September 17, Mr. Dennis Brodigan Mat-Su Borough Emergency Services 680 North Seward Meridian Parkway Wasilla, Alaska 99654

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1 September 17, 2013 Mr. Dennis Brodigan Mat-Su Borough Emergency Services 680 North Seward Meridian Parkway Wasilla, Alaska RE: Dispatch Services Consolidation Feasibility Study - Final Dear Dennis: Thank you for the opportunity to work with Matanuska-Susitna and its public safety partners on this dispatch consolidation feasibility study. The final report is attached. We have incorporated feedback from the stakeholders into this final study. Please let me know if you have any questions about the report. Sincerely, ADCOMM Engineering Company Joe P. Blaschka, Jr., P.E. Principal th Place SE Joe Blaschka, Jr., P.E. Bothell, WA Voice: Fax: j.blaschka@adcomm911.com

2 Final Report Dispatch Services Consolidation Feasibility Study Prepared for Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska Prepared by Joe P. Blaschka, Jr., P.E. Dave Magnenat, PMP Keith Flewelling ADCOMM Engineering Company Date Prepared September 17, 2013

3 Contents Acronyms and Abbreviations... vii Executive Summary... 1 Introduction... 2 Methodology... 2 Current State Analysis... 3 Calling in Mat-Su Borough Today... 3 Agency Profiles... 7 Palmer... 7 Wasilla The Regional View Adherence to Performance Standards Technology Feasibility Next Generation System Network within the Borough Telephone Equipment Maintenance Consolidation Related Issues Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) Upgrade Paths Consolidation Related Issues GIS Mapping Consolidation Related Issues Police RMS Consolidation Related Issues Fire RMS Consolidation Related Issues EMS RMS Consolidation Related Issues Voice and Data Radio LTE and FirstNet Consolidation Related Issues Base Stations and Receivers Consolidation Related Issues Dispatch Consoles Consolidation Related Issues Intercom/Paging System Consolidation Related Issues Logging Recorders Consolidation Related Issues Network and Infrastructure Consolidation Related Issues ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page ii

4 Mobile Data Communications Consolidation Related Issues Anchorage Police Department Interface State and Federal Interfaces (NCIC, APSIN, Amber Alerts, etc.) Video Equipment Residential and Commercial Alarms and Alarm Monitoring Consolidation Related Issues Emergency Telephone Notification System (aka Reverse 9-1-1) Consolidation Related Issues Environmental Equipment Consolidation Related Issues Backup/Alternative Processing Site(s) Consolidation Related Issues Radio System Interoperability Consolidation Related Issues Fiber Optic Connections Consolidation Related Issues Other Public Safety Software Consolidation Related Issues Recommendations Facilities Review Palmer Police Department Analysis MatCom - Wasilla Police Department Analysis Conclusions Projected State Analysis Impact on Public Safety Communications Conclusion Recommendation Consolidation Feasibility and Recommendation Decisions and Recommendations Consolidate or Maintain Status Quo Legal Framework for Consolidation Consolidation Models Public Non-Profit Corporation Wasilla or Palmer City Managed and Operated Mat-Su Borough Managed and Operated Alaska State Troopers Managed and Operated Recommendation Financial Considerations Personnel Recommendation Standalone Organization Startup Costs ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page iii

5 Funding Mechanisms Funding Options Summary Recommendation Facilities Options Dispatch Floor Electronics/Communications Equipment Room Electrical Equipment Room Mechanical Spaces Kitchen/Break Spaces Dispatch Manager s Office Operations Manager s Office Supervisor s Office Administrative Workspace/Office Storage Technical Office/Workspace Janitor s Closet Training/Conference Room Restrooms (ADA Compliant) Lockers/Hallways/Entrance Circulation Design Value Estimate Facility Cost Estimate Possible Facility Locations Juvenile Justice Center Fire Station Kincade Building Recommendation Next Steps CAD System Consolidation Commitment Implementation Special Considerations Consolidating In Place Recommendations Summary Appendices A Budget Information B Budget Options C Legal Citations from the Text D CAD Upgrade Cost Estimate, InterAct Systems E F Growth in Mat-Su Borough Exchange G Sample Intergovernmental Agreements ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page iv

