation of the data provided
by the Center, and an opportunity to meet with stakeholders to obtain critical information and
observations.
Through data collection, on-site assessments, and stakeholder interviews, Kimball obtained the following
data: .�
• Agency service levels such as time to answer, time to dispatch, abandoned call rate, and pre-
arrival instruction quality
• Agencies,units and personnel served
• Current wireline and wireless call volume and workload information such as number of inbound
emergency calls,number of inbound and outbound ten-digit calls, and a�erage time on call
• Current dispatch volume and workload such as the number of incidents and time on call for all
law enforcement, fire and EMS incidents
• Human resource issues such as turnover rate, agent occupancy rate, net available work hours,
scheduling,and training requirements
Table 2 depicts the schedule of activities for the two-day assessment.
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Table 2
Grapevine Communications Center
On-site Assessment and Interview Schedule
DATE TIME EVENT
5/20/08
9:00 am to10:30 am Initialization Presentation to Stakeholders
10:30 am to12 m General Tour of the Center
Working Lunch w/Mark Bills and Karen
12:00 m to 1 m Ballard
1:00 m to 2:00 m Fire De artment Stakeholders Interview
2:15 pm to 3:15 pm Dispatch Supervisors Interview
3:30 m to 4:30 m Police Patrol Interview
4:30 m to 5:30 m Communications Center Observation
5/21/2008
8:00 am to 9:30 am Communications Center Observation
9:30 am to 10:30 am Police CID Interview
10:45 am to 11:45 am Communications Center Observation
Working Lunch w/Mark Bills and Karen
12:00 m to 1:00 m Ballard
1:15 m to 2:15 m Telecommunicator Interview �
2:15 m to 4:00 m Communications Center Observation
4:00 m to 5:00 m Pro'ect Team Exit Interview
3.2 ANALYSIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Kimball utilized the collected data, observations, and stakeholder interviews to develop recommendations
found in this report.
The information in this report includes the following:
• Recommendation for the number of call-takers, dispatchers and dispatch supervisors to support
current Center operations
• Estimated costs to support recommended increases in staffing
• The standards and rationale applied to support staffing recommendations
• Other related findings based on interviews and observations pertaining to staffing, employee
retention,training, career development,and job satisfaction
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Kimball conducted weekly conference call meetings with the Grapevine Project Team to discuss findings
and develop the report. The Grapevine Project Team is shown in Table 3. This allowed Kimball and the
Center to confirm content, accuracy of data, and to make any necessary revisions prior to the release of
the draft report.
Table 3
Grapevine Communications Center
Project Team
Eddie Salame Grapevine Police De t. Chief of Police
Steve Bass Gra evine Fire Dept. Fire Chief
Ben Flanagan Grapevine Police Dept. Assistant Chief of Police
Mark Bills Gra evine Police De t. Technical Services Mana er
Karen Ballard Grapevine Police De t. Communications Supervisor
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4. STANDARDS REFERENCES
Kimball analyzed and compared the Center data with national and state standards. National and state
standards include:
• Association of Public Safety Communications Officers(APCO)Project 40 (RETAINS)
• Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) Standards far Public
Safety Communications Agencies
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Incident Management System
(NIMS)
• National Emergency Number Association(NENA)Operational Standards
• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1221, Standard for the Installation, Maintenance,
and Use of Emergency Services Communications Systems
• Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education(TCLEOSE)
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5. ASSESSMENT
Although technology and facilities play a crucial role in the success of any communications center, the
personnel determine the efficiency and effectiveness of that center. The following staffing assessment
provides an accurate depiction of the Grapevine communications center.
5.1 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
The Center is a civilian operation that provides emergency and non-emergency call processing and
dispatching for the Grapevine Police and Fire Departments. The Center comes under the control of the
Police Department. The Center staff is non-union employees, which allows for flexibility in human
resource issues that may benefit both the Center and the employee.
The Communications Supervisor manages the Center. The Communications Supervisor reports to the
Technical Services Manager, a Police Department civilian employee.
Although authorized for one Communications Supervisor, three Dispatch Supervisors, and eight
Telecommunicators, the Center operates short staffed with only one Communications Supervisor, two
Dispatch Supervisors, and six Telecommunicators. Additional staff is in training at this time in order to
achieve full authorized Telecommunicatar staffing. �
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Based on information provided by the Center and the Police Department,while the call volume, incident
volume, and additional responsibilities have increased, the Center operational staff(Telecommunicators
and Dispatch Supervisors)has not increased since 1987.
The Center did add the Communications Supervisor position in 1992.
5.2 CENTER MANAGEMENT
While the Chief of Police has the ultimate authority over the Center, the Communications Supervisor
oversees the overall center operations. The Center operates under the Technical Services Division
Manager who reports to the Assistant Chief of Police. The Communications Supervisor participates in
the hiring,training, and administrative functions of the Center.
Table 4 depicts the organizational structure of the Technical Services Division.
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Table 4
Grapevine Communications Center
Grapevine Police Organizational Chart
Chief of Police
Assistant Chief of Police
anager Technical
Services
Secretary
Technical Services Communications
Specialist Supervisor
Records Specialists Dispatch Dispatch Dispatch
Supervisor Supervisor Supervisor
Dispatchers Dispatchers Dispatchers
5.3 TRAINING AND QUALITY ASSURANCE
The Communications Supervisor and the Police Department Training Coordinator provide the Center
training coordination. There are no training hours allotted to Telecommunicators or Dispatch Supervisors
in order to achieve continuing education. Once a Telecommunicator is certified, there is limited
additional training due to staffing shortages. Generally, Telecommunicators attend training on their days
off.
There is no formal quality assurance process in place. The Center utilizes a volunteer to monitor calls for
customer service behavior. The Communications Supervisor, while creating recordings for court, dbes
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provide some proactive review of those calls. Work quality reviews are also done because of complaints
or questions from the public or responders.
The TCLEOSE Training Standard is a voluntary standard. Most Grapevine Telecommunicators are
certified at the TCLEOSE level of Advanced Telecommunicator, which demonstrates the
Telecommunicator's dedication to professionalism.
5.4 TURNOVER RATE
The turnover rate calculates the average number of employees that leave the Center each year. The
formula uses the number of employees at the highest staffing level for the year measured and compares
that to the number of employees that did not complete probation and the number of employees that left for
any reason.
The Center experienced an annual average Telecommunicator turnover rate of 27.1 percent over the
measured period of five years. The national turnover rate a�erage has been reported to be 17 percent to
20 percent.
