The City of Calgary, 2009 PSC Operational Review Final Report

Transcription

1 1. The City of Calgary, 2009 PSC Operational Review Final Report Prepared by Framework Partners Inc. & Emergency Services Consulting International April 20, 2010

2 Table of Contents Executive Summary Preface PSC Overview Operational Review Process The Survey Cross referencing to Operational Review Findings Operational Review Overview of Findings and Recommendations Major Review Area 1: Organizational Findings and Recommendations Services Provided PSC Organizational Structure Staffing, Hiring, Turnover Performance Standards Financial (Operating & Capital Projects) Major Review Area 2: Operational Practices Findings and Recommendations Workload Performance Data / Measurements Position Allocation Operating Policy / Protocols Training Quality Assurance Major Review Area 3: Facility & Technologies Findings and Recommendations PSC Facility Telephone System Computer Aided Dispatch Radio System Position Workstations Recording Voice Logging Equipment Time Synchronization Business Continuity The Recommendations and CPS and CFD Issues Impact of the Recommendations on Survey Results Appendix A: Recommendations by Priority Final Report April 20, 2010 Page i Emergency Services Consulting International

3 List of Figures Figure 1: Core Components in Three Major Review Areas Figure 2: Operational Review Process Figure 3: PSC Staff Expectation Gaps Figure 4: Field Officer Expectation Gaps (CPS and CFD combined) Figure 5: General Satisfaction Top Two Figure 6: Improvement in Grade of Service for and Non Emergency Calls Figure 7: Recommendations that address non emergency calls Figure 8: Recommendations that address fire dispatchers Final Report April 20, 2010 Page ii Emergency Services Consulting International

4 Executive Summary Public Safety Communications (PSC) is a City of Calgary operation that receives, evaluates and dispatches emergency calls and non emergency calls for the Calgary Police Service (CPS) and Calgary Fire Department (CFD). It also provides dispatch services within Calgary and portions of southern Alberta for Alberta Health Services ground ambulance operations, as well as fire dispatch services for a number of outlying municipalities. PSC is a product of the recent consolidation of three separate emergency service dispatch and communications centres, which occurred in 2006 (CFD and Emergency Medical Services) and 2007 (CPS). The review was commissioned by the Board of Governors of PSC, and oversight was provided by a Steering Committee composed of representatives from CPS, CFD, Community Services and Protective Services and PSC. It was conducted by Framework Partners Inc. in partnership with Emergency Services Consulting International (ESCI) over the period July 2009 March Objective and Scope The objective and scope of the Operational Review included the determination of whether PSC is effectively meeting its mandate and the identification of potential service delivery improvements, specifically related to its service to citizens of Calgary and frontline responders within CPS and CFD. The Operational Review required assessment of emergency and non emergency call answer and evaluation, services provided to police and fire first responders in Calgary, and review of the major components of the current PSC service delivery model. Review Considerations The Operational Review was conducted by assessing the practices of PSC in comparison to industry standard best practices and 12 comparable agencies. Each of the comparable agencies is unique in its own way as is The City of Calgary s PSC and an effort was made to compare only applicable practices. While PSC mandate refers only to emergency calls, non emergency calls are deemed implicitly included in the mandate. This is because non emergency calls cover a wide spectrum of calls involving critical, sensitive and important safety issues to citizens, CPS and CFD. Survey Findings The perception of the citizens of Calgary is reflected in a strong and positive opinion of PSC, with 82% of the respondents rating Calgary s emergency response system as either good or excellent. Further, 75% of respondents rated the services provided through the non emergency lines as either good or excellent. This is a difference that is outside of the margin of error and therefore the lower rating for nonemergency calls is deemed to be significant. Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 1 Emergency Services Consulting International

5 The response rate for the survey of PSC employees was extremely high at 88%. The response rate for the survey of field officers was also strong at 53% and 55% for the police and fire respectively. At the time of the survey, 34% of PSC staff who responded were satisfied or very satisfied with the services that PSC provides. Further, 43% of police field officers and 31% of fire field officers who responded were satisfied or very satisfied with the services received from PSC. The field officer and PSC surveys indicate concerns related to operational support. Field officers and PSC staff were asked to assess in percentage terms both the level of importance and of satisfaction with ten services provided by PSC (such as the level of dispatcher competence, the level of detail of dispatch information, the timelines of dispatching, the quality of maps). The expectation gap, which measures the difference between the importance and the satisfaction levels, showed in this case a negative expectation gap ranging from 28% to 60% for CPS and from 41% to 69% for CFD. PSC staff have a negative expectation gap for the same group of services ranging from 40% to 72%. While the results of the field officer and PSC staff surveys are indicative of areas requiring improvement, they are compounded by the impact of change brought about by the relatively recent consolidation, including the change of organizational structure, work environment, location, and staff increases, differing supervision, and management. These findings are not unusual or unprecedented in a changing and evolving environment such as PSC. The Operational Review Findings The review proper was conducted on the basis of three major review areas: organizational, operational, and facilities and technology. These areas were divided into 20 major components, which in turn reflect 56 practice areas, all of which were assessed. PSC practices were assessed against best practices according to the following ratings: Meets Specific elements of the best practice are in place. Needs Improvement Partial elements are in place; however further development is required. Does not meet No elements in place. The review resulted in the following assessment: 22 practices meet baseline requirements (39%), 22 practices need improvement and 12 do not meet requirements (22%). Overall Assessment and Strengths Through the course of the review, it was determined: the number of practices which do not meet baseline requirements represent a low percentage of the total and can be addressed; PSC management and staff demonstrated awareness of current operational realities during the site visit and had data available regarding most of the areas reviewed; there have been steady improvements made since consolidation, which occurred in the fairly recent past. As a result of these findings, it can be said that PSC is currently operating in a correct direction, insofar as continuing improvement is maintained and the recommendations made in the Operational Review are carried out. Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 2 Emergency Services Consulting International

6 PSC also displayed strengths on which to build for the future. For example, there is an adequate internal management structure, minimal staff turnover, and an adequate staffing plan based on current known services and workload. The efforts made by the staff are very significant and many of the processes required to support PSC are in place. Review Findings and Highlighted Issues An analysis of all the review findings resulted in the identification of 17 deemed as important for consideration by PSC. These 17 findings fall into the following categories: Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) platforms Organizational governance Performance standards, including definition of services provided to partner agencies Policy development and staff training Scheduling and workload Through the analysis of findings, several operational issues emerged as being of key importance to PSC, CPS and CFD. These findings and issues formed the foundation for the review recommendations, discussed later. Improving Grade of Service PSC has shown steady improvement since amalgamation, as evidenced by the Grade of Service performance indicators. Grade of Service shows the percentage of all calls that are answered within a set time. The following figure shows the improvement in Grade of Service for and non emergency calls. Figure 1: Improvement in Grade of Service for and Non-Emergency Calls % Answered Within 20 Seconds YTD 2009 City of Calgary 98.9% 89% 86% 89% 97% EMS % * * * * Fire % * * * * Police % 86% 79% 90%** 95% * Call Data included in the City of Calgary statistics **CPS communications personnel transferred to command and control of PSC Target Grade of Service: 90% of calls answered within 20 seconds % Answered Within 30 Seconds YTD 2009 CPS Non Emergency (ASD) * 48% 49%** 72% Police Non Emergency * 40% 35% 45%** 60% Fire Non Emergency * 90% 89% 91% 94% EMS Non Emergency * 81% 81% 87% 95% Overall Non Emergency * 49% 46% 54%** 67% *No information or document found providing fire and EMS non emergency call grade of service prior to amalgamation **CPS communications personnel transferred to command and control of PSC Target Grade of Service for non emergency calls: 90% of calls answered within 30 seconds Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 3 Emergency Services Consulting International