6 Figures Call and Dispatch Decision Points and Workflow in Mat-Su Borough Today Palmer Police Department Console System Overview Typical Palmer Police Department Workstation Palmer Dispatch Exterior Palmer Dispatch Exterior Palmer Equipment Shelter Interior MatCom Interior View MatCom Console Position Wasilla Police Department Equipment Room The Borough Should Plan for an Increase in Police and Fire/EMS Activity of at Least 57 Percent Over the Next 15 Years Stakeholders Need to Make Decisions in Three Broad Areas Decision Points in the Proposed Consolidated Center The Recommended Organizational Structure for a Standalone Consolidated Communications Center for Mat-Su Borough Sample Organization Chart for a City-Managed Consolidated Center One Option for a Communication Center Organized as a Borough Department Partner Contributions Compared to Surcharges Collected at Various Rate Levels, for Each of the Three Budget Options Juvenile Justice Center Site Fire Station Kincade Building Clearly Identified, Shared Values are the Foundation of a Strong Organization Tables 1 Decision Criteria for Calls in Mat-Su Borough Budget Breakdowns for Each Communication Center, Contributors, and Across the Region, with Associated Data Base Population Growth Projections High Population Growth Rate Projections Projected Increases in CAD Incidents Based on Population Growth Summary of Costs Today and for Options 1, 2 and Anticipated Revenue From the Surcharge Rate Based on 2014 Population Projections ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page v

7 8 Anticipated Surcharge Revenue Through 2028, Correlated to Population Growth Projections One Example of a Cost Allocation Formula Using CAD Event Count as the Metric In This Example, the Total Center Cost is Divided by the Number of Dispatch Positions Sharing a Dispatch Position Reduces the Cost per User in This Model Facility Programming Recommendations ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page vi

8 Acronyms and Abbreviations ADCOMM ADCOMM Engineering Company ALI automatic location identification ALMR Alaska Land Mobile Radio ANI automatic number identification APSIN Alaska Public Safety Information Network ARMS Alaska Records Management System AST Alaska State Troopers AVL automatic vehicle location BTOP Broadband Technology Opportunities Program CAD computer aided dispatch DOTPF Department of Transportation and Public Facilities DPS Department of Public Safety FCC Federal Communications Commission GIS geographic information systems IP Internet protocol ISER Institute of Social and Economic Research KABATA Knik Arm Bridge and Toll Authority LTE long-term evolution Mat-Su Matanuska-Susitna Borough MOU Memorandum of Understanding MSAG Master Street Address Guide MSB Matanuska-Susitna Borough MTA Matanuska Telephone Association NENA National Emergency Number Association NFPA National Fire Protection Association NG9-1-1 Next Generation NIMS National Incident Management System NOTAMS Notice to Airmen System PERA Public Employment Relations Act PERS Public Employees Retirement System PPD Palmer Police Department Dispatch PSAP public safety answering points PSTN public switched telephone network RMS records management system ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page vii

9 VHF VoIP WPD very high frequency voice over Internet protocol Wasilla Police Department ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page viii

10 Executive Summary Matanuska-Susitna Borough engaged ADCOMM Engineering Company to study the feasibility of consolidating current and public safety radio dispatch operations in the Borough. This report described the study s methods, sources, and data. ADCOMM studied operational, financial, space, technology, governance, and other areas to reach the recommendation. This report recommends the current dispatch agencies in the Borough consolidate using the nonprofit public corporation provisions in Alaska state law. ADCOMM interviewed stakeholders, observed operations, evaluated technical systems, consulted legal experts, discussed options with the Alaska Department of Retirement and Benefits, performed space evaluations, created financial models, and performed other tasks to reach the report s recommendations. ADCOMM considered multiple models for consolidation, including a Borough-operated department and a center operated by a City or the Alaska State Troopers. The standalone organization, using the above-mentioned legal provisions, appears to offer the best fit for stakeholders requirements of a more streamlined customer experience; sharing responsibility, authority, and costs for and dispatch functions; and preparing to meet the challenges an increased population will bring to the Borough. Three staffing level options are presented for consideration, along with budgets for each. A description of the operational impacts and necessities for each option are included in the report. ADCOMM recommends Option 2, which provides full-time supervision for the dispatch staff, a two-thirds time call receiver, and a shared dispatch position for City law enforcement agencies as a cost savings measure. Higher cost and lower cost options are also included. The report discusses growth in the Borough, outlining two likely scenarios for population growth figures. Regardless of various development projects underway or being considered, the projected base growth in the Borough is sufficient to warrant concerns about the ability of present business models to continue to operate in their current forms. The report makes recommendations for technology improvements to address some of the inefficiencies that exist in the system today, including a shared computer aided dispatch system and increased automation of certain database queries and entries into records management systems. The report concludes with notes on an implementation plan, including a recommendation to consolidate in place. This is an approach whereby the new organization is incorporated and current dispatch staff are transferred to the new organization prior to moving to a new facility. This approach has multiple benefits, outlined in the report. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 1