An area of concern is the turnover rate for the past two years as highlighted in Table 5 below. A
continued turnover rate of 40 percent to 50 percent each year would be devastating to the Center and
create public and responder safety issues by having the majority of staff under-trained and inexperienced. �
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Table 5
Grapevine Communications Center
Turnover Rate
Calculation of Avera e Telecommunicator and Dis atch Su ervisor Turnover Rate
Cate o 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Avera e
A Total number of employees at the
hi hest staffin level for that ear 11 11 11 10 10 10.6
B Number of new hires that failed to
com lete the robation eriod 0 0 0 3 1 0.8
C Number of experienced
em lo ees who left for an reason 2 1 2 2 3 2
D Turnover Rate
(Turnover=B+C/A) 18.2% 9.1% 18.2% 50.0% 40.0% 27.1%
5.5 NET AVAILABLE WORK HOURS (NAWH)
The NAWH is the average number of hours an employee is available to work during a calendar year.
This calculation starts with the total annual hours available for a full time employee to work in a calendar
year. The formula then subtracts time away from the job such as leave, sick,meal and training times.
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The current NAWH for the Center staff is 1,912 hours per Telecommunicator. However, the average
NAWH per Telecommunicator should be 1,770 hours. Because the Center does not provide a lunch break
or time for continuing education, the NAWH is higher. The future direction of the Center should be to
provide for a 30-minute lunch and 24 hours of annual continuing education time. The NAWH breakdown
is shown in Table 6.
Table 6
Grapevine Communications Center
Net Average Work Hours
Calculation of Net Available Telecommunicator Work Hours AWH
A 2,080 Total Hours for One Full Time Em lo ee
B 80 Avera e VAC Leave(Total Hours)
C 40 Avera e SIC Leave(Total Hours)
D 8 Avera e PER Leave(Total Hours)
E 24 Avera e Trainin Leave(Total Hours)
F 40 FMLA Leave(744.25 Av .Annual Total Hours/9 Em lo ees)
G 0 Avera e Other Activities(Meetin s,Li ht Du , S ecial Assi ments, etc.)
H 192 Subtotal Unavailable Time=Total of B throu h G
I 1,888 Subtotal Net Available Wark Hours(NAWH)=A-H
K 11 S Lunch and break(Total Hours)
L 1,770 Net Available Work Hours(NAWH)=I-K
1,770 Net Available Work Hours(NAWH
5.6 AGENT OCCUPANCY (AO) RATE
This AO rate is a subjective number but is designed to provide an estimate of the time per shift that a
Telecommunicator should be busy providing call handling and dispatching services. This calculation
takes other activities performed by a Telecommunicator into account such as warrant entries, prisoner
searches, Texas Crime Information Center(TCIC)entries, etc.
Based upon the current eight hour shift schedule and the addition of a 30-minute lunch break (as
recommended by Kimball), the Center would have an AO rate of 81 percent. Of the 480 minutes in an
eight hour shift, Telecommunicatars are available to work 390 of those minutes. The AO rate
calculations are shown in Table 7.
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Table 7
Grapevine Communications Center
Net Average Work Hours
Agent Occupancy Rate
A 480 Minutes in an ei ht hour shift
B 30 Minutes for lunch and breaks
C 450 Available Subtotal(A -B)
D 8 Other activity minutes er hour
E 7.5 Hours (G60)
F 60 Other activi minutes er shift(D x E)
G 390 Available minutes to work per eight hour shift(C-F)
H 81% Agent Occupancy Rate
5.7 DISPATCH SUPERVISORS
The Center currently has three Dispatch Supervisor positions authorized. Only two of these positions are
filled. Recently, two Dispatch Supervisors stepped down to Telecommunicator positions because they '�'
felt "overwhelmed" with responsibilities as they were supervising and warking as call-takers and �'
dispatchers.
The number of Dispatch Supervisors is inadequate. Having even the full complement of three Dispatch
Supervisors does not ensure that there is shift supervision 24 hours per day,seven days per week.
On each shift,the Dispatch Supervisors are assigned as supervisors and call-taker/dispatcher. Because of
this dual role, the Dispatch Supervisor is not able to provide oversight of the Center. In a Center of this
size the Dispatch Supervisor does need to provide some call-taking and dispatching assistance, but call-
taking and dispatching should not be the primary function.
Based on input from the staff as well as observations, the current Dispatch Supervisors do not have the �
opportunity to supervise based on their assignment to a call-taker and/or dispatcher position. Dispatch
Supervisors report that there are morale issues among supervisors due to the inability to perform their
supervisory functions.
5.8 TELECOMMUNICATORS
Kimball observed signs of stress and morale issues on the Center floor. Telecommunicators voiced their
opinion that the police officers and firefighters do not appreciate them. Telecommunicators responded to
callers and responders with frustration and a lack of patience. These responses are direct signs and
symptoms of a staff that is overworked. To place perspective on this statement, mathematically,
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Grapevine Telecommunicators are currently providing the coverage of ten people with only six. This
contributes to stress and morale issues due to the amount of overtime worked.
5.9 OPERATIONS
The staffing level of only two people on duty at one time provides far inadequate service and places the
public and public safety responders at risk. Kimball supports this statement based on the Center
workload, mode of operation, and observations.
Kimball reviewed Center data obtained through the Positron 9-1-1 phone records management system. In
2006,the Center's average time to answer during their busiest hour was 9.69 seconds,which is acceptable
by NENA standards. However, in 2007, the Center's average time to answer was 15.73 seconds, which
does not comply with NENA standards.' The 6-second increase in one year's time is cause for concern.
Using Telecommunicators that are "cross-trained," (trained in call-taking and police/fire/EMS
dispatching) the Center currently operates in a mix of harizontal and vertical communications center
modes.
The Center's horizontal mode is for police incidents. A designated Telecommunicator,working as a call-
taker, receives the call. That Telecommunicator gathers the necessary information and forwards that
information via the computer aided dispatch (CAD) system to a designated Telecommunicator police
dispatcher. The police dispatcher then notifies and coordinates the response.
The Center's vertical mode is for fire and EMS incidents. A designated Telecommunicator,working as a
call-taker, receives the call. That Telecommunicator also notifies (dispatches) and coordinates the
response.
This is problematic. The number of staff and mode of operation requires Telecommunicators to multi-
task beyond normal capabilities. While some level of telephone and radio work is necessary,it should not
be the norm. The current operation sets up the potential for failure any time there are multiple calls
reporting the same incident and/or an incident requiring multi-agency response(i.e., a motar vehicle crash
on the highway).
Kimball observed a 9-1-1 wireless call received by the Center, which reported erratic motor vehicle
operation on the roadway. The call-taker stayed on the line to obtain information from the caller while
the police dispatcher coordinated the response. During that same time,the call-taker received another call
for a separate fire incident as well as multiple wireless calls reporting a road hazard. These minor
incidents created an overload of the communications system by having a call-taker processing multiple
calls while coordinating the response of the Fire Deparhnent.