7 The issue of whether PSC is meeting its mandate cannot be answered easily. Looking at the published mandate for PSC, which only refers to emergency calls, it could be said that PSC is meeting its mandate. However, taking into account the implicit inclusion of non emergency calls, and the fact that nonemergency calls exhibit a lower Grade of Service (as shown in the table above), the answer would have to be that PSC has to improve in order to meet its mandate. Key Service Issues for CPS and CFD The surveys mentioned above allowed individuals to express their personal opinions about PSC operations. Service issues were also identified at the departmental level. Low Grade of Service for non emergency calls are an important issue for CPS. Even though it has improved significantly since PSC consolidation, at 60% of calls under 30 seconds, versus a target of 90% of calls under 30 seconds, this is an area of concern and a high priority for CPS, and constitutes an important challenge to PSC. The average fire call processing and dispatch of Priority 1 (emergency) calls exceed the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standard of 60 seconds. This has resulted in the identification by CFD of the need for additional fire dispatchers as an important issue. In order to address both issue areas, several recommendations will need to be implemented. The recommendations that need to be implemented to address each one of these two issues are explained further down. Evolving Organizational Governance While the present governance may have well served the needs of PSC in its earlier and formative stages, it will require adjusting in the future in order to meet the changing needs of it and its partner agencies, and to further guide it towards becoming a best practices operation. The Operational Review findings identify the need for input mechanisms for the client agencies in the governance structure as well as rigour and formality in the definition of services and performance expectations. Separate CAD Systems The existence of two separate CAD systems (one for fire/ems and the other for police) presents an important opportunity for improvement of efficiency and effectiveness in PSC, through consolidation. Also, CPS is impacted by planning activities within the Province for development of an integrated Province wide information management system, the Alberta Police Integrated Information Initiative (API3). Preliminary information provided indicates the API3 has incorporated CAD functionality into the initiative; however, CAD is specific only to the police. Attention must be paid to initiatives which may create difficulties in the sharing of adequate information or in the creation of a common CAD platform at PSC. Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 4 Emergency Services Consulting International

8 The two key areas above need for input mechanisms within a cooperative governance structure and CAD consolidation are the subject of specific recommendations. Addressing them will have positive operational and strategic impact. Recommendations The analysis of the findings resulted in 36 recommendations. Sixteen of these recommendations are assigned the highest priority to address the 12, or 22 per cent of, best practice areas where PSC does not meet best practices. Of the 12 best practice areas, five are identified as key to focus on to maintain current levels of public safety: CAD Universal workstations Radio systems Position allocation (workload and staffing analysis) Essential function definition (relevant to disaster planning and recovery) The implementation of the recommendations is expected to contribute to closing the expectation gaps found in the surveys and operational concerns outlined by client agencies. Concerns regarding PSC performance deficits and services provided will gradually change as various recommendations become operational. See Figure 4 for relationship between recommendations and survey results. The Operational Review recommendations will serve to strengthen core areas, providing mechanisms to achieve industry standards of best practice, and respond to the needs of PSC staff and its Client Agencies. The recommendations provide a roadmap for PSC to strengthen its foundation for effective and efficient public safety communications services and to achieve a positive work environment for PSC staff and the Client Agencies, and to better comply with its mandate. The recommendations resulting from the Operational Review are deemed realistic and achievable for The City of Calgary. Many of the recommendations are dependent upon each other, requiring coordination of implementation efforts in order to achieve expected outcomes. They are grouped into three priority levels: Priority 1 Applies to recommendations that address practice areas where PSC does not meet best practices. Sixteen recommendations belong to this group. Priority 2 Applies to recommendations that address programs or processes which will improve the management and operational quality of public safety communications. Ten recommendations belong to this group. Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 5 Emergency Services Consulting International

9 Priority 3 Applies to recommendations that address efforts for the long term betterment of PSC. Ten recommendations belong to this group. The following three tables show the complete set of recommendations by priority level. Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 6 Emergency Services Consulting International

10 Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 7 Emergency Services Consulting International

11 There are four recommendations of special importance because they enable the implementation of the other ones. They are: Organizational Recommendation #4: Redefine and adjust PSC organizational governance authority and related processes. This refers to the Board of Governors areas of responsibility and input mechanisms for operational and technical input, policy development, development of performance expectations and standards, and technical upgrades and/or requirements. In addition, update and agree on the designation of authority and responsibility of PSC manager. Completion of this recommendation will allow the agency to establish effective communication processes and structure to operate and communicate effectively in the implementation of the remaining Operational Review recommendations. Services Provided Recommendation #1: Develop a standardized agreement and / or memorandum of understanding between PSC and City internal agencies, defining the type and level of services provided. Recommendation #35: Further define essential services to be performed under various failure and/or disaster conditions for the current facility and alternate site. These recommendations define PSC operational requirements and provide the foundation for operational planning based on a more rigorous and formal definition of services provided. CAD Recommendation #30: Initiate planning for integration of the police and fire/ems CAD systems in coordination with API3 planning processes and / or any other records management systems initiatives. This requires appropriate design requirements for functionality, information requirements, security, capacity, and required interfaces for Mobile Data Computers (MDCs) and Automatic Vehicle Locator (AVL). This recommendation will increase operational efficiency and effectiveness resulting in important benefits to PSC. How the recommendations address the issues Non Emergency Calls Several recommendations address the situation with non emergency calls. They are indicated in Figure 2. Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 8 Emergency Services Consulting International

12 Figure 2: Recommendations that address non-emergency calls Fire Dispatchers Several recommendations address the issue raised by the CFD regarding the right number of fire dispatchers. They are indicated in Figure 3. Figure 3: Recommendations that address fire dispatchers Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 9 Emergency Services Consulting International

13 How the recommendations will address the survey results Specific issues and concerns regarding PSC by field officers and PSC staff will gradually change as the recommended initiatives become operational. Consideration of the survey results, as well as an understanding of the Operational Review assessment will be important for successful implementation of the recommended initiatives. Figure 4 presents a cross reference between the recommendations and the surveyed expectations areas. The intersections show which recommendations will address the expectations in the corresponding column. Improvement and PSC success require that each core area be addressed, as the recommended initiatives are interdependent. Figure 4: How recommendations will address survey results Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 10 Emergency Services Consulting International

14 1. Preface This report presents the results of the Operational Review commissioned by the Board of Governors of PSC. Oversight was provided by a Steering Committee composed of representatives from CPS, CFD, Community Services and Protective Services and PSC. It was conducted by Framework Partners Inc. in partnership with Emergency Services Consulting International (ESCI) over the period July 2009 March The executive summary of this report is also being released as a stand alone document for those interested in a high level overview of the findings and recommendations. Objective and Scope The objective and scope of the Operational Review included the determination of whether PSC is effectively meeting its mandate and the identification of potential service delivery improvements, specifically related to its service to citizens of Calgary and frontline responders within CPS and CFD. The Operational Review required assessment of emergency and non emergency call answer and evaluation, services provided to police and fire first responders in Calgary, and review of the major components of the current PSC service delivery model. The Operational Review consisted of two major components: The Survey component consisting of surveys of citizens, PSC staff and police and fire field officers; and The Assessment of PSC practices consisting of a detailed assessment of the practices of PSC in comparison to industry standard best practices and comparable agencies. The recommendations will serve to strengthen core areas, providing mechanisms to achieve industry standards of best practice, and respond to the needs of PSC staff and its Client Agencies. The recommendations provide a roadmap for PSC to achieve a positive work environment, and establish a strong foundation to support effective and efficient public safety communications services. Report Organization Section 2 PSC Overview, describes key aspects of PSC at The City of Calgary, such as its mandate, services provided and coverage area. Section 3 Operational Review Process, describes the process that was followed. This applies to the Survey and to the Operational Review components. Standard setting organizations used as a framework for best practices are presented as well as a listing of all the components that were assessed. Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 11 Emergency Services Consulting International

15 Section 4 The Survey, presents the results from the surveys that were conducted. Levels of satisfaction from the general population as well as fire and police field officers and PSC staff are presented. Section 5 Operational Review Findings and Recommendations, presents a high level overview of the results from the review, including issues especially important for the Client Agencies. The priority criteria that were used to categorize the recommendations are described. Sections 6, 7 and 8 Major review areas: Organizational, Operational Practices and Facilities and Technology Findings and Recommendations. Each section presents a description of main findings and recommendations by core component. Section 9 explains how the recommendations will help address the important issues for the Client Agencies. Section 10 closes this report by showing how the recommendations are expected to address the survey results. Acknowledgments The Operational Review benefitted from the participation of hundreds of City employees. In particular, PSC staff and police and fire field officers who participated in large numbers in the surveys, provided valuable insights and expectations, whose satisfaction will contribute to better public safety communications. Also, the members of the Steering Committee actively provided oversight and ensured that the review dealt with all the issues of importance to the citizens of Calgary and to the first responders. Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 12 Emergency Services Consulting International

