Agenda - 10-03-2013 - 1 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

Comprehensive Assessment of Emergency Medical Services 114 and 911 /Communications Center Operations Study 4.3 PERFORMANCE & COSTS Ask the average citizen what they expect when they call 911 and they will inevitably say "they want help... FAST "! Ask them to think about it a minute or two and they might add that they want, "qualified personnel, with the proper equipment... FAST!" In either case, it is the end result; i.e., the arrival on scene and the effectiveness of the action taken that is what the average citizen will be most concerned with, and for obvious reasons. How well informed those actually responding to the incident are with regards to what to expect at the scene, or how effectively the emergency response process was implemented are less frequently considered outside of professional circles. A number of professional organizations offer significant commentary and /or specific, documented performance standards in which emergency communications plays some role. They include: • National Academy of Emergency Dispatch (NAED) • Association of Public- Safety Communications Officials (APCO) • National Emergency Number Association (NENA) • National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) • Insurance Services Organization (ISO) • Federal Communications Commission (FCC) • Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) • Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) While the citizen is immediately concerned with how long it takes from the time they call 911 to the time the responding agency vehicle arrives on the scene, the emergency responder(s) will be concerned with the steps it will take to mobilize once they have received the dispatch, and the time it will take to travel to the scene of the emergency. Thus, making the process of answering the 911 call, obtaining the necessary information needed to initiate dispatch, and activating the dispatch itself as promptly and efficiently as possible, extremely important. Figure 44 is essentially the same as Figure 36, previously shown. In this case, however, with added emphasis as to who bears the responsibility for the various critical time intervals. Figure 44 Critical Emergency Communications & Response Intervals Communications Center Responsibility Responding Agency Responsibility 1 1 a I a I o ------ 00. G ------ 0. DO ------ 0. IS -------- 1 1 CHUTE + TRAVEL TIME TIME 'a' Ring -to -Call Taker (CT) Answers 'b' I CT Answer -to- Dispatch 'c' Announcement /Tone to "Vehicle Moving' (VM) 'd' Emergency Unit Travel Time Unit Arrives _ "RESPONSE TIME" Solutions for Local Government, Inc. 70