A major incident such as a working fire creates an additional workload that is not currently addressed in
the Center. The call-taker, who is also the fire and EMS dispatcher, is responsible to provide support to
the Incident Commander while monitaring the fire ground radio channel. Typically,while performing the
call-taking functions and providing support to the Fire Department, the Telecommunicator is tasked with
'NENA Call Taking Operational Standard/Model Recommendation,NENA 56-005, Section 3.1
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listening to the firefighters talking on the radio at the fire scene, requesting such things as "more water,"
"lay an additional line," and "vent the roo£" Within those typical fire ground operations, the
Telecommunicator is required to monitor for distress calls from firefighters that may be injured or in
trouble while at the same time processing 9-1-1 calls, ten-digit phone line calls, as well as any other fire
or EMS incidents. This creates a potential situation where firefighter safety could be compromised.
Fire operations that are not incident based also create audio workload for the Telecommunicators. As
observed by Kimball, the Fire Department conducts operations such as hydrant flow testing on a radio
channel that is monitored by the Center. This creates additional"noise"that the Telecommunicator has to
sift through or block out in order to process other calls and radio traffic. As an example, Kimball
observed the call-taker/fire dispatcher turn the volume on the fire radio volume down to a low level in
order to process a 9-1-1 call. The fire radio volume did not get turned back up until after firefighters
called the Center with no response from the fire dispatcher and the police dispatcher overheard them
calling on her console. While it is certainly not appropriate for the fire dispatcher to turn down the fire
radio volume, it is a necessity for the call-taker in order to process a call.
There are four dispatch positions and one supervisar position within the Center. Each position is capable
of functioning as either a call-taking or a dispatching position. Figure 1 is a photograph of one of the
dispatch positions. Each position has seven monitor screens along with several mice and keyboards. The
monitors are used for:
• Mapping of Callers(1)
• 9-1-1 and Ten-digit Telephony(1) �.
• Radio(1)
• Computer Aided Dispatch(2)
• Automatic Vehicle Locator(1)
• Omnix�TCIC(license,registration,warrant checks,etc)(1)
L. Rober•1 Kimball&Associates, Inc.,.7uly 2008 � Page 13
��'mball CITY�OF EDTOa\S«'ERI\GPOL\T(PSAP�STAFFL\GASSESSIIE\T
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Figure 1
Grapevine Communications Center
Console Position
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While all of these tools are useful and provide a benefit to the Center, they create visual and audio
workload for the Telecommunicator. While Telecommunicators reported some minor issues with the
Center technology,there were no majar deficiencies reported by the users. Telecommunicators expressed
a desire to provide input in and purchase the following:
• Wireless headsets that integrated radio and telephony
• More frequent change out of computer mice and keyboards, due to the workload causing these
devices to wear out quicker than those do that receive normal use
• Uniform keyboards as the current keyboards differ in size and key location
• Stackable monitors for ease of viewing
• CAD system that is user friendly
During the police stakeholder interviews, officers reported that they are often asked to "standby" when
calling the Center over the radio. This is an officer safety issue as the officer may only have one
opportunity to report their location and needs. Not unlike the Telecommunicator role of monitoring the
fire ground radio frequency, it is the role of the police dispatcher to monitor and be available to the officer
on the road.
The Center reports that for the highest priority calls, their time from pickup of the call until time of
dispatch is 4.1 minutes. NFPA Standards require 99 percent of all call processing and dispatching
,.,��,.
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completion within 90 seconds.z Police call processing best practices call far the immediate dispatch of
in-progress incidents with supplemental information to follow.
Police stakeholders recognize that they are not dispatched in a timely manner for in-progress events. An
example provided by police was a recent bank robbery where the call-taker obtained the description of the
suspect prior to dispatching the incident to police. While this assessment did not look at operations in
detail,this may be directly related to staffing. If an in-progress event does occur,there is not enough staff
on duty to provide the call-taking and the dispatching if any other calls come into the Center.
Current staffing does not allow for proper allocation of Telecommunicators to meet the specialized needs
of the agencies they serve. An example of this would be that the Police Department doubles their officers
on duty from 8:00 pm to 2:00 am on Friday and Saturday nights because of the workload. The Center
processes this additional police workload in one manner or another,yet the Center staff does not increase
during that time.
The Center once provided emergency medical dispatch(EMD). The Center no longer provides the E1VID
practices of:
• Structured caller questioning
• Provision of pre-arrival instructions
• Provision of post-dispatch instructions
EMDs are required to have 24 hours of continuing education every two years. Staffing shortages did not �
allow Telecommunicators to maintain their ENID certifications because they were unable to obtain the �,�$;
continuing education.
Only the Communications Supervisor and one Dispatch Supervisor are currently certified EMDs. The
Dispatch Supervisors and Telecommunicators use the EMD protocol (flip charts) to provide CPR
instruction if needed.
5.10 ANCILLARY DUTIES
In addition to the normal public safety communications duties,the Center provides the following:
• CID Warrant Entry and Maintenance
• Court Warrant Entry and Maintenance
• Call Processing after Normal Business Hours for the City's Water, Street, and Building
Maintenance
• Call Processing for Animal Control
• TCIC/National Criminal Information Center(NCIC)Entries,Verifications, and Validations
• Tow Company Log—Rotation Purposes
• Repossession and Private Tow Log
• Siren Activation(Upon Request)
��,
2 NFPA 1221,Chapter 7 Operations,Section 7.4.2
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_�-
• Female Prisoner Searches for the Jail
• School Crossing Guard Call In
• Switchboard Operations for Police Department
• Media Phone Calls
5.11 HUMAN RESOURCES
Telecommunicators receive no meal or other breaks. Because there are only two Telecommunicators on
duty, there is not enough staff to allow these breaks. Wt�ile Federal or Texas state law does not require
these breaks, they are a benefit that may improve retention, marale, and stress levels.
Telecommunicator candidates are tested for knowledge, skills, and abilities by the Center using a
commercial computer-based product. These candidates are also given a commercial test designed
specifically for the emergency communications center environment. This "fit test"ensures the candidate
has the aptitude to work in the emergency communications center environment.
Female Telecommunicators are often used by the jail to search female prisoners. The City should
investigate this policy to ensure that the Telecommunicator is insured to perform such tasks based on the
job classification and description. Aside from liability issues,this is not a Telecommunicator function.
When asked about the high attrition rate in the Center, Telecommunicators reported the following reasons
why co-workers left:
• The Telecommunicator who left did not have the aptitude for the position(not the right fit)
• Poor benefits(i.e.,no meal break)
• Shift work(i.e.,nights,weekends,holidays)
• Pay
,�
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6. RECOMMENDATIONS
To determine the proper number of personnel needed, Kimball combined statistical data, nationally
accepted formulas,experience from other communication centers and input from the Center staff.
Kimball has based these staffing recommendations on the assumptions that Center personnel will wark a
mix of eight- and ten-hour shifts using the current schedule of days off.