16 2. PSC Overview The City of Calgary, Public Safety Communications (PSC) is a tri service (police, fire, medical) communications agency providing service delivery to an estimated population of 1,143,000 residents. Initial planning for the PSC integration began in In May 2003, The Calgary City Council issued the PSC Mandate. In 2002, there were three separate emergency service dispatch and communications centres. To meet its mandate, PSC first co located Communications personnel from EMS and Fire into the Public Safety Communications Centre in March Once co location was complete, the answer point and evaluation process for both Fire and EMS was integrated in May PSC Mandate Improving safety, by coordinating emergency response and providing updates more quickly to citizens and emergency personnel on calls. Enhancing public value and customer service by streamlining calls and dispatching emergency personnel more quickly. Managing the demand of demographic and geographic growth by increasing the City s capacity to handle the expected increase in call volumes, and by enabling Calgary Fire Department (CFD), Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Calgary Police Services (CPS) to share costs for infrastructure, technology and support The police communications centre transitioned to the PSC in December Services Provided The City of Calgary and surrounding jurisdictions adopted as the single, primary number to access emergency services. Access is available toll free, 24 hours per day. TTY (Text Teletype) is available assisting callers who have hearing or voice impairments. Language translation for callers speaking in a second language is provided through a contracted language service. PSC is the call evaluation and dispatch centre for all emergency calls for police, fire, and EMS. In addition, PSC serves as an intake and processing centre for non emergency calls to the tri services. Areas Served Services provided by PSC covers a region of approximately 36,000 square kilometres. PSC provides EMS and fire call evaluation and dispatch outside Calgary city limits through interagency agreements. The areas outside of Calgary city limits include 9 Fire Departments and eight emergency medical service Agencies. EMS service delivery is managed and provided by the Alberta Health Services, and fire service delivery outside of the City is provided by local fire departments, with dispatch services provided for both by PSC. In 2009, Alberta Health Services awarded The City of Calgary PSC a contract to continue providing EMS dispatch for the current service delivery area, and begin initiation of a 3 year plan to transition the southern Alberta Region (12 EMS dispatch centres) to PSC for EMS dispatch responsibilities. Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 13 Emergency Services Consulting International

17 Workload PSC processes approximately 1 million incoming telephone calls per year (2008 annual incoming telephone workload totaled 973,979 calls) calls represents 46% of the call evaluation workload; 7 digit non emergency incoming calls accounts for 54% of the telephone workload activity. The 2008 dispatch activities total 631,027 events dispatched for police, fire, and EMS. PSC services are provided with staffing levels of 253 positions. Governance The PSC is a business entity within the Community Services & Protective Services Department (CS&PS) in The City of Calgary. Due to the uniqueness of a tri service Emergency Communications Centre, the PSC Manager receives input and direction from a Board of Governors comprised of the CPS Chief of Police, (delegated to a Deputy Chief), CFD Fire Chief, and The City of Calgary s Chief Information Technology Officer. In addition to the Board of Governors, each service (police, fire and AHS) has an appointed liaison to the PSC. This allows the ability to provide input and assure coordination of operational requirements with key day to day PSC operations personnel. PSC Organizational Structure The internal organization structure of PSC provides a grouping of like responsibilities and duties. The areas directly reporting to the PSC Manager include EMS Consolidation Program, Operations, Strategic Services and Systems Support. The Program Manager provides oversight to EMS consolidation and is responsible for delivering on the EMS dispatch contractual obligations with Alberta Health Services. The Operations Manager provides oversight of all processes related to the functional performance as a public safety answering point and is responsible for all personnel providing day to day emergency and non emergency call evaluation and dispatch/response to calls. The Strategic Services Manager provides oversight for operational and strategic support for PSC and is responsible for quality improvement, recruitment, reporting, training and ensuring policies reflect the priorities of PSC, its partners and customers. The Systems Support Manager provides oversight for technical support for PSC and is responsible for the sustainment, development and life cycle of current technology systems as well as technology strategic planning and development. Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 14 Emergency Services Consulting International

18 3. Operational Review Process The PSC Operational Review required a determination of whether PSC is meeting its mandate and the identification of improvements for providing emergency response to the citizens of The City of Calgary. The PSC Operational Review required an evaluation of emergency and non emergency call answering and dispatch services provided to police, fire and EMS, and a review of the current PSC operational and technological practices. The PSC Operational Review provides a 360 o degree evaluation of the agency. This was accomplished through surveys, reviews of internal operations and processes, and comparisons to similar agencies. Surveys Market survey instruments were presented to key stakeholders, namely: PSC employees, police and fire field officers, and the citizens of Calgary. The process consisted of: a needs assessment, the design of the survey instruments, administration of the survey, validation through focus groups, analysis, and documentation of the findings. The focus groups provided additional information ensuring the accuracy of the survey results, and provided the opportunity to reach greater depth in the findings. The results from the survey were reviewed against and crossreferenced to those from the Operational Review; allowing for a determination of how the recommendations from the Operational Review could address the findings from the Survey. Many questions were asked in the surveys, which allowed, most generally, to assess the level of satisfaction and the expectation gaps in the stakeholder constituencies. Industry Standard Best Practices Industry Standard of Best Practice is defined as the most effective method of accomplishing a task over any other technique, method, or process. The idea is that with proper practices, a desired outcome is available with fewer problems and unforeseen complications. The operational review compared observations with industry standards of best practice from a variety of sources including: National Emergency Number Association (NENA) Associated Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) 1 The review of industry standard best practices resulted in the identification of public safety communications practices applicable to The City of Calgary s PSC. The analysis and assessment in each one of the practice areas were classified according to the following ratings: Meets Specific elements of the best practice are in place Needs Improvement Partial elements are in place; however further development is required Does not meet Elements are not in place 1 CALEA is the parent organization providing Accreditation for Communication Centres. Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 15 Emergency Services Consulting International

19 Partner Agencies / Benchmarking Benchmarking provides the ability to compare agencies with similar tasks and responsibilities to the PSC. The 12 partner agencies used for benchmarking purposes include US and Canadian tri service agencies, providing police, fire, and medical services. The benchmark agencies provide similar services, varying in population and service provider types, however, each is unique in its own way as is The City of Calgary s PSC and an effort was made to compare only applicable practices. All benchmarking agencies are recognized leaders within the public safety communications industry. Standards and compilation of information from the partner agencies provided the baselines for the analysis and comparison of tri service / dispatch agencies to PSC. There are no provincial regulations for PSAPs (Public Safety Answering Points) in Alberta defining performance or technology requirements. While the noted organizations referenced above have published practices, guidelines, and standards, they carry no regulatory authority. Operational Assessment The assessment was conducted in three major review areas: Organizational, Operational, and Facilities and Technology. These three major review areas in turn, were broken down into 20 core components that contain the essential requirements of a public safety communications agency. Fifty six best practices were assessed within the 20 core components. The core components provide a baseline for the requirements of an emergency communications centre, determining its overall efficiency and effectiveness. They provide a mechanism for the independent assessment and evaluation of the operational capabilities of the PSC. The assessment required data gathering and review, interviews with key operational staff, observations, and a comparative analysis in each of the core component areas against industry best practices and partner agencies. Figure 11 shows the components in the three major review areas. Organizational 1. Vision & Mission 2. Services Provided Organizational Structure Staffing, Hiring, Turnover 5. Performance Standards 6. Financial Figure 1: Core Components in Three Major Review Areas OPERATIONAL REVIEW AREAS CORE COMPONENTS Operational Practices 7. Workload 8. Performance Data 9. Position Allocation 10. Operating Policy / Protocols 11. Training Program 12. Quality Assurance Facility Technologies 13. Facility 14. Telephone Equipment 15. Computer Aided Dispatch 16. Radio System 17. Position Workstations 18. Recording / Logging 19. Time Synchronization 20. Disaster Recovery / Backup It was found that a significant number of the findings and recommendations will have a direct impact, if acted upon, on specific areas identified in the surveys. The recommendations will begin addressing the survey results and closing the performance and expectation gaps identified as most important by those surveyed in the PSC and the field forces. Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 16 Emergency Services Consulting International

20 The following Figure 2 illustrates the Operational Review Process. Figure 2: Operational Review Process Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 17 Emergency Services Consulting International

21 4. The Survey Market survey instruments were presented to key stakeholders, namely: PSC employees, police and fire field officers, and the citizens of Calgary. The process consisted of; a needs assessment, the design of the survey instruments, administration of the survey instruments, validation through focus groups, analysis and documenting the findings. The focus groups provided additional information ensuring the accuracy of the survey results, and provided the opportunity to reach greater depth in the findings, not possible in a survey alone. Citizen The survey of citizens was conducted through a random sample of 500, which results in a margin of error of +/ 4.4%, 19 times out of 20. It revealed a strong positive perception of PSC, with 82% of respondents rating Calgary s emergency response system as either good or excellent, and 75% of respondents rating the services provided through the non emergency lines of the Calgary Fire Department and the Calgary Police Service as either good or excellent. PSC Staff The response rate for the survey of PSC employees was very high at 88%. Figure 5 shows that, at the time of the survey, 34% of PSC staff who responded were satisfied or very satisfied with the services that PSC provides. Further, PSC staff were asked to assess in percentage terms both the level of importance and of satisfaction with ten services provided by PSC. The expectation gap, which measures the difference between the importance and the satisfaction levels, resulted in negative expectation gaps, as shown in Figure 3. Figure 3: PSC Staff Expectation Gaps Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 18 Emergency Services Consulting International

