Slide 1

MCSA Sponsored911 Program Workshop

• Attended by PSAP representatives from the communities of Boston, Lynn, Brookline, Hopkinton, Holyoke, Fall River, Westfield, Mansfield, Natick, Amherst, Northhampton, Shellburne Falls, Barnstable County, Cambridge, as well as other agencies

Slide 2

Size of the Mass. 911 ProgramVerizon says the net expenditures from fund in 2000

were approx 12.8M:– E911 program costs approx 7.4M

Included operating costs, relocate 10 PSAP’s, re-arrange 38 PSAP’s and 1 new PSAP install, plus…

(compare to CT at 10M, VA at 25M, etc.)

– Disability Access program cost approx 5.4M

NOTE: These and all following cost numbers rounded from Verizon May 2001 report to DTE

Slide 3

How Many Wireline Access Lines Are There?

Population of Mass. = 6,349,097 (2000 Census)FCC says: 4,600,678 access lines reported on 12/01 in

Mass. by: 2 ILEC’s (99.9+% Verizon) – 3,931,46910 CLEC’s (RCN, ATT, Teleport, etc.) – 669,209

About 2.78M Verizon residential access lines in Mass. (says Verizon as ave. in 1997-2000)

(compare to 2,988,667 lines reported by 6 wireless carriers in MA. for Dec 01)

Slide 4

Components of E911 Program

• Continue focus on maintaining and upgrading reliable 911 telephone system and answering equipment

• Fund new initiative to certify all 911 telecommunicators and mandate both pre-and in-service training requirements

• Fund grants to large city, regional and innovative PSAP’s

Slide 5

Network and PSAP Equipment

• Need to keep funding 911 phone network (upgrades and future functionality)

• Need to replace APU’s and other PSAP equipment that is 7-8 years old today

• Need to integrate with wireless

• Need to fund additional equipment needed by 911 dispatchers

Slide 6

911 Training is KEY

• 911 is mostly about the people that take and dispatch emergency units

• 911 centers are the actual command and control centers for our state in this time of increased homeland security

• It is vital that we raise the level of skills and knowledge of these personnel

Slide 7

Survey of TC’s/Dispatchers

Type 103 of 275 PSAP’s

Est Total

Full Time TC’s 566 1500

Part Time TC’s 188 500

Full Time Supers 75 200

Full Time Sworn 71 200

PT/Occasional Sworn

514++ 2000++

TOTAL 4400+

Slide 8

Survey Continued• Looks like 2000+ non-sworn full and part-time

dispatchers in 275 PSAP’s• Need to consider number of others in secondary

PSAP’s, fire dispatch, EMS dispatch, etc. = 2500+ total non-sworn?

• Well over 2000-3000 additional sworn personnel who perform TC functions

• Looks like a number of 5000 is a reasonable estimate

Slide 9

Pre-Service Training

• How many new TC’s each year? Say its 15% of the total of 2000 or 300. Only 40-50 go to the Dispatch Academy, currently.

• Need to require substantial pre-service training at least equal to 5-week Dispatch Academy

• Need to fund instructors, materials, etc.• Need to assist communities in relieving personnel

to attend this training (mileage, per-diem, etc.)

Slide 10

Certification of Telecommunicators

• Establish standards for initial and continuing certification

• Require Initial certification of TC’s hired after a certain date and/or

• Require initial certification of veteran TC’s who may not have attended formal classes – need to consider factoring-in experience with

Slide 11

What Should be In-Service Training?

• Standards for Content• Number of Hours per

Year (40-120 hrs in many states are required)

• Certification Process (many states require basic certification)

• Big issue is how to fund release as many dispatch centers cannot afford to spare their personnel for in-service training

Slide 12

EMD Should be Required

• EMD Certification and training should be a key part of the 911 system

• It has become the “standard of care”

• Citizens want and expect dispatchers to help them with life-saving medical instructions while awaiting emergency vehicles

Slide 13

How to Fund In-Service Training?

Reimburse approved dispatchers for 40 hours of training each year at a SETB-approved rate (e.g., $15/hr.)

Make grants to PSAP’sfor approved trainingproportional to the number ofdispatchers.

Reimburse approvedPSAP training programs underguidelines set out by the SETB

MORE…

Slide 14

Need to Develop PSAP Managers

• Many dispatch managers need special training• Need to build skills and knowledge• Consider certification program for dispatch

managers, perhaps on the lines of the CJIS certification for CJIS reps (attend meetings, take exam every two years, have agreement on how system is used, etc.)

Slide 15

How to Support the Large PSAP’s

• CT gives subsidies to their large city’s (New Haven, Bridgeport, Hartford, etc.)

• What is needed in Mass.:– The 5 city’s over 100K pop have almost 20% of

the population (Bos, Wor, Spring, Low, Camb.)– There are 12 city’s over 75K pop (adds Brockton,

NB, FR, Lynn, Quincy, Newton and Somerville)

– There are 23 cities and towns over 50K pop.

Slide 16

How to Encourage Regionalization

It can make economic and mutual-aid sense to operate regional PSAP’s. Here are ours with the number of towns they serve:

Barnstable County 70958 5Berkshire County ECC 27375 21Dalton Public Safety 9639 3Dukes County 14987 7Great Barrington Center 10992 3Groton Police 12376 2Hamilton Police 12755 2Lee Police 6335 2Middleborough SP 16519 2New Braintree SP 25847 10North Adams Police 16367 2Northampton SP 19619 13Rutland Police 8026 2Shelburne Falls SP 41140 20Templeton Police 8420 2Winchendon Police 10865 2

Slide 17

Funding 911 Agencies

• Provide funds to support the underfunded large city PSAP operations and technology (e.g., all city’s over 75K pop.)

• Provide funds to plan and operate regional centers (e.g., 3 or more towns) because regional centers offer economies and services (mutual aid) that are valued by towns

• Provide funds to innovative centers (e.g., through a competitive grant program) to improve 911 ops

Slide 18

Guidelines for Funding

• Must be for 911-related expenses according to state-approved guidelines

• Exclusion of capital costs (e.g., can’t afford to fund buildings, etc.)

• Audit program is required• Uses explicit formulas for calculations so as to

minimize conflict and uncertainty• Should tie-in to training or other requirements

Slide 19

Other States (2000 population)10 Georgia 8,186,453

11 North Carolina 8,049,313

12 Virginia 7,078,515

13 Massachusetts 6,349,097

14 Indiana 6,080,485

15 Washington 5,894,121

16 Tennessee 5,689,283

17 Missouri 5,595,211

18 Wisconsin 5,363,675

19 Maryland 5,296,486

20 Arizona 5,130,632

21 Minnesota 4,919,479