Kimball recommends positions using nationally recognized position titles for emergency communications
centers and PSAPs. These titles may not necessarily match titles currently in use by the City.
Kimball recommends a Center staff of 30 positions. Kimball's recommendation is 18 more positions than
the reported 12 positions currently used by the City to staff the communications center. The number of
Kimball-recommended positions reflects an amount that provides far the effective and efficient operation
of the Center.
Table 8 indicates the total number of staff and the minimum number of Telecommunicatars that are to be
trained in a specific discipline(i.e., 11 call-takers,6 police dispatchers, etc.)
Table 8
Grapevine Communications Center '"'"�
Recommended Total Stafting
�.:.:�.
Number of
2008 Kimball Personnel Recommendation Em lo ees
Mana ement(Communications Su ervisor) 1
Call-takers 11
Police Dis atchers 6
FireBMS Dis atchers 6
Shift Su ervisors 5
Trainin Quali Assurance Su ervisor 1
Total Personnel 30
Kimball recommends the Center's current practice of cross-training Telecommunicators in call-taking,
police dispatching, and fire dispatching be continued. A cross-trained staff ensures that all disciplines
have sufficient personnel to provide optimum schedule coverage.
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6.1 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTL'RE
Kimball recommends that the Police Department continue to review annually, update as needed, and
make accessible the organizational chart to all personnel in compliance with CALEA standards.3 Table 9
depicts the recommended organizational structure with the addition of the Training/QA Supervisor.
Table 9
Grapevine Communications Center
Proposed Organizational Chart
Chief of Police
Assistant Chief of Police
anager Technica
Services
Secretary
Technical Services Communications
Specialist Supervisor
Records Specialists Training/QA Dispatch Dispatch Dispatch
Supervisor Supervisor Supervisor Supervisor
Dispatchers Dispatchers Dispatchers
3 CALEA/APCO Standards for Public Safety Communications Agencies,Section 1.1.2
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6.2 CENTER MANAGENiENT
Management of the Center requires a team approach to maintain a flow and direction that will allow the
Center to transition into an efficient and effective communications center. Developing a team concept
allows the Communications Supervisor, the Training/QA Supervisor, and the Dispatch Supervisors to
share information,responsibilities, and knowledge, in turn creating a seamless structure.
Kimball recommends the following management team positions be continued, added or enhanced.
6.2.1 Communications Supervisor (1)
Kimball recommends the Communications Supervisor continue in the role of Center manager by
providing for overall administrative management of the Center. The Communications Supervisor is
ultimately responsible for the effective delivery of emergency communication for the City's public safety
services. While the Technical Services Manager prepares and administers the budget, the
Communications Supervisar provides input to the Center's annual operating budget; oversees all
personnel management functions for the Center; oversees the investigation of complaints; and provides
leadership to the organization.
6.2.2 Training and Quality Assurance (QA) Supervisor (1)
�
This position serves three roles. The Training role is responsible for the coordination and training of all
Center personnel. Based on current turnover rates, Kimball projects the Center will train approximately �'�'°'K
nine new employees per year. In addition to new hire training, Kimball recommends 24 hours per year
per Telecommunicator for continuing education training beyond initial qualifications to maintain,upgrade
and update skills.
As an example of the need for continuing dispatcher education, a Telecommunicator certification, such as
EMD,requires a minimum of 24 hours every two years.
Providing a defensible, professional, and documented training program will improve employee retention
through cultivating a professional certification process tied to pay and classification that translates into a
career path for the employees. It also will reduce attrition through building a solid foundation of training
and in-service that will support and grow staff towards providing a high quality level of service.
Table 10 below outlines an example of what type of training goes into a basic new-hire training program.
These types of programs are similar to Police and Fire Academies. The new-hire Telecommunicatar
learns in a classroom envirorunent. Only after certain classroom skills are mastered is the trainee allowed
to field live calls in the Center. This type of training does require the full time oversight of a Training
Supervisor but accelerates the learning process preparing the trainee to wark independently than if the
trainee has to obtain the majority of knowledge on the job.
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Table 10
New-Hire Training Program Example
New-Hire Telecommunicator Training Curriculum Example
• Basic dispatcher training based on the APCO Project 33 Standards
• 1013 Basic Telecommunications Certification Course
• 3720 Telecommunications Operator Field Training Program
• Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR�should be able to get from
local EMS or in-house
• Emergency Medical Dispatch(ENID)
• Police Dispatch
• NCIGTCIC/TLETS
• Suicide Intervention
• Domestic Violence Awareness
• IS 700 National Incident Management System (I�1IMS)
• IS 100 and 200(Incident Command System)
• Fire Dispatch
� Hazardous Materials Awareness
• Internal Policy and Procedure
• Computer Aided Dispatch(CAD) System
• Telephony and 9-1-1 Customer Premises Equipment(CPE)
• Radio System
• Mapping
• Call Simulation
The highlighted training listed above is NOT provided by the Center to new-hire employees at this time.
Kimball recommends the Center evaluate the availability of this type of training, whether through
commercial training products or in-house instruction, and include this training as part of their new hire
curriculum.
The QA role reviews calls, provides feedback on performance, and ensures compliance with
policy/procedure, standards and best practices. This process provides evidence needed to establish that
services provided by the Center are of high quality and performed effectively. The management team
then analyzes areas of weakness identified by the Training/QA Supervisor. The analysis determines the
amount of risk that t1�e weakness creates for the public and responders. Based on the analysis, the
weakness is then addressed through policy/procedure, equipment or training.
This process creates a structured risk management program. This recommendation complies with
CALEA standards which state, "The agency should consider both external and internal areas that can be
the basis of injury to the public or other employees and create liability for the agency. Other areas of
concern include possible omission or failure of policies and procedures, employee or supervisor
negligence, and deficient equipment ar training."4
4 CALEA/APCO Standards for Public Safety Communications Agencies,Section 1.2.1
�,�
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Because this position is a Supervisor, this person has the ability to fill in on shift as needed, as well as
provide supervision to trainees and training officers.
This position would also be responsible for the creation of recordings for use in court or other official
proceedings.
6.3 OPERATIONS STAFF
Center operations of the size anticipated for the City require personnel levels that provide sufficient
staffing during normal operations and the ability to supplement that staff during times of critical incidents.
Kimball used APCO Project 40 (RETAINS) Staffing Formulas, Kimball developed formulas, NFPA
Standards, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and industry best practices to analyze the provided
data and determine these recommended staffing numbers.