22 Field Officers The response rate for the survey of fire and police field officers was also strong at 53% and 55% for the police and fire respectively. Figure 5 shows that, at the time of survey, 31% of the fire respondents and 43% of the police respondents were either satisfied or very satisfied with the services they receive from the PSC. Further, the field officers were asked to assess in percentage terms both the level of importance and of satisfaction with ten services provided by PSC. The expectation gap, which measures the difference between the importance and the satisfaction levels, resulted in negative expectation gaps, as shown in Figure 4 Figure 4: Field Officer Expectation Gaps (CPS and CFD combined) While the results of the field officer and PSC Staff surveys are indicative of areas requiring improvement, they are compounded by the impact of change brought about by amalgamation, including the change of organizational structure, work environment, location, and staff increases, differing supervision, and management. These findings are not unusual or unprecedented in a changing and evolving environment such as PSC. Figure 5 shows the percentage of positive opinions of citizens about PSC and the percentage of satisfied field officers and PSC staff about the services provided by PSC. Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 19 Emergency Services Consulting International

23 Figure 5: General Satisfaction Top Two Cross referencing to Operational Review Findings The results from the surveys were reviewed against, and cross referenced with the findings and the recommendations from the Operational Review. It was found that a significant number of the recommendations, if acted upon, will begin addressing the survey results closing the gaps in the areas that were deemed most important by those surveyed in the PSC and the field forces. Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 20 Emergency Services Consulting International

24 5. Operational Review Overview of Findings and Recommendations The operational assessment was conducted in three major review areas: organizational, operational, and facilities and technology. In turn, these areas were broken down into 20 major components, which in turn provided 56 practice areas for evaluation. The assessment was done through comparison with industry standard best practices and with the practices and comparative data from 13 partner agencies. The Operational Review findings identified through the surveys and the operational assessment are not unusual for a communications centre like the PSC. Mergers and consolidations of tri service agencies create significant changes. As an organization, the PSC is still in its infancy. Operational Review findings are not unusual or unprecedented in a changing and evolving environment such as the PSC. Overall Assessment and Strengths Through the course of the review, it was determined: the number of practices which do not meet baseline requirements represent a low percentage of the total and can be addressed PSC management and staff demonstrated awareness of current operational realities during the site visit and had data available regarding most of the areas reviewed; there have been steady improvements made since consolidation, which occurred in the fairly recent past. As a result of these findings, it can be said that PSC is currently operating in a correct direction, insofar as continuing improvement is maintained and the recommendations made in the Operational Review are carried out. PSC also displayed strengths on which to build for the future. For example, there is an adequate internal management structure, minimal staff turnover, and an adequate staffing plan based on current known services and workload. The efforts made by the staff are very significant and many of the processes required to support PSC are in place. The Operational Review recommendations provide direction for establishing effective practices to assure the PSC s ability to achieve efficient and effective delivery of communications services to the public and to fire, police, and EMS agencies. This section presents the findings and recommendations from the Operational Review. It should be noted that many recommendations are interdependent. The Operational Review recommendations will serve to strengthen the core areas, enhancing the ability of PSC to respond to the needs of PSC and its Client Agencies, thus addressing concerns expressed by staff and field providers in the surveys. The recommendations provide an initial direction to achieve a positive work environment and to establish a strong foundation to support effective and efficient public safety communications services. Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 21 Emergency Services Consulting International

25 Assessment Relative to Best Practices The following table shows the results from the assessment of 56 practice areas. The analysis and assessment in each one of the practice areas were classified according to the following ratings: Meets Specific elements of the best practice are in place Needs Improvement Partial elements are in place; however further development is required Does not meet Elements are not in place Compliance Number of Best Practices = 56 % Meets Needs Improvement Does Not Meet Review Findings and Highlighted Issues An analysis of all the findings resulted in the identification of 17 deemed as important for consideration by PSC. These 17 findings fall into the following categories: Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) Platforms Organizational Authority Performance Standards, including Services Provided Policy Development, Training Program Scheduling, Workload Through the analysis of findings, several operational issues emerged as being of key importance to PSC, CPS and CFD. These findings and issues formed the foundation for the review recommendations, discussed later. Improving Grade of Service PSC has shown steady improvement since amalgamation, as evidenced by the Grade of Service performance indicators. Grade of Service shows the percentage of all calls that are answered within a set time. Figure 8 in Section 7 shows the improvement in Grade of Service for and non emergency calls. The issue of whether PSC is meeting its mandate cannot be answered easily. Looking at the published mandate for PSC, which only refers to emergency calls, it could be said that PSC is meeting its mandate. However, taking into account the implicit inclusion of non emergency calls, and the fact that nonemergency calls exhibit a lower Grade of Service (as shown in Figure 8), the answer would have to be that PSC has to improve in order to meet its mandate. Key Service Issues for CPS and CFD The surveys mentioned in Section 4 allowed individuals to express their personal opinions about PSC operations. Service issues were also identified at the departmental level. Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 22 Emergency Services Consulting International

26 Low Grade of Service for non emergency calls are an important issue for CPS. Even though it has improved significantly since PSC consolidation, at 60% of calls under 30 seconds, versus a target of 90% of calls under 30 seconds, this is an area of concern and a high priority for CPS, and constitutes an important challenge to PSC. The average fire call processing and dispatch of Priority 1 (emergency) calls exceed the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standard of 60 seconds. This has resulted in the identification by CFD of the need for additional fire dispatchers as an important issue. In order to address both issue areas, several recommendations will need to be implemented. The recommendations that need to be implemented to address each one of these two issues are explained in Section 9. Evolving Organizational Governance While the present governance may have well served the needs of PSC in its earlier and formative stages, it will require adjusting in the future in order to meet the changing needs of it and its partner agencies, and to further guide it towards becoming a best practices operation. The Operational Review findings identify the need for input mechanisms for the Client Agencies in the governance structure as well as rigour and formality in the definition of services and performance expectations. Separate CAD Systems The existence of two separate CAD systems (one for fire/ems and the other for police) presents an important opportunity for improvement of efficiency and effectiveness in PSC, through consolidation. Also, CPS is impacted by planning activities within the Province for development of an integrated Province wide information management system, the Alberta Police Integrated Information Initiative (API3). Preliminary information provided indicates the API3 has incorporated CAD functionality into the initiative; however, CAD is specific only to the police. Attention must be paid to initiatives which may create difficulties in the sharing of adequate information or in the creation of a common CAD platform at PSC. The two key areas above need for input mechanisms within a cooperative governance structure and CAD consolidation are the subject of specific recommendations. Addressing them will have positive operational and strategic impact. Recommendations The analysis of the findings resulted in 36 recommendations. Sixteen of these recommendations are assigned the highest priority to address the 12, or 22 per cent of, best practice areas where PSC does not meet best practices. Of the 12 best practice areas, five are identified as key to focus on to maintain current levels of public safety: CAD Universal workstations Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 23 Emergency Services Consulting International

27 Radio systems Position allocation (workload and staffing analysis) Essential function definition (relevant to disaster planning and recovery) The implementation of the recommendations is expected to contribute to closing the expectation gaps found in the surveys and operational concerns outlined by Client Agencies. Concerns regarding PSC performance deficits and services provided will gradually change as various recommendations become operational. See Figure 4 for relationship between recommendations and survey results. The Operational Review recommendations will serve to strengthen core areas, providing mechanisms to achieve industry standards of best practice, and respond to the needs of PSC staff and its Client Agencies. The recommendations provide a roadmap for PSC to strengthen its foundation for effective and efficient public safety communications services and to achieve a positive work environment for PSC staff and the Client Agencies, and to better comply with its mandate. The recommendations resulting from the Operational Review are deemed realistic and achievable for The City of Calgary. Many of the recommendations are dependent upon each other, requiring coordination of implementation efforts in order to achieve expected outcomes. They are grouped into three priority levels: Priority 1 Applies to recommendations that address practice areas where PSC does not meet best practices. Sixteen recommendations belong to this group. Priority 2 Applies to recommendations that address programs or processes which will improve the management and operational quality of public safety communications. Ten recommendations belong to this group. Priority 3 Applies to recommendations that address efforts for the long term betterment of PSC. Ten recommendations belong to this group. Appendix A includes three tables with the full listing of the recommendations according to priority. Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 24 Emergency Services Consulting International

