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Public Safety Communications Center
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In July 2001, the District of Columbia inaugurated a new,
state-of-the-art Public Safety Communications Center that
is improving 911 service for District residents, workers and
visitors. Located on McMillan Drive, NW, the PSCC combines
state-of-the-art technology with a modern facility that enhances
agency coordination and improves employee productivity. For
the first time, police and fire/emergency medical services
communications personnel are located in the same facility
to more efficiently answer and dispatch calls for service.
On October 1, 2004, management of the PSCC changed from a
joint operation of the Metropolitan Police Department and
the DC
Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department to a new
District of Columbia government agency: the Office of Unified
Communications (OUC).
The new agency's responsibilities includes all 911 and 311
call-taking, as well as all police, fire and medical dispatching.
While these operations are still conducted at the PSCC, a
new facility is under construction on the east campus of Saint
Elizabeth's Hospital. The Unified
Communications Center is scheduled to be completed by
December 2005. At that time, the PSCC will be used by as a
backup and training facility.
Both the MPDC and the Fire/EMS Department are maintaining
on-site liaison units to the new OUC. However, the transfer
of management responsibility to the OUC reduces the number
of sworn police officers working in emergency communications,
thus making more officers available for neighborhood patrols
and other operational assignments.
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Addressing a Public Safety Crisis
Problems with the District of Columbia’s 911 system have been
well documented and widely publicized for some time. A 1998
DC
Inspector General's report identified a number of shortcomings
in 911 system technology, operational procedures, personnel
policies, and facilities. A series of news media reports amplified
problems with antiquated technology, delays in answering calls,
poor coordination between the Metropolitan Police and Fire/EMS
departments, and other critical aspects of the system. The
bottom line: Public confidence in 911 had been seriously eroded
to the point that the District was facing nothing short of
a public safety crisis.
As early as his January 1999 inaugural address, Mayor
Anthony A. Williams made a commitment to “get 911 calls
answered” in a prompt, efficient, and courteous manner. In
recent years, the Williams Administration began to develop
and implement a long-term road map for totally re-engineering
911 service in the District. Significant improvements to date
have included pay raises for communications personnel, enhanced
leadership in the MPDC’s Communications Division, implementation
of the 311
non-emergency number, and installation of a new Computer
Aided Dispatch (CAD) system. While these improvements have
been significant, problems with critical call-answering technology
and dispatch facilities remained.
The opening of the new Public Safety Communications Center
represents a critical step in advancing the District’s emergency
communications strategy and realizing the Mayor’s vision for
improved service. In addition to leveraging the previous reforms
that have been made, this move addresses such key issues as
outstanding technology needs, infrastructure shortcomings,
and improved coordination among police and fire/EMS communications
personnel.
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What Is the PSCC?
The Public Safety Communications Center combines police and
fire/EMS call-taking and dispatching functions in a single
facility. Previously, call-taking and police dispatching were
conducted at an antiquated facility on the 6th floor of Metropolitan
Police headquarters
at 300 Indiana Avenue, NW. Fire/EMS dispatching was performed
at the old Fire/EMS Department building located next to the
new facility on McMillan Drive. The new facility brings call-takers,
dispatchers, and their supervisors onto the same operational
floor.
In addition to handling emergency call-taking and dispatching,
the PSCC houses the Police Department’s 311 non-emergency
number and the Telephone Reporting Unit. The TRU takes reports
from callers whose incident does not require the dispatching
of a police officer to the scene. The PSCC also includes a
remote Special Operation Communications Center (SOCC) that
can be used by emergency leadership personnel during a critical
incident. Extensive training facilities are also part of the
center.
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Key Improvements
The Public Safety Communications Center includes a number
of key technological and infrastructure improvements designed
to enhance service and improve employee productivity:
- State-of-the-art
telephone system. Police and Fire/EMS now operate on
the same state-of-the-art telephone system. That system
includes a new automated call distributor, a critical component
that accepts the calls, directs them to the appropriate
call-taker, and captures critical information about the
call. Shortcomings in the old ACD system were a major source
of problems with prior 911 service.
- Improved
service for the deaf and hard of hearing. The new emergency
system instantly recognizes TDD/TTY calls from citizens
who are deaf or hard of hearing. The system provides the
call-taker with customized, pre-programmed phrases that
enable call-takers to speak directly to the TDD/TTY devices
in a syntax the devices recognize. This will dramatically
improve emergency communications with members of the District’s
deaf and hard-of-hearing community.
- Unified computer-aided
dispatch system. Both police and fire/EMS are using
the same computer-aided dispatch system, which keeps track
of where units have been dispatched and assists dispatchers
in managing field resources. The new CAD system includes
a sophisticated mapping component that displays real-time
information in an easy-to-use visual format.
- Radio system
support. Radio consoles support both the police and
fire/EMS radio systems.
- Enhanced
call recording. The new system records all calls and
allows personnel to instantly replay the last 20 minutes
of traffic directly at their station.
- Co-location
of police and fire/EMS functions. The new facility brings
together for the first time all communications personnel
in the Police and Fire/EMS departments. Co-locations enhances
coordination during critical incidents as well as during
the management of everyday call volumes.
- Specially
designed furniture. The PSCC represents the first US
installation of ergonomic furniture specially designed for
emergency call-taking and dispatch personnel. For example,
work surfaces easily raise and lower to support employees
who may wish to stand or sit during various times of their
tour of duty.
- Enhanced
productivity features. The PSCC includes a variety of
amenities designed to reduce stress and improve productivity
among emergency communications employees. In addition to
specially designed lighting and acoustics, the center includes
a workout facility, an extensive kitchen and break rooms,
and a “quiet room” to which employees can retire following
a particularly difficult or stressful call.
- Strict security.
Special security procedures have been implemented to make
the facility resistant to attack or threat, both physical
and technological.
The PSCC provides the technological reliability, flexibility,
and efficiency to dramatically improve the ability of the
Police and Fire/EMS departments to answer and respond to calls
for service.
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