Kimball recommends the following operations staff to provide the call answering, dispatching, and
supervision of the Center:
6.31 Dispatch Supervisors (�)
Kimball recommends one Shift Supervisor per shift to properly manage and lead each shift. In order to '�P`�'
ensure that each shift has at least one Dispatch Supervisor on duty at all times, the Center needs five ���
Dispatch Supervisor positions. This number of personnel assigned as Shift Supervisors ensures that
vacation, training, and sick time is covered. Depending on the number of call-takers and dispatchers on
duty, if there are two Dispatch Supervisors on duty,one may be assigned to call-taking or dispatching.
Kimball recommends that under normal conditions, the Dispatch Supervisor be dedicated to supervisory
responsibilities, and not assigned a call-taking or radio position. This assures the Dispatch Supervisor is
available to manage and supervise while providing necessary support to the Telecommunicators during an
incident. Kimball recommends that the Dispatch Supervisors be available to fill in at the call-taking or
radio position as needed(i.e.,meal breaks).
Kimball's recommendations comply with recommended best practices as set forth by both the National
Fire Protection Association and the Department of Homeland Security.
The NFPA standards state, "At least one supervisor shall be on duty and available when more than two
telecommunicators are on duty."5 NFPA's position is that, "The supervisor position(s) in the
communications center should be provided in addition to the telecommunicator(s) position(s). These
supervisory personnel are intended to be available for problem solving."6
The standards set forth by CALEA do not address staffing or supervision in a communications center.
The "Standards for Public Safety Communications Agencies" (SPSCA), established jointly by CALEA
and APCO, does not address staffing ar supervision in a communications center either. However, both
5 NFPA 1221,Chapter 7 Operations,Section 13
6 NFPA 1221,Annex A 7.13 ���
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sets of standards reference utilizing `Incident Command System' protocols (CALEA Standard 46.1.2—
Mandatory; and SPSCA Standard 7.1.2—Mandatory).
The DHS, coordinating with federal, state and local governments has established NIMS. The `Incident
Command System' (ICS) falls under the `Command and Management' element of NIMS. The ICS
"represents `best practices,' and is the standard for emergency management across the country."
ICS requires a supervisor when there are between three and seven persons performing similar functions.
(The optimal span of control is five.) A manageable span of control allows supervisors to supervise and
control their subordinates,while allowing for efficient communications between all parties.
While NFPA standards and ICS require dedicated supervisory personnel, there are in-house
considerations as well supporting a dedicated supervisor assigned to each shift, such as:
• Ability to provide coordination and direction during major emergency incidents, i.e., severe
weather,high profile incidents,wildfires
• Available for problem solving
• Single point of contact for subscriber agencies
• Readily able to identify areas for growth among subordinates
• Allows for formalized development of career paths
• Ability to document employees' performance for annual/periodic reviews
• More narrow scope of supervision due to implementation of new policies and procedures
• More supervision with diversified, complex tasks
• Able to stay current with technological changes/advancements
• Ability to provide more guidance to new employees who have less training and experience
• Greater knowledge of laws,procedures,and administrative processes
• Able to focus on the operations of the Center as a whole and not have split responsibilities with a
dispatch position
• Able to focus on customer service to public and subscriber agencies
• Improved communications with management, subordinates, and subscriber agencies
• More time to spend with subordinates individually, on a daily basis
• Promotes operational efficiency
• Able to identify areas for remedial training, counseling or discipline,when appropriate
• Able to address issues upon occurrence,not after the fact
• Able to set priorities
• Delegation of tasks/responsibilities
6.3.2 Telecommunicators (23)
Telecommunicators will provide the call-taking and dispatching that serves as the primary function of the
Center. Tt�ese roles are separate functions within the Center that allow for efficient processing of call
volume.
The goals of the Center are twofold. The first is to have enough call-taking staff in place to answer
emergency calls in a timely manner. The standard to meet or exceed is the NENA' standard. That
'NENA Call Taking Operational Standard/Model Recommendation,NENA 56-005, Section 3.1
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standard requires the answering of 90 percent of all 9-1-1 calls arriving at the PSAP within ten seconds
during the busy hour. This goal exceeds the NFPA call answering standard.8
The second goal is to have enough dispatching staff in place to dispatch the appropriate information to
responders in a timely manner. The standard to meet ar exceed in this case is that of tl�e NFPA, which
states, "Ninety-five percent of emergency call processing and dispatching shall be completed within 60
seconds, and 99 percent of call processing and dispatching shall be completed in 90 seconds."9
To determine the approximate number of call-takers and dispatchers needed to process the call and
incident volume, Kimball used formulas developed by APCO Project 40 (RETAINS). These nationally
recognized formulas use the actual call volume, processing time, and employee availability to determine
the number of call-takers needed to efficiently process the call volume. Calculations estimate the average
processing time, net available work hours, and agent occupancy rate as well as calculate against a
determined turnover rate.
Kimball has used a combination of the Center-provided data, best industry practices, and staff experience
to determine the need for approximately 23 full time equivalent (FTE) call-takers and dispatchers to
efficiently process all police, fire and EMS calls and radio traffic, 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.
Kimball recommends that personnel be cross-trained to provide a strong knowledge base of public safety
and flexibility in staffing configurations.
The call-taker's responsibility is to collect incident, scene safety, and caller information in an accurate
and timely manner. The call-taker is also responsible for providing post dispatch instructions to keep the ,,,�
caller safe or assist within the EMD protocol. The call-taker's primary focus is the caller's safety, as the
call-taker is figuratively the first person on the scene of the incident.
Kimball recommends a staff that includes a minimum of 11 FTE call-takers to process the133,500 annual
9-1-1,ten-digit emergency, and non-emergency call volume.
A police dispatcher's responsibility is to provide information obtained from the call-taker in an effective
and efficient manner to police responders. Specifically assigning personnel to the police dispatcher
function during a shift allows continuity and quality in services. This method also enhances officer safety
by providing personnel that are dedicated to the police radios.
Kimball recommends a staff that includes a minimum of six FTE police dispatchers to provide radio
coverage for the projected 64,305 annual police incidents volume.
A fire dispatcher's responsibility is to provide information obtained from the call-taker to fire and EMS
responders in an effective and efficient manner. Fire dispatchers working a fire incident, typically
coordinate a response that involves several units and often includes a multiple station response. Fire
dispatchers working an EMS incident typically coordinate a response that involves one fire unit and one
advanced life support(ALS) ambulance. Some incidents such as car wrecks have a response of multiple
fire units and an ALS ambulance. Specifically assigning personnel to the fire dispatcher function during a
shift allows continuity and quality in services.
$ NFPA 1221, Standard for the Installation, Maintenance, and Use of Emergency Services Communications
Systems,Section 7.4.1
9 NFPA 1221, Standard for the Installation, Maintenance, and Use of Emergency Services Communications
Systems, Section 7.4.2 ����
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This method also enhances firefighter and EMS personnel safety by providing dispatchers that are
dedicated to the fire radio. By City policy, the dispatcher is responsible for monitoring the Fire
Department fireground radio frequency.