28 6. Major Review Area 1: Organizational Findings and Recommendations Services Provided Public Safety Communications (PSC) is a City of Calgary operation that receives, evaluates and dispatches emergency calls and non emergency calls for the Calgary Police Service (CPS) and Calgary Fire Department (CFD). It also provides dispatch services within Calgary and portions of southern Alberta for Alberta Health Services ground ambulance operations, as well as fire dispatch services for a number of outlying municipalities. PSC is a product of the recent consolidation of three separate emergency service dispatch and communications centres, which occurred in 2006 (CFD and Emergency Medical Services) and 2007 (CPS). CPS report writing responsibilities transitioned to PSC when the transfer of communications services and responsibilities occurred services are provided 24/7 for voice and TDD, with appropriate translation services offered. Agreements are in place for services provided outside of The City of Calgary; however, no written agreements exist with The City of Calgary internal agencies, defining type and level of services provided. The provision of services by PSC require significant contact, coordination, and responsibility to the field providers, and include the coordination and relay of information received from the citizen, to the field provider, on the street. Findings There are no written agreements in place defining types of services to be provided, between the internal departments of The City and PSC. Responsibilities, expectations, standards, and financial support for PSC are not identified as it relates to 9 1 1, non emergency call processing, and police report functions. CPS command personnel and former CPS communications personnel expressed concerns about call receipt and evaluation in non emergency situations. Calgary Police Services considers the number a high priority for service requirements from PSC. Police non emergency call performance is impacted by report processes requiring longer call duration than those seen in comparable agencies. This is directly related to call evaluators performing data entry and completing report functions not normally associated with police communications functions. The review of PSC historical data (pre/post consolidation), indicates a steady improvement in the performance measures reviewed for all disciplines since the transition to a tri service Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 25 Emergency Services Consulting International

29 agency. This also applies to grade of service which has improved each year since the inception of PSC. The non emergency grade of service continues to improve but at 60% of calls within 30 seconds (year to date 2009), it still is lower than the established standard of 90% of calls within 30 seconds. The need for police reporting to be completed by the call evaluators for information received from a number creates a workload problem. The requirement of quick problem identification and short report entry on calls is dissimilar from non emergency call identification and report entry. The competition for personnel resources and time becomes problematic as the use of is based on public safety expectations and case law; whereas the use of is based on CPS expectations and a long history with the citizens of Calgary. There is not a formal public education function or media policy to efficiently provide information of the internal working of PSC. Recommendations Regarding Services Provided 1. Develop a standardized agreement and / or memorandum of understanding between PSC and City Client Agencies, defining the type and level of services provided. In addition, PSC must assure current and future agreements with all outside Client Agencies are current and standardized regarding type, level of services provided, and cost for services. 2. Develop a public education program for presenting operational to do s and service level expectations to the Citizens of Calgary based on the defined level and types of services provided. 3. Develop a media policy allowing dissemination of PSC service level information, general public relations information, and public awareness and interest announcements. PSC Organizational Structure PSC organizational structure is flat with the grouping of like work functions. Each division provides distinct but very interrelated work products, working as a team to accomplish the agency s mission, within the relevant position descriptions. Findings PSC internal organizational structure is defined, with job requirements included in the position descriptions, including emphasis on a structured career path. The degree of definition of the organizational relationship and specific authority, duties and responsibilities of the Board of Governors, the Client Agency liaison representatives and PSC manager are typical of a centre in its formative stages. There is no input mechanism or process for the Client Agencies and PSC staff for operational and technical issues, policy development, and development of performance expectations and standards. The existence of different CAD systems (police and fire/ems) requires specificity in position assignments with varying skill sets. Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 26 Emergency Services Consulting International

30 There is no position description for cross trained personnel or processes for assignment or promotion. Recommendations regarding Organizational Structure 4. Redefine PSC governance including input mechanisms and organizational responsibilities. This includes the Board of Governors areas of responsibility, processes for operational and technical input, policy development, development of performance expectations and standards, and technical upgrades and/or requirements. In addition, develop and agree upon the designation of authority and responsibility of PSC Manager. 5. Complete a review of the ECO and Dispatch position classifications, reflecting cross training requirements, to assure required knowledge, skills and abilities are reflective of position requirements, assuring process for assignment / promotion. Staffing, Hiring, Turnover PSC staff positions are allocated based on workload review and analysis. Current staff levels indicate a position allocation of 253 full time positions. Employee retention begins with the process used to identify and screen applicants. APCO Project RETAINS (Responsive Efforts to Address Integral Needs in Staffing) addresses recruitment, hiring, and screening as being an integral component in employee retention (specifically operational personnel Call Evaluators and Dispatch Positions). Recruitment requires positive, proactive, and deliberate steps emphasizing public safety, public service, and the lifesaving, personally satisfying aspects of the job. An active recruitment generates an awareness of professionalism within the organization. In addition, testing of applicants, and assurance of appropriate security measures and clearances, provides a higher threshold of success for new employees, thus, increasing retention. Note: Refer to the section on Training for more staff related recommendations. Findings PSC Management aggressively manages the hiring to ensure the foundation base for staffing. It has initiated a scheduled recruitment, testing, and selection process to assure adequate staffing. The hiring process is internal, in that recruitment and testing is coordinated through the PSC Business Unit Administrator, with assistance provided by the Human Resources Advisor. PSC does not currently test for skills suitability. PSC staff is awaiting installation of software to conduct skill testing. PSC monitors turnover rates, based on historical data, and assures applicants and new recruits are in the recruitment process, rather than waiting for resignations before initiating the lengthy process of replacement. PSC 2008 turnover rate average is 11%, with a retention rate of 89%. The PSC turnover rate is four percentage points below the average turnover rate for larger centres. PSC staff does not conduct exit interviews of people leaving the organization to determine systemic trends in agency turnover. Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 27 Emergency Services Consulting International

31 The existence of different CAD systems (police and fire/medical) requires specificity in position assignments with varying skill sets. There is no position description for cross trained personnel or processes for assignment or promotion. Based on 2008 retention statistics, PSC requires replacement of an estimated 26 to 28 positions annually to maintain existing staff levels available for shift assignment. Recommendations regarding Staffing 6. Develop a structured recruitment program assuring a continued availability of qualified applicants and reaching out to specifically identified sources. 7. Initiate a PSC Hiring Policy outlining the developed recruitment processes and employment steps, including skill testing, security clearance, fingerprinting requirements, and responsibility for administration of the hiring process. 8. Initiate installation of the CritiCall Testing Program to assure appropriate testing of skills suitability of ECO and dispatch applicants. 9. Implement a performance measure and reporting mechanism tracking PSC turnover/retention rates. 10. Develop a process to conduct and track responses for exit interviews of personnel leaving the employment of PSC. Performance Standards Performance measurements provide timely, accurate, and useful information about the quality and efficiency of service delivery. Carefully conducted, performance measurement is a management tool utilized to identify progress toward goals and objectives and to improve service delivery. Performance measurements focus attention and align employees with organizational goals and the expectations of Client Agencies. Formalized performance measures for speed of answer, call processing time, and time to dispatch are relevant for all disciplines (police/fire/ems) in an emergency communications entity. They provide information on operational effectiveness relating to training, equipment performance, staffing, and procedure validation. For Client Agencies, performance standards and measures allow assessment of required response times to citizen calls for service. Outliers, as a result of performance standards and measures, may indicate exceptional calls or circumstances, or areas requiring review if the outlier is repetitive. Performance measures require continual evaluation, monitoring, and tracking to assure they are realistic, applicable to current operations, and not utilized in a punitive or negative manner. Findings PSC does not have a clear policy outlining performance standards and measures approved and distributed to stakeholder agencies, nor responsibilities and requirements for reporting. The lack of a formalized approved document creates differing expectations, thus the various opinions reflected in the survey about the services being provided or support level from PSC. Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 28 Emergency Services Consulting International

32 PSC has access to an internal tool for collecting, assessing, and reporting agency performance, referred to as the Dashboard. The Dashboard data collection processes are not up to date. Calculation and formatting errors are found in the application program, and data maintenance is not completed as specified in the Dashboard Instruction Manual. In addition to call answering performance criteria, the performance measurement system requires evaluation of dispatch performance by assessing the number of units managed by each dispatch position, the talk time on each channel/talk group, the activities required at the dispatch positions (i.e., service inquiry checks, notifications, etc.), and coordination activities between public safety disciplines. Additional data elements require incorporation into the Dashboard application to achieve a comprehensive performance measurement system. PSC Business and Performance Plan (marked as a draft document) provides an initial foundation towards the structured and formal development of the agency s performance standards, providing agreed upon direction for the agency. PSC does have a few defined performance standards; however, not necessarily approved by the Client Agencies or readily available. Those that are informal, or in a non adopted plan, are not readily available to personnel, appearing in various formats and PSC documents. Recommendations regarding Performance Standards 11. Develop Performance Standards and Measures for services provided by PSC. This requires a coordinated effort both internally (PSC staff) and externally (Client Agencies); resulting in the issuance of a Performance Standards and Measurement Policy Document, detailing defined performance standards, measures, outlining responsibilities, data collection, and reporting processes. Financial (Operating & Capital Projects) PSC Operating Budget supports and non emergency call answering; dispatching for police, fire, EMS, and required support structures for personnel, equipment, and facilities. PSC coordinates capital planning expenditures as an entity participating in The City of Calgary Capital Budget Prioritization Process; a multi year planning and budgeting process. Land line revenue is decreasing due to utilization of wireless technologies. Accessing the fee collected by wireless phone providers for access to is an appropriate source of revenue.. The trend towards wireless and VoIP (voice over internet protocol) devices requires substantial equipment upgrades to effectively manage the associated applications in a public safety environment. Revenue sources are vital for the continuing support of communications services for police, fire, and EMS. Findings Revenue is currently received only from landline phones. No revenue is generated from wireless access. Trending in reduction of landlines will result in decreased revenue. Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 29 Emergency Services Consulting International