11 Introduction The Matanuska-Susitna Borough (Mat-Su or MSB) engaged ADCOMM Engineering Company (ADCOMM) to study and evaluate the feasibility of consolidating existing public safety dispatch services within the Borough. The study, and this report, is composed of the following sections: 1. Current state analysis, including a description of call receiving and dispatch scenarios and profiles of the two call centers in the Borough. 2. Technology feasibility, including a review of existing and future technology and its impact on call processing and incident dispatching and handling. 3. Projected state analysis, including discussion and analysis of population and call volume increases and the resources required to maintain a high level of responsiveness within the emergency communications systems in the Borough. 4. Consolidation feasibility and recommendation, including an evaluation of various consolidation options, governance options, financial considerations, potential implementation strategies, and recommendations. 5. Appendices containing more detailed analysis of growth predictions. Methodology ADCOMM conducted an initial literature survey encompassing all available organizational documentation including budgets, annual reports, staff schedules, technical documentation, previous studies, proposed consolidation and service plans, telephone routing and volume data, and other information prior to arriving on site. ADCOMM personnel conducted a short on-site visit in February 2013 as a precursor to a longer site visit in April During the on-site visits, ADCOMM interviewed elected officials, department heads, Alaska Department of Public Safety (DPS) command, and E9-1-1 staff, field users, dispatch and technical personnel from stakeholder agencies. ADCOMM surveyed radio, CAD, GIS, telephone, and other technical systems in use at both dispatch centers. We evaluated the physical spaces of both existing communication centers and developed and undeveloped potential sites for a new communications center. ADCOMM also assessed portions of the Borough s service area including the Talkeetna, Port MacKenzie, and Goose Creek areas. In addition to on-site interviews and literature reviews, ADCOMM engaged with the Alaska Department of Retirement and Benefits, Mat-Su Borough Planning Department, and the Borough Attorney s Office. ADCOMM formulated preliminary recommendations and presented them to stakeholders in June We received feedback and input based on those recommendations, considered them, and incorporated them as appropriate in this report. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 2

12 Current State Analysis Calling in Mat-Su Borough Today The citizen in need of law enforcement, medical, fire, or rescue assistance in Mat-Su Borough dials to request help from the emergency response system. After their call is answered they are routed through a maze of disparate services, jurisdictional considerations, capabilities, and technical systems to get the help they need. Some of this is transparent to the caller and some is not; however, each twist and turn affects the delivery of emergency services. These circumstances exist today as a result of political subdivision, technical barriers, and historical precedence. Mat-Su Borough is served by two public safety answering points (PSAPs): Palmer Police Department Dispatch (PPD) and MatCom, a division of the Wasilla Police Department (WPD). Both departments are staffed 24/7 and both also provide radio dispatch and other support functions for their respective customer agencies. Palmer Police Department answers all calls first and is the contract dispatch service provider for all Fire, Rescue, and EMS resources in the Borough. They also dispatch for all law enforcement calls in the City of Palmer. MatCom dispatches for WPD and is the contract dispatch service provider for Alaska State Troopers (AST). AST handles all law enforcement incidents in the unincorporated areas of the Borough and for the City of Houston. Both PSAPs use the same telephone system, produced by a company called microdata and paid for by the Borough. Each PSAP houses one of the two servers that make up the entire system. Employees with the proper permission at either PSAP can see telephone activity, history, and status of all calls and agents on the system. When a person dials from a wireline or wireless telephone within the Borough, the call rings at the Palmer PSAP. Palmer answers and interviews the caller to determine the nature of the emergency (police, fire, emergency medical, other services, or a mixture) and the location. The answer to these two questions where and what determines which PSAPs are involved in the incident. Table 1 illustrates the decision criteria by which each call is evaluated to determine which PSAPs are involved in the request for assistance. As Table 1 shows, every call requiring law enforcement outside of the Palmer city limits requires two PSAPs to be involved: PPD for the initial answering and MatCom for further processing and dispatch of field units. Typical call processing is diagrammed in Figure 1. An example will help to illustrate. A caller dials and asks for an ambulance for a possible broken arm. PPD determines the address is in Palmer and enters the information into the computer aided dispatch (CAD) system. Further interviewing reveals that the victim is a female and she is the caller. She alleges that she and her husband were fighting and he injured her. PPD generates a related call for service for the Palmer Police Department as the call now requires a law enforcement response. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 3