Kimball recommends a staff that includes six FTE fire dispatchers to provide radio coverage for the
projected 4,300 annual fire and EMS incidents volume.
6.4 CALL PROCESSING
Communication centers receive emergency calls via two different methods. The first is on 9-1-1
telephone lines(trunks). The second method of receipt is via the standard telephone lines.
Kimball projects that the Center will receive approximately 34,900 calls annually on 9-1-1 trunk lines.
Kimball also projects the Center will receive approximately 72,400 calls annually on standard phone
lines. An unknown portion of those 72,400 calls will be emergency calls. The Center will also place
approximately 26,200 outbound calls. The call volumes are shown below in Table 11.
Appropriate and consistent performance of the Center requires clear operating procedures and processes
to describe the responsibilities of call-takers. CALEA highlights the responsibilities of a
Telecommunicator call-taker in their Standards for Public Safety Communications Agencies.
The call volume, the ability to adapt to emergency and non-emergency situations and the responsibilities
required of Telecommunicator call-takers reinforces Kimball's recommendation far the Center to operate
witl�dedicated call-taker positions.
The majority of calls received on the standard phone lines will be non-emergency calls for services and
administrative calls.
Non-emergency calls for service are those calls that require a public safety response but, by their nature,
are not incidents that need immediate attention. Examples of these types of calls include found property,
noise disturbances,vandalism, etc.
Administrative calls are those calls that require no public safety response. Examples of these types of
calls include setting up appointments (i.e., firearms permits), inquiries (i.e., road conditions), providing
report information from a previously investigated incident, internal transfer of calls to police department
personnel, etc.
Table 11 depicts the Grapevine average call volttme.
�.�•
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Table 11
Grapevine Communications Center
Call Volume
Avera e Call Volume
9-1-1 Wireline
Call Volume 10,791
9-1-1 Wireless
Call Volume 24,135
Non-emergency& ten-digit
emergency
Call Volume 72,417
Outbound
Call Volume 26,210
Total Avera e Call Volume 133,552
6.5 OPERATING METHODOLOGY ..�
�:.�_-
Kimball recommends separate call-taker and dispatcher positions. These positions will continue to be
staffed by the currently classified Telecommunicators. Call-takers are responsible to process calls, and
dispatchers are responsible to dispatch responders. To break that down even further, police dispatchers
dispatch police responders, and fire dispatchers dispatch fire and EMS responders.
Kimball recommends the procedural assignment of staffing levels to ensure that the appropriate number
of positions is staffed at all times. These levels may vary due to historical data regarding call and incident
volumes. Power shifts are an ideal way to increase staffing during historically busier activity periods
without having additional staff on duty when not needed.
Table 12 depicts the Kimball staffing recommendation based on eight-hour shifts:
�:,
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Table 12
Grapevine Communications Center
Positions To Be Staffed
Call- Police Fire/EMS Dispatch
taker Dis atcher Dis atcher Su ervisor
Midni ht Shift 1 1 1 1
Da Shift 1 1 1 1
Power Shift A 1 0 0 0
Evenin Shift 1 1 1 1
Power Shift B 1 0 0 0
6.6 CALL FLOW PROCESS
Based on these recommendations, the 9-1-1 call process is more efficient. This concept provides for one
call-taker to process police, fire, and EMS calls. The call-taker enters the information into the CAD
system and sends the information to the dispatchers. The respective dispatchers, police or fire/EMS, are
then able to coordinate the response and provide for responder safety.
During times that are historically busier (i.e., morning or evening commute), an additional call-taker
assigned to a power shift is available to assist in call processing.
When a power shift is not on duty and call volume increases,the fire/EMS dispatcher assists with the call
processing if not committed to a fire or EMS incident. If the fire/EMS dispatcher is not available to assist
with call processing,the Supervisar is available to assist. The police dispatcher should only be utilized as
a call-taker as a last resort.
6.7 SERVICE LEVELS
PSAPs define service levels to clarify to the public and responders what the expectations of their
communications center should be. Service levels provide a common understanding about services
provided, priorities, and responsibilities. The Center may specify the levels of availability, serviceability,
performance,operation, or other attributes of the service.
Kimball recommends the Center develop their service level metrics (SLMs)with the input of an advisory
board made up of police, fire and PSAP personnel as well as a civilian member appointed by the City
Council. The advisory board's assistance will promote ownership of the SLMs. This ownership promotes
support of the Center within the City.
These SLMs create a"report card"to the City on the status of the Center as well as progress made or not
made based on implemented changes.
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The first step in this process is for the advisory board to determine their ideal service levels based on
standards or best practices. The second step is for the Center to produce a report for the advisory board
describing the current SLMs for the Center. The third step is to review those levels on a periodic basis to
determine if the actual SLMs are meeting the ideal SLMs as outlined by the advisory board. The fourth
step is for the advisory board and the Center to recommend actions to improve where needed or actions to
maintain SLMs that do meet the ideal.
6.7.1 Service Level Metrics (SL1�Ts)
PSAPs develop metrics by which they measure their service. The following are some common SLMs:
Abandoned Call Rate- Percentage of calls abandoned prior to the Telecommunicator picking up on the
line. Determine an intemal agency benchmark and set that as the goal of the Center.
Average Speed to Answer-Average time in seconds it takes to answer a call at the Center. This metric
is for 9-1-1 trunk lines and standard phone lines.
Average Speed to Dispatch – Average time in seconds it takes to dispatch an emergency call to the
appropriate responders.
Pre-Arrival Instructions–Percentage of time that pre-arrival instructions were appropriate and provided
to the caller
�
Time Service Factor - Percentage of calls answered within a definite timeframe. This service level �,;,.��
should better greater than or equal to the NENA Standard of"ninety percent (90%) of all 9-1-1 calls
arriving at the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) shall be answered within ten (10) seconds during
the busy hour" and "ninety-five (95%) of all 9-1-1 calls should be answered within twenty (20)
seconds."Io
Uptime – This is the percentage of network uptime for systems under the control of the Center such as
CAD,Mobile Data,Radio System, etc.
6.8 ANCILLARY DUTIES
Kimball's scope of work for this project was to assess the Center's staffing and operations as it pertains to
staffing. To that extent,the following recommendations are based on the staffing assessment. There may
be the potential to streamline some of the ancillary duties listed but that requires an operations
assessment.
Based on the City accepting Kimball's staffing recommendations, the following ancillary duties should
remain in the Center:
• CID warrant entry and maintenance—this is a local communications center function.
lo NENA Call taking Operational Standard/Model Recommendation,NENA 56-005,June 10,2006,Section 3.1 �
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• Call processing after normal business hours for the City's water, street and building
Maintenance—these are functions that are often the responsibility of the local communications
center. However, it is Kimball's recommendation that these calls be directed to a line dedicated
for water, street and building maintenance so that in times that the Center is too busy to answer
these calls,they can be directed to voice mail or an automated attendant.