33 Recommendations regarding Finance 12. Pursue an assessment and review of a wireless device tax/fee. This includes analysis of revenue generation by a per device fee, and determination of potential revenue impacts. 13. Initiate a structured planning process to coordinate equipment / capital upgrades, purchases, and implementation. This includes a specific design plan required for each upgrade / equipment replacement including an implementation timeline based on priority of need and funding requirements. Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 30 Emergency Services Consulting International

34 7. Major Review Area 2: Operational Practices Findings and Recommendations Workload Communications centre workload activity, performance standards, and measures provide specific information to determine appropriate distribution of staff. Higher telephone workloads, in larger call centres, are routinely processed by telephone call routing equipment (Automatic Call Distribution) with utilization of an integrated CAD system assisting in information sharing, incident tracking, and deployment of resources. Appropriate workload review and planning provides a multi year workload projection that is correlated with personnel hiring, attrition, training, and budgetary planning. Workload projections factor in population growth, anticipated policy, operational, and technological changes. Workload data assessment assists in the development of performance standards, incoming call distribution, and the appropriate allocation of positions by hour and time of day. Findings PSC utilizes an automated call distributor (ACD) to separate emergency from non emergency calls assisting in appropriate call distribution; however, the separate CAD systems impact workload distribution for police, fire, and EMS services. Data collection for workload information is derived from multiple sources due to the lack of an integrated CAD System. The data collection parameters from the various sources are not the same. The separate CAD systems complicate call routing / processing methods, and increase workload for call evaluators and dispatchers. Periodic workload assessments / analysis completed by operations managers are not well documented. Based on workload reviews, there are several areas within PSC where potential cost and service efficiencies are achievable through changes to policy, operational procedures, or technology/equipment. The call routing and utilization of separate CAD infrastructures by PSC creates additional workload necessitating call transfers, additional call evaluation times, additional staffing, risk of call delay, and a lack of information relayed to public safety responders and/or PSC staff. The ACD is currently configured to accommodate the separate CAD infrastructures, i.e. Fire/EMS and Police Possible call overflow routing is configured based on workload assessment data. Recommendations regarding Workflow 14. Develop a standard procedure for collection of workload data, defining data types, timelines, and area of responsibility. 15. Complete a multi year workload projection to support staffing and financial planning. Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 31 Emergency Services Consulting International

35 Performance Data / Measurements Performance data and measurements for call answer, call assessment, priority assignment, and dispatch of a call are critical to an effective emergency response service. Carefully conducted performance measurement is a management tool helping to identify progress toward goals and objectives. It also may identify ways to improve service delivery by pinpointing opportunities for improvement. Findings The review of PSC historical data (pre/post amalgamation), indicates a steady improvement in the performance measures reviewed for all disciplines since the transition to a tri service agency, as shown in Figure 6. Figure 6: Improvement in Grade of Service for and Non-Emergency Calls % Answered Within 20 Seconds YTD 2009 City of Calgary 98.9% 89% 86% 89% 97% EMS % * * * * Fire % * * * * Police % 86% 79% 90%** 95% * Call Data included in the City of Calgary statistics **CPS communications personnel transferred to command and control of PSC Target Grade of Service: 90% of calls answered within 20 seconds % Answered Within 30 Seconds YTD 2009 CPS Non Emergency (ASD) * 48% 49%** 72% Police Non Emergency * 40% 35% 45%** 60% Fire Non Emergency * 90% 89% 91% 94% EMS Non Emergency * 81% 81% 87% 95% Overall Non Emergency * 49% 46% 54%** 67% *No information or document found providing fire and EMS non emergency call grade of service prior to amalgamation **CPS communications personnel transferred to command and control of PSC Target Grade of Service for non emergency calls: 90% of calls answered within 30 seconds PSC does not meet PSC police non emergency grade of service target: 90% within 30 seconds. However, the police non emergency grade of service improved each year since amalgamation. PSC Data reporting mechanisms cannot calculate response times, nor telephone processing times. Call duration (9 1 1 and Fire/EMS non emergency) are within comparable ranges; however, police and police non emergency calls have longer call duration than seen in comparative agencies. Performance measures and processing times are not routinely reported to the Client Agencies. Police non emergency call performance is impacted due to report processes requiring longer call duration times than seen in comparative agencies. The average EMS call processing and dispatch of Priority 1 incidents are within 60 seconds. Average fire call processing and dispatch of Priority 1 (emergency) calls exceed the NFPA standard of 60 seconds. Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 32 Emergency Services Consulting International

36 CPS CAD reporting and data extracts are oriented to management of a police agency, with concentration for time measures pertaining to field unit response. CPS CAD reporting does not collect data critical for internal management and evaluation of PSC dispatch function. Fractile reporting mechanisms are not available to assess telephone call evaluation and dispatch performance. Call duration time indicates non emergency call answering performance is impacted by processing time requirements (call duration) for completion of various police reports. A 3 week review of GOS data indicates that police non emergency service demand is very erratic. The police non emergency lines experience wild swings from 100% to 3% within one half hour increment. Recommendations regarding Performance Data 16. Determine performance data collection and reporting mechanisms, documenting compilation, in accordance with the Performance Standards Policy (Recommendation #11). Research software upgrades or additional data management software to collect and produce required data measurements identified in the Performance Standards Policy. 17. Conduct a workload and staffing analysis of non emergency call answering and police report requirements, providing workload data, processing and performance measurements, and impacts on workload distribution. This analysis will provide required staffing to support defined services and performance requirements. 18. Develop a procedure for daily review of performance levels, providing mechanisms for documentation of failure to meet performance standards including outliers; and subsequent reporting to Client Agencies. Position Allocation Position allocation defines the number of staff required to meet operational requirements. The allocation of positions is based on service demands. Findings PSC staffing baselines are in place based on workload and performance review; however, the assessment formulas utilized for calculating the staffing baselines do not address police report factors, thus impacting the police non emergency GOS. The inability to produce radio system reports, reflecting radio channel activity data for dispatch positions, is detrimental to effective deployment of PSC staff. Multiple shift variations create overlap and mixing of teams; thus not supporting a team concept. The mixed shifts are complex, with a risk of error. The number of radio dispatch positions is of concern to the CFD, as their request for two dedicated Fire dispatchers is not being met. The analysis of radio channel activity will provide the workload activity data for dispatch position requirements. The process of scheduling based on the number of different shifts and varying staffing levels is quite cumbersome. Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 33 Emergency Services Consulting International

37 There are scheduling problems for various hours of the day and when trying to cover lunches and breaks. Operational Staff advises workload is reviewed on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis, a written workload analysis has not been formally completed. Periodic workload assessments are completed by the Operations Team; however a full written document has not been produced, validating changes. CAD technology and requirements to transition from one system to the other creates apprehension by the employees. Recommendations regarding Position Allocation 19. Complete a Workload Assessment and Staffing Analysis by hour of day, day of week providing an approved PSC Staffing Plan and establishing regular review period to assess staffing needs. The assessment and analysis provides position staffing requirements and minimum baseline staffing requirements for current conditions; i.e. call answering, fire, police, and EMS dispatch positions. (Coordinating data from Recommendations #1, #15, #17, and #31). 20. Review shift scheduling options to coincide with the workload assessment and position staffing requirements; thus defining an approved Master Staffing Schedule, including minimum position staffing requirements. Operating Policy / Protocols Standard operating policies (SOPs) are the core component guiding agency processes and introducing industry standards of best practice into the operation. One of the effective practices, but also one of the most challenging for centres serving multiple clients, is to develop and utilize a common set of protocols. A lack of standardized and/or coordinated protocols in major processes emphasizes the co location nature of the consolidation. When clients have different protocols, the complexity of the job increases dramatically. Findings PSC policies are not in a consistent or standardized format. Existing documentation contains conflicting information and is lacking a tri service approach. Conflicting information is found between CPS communications procedures and PSC Administrative and Operational procedures. The current PSC format is similar to those recommended by police, fire, and EMS standard setting associations; however, lacks a table of contents for quick location of documents. PSC police procedures are in an older format and contain extensive listings; however, the policies are easy to read and topics are quickly located. Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 34 Emergency Services Consulting International