13 TABLE 1 Decision Criteria for Calls in Mat-Su Borough Within Palmer City Limits Wasilla City Limits In Mat-Su Borough but outside city limits Outside Mat-Su Borough 1 Fire/Rescue Only EMS Only Law Only Palmer Dispatch handles Palmer Dispatch handles Palmer Dispatch handles Palmer transfers call to proper jurisdiction Palmer Dispatch handles Palmer Dispatch handles Palmer Dispatch handles Palmer transfers call to proper jurisdiction Palmer Dispatch handles Palmer transfers to MatCom; MatCom interviews, dispatches law Palmer transfers to MatCom; MatCom interviews, dispatches law Palmer transfers call to proper jurisdiction Law & Fire/Rescue Law & EMS Fire & EMS Palmer Dispatch handles Palmer interviews, dispatches Fire/Rescue, transfers to MatCom; MatCom interviews, dispatches law Palmer interviews, dispatches Fire/Rescue, transfers to MatCom; MatCom interviews, dispatches law Palmer transfers call to proper jurisdiction Palmer Dispatch handles Palmer interviews, dispatches EMS, transfers to MatCom; MatCom interviews, dispatches law Palmer interviews, dispatches EMS, transfers to MatCom;. MatCom interviews, dispatches law Palmer transfers call to proper jurisdiction Palmer Dispatch handles Palmer Dispatch handles Palmer Dispatch handles Palmer transfers call to proper jurisdiction PPD dispatch law and EMS units, tracking their progress and status in the CAD system. Officers locate and arrest the husband and EMS units take the wife to the hospital for care. Dispatch checks the names of the people involved in the state and national criminal databases to determine if there are any outstanding wants or warrants. The incident ends and the CAD record is closed with a disposition code given to the dispatcher by the primary officer on the call. 2 Since the entire event occurred within Palmer, only the Palmer PSAP was involved. 1 Calls can be routed into Palmer Police Department from outside the Borough due to the close proximity of Anchorage and the way radio waves used by cellular telephones propagate. 2 A disposition code identifies the results of the interaction and is entered in a designated field in the CAD system. Disposition codes are created by the law enforcement agency and are different than the more extensive crime coding systems used to track crime across the country. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 4

14 FIGURE Call and Dispatch Decision Points and Workflow in Mat-Su Borough Today ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 5

15 Consider the same incident occurring in Wasilla or anywhere else in the Borough. A caller dials and asks for an ambulance to treat a possible broken arm. PPD determines the location and enters the information into their CAD system. Palmer dispatches EMS to the scene. Further interviewing reveals that the female caller is the victim, and she alleges her husband injured her in a domestic dispute. Because the caller is not in Palmer, the dispatcher transfers the call to MatCom and stays on the line until the transfer is complete. The MatCom call receiver answers the call and begins the interview over again. Often the Palmer dispatcher will remain on the line and give the MatCom call receiver a brief description of what is going on and advise them that EMS personnel have been dispatched. The MatCom call receiver will again verify the address and enter it, along with details about the call, the people involved, and other information, into their CAD system (the PSAPs each use different, unconnected CAD systems). The CAD system alerts the appropriate MatCom dispatcher and they query the system for details. Once they have sufficient information, MatCom dispatches the appropriate law enforcement agency to the scene. It is typical that an EMS unit will stage in a domestic violence situation, waiting nearby until law enforcement can secure the scene so as not to risk injury to EMS or Fire field personnel. Responding EMS and law enforcement may or may not have a way to talk directly with each other on their radio systems; usually requests for updates, estimated times of arrival, and so on are relayed through the respective PSAPs. The EMS unit might call Palmer on the radio and ask for an ETA on the responding AST unit. Palmer dispatch calls MatCom to ask the question. The MatCom call receiver asks the dispatcher working the AST position, and the AST dispatcher requests an ETA from the responding Trooper. The answer is relayed back to the call receiver, to the Palmer dispatcher, and finally to the EMS unit. To get the proper assistance to the scene, the caller had to speak with two different dispatch centers, repeating her request each time. Two different, unconnected computer tracking systems were used, as were two disparate computerized mapping systems and two different radio systems. A simple request made from the field required no less than eight communications using at least three modes and four or five people to answer. These types of calls are not uncommon; some figures show that approximately half of all calls coming in to PPD are transferred to MatCom at some point in the interview. The illustrated call is actually a best case scenario; the caller was the victim and responded to questions designed to elicit the information that triggered a law enforcement response in addition to the EMS response. Not all calls are this linear. Consider this scenario: a caller from outside Palmer calls to report a law enforcement call, is transferred to Wasilla, and then discovers that Fire, Rescue, or Law is required. This results in a transfer from Palmer to Wasilla (for law dispatch) then back to Palmer for Fire/Rescue/EMS dispatch. Common situations in which this can occur are motor vehicle accidents that were originally reported as non-injury but are discovered later to include injuries. Perhaps the worst case scenario is one in which a caller reports domestic violence with no injuries outside the Palmer city limits. PPD receives the call, determines it is occurring outside their city limits and does not require Fire or EMS, and transfers the call to MatCom. MatCom answers the call, interviews the caller, and determines a location and incident ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 6