• Call processing for animal control—this is a local communications center function.
• TCIC/NCIC entries and validations—this is a local communications center function.
• Tow company log–rotation purposes—this is a local communications center function.
• Repossession and private tow log—this is a local communications center function.
• Siren activation(upon request)—this is a local communications center function.
The following ancillary duties should be removed from the Center for the reasons listed:
• Court warrant entry and maintenance—This is not a local communications center function. This
function is a court responsibility.
• Female prisoner searches for the jail—this is not a communications center function; removes
Center staff from their primary job functions and is a liability to the City.
• School crossing guard call in—this is not a communications center function. This function is the
responsibility of the person or department that oversees the crossing guards.
• Switchboard operations far Police Department—"Switchboard" operations should be removed
from the Center. Kimball recommends an evaluation of the phone lines, published numbers, and
their use to determine how best to process those calls. The police and fire ten-digit emergency
lines must be processed through the Center while administrative calls must be sent directly to the
proper person or department.
• Media phone calls—this is not a communications center function. Kimball recommends these
calls be sent directly to a trained public information officer.
L. Robe�7 Krmball&Associates, bac., July 2008� Page 28
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7. STAFFING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
Kimball recommends the creation and hiring of 18 personnel positions in addition to the already existing
12 for a total of 30 Center staf£ This amount of personnel ensures that adequate staffing is available to
fill the console positions recommended by Kimball.
Based on Kimball's recommendation, the Center has 14 call-taking, dispatching, and supervisory console
positions to fill each day. To fill one console position for eight hours, the Center needs 2.1
Telecommunicators/Dispatch Supervisors. The 2.1 figure includes the NAWH (average vacation, sick
time, meal break, etc.). To staff the Center 24 hours a day, 365 days per year without built-in overtime,
the Center needs to employ a total of 28 Telecommunicators/Dispatch Supervisors. This number does not
include the recommended Training/QA Coordinator or the Communications Supervisor. Of the 28
Telecommunicators,five are to be Dispatch Supervisor positions.
Many issues would hinder the Center from immediately hiring 18 additional positions to meet the
Kimball recommendation. The creation of positions, available funds, and ability to train the new
personnel are all examples of those issues.
During interviews and observations with the public safety responders and Center staff, Kimball noted the
potential for shared services witb neighboring municipalities. While the Center is currently, a
consolidated PSAP serving both Grapevine Police and Fire,there appears to be opportunity to expand the
Center into a consolidated PSAP/emergency communications center that serves additional municipalities.
�.
This type of shared service is common across the country and allows municipalities the opportunity to
increase the quality of service they provide, while achieving cost efficiencies that are sometime "��
unattainable by a single municipality. If the CiTy has some interest in consolidation,Kimball recommends
a feasibility study to determine if consolidation is attainable and practical for the stakeholders involved.
Although consolidation requires an in-depth study and plan, the current Center staff is insufficient to the
point where hiring the recommended staff in year 1 of this plan would not adversely affect any move to
consolidate. Kimball does recommend that if consolidation is considered, that a study and decision be
completed prior to hiring the recommended staff in years 2 and/or 3.
To ease the implementation of the recommended additional staff, Kimball has developed this high-level
three year implementation plan.
7.1 FIRST YEAR IMPLEMENTATION
In the first year of implementation, Kimball recommends the City create six positions in addition to the
current 12 positions already authorized for the Center. This number of positions brings total staffing to a
level that allows for training, vacation, and sick time. While providing some relief, this level of staffing
does not bring the total staffing to a level that will allow for the efficient and effective operation of the
Center. The positions needed are the following:
• 6 Telecommunicators
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Kimball recommends the Center hire six new trainees and put them through the Center's training process.
The Center reports that this process lasts approximately four months from the time a trainee starts to the
time they are ready to work on the floor alone.
Table 13 depicts the Kimball recommended first year staffing implementation.
Table 13
Grapevine Communications Center
First Year Staffing Implementation
Current Year 1 Subtotal
Communications Su ervisor 1 1
Trainin QA Su ervisor
Dis atch Su ervisor 3 3
Telecommunicators 8 6 14
Total 18
7.2 SECOND YEAR IMPLEMENTATION
In the second year of implementation,Kimball recommends the City create six positions in addition to the
current 18 positions already authorized for the Center. These positions augment staff to further reduce the
workload to increase efficiency and enhance public and responder safeTy. Kimball recommends that the
Center review SLMs to ensure personnel and operational changes are having a positive effect on the
Center.
The positions needed are the following:
• 2 Dispatch Supervisors
• 4 Telecommunicators
After the creation of these new positions, Kimball recommends the Center promote two
Telecommunicators into the position of Dispatch Supervisor and hire six new trainees. The additional
Dispatch Supervisors should come from within the Telecommunicator ranks. However, if there are no
qualified or interested candidates the Center will have to hire Dispatch Supervisors from outside the
Center.
One of the overall Dispatch Supervisor positions is then promoted to the position of Training/QA
Supervisor. The continuous amount of new hires and continuing education training needed, as well as the
quality assurance required by EMD,warrants a full time position.
Table 14 depicts the Kimball recommended first and second year staffing implementation.
�.
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��imball CITI'10FGRA EVI.\E T X SPOL\T(PSAP�STAFFI\GAS5ESS31E\T
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Table 14
Grapevine Communications Center
First and Second Year Stafting Implementation
Current Year 1 Year 2 Subtotal
Communications Su ervisor 1 1
Trainin / A Su ervisor 1 1
Dis atch Su ervisor 3 1 4
Telecommunicators 8 6 4 18
Total 24
7.3 THIRD YEAR IMPLEMENTATION
In the third year of implementation, Kimball recommends the City create six positions in addition to the
current 24 positions already authorized for the Center. These positions augment staff to further reduce the
warkload to increase efficiency and enhance public and responder safety. Kimball recommends that the
Center review SLMs to ensure personnel and operational changes are having a positive effect on the
Center.
The positions needed are the following:
�
• 1 Dispatch Supervisor ��;
• 5 Telecommunicators
After the creation of these new positions, Kimball recommends the Center hire six new trainees and put
them through the Center's training process. If all Years 1, 2 and 3 trainees passed probation and no one
left,the Center would then be at the full-recommended number of staff.
Table 15 depicts the Kimball recommended first, second and third year staffing implementation.
Table 15
Grapevine Communications Center
First,Second&Third Year Staffing Implementation
Current Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Subtotal
Communications Su ervisor 1 1
Trainin QA Su ervisor 1 1
Dis atch Su ervisor 3 1 1 5
Telecommunicators 8 6 4 5 23
Total 30
�.