38 There is no formalized process for review and or approval by the Client Agencies, creating operational concerns. PSC policies reflect different organizations operating in a co located environment. The various manuals, formats, and multiple operating platforms impact PSC efficiencies and effectiveness and negatively influence the agency training programs. Many of the policies contain a section indicating a performance measure is in place, when in fact, no performance measures are available. Most of the existing PSC policies are not reviewed or validated by Client Agencies prior to implementation. This creates operational concerns. None of the policies contain Board approval. In addition, there is no formalized process for distribution and tracking of policy distribution to either Client Agencies or PSC staff. Recommendations regarding Operating Policy / Protocols 21. Restructure the PSC policy document. This includes format, indexing, and rewriting / updating of PSC Administrative and Operational policies into a streamlined format. 22. Establish a Policy Development Review Board, defining structure, responsibilities, and approval processes. This includes defining the processes to coordinate input and approval from Client Agencies, PSC Administrative and Operational Sections (Operational Effectiveness, Quality Assurance, Training, Shift Managers, and PSC Liaisons). Define and implement a tracking method for policy distribution to personnel and Client Agencies. Include all processes in a single formalized document. (Note: The Policy Development Review Board coordinates the review, and approval of policy drafts submitted as a result of the Operational Review Recommendations.) Training PSC Training Program is managed by the Operations Division and is directly accountable to the Operational Effectiveness Manager. The Training Program manages new employee training, cross training, and provides continuing education training for PSC Staff. The purpose of this assessment is to have effective preparation and training (including on going training) as a factor impacting employee satisfaction. The goal of restructuring the PSC Training Program is to reduce information overlap, consistency in training program format and documents, utilization of daily documented training, and better assessment of trainee readiness for release/certification. Findings PSC does not have a formal policy defining the training program, course objectives, and requirements for staff assigned to perform training functions. PSC provides course documentation for a minimum of five differing communications training programs and additional specialized courses due to the various skill levels required for application of the multiple technologies. There is significant amount of duplication. This creates a problem of accurate information and instructor preparedness. Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 35 Emergency Services Consulting International

39 Trainers and Officer Coaches receive minimal training. They are not certified as an instructor through a recognized instructor development program. Training program materials originate from multiple personnel with a wide array of formats and skill levels. PSC Training Program shows a lack of professional development for PSC Staff, consistency, and program discipline. PSC does not have an administrative policy providing continuing professional education or defining the minimum continuing education (CE) hours per year per employee. Records indicate a varying amount of CE hours provided to employees on an annual basis. The program is hampered by separate CAD systems, and by a lack of standardized operational protocols. When combined with various levels of call evaluator / dispatcher qualifications which themselves require multi level training, the resulting training program is very large and complex with duplication and information overlap resulting in poor program efficiency. The emphasis is on quantity versus quality of information. PSC provides a well developed CE program incorporated into PSC career path with six levels. Cross training This process and a lack of cross training, promotes fractionalization of personnel and does not focus efforts in providing emergency communications services to all Client Agencies and their citizens. The development of a cross training program for inclusion into PSC Training Program is viable only after CAD integration is complete, police report writing is defined, position allocation is determined, and appropriate revised protocols / policies are incorporated into the training program. The separate training programs, protocols, processes, and technologies create excessive hurdles for an efficient and effective cross training program. A comprehensive cross training application for PSC is not viable until CAD integration is complete; defining of the structure of police report functionality; position allocation is determined; and appropriate revisions (CAD and training formats) are then captured in the training program. Cross training as conducted by PSC today is marginally effective. The current PSC target of 20% of critical mass for each team is a low percentage, and is available only within certain skill sets. Recommendations regarding Training 23. Initiate development of a recognized and certified Public Safety Communications Training Program eliminating duplication and overlaps, and standardizing training material formats. This includes selection process for assignment of staff to attend recognized and certified training courses, policy development of PSC Training Program, trainer selection, training timelines, trainee requirements, daily documentation, evaluations, and trainee release requirements. Note: The Training Program Development includes revision of the cross training program to accommodate combined call taker positions (police / fire/ medical) and cross training of the dispatch disciplines (police / fire/ medical). 24. Develop on going Continuing Education Training Standards and Requirements, including definition of minimum training hours, and incorporation in policy. Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 36 Emergency Services Consulting International

40 Quality Assurance Quality Assurance (QA) programs assure adherence to established performance standards and procedures, facilitate on going learning processes, and provide a framework for continuous improvement in communications services for citizens and responder agencies. QA programs allow the coordination of work processes with Client Agencies. The exchange of QA information between PSC and Client Agencies allows the identification of desired performance measures and the evaluation of PSC s effectiveness. Formalized QA programs with Board direction and approval provide greater success in operational improvements for PSC, Client Agencies, and citizens. Findings PSC aggressively supports a formalized Emergency Medical QA process with an immediate goal of Medical Dispatch accreditation. PSC has established future goals of formalized QA processes for fire and police call taking and dispatch. Substantiated service inquiries have decreased from 2006 through YTD PSC goal for achievement of Centre of Excellence Accreditation in Emergency Medical Dispatching requires a policy document outlining procedures and requirements for medical dispatch QA, accreditation processes, and steps required for continued maintenance of accreditation. PSC staff has established goals to obtain Centre of Excellence Accreditation for police and fire disciplines. Separate policies on service inquiries are an indicator of two organizations co locating. Three different service inquiry forms are in existence, depending on the type or source of inquiry. A formalized process on QA reports, service inquiries, and findings between PSC and Client Agencies is not available. Client Agencies indicate a desire for specific information. The current service inquiry policies do not define the authorized investigation level (shift supervisor, operations manager, etc), and follow up processes, or distribution of summary reports defining number of requests and findings. PSC has not had a complete process for service inquiry review. Recommendations regarding Quality 25. Implement an EMD QA Program Policy utilizing the Principles of EMD manual. Include validation steps developed for accreditation and maintenance of accreditation. 26. Develop a single Service Inquiries Policy including types and definitions of service inquires, responsibilities, and involvement of the client agency liaisons. 27. Implement monthly reporting of QA performance reviews and service inquiries, with a regular monthly distribution timeline. 28. Investigate accreditation processes for police and fire quality assurance, including Client Agency participation in the investigation task force. Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 37 Emergency Services Consulting International

41 8. Major Review Area 3: Facility & Technologies Findings and Recommendations Facilities and technologies are core components in the review of and public safety communications infrastructure support. Facility components include the facility structure, capacity, security, and power sources. Technology components include: Position Workstations Telephone System and Equipment Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) System Mobile Data Computers (MDCs) Automatic Vehicle Locators (AVL) Radio System Paging Recording Logging Equipment PSC Facility PSC is an essential service, high risk facility, requiring various security measures and support infrastructures. The facility housing PSC is a multi level commercial grade concrete structure. Findings PSC facility is secure, with adequate security measures and backup services in place. The facility currently meets the needs of the communications centre with space for expansion. It also provides adequate space to accommodate peak staffing loads. It is noted this may change based on decisions of the Client Agencies relative to the definition of Services Provided. The reconfiguration of work areas and possible development of universal workstations can yield additional space to meet space requirements if necessary. Telephone System PSC utilizes Centrex Dual Tandem telephone technology that is rooted in the early 1960 s. PSC utilizes industry standard reader boards throughout the centre, providing employees instantaneous updates regarding number of calls holding and number of calls in process. Each workstation is equipped with a telephone set and CRT based access. TELUS Canada maintains diverse routing of trunks providing redundant telephonic service from the switch to PSC. Findings The current telephone environment is not suitable for next generation requirements (Voice over Internet Protocol, text messaging, imagery, and video). Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 38 Emergency Services Consulting International

