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PROTOCOL AND PROCEDURE <br />r� <br />One of the most dominant themes emerging from the review <br />process was the need for consistency and standardisation in <br />dispatching procedures and practices. A related issue is the <br />need for a standardized pattern of instructions and <br />information disseminated to field officers so they will know <br />what to expect and when. Anecdotal evidence was frequently <br />offered about historical incidents or patterns where <br />dispatching procedure would be handled this way for one <br />response agency, and a different way for another agency. <br />Participants who raised this issue felt the need to eliminate <br />such practices. <br />The key to success in this area will be genuine commitment by <br />all response agency personnel, not just the leadership, to <br />strictly follow standardized, approved practices. An <br />important step in this direction is the creation of the 911 <br />Communications Group, which held its inaugural meeting in <br />December. This group includes the county and town managers, <br />the Sheriff, the chiefs of police and fire from each town, <br />the president of the Chief's Council, the emergency <br />management director, and the communications supervisor. I <br />believe that regular meetings of key decision makers in the <br />emergency service business will provide an excellent forum to <br />air viewpoints about when, how, and what procedures for <br />dispatching ought to be implemented throughout Orange County. <br />Each of the town managers has committed to participate in <br />this process, and I will keep you posted on our progress. <br />Orange Central maintains a thorough written set of Standard <br />Operating Procedures and Standard Dispatching Procedures <br />(SOP /SDPs), and my sense is that these are well established <br />and understood, except as noted above. Telecommunications <br />staff indicated to us that they believe they receive <br />satisfactory training in this area. One area we will focus <br />on is ensuring that SOP /SDP updates are posted promptly to <br />the SOP /SDP book, after being circulated by memo. I have <br />asked Nick to address this issue by including SOP /SDP <br />maintenance as an element of the workplan of an appropriate <br />member of his staff. Subcommittees of the 911 Communications <br />Group have begun a six month project of developing <br />comprehensive communications SoPs for law enforcement <br />dispatching and fire dispatching. These SoPs will serve as <br />the baseline for all dispatching in Orange County. <br />Individual departments may have additional internal <br />procedures, but we will strive to ensure that these do not <br />contradict the baseline SOPS. <br />Another frequently mentioned issue was the need for a formal <br />complaint process. virtually all agencies indicated the <br />occasional need to discuss a perceived shortcoming in either <br />system or dispatcher performance. I believe that a <br />standardized, written complaint process will strengthen our <br />5 <br />