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7.4 HIRING FOR RETENTION
"APCO Project 40 (RETAINS)was initiated in response to a widespread perception that the public safety
communications industry had unusually high employee turnover rates. While members were telling
APCO International they were struggling to find and keep qualified employees,managers had no national
data they could use to compare their center with others to determine whether they were dealing with an
extreme situation. There was anecdotal evidence of a problem but no hard data that could help determine
if high turnover was a widespread problem or a localized phenomenon.""
Based on the RETAINS research and common knowledge in the PSAP industry, it is important to
establish a positive working environment that promotes retention of valuable Telecommunicators.
Employee breaks, the ability to eat away from one's desk, work schedules that are considerate to an
employee's personal and family needs, and the ability to take leave when needed are all conditions that
are considered common place in any work environment but are often non-existent in a PSAP or
emergency communications center(ECC).
At the heart of poor working conditions in a PSAP/ECC is the issue of adequate staffing. To place an
even greater focus on the staffing issue, we can look directly at the traditionally high turnover rate
experienced in the public safety communications industry and, more importantly, in the Grapevine
Communication Center. The retention rate in any center is a direct gauge of employee job satisfaction.
For our example, Kimball creates a fully staffed Grapevine Communications Center. The cycle starts
with the Center having set their minimum staffing needs at 11 Telecommunicators. If one
Telecommunicator leaves today, the Center is now "short staffed" and covering the departed
Telecommunicator's shift with overtime. Although minimum staffing levels must be set for scheduling
purposes,the Center must hire above minimum staffing in order to provide the necessary coverage.
How long does it take the Center to get posting approval, post the position,test, and interview and hire an
employee? Based on information provided by the Center, new employees take approximately 20 weeks
from posting until they begin work. That accounts for 20 weeks of overtime to cover the departed
Telecommunicator.
How long does it take the Center to train a new hire Telecommunicator to the point that they attain the
level of the departed Telecommunicator? For this example, the Center has the Telecommunicator fully
trained in four months.
The Center has now been operating short staffed for nine months. If the departed Telecommunicator's
salary went toward the overtime, the cost to the Center now equals 8.5 months of additional straight pay
salary paid to compensate for the loss of the Telecommunicator.
PSAPs/ECCs that suffer staffing shortages often enter"crisis mode" and assign a Telecommunicator that
is in training to field live calls without direct supervision. Often these PSAPs/ECCs discount this
tremendous liability in favor of having a breathing body in the chair answering calls.
" � "APCO Project 40(RETAINS)
,�
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Estimates place the national turnover rate in public safety communications between 17 percent and 20
percent. The Grapevine Communications Center's five-year turnover average per year is 27.1 percent.
However, the Center has a 45 percent annual turnover average for the past two years. If this high
turnover rate continues without remedy, Kimball projects that the Center of 11 Telecommunicators will
lose approximately five Telecommunicators per year. Based on this example, the Center will pay 42.5
months of unbudgeted salary: Five months for the hiring process, four months for the training process,
and deduct the departed Telecommunicator's salary until the trainee begins. Now multiply that time by
five departed Telecommunicators per year.
Kimball's recommendations factor in the current turnover rate experienced by the Center. By hiring for
retention, the Center would have paid for approximately three Telecommunicators with the 42.5 months
of salary (benefits factored in)spent in overtime to cover a documented turnover rate.
In addition to shift coverage, the Center pays for commercial training products, certifications, and the
trainers and the trainee's salaries. The Center will lose money and have to spend additional funds if the
trainee does not make it through training. As documented by the Center, four trainees have not passed the
probationary period. This will also extend the overtime costs spent to cover the shift.
The more work demanded, the less desirable the working conditions, the more turnover created. More
turnovers created leads to more work demanded and less desirable working conditions. This cycle will
actually increase to the point that the Center may never realize"full staff'conditions again which appears
to be the cycle now experienced by the Center.
�
APCO's research identified some positive working conditions mentioned earlier. The Center must �;
consider the following:
• What happens to a Telecommunicator's stress level if they cannot take breaks from the console
because they are constantly operating short staffed?
• What type of personnel issues are created when a Telecommunicator cannot take the allotted
lunch break because they are short staffed?
• What type of stress and dangerous working conditions are created when a Telecommunicator who
is scheduled to work a 40-hour week is now working 60 hours because the Center is short
staffed?
• What type of stress and personnel issues are created when a Telecommunicator cannot take leave
(vacation,holiday, personal, sick)time because the Center is short staffed?
The Center must also consider the liability of untrained, inexperienced, and overwarked staff suffering
from work and personal related stress. Those situations lead to the poor attitude, low-quality
performance, lawsuits,and public and responder injury or death.
��.,,.
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t�. COSTS
The Center will incur additional costs to employ the increased staff. These costs include pay, benefits,
uniforms, and training. Kimball provided draft estimates to the City Budget Manager who refined those
estimates to determine a more accurate cost to the City. The total projected cost for the 18 additional
positions is $992,968 over a three year implementation period. A detailed breakdown of costs over that
three year implementation plan can be found in Appendix 1. These costs are in addition to the current
Center budget.
k-���:�
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APPENDI� 1
Grapevine Additional Cost Projections
Police Dispatch Staf�ng
This table represents the additional costs of a three-year staffing implementation plan as proposed by
L.Robert Kimball&Associates and developed by the Grapevine Budget Manager. The totai
projected cost for the 18 additional positions is$992,968.
Year 1 (FY 2009)will add 6 Telecommunicators. Year 2(FY 2010)will add 4 Telecommunicators
and 2 Dispatch Supervisors. Year 3(FY 2011)will add 5 Telecommunicators and 1 Dispatch
Supervisor.
Salary rates for FY 2009 include a 4%market adjustment to maintain the SOth percentile. Salary
rates for FY 2010 and FY 2011 each include market adjustments of 3%.
The TMRS contribution rate has been adjusted in FY 2010 and FY 2011 in conjunction with the
eight-year phase-in period.
COST INFORMATION "" ' FY 2009 FY 2010 ' ` FY 2011
Salaries 206,110 219,512 222,380
TMRS 29,309 32,685 34,625
,.�.
Medicare 2,989 3,183 3,225
�.,.:;n.--
Health/Life/DentalNision Coverage 58,290 58,290 58,290
Uniform Allowance 15,000 15,000 15,000
Memberships 720 720 720
Basic Telecommunicator Training 1,170 1,170 1,170
EMD Training 1,770 1,770 1,770
Continuing Education 2,700 5,400
TOTAL" ': $315,35$ ' ' $335,030 '$342,580
ADDITIONAL STAFF:
(BY POSIT'ION)
Telecommunicator 6 4 5
Dispatch Supervisor 0 2 1
TOTAL ' 6 6 6 '
L. Rober•1 Krmball&Associates, b�c., July 2008 � Page 3