42 Current equipment and configuration provides call flow management for wireless, TTY, and wire line telephone calls with reporting tools and reader board availability. PSC technology does not provide flexibility to accommodate the growing wireless utilization. PSC is on the verge of utilizing obsolete telephony equipment. This is exacerbated by growth in population and increasing utilization of new technologies by citizens. Recommendations regarding Telephone System 29. Develop a Capital Projects Plan, initiating planning for replacement of the telephone system equipment. Computer Aided Dispatch Computer aided dispatch (CAD) is a critical tool utilized in public safety communications. It provides multi functional services including call input, call dispatching, call status maintenance, event notes, field unit status and tracking, call resolution and disposition. CAD provides the capability to store and retrieve data, track calls for service, provide accurate information to units being dispatched, and route messages to call taking and dispatch positions. CAD systems include interfaces permitting software to provide services to dispatchers, call takers, and field personnel. Findings The Police and fire/ems CAD systems are two distinct and separate systems and not configured to provide interoperability. The existence of two separate CAD systems, with different software versions, for the tri services, creates inefficiency in coordination of resources, duplicate data base requirements, duplicate event entry by call evaluators, numerous required skill level sets of call evaluators, different operating procedures, and different training processes. The two separate CAD systems do not promote efficient and effective call processing, or fast and efficient multi agency response to single or significant events as there is no exchange of information between systems. The use and maintenance of two CAD systems is a weak point administratively, operationally, and in staff technical support. MDC utilization by field personnel and AVL utilization by dispatch personnel, as interface technologies to the CAD system, are at the appropriate level. Paging is coordinated separately by PSC and CPS, with two older technologies. The type and version of paging utilized is being phased out with a replacement plan in effect. CPS is impacted by planning activities within the Province for development of an integrated information management system, i.e. Alberta Police Integrated Information Initiative (API3). Preliminary information provided indicates the API3 has incorporated CAD into the initiative; however, CAD is specific only to police. Any design for police only CAD continues to compound operational ineffectiveness, creating duplicate hardware and data base requirements, thus creating inefficiencies in dispatching of public safety responders. Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 39 Emergency Services Consulting International

43 Recommendations regarding CAD 30. Initiate planning for integration of the police and fire/ems CAD systems in coordination with API3 planning processes and / or any other records management systems initiatives. This requires appropriate design requirements for functionality, security, capacity, and required interfaces for MDC s, AVL, paging, and Records and Information Management Systems. Radio System The trunked radio system is a primary component of public safety communications and requires interoperability within disciplines and other potential responders. System Management requires due diligence in confirming the system is operating at optimum efficiency for the centre and Client Agencies. Radio system planning requires involvement of potential radio system subscribers to assure changes / upgrades meet operational and functionality requirements. Thus, the radio system demands continual oversight for short term and long range planning purposes, providing effective and efficient radio communications to The City of Calgary. The Motorola SmartZone system, first commissioned in October 1997, is managed by CPS and maintained under contract by the local authorized Motorola service agency, TAC Mobility. The last system upgrade was completed in Findings The Motorola Trunked Radio System in use is a standard system design within the public safety arena. The review process did not reveal any reported system problems, i.e. availability or system access. Radio System statistical data and reporting to assess availability and channel access is not available; therefore system usage information cannot be reviewed to assess PSC workload impact. Reportedly, provincial system wide planning is occurring. Recommendations regarding the Radio System 31. Initiate the repair and / or replacement of the management reporting function for the 800 trunked radio system. The management reporting function will provide retrieval of system networking information allowing the assessment of channel usage and talk group utilization. This data will provide documentation of radio dispatch workload and subsequent required position allocation. 32. Initiate a coordinated Radio System Planning effort of primary radio subscribers to pursue system changes and /or upgrade options; i.e. assessing utilization of a provincial wide radio system or plan to out build, upgrade, or maintain the existing trunked radio system. Position Workstations Bramic workstations (dispatcher/call taker furniture) are provided for call evaluator and dispatch positions. The workstations, modular in design, provide a sit to stand adjustability (ergonomically correct and user friendly) with adequate storage for CPU s, cables, and monitors at each adjustable work Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 40 Emergency Services Consulting International

44 surface. PSC furnished the operations floor with 70 workstations. Specific workstations are configured based on position responsibilities with individual equipment requirements varying between disciplines. Findings PSC workstations adhere to required safety codes, assure the ability to meet ergonomic standards, provide for sufficient cabling requirements, and support a comfortable work environment. The workstations provide capabilities to modify and change equipment as required. The number of available workstations provide for day to day operations, with the capability to handle peak staffing loads, and meet potential growth in the future. The separate CAD platforms for police and fire/ems necessitate multiple position configurations; not allowing universal configurations. Recommendations regarding Workstations 33. Develop a plan, in coordination with the CAD System integration, creating universal workstations (police / fire/ medical) for call taking and dispatch. Recording Voice Logging Equipment PSC utilizes NiceLog Recording (Voice Logging) Equipment, featuring dual servers; with a hot failover capability. Main Findings PSC Recording Voice Logging equipment is an upper tier product meeting best practice, and therefore appropriate for PSC operations. Time Synchronization Systems managed by PSC and synced with The City of Calgary time servers assure system times are the same for comparison of call and dispatch data activities. Systems that are interfaced with the time servers include: Fire / EMS CAD servers, switches, and workstations Computer workstations on The City of Calgary network NiceLog Recording System Computer Telephone Interface. Findings Systems managed by PSC are synced with The City of Calgary time servers. CPS equipment is not synched with the master clock, therefore police CAD times, radio times, etc., are not synchronized with the voice logging equipment, or the ANI/ALI data, creating an operational deficiency. This deficiency does not allow for accurate reporting of time sequences between the various operational systems. This is particularly problematic when inquiry issues arise and time sequences cannot be verified. Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 41 Emergency Services Consulting International

45 Recommendations regarding Time Synchronization 34. Initiate integration of servers utilized for call and dispatch activities, specifically CPS equipment, either existing or future, into PSC synchronized time server. Business Continuity The primary focus of the Disaster Recovery program is to maintain business, or continuity of operations, and minimize service outages affecting the PSC facility. Main Findings PSC maintains a Business Continuity Plan and Disaster Recovery Procedures; however, there is not a formal approval process involving the Client Agencies. PSC provides adequate power supply and back up capabilities as a critical support component for back up power. Telephone trunking diversity is provided to the centre; however once at the centre trunks enter a single point. Instructions for the event of radio system failure are well defined and prioritized, and a detailed flow chart is available that is easy to follow. There is no alternate / back up radio infrastructure to handle emergency communications in The City of Calgary in the event of a catastrophic radio system failure with the trunked system. PSC has not identified or prioritized essential functions in coordination with the service provider agencies. There is no adopted policy for testing the Business Continuity Plan and Disaster Recovery procedures. There is however, a detailed SOP for PSC response protocols to the alternate site location. PSC provides a multitude of protocols with clear and concise action steps in the event of system problems. These documents require inclusion in PSC Policy Development process, and require adoption and adherence from the Client Agencies. Recommendations regarding Business Continuity 35. Further define essential services to be performed under various failure and/or disaster conditions at the centre or alternate site. Include identification of essential functions in policy development for alternate site and disaster recovery protocols. 36. Develop and implement testing procedures for activation of the alternate site, and incorporate into the Disaster Recovery Policy and Business Continuity Plan. PSC success requires focus toward reinforcing the agency foundation through completion of the recommended initiatives and assurance of a team environment. Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 42 Emergency Services Consulting International

46 9. The Recommendations and CPS and CFD Issues Non Emergency Calls Several recommendations address the situation with non emergency calls. They are indicated in Figure 7. Figure 7: Recommendations that address non-emergency calls Fire Dispatchers Several recommendations address the issue raised by the CFD regarding the right number of fire dispatchers. They are indicated in Figure 8. Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 43 Emergency Services Consulting International

47 Figure 8: Recommendations that address fire dispatchers Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 44 Emergency Services Consulting International

48 10. Impact of the Recommendations on Survey Results The dissatisfaction and frustration revealed in the surveys of the field providers and PSC staff indicates a keen desire by both parties for better communications between the PSC and public safety field providers. Specific issues and concerns regarding PSC interaction and performance expectations between PSC and field officers will gradually change as the recommended initiatives become operational. Consideration of the survey results, as well as an understanding of the Operational Review assessment will be important for successful implementation of the recommended initiatives. The table below presents a cross reference between the recommendations and the surveyed expectations areas. The intersections show which recommendations will address the expectations in the corresponding column. Improvement and PSC success require that each core area be addressed, as the recommended initiatives are interdependent. Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 45 Emergency Services Consulting International

49 While not all initiatives will directly address survey results, they all play a part collectively in creating a responsive and effective public safety communications agency, satisfying agreed performance expectations. Complex and critical projects have a tendency to be provided a large amount of resources and leadership at the beginning of the project; but less inclination to maintain the commitment and momentum required to run the course. It is incumbent upon leadership, service providers, and PSC staff alike to avoid this pitfall. Ultimately, project success will display the abilities of The City of Calgary Public Safety consortium, and will enhance overall public safety services to the citizens of The City of Calgary and surrounding areas. Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 46 Emergency Services Consulting International

50 Appendix A: Recommendations by Priority Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 47 Emergency Services Consulting International

51 Final Report April 20, 2010 Page 48 Emergency Services Consulting International