16 type. The parties are separated for the moment and the response time is lengthy so MatCom disconnects. PPD receives another call, this time for an ambulance. The caller is reluctant to give details but PPD gets a location and dispatches EMS. Unless the PPD dispatcher remembers the address of the previous call, the caller s name or voice, or some other detail, the fact that EMS is responding to the scene of a domestic violence call may not be known. It is true that a more common scenario is that (a) the PPD dispatcher is suspicious so either checks with MatCom or transfers the call to MatCom for a law enforcement response, at which time MatCom s CAD system alerts them to the active event; (b) one PPD dispatcher handles both the original and the second call and recognizes they are connected; or (c) someone in the field monitoring multiple radio systems hears the EMS dispatch and alerts MatCom that aid is being dispatched to the same address. However, there is a very real possibility, especially around shift change and during busy periods, that the calls would remain unconnected. EMS personnel could unknowingly walk into an active domestic violence situation, placing themselves in harm s way. A third scenario highlights the difficult situation a caller and the communication centers are placed in because they are separated. When a person needs both medical aid and law enforcement to respond, the caller will have to interact with both dispatch centers simultaneously. Palmer Dispatch will stay on the line with the victim (or a bystander) to provide critical pre-arrival medical instruction such as how to stop bleeding or provide CPR instruction. MATCOM will simultaneously be interviewing the caller to determine the safety of the scene, the whereabouts of suspects and weapons, and other crucial safety and response information. Two different voices giving instructions and asking questions in the middle of a high stress, dangerous situation adds to the possibility of confusion, non-compliance, and a negative outcome for the incident. The current configuration introduces unnecessary delays in response and communication, needlessly complicates citizen access, and reduces critical dispatcher and field responder awareness capabilities amounting to threats to field responder and public safety. Without systems in place to automatically increase a dispatcher s awareness, the PSAPs will have to continue to count on the odds that people will happen to have the information they need to protect the field users in some other way. Agency Profiles Palmer PPD is the primary PSAP for Mat-Su. PPD dispatches for Palmer Police Department and all Fire/ EMS units in the Borough. 3 In 2012, Palmer dispatched 11,761 Fire/EMS/Rescue events for the Borough and recorded 19,774 Palmer Police Department CAD incidents. 4 3 A primary PSAP is designated to receive all incoming calls for an area. Secondary PSAPs receive calls via transfers from primary PSAPs. 4 All CAD event data in this section should be considered approximate at best, according to Palmer Police Department, due to the difficulty of retrieving meaningful data from their CAD system. The 19,774 count of CAD events includes 12,391 Palmer Police Department officer involved incidents, including traffic stops; it also includes 7, disconnect events, the vast majority of which are handled by PPD dispatchers without law enforcement involvement. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 7

17 PPD has 14 authorized full-time dispatch positions, supporting two to three police officers on duty at a time. 5 The dispatch facility is 954 square feet housing six dispatch and call receiving workstations, two of which are currently inactive, located in the police department building in Palmer. A covered breezeway connects the Palmer Police Department facility and the Palmer post of AST. There is no statewide certification for dispatchers in Alaska. New dispatchers are trained inhouse following a Palmer-developed training regimen. Palmer dispatchers are trained to provide medical pre-arrival instructions. As with many small centers it is difficult to maintain minimum staffing and provide training opportunities for personnel. Palmer takes advantage of at console training opportunities through and short presentations that dispatchers can review during low activity periods. PPD usually has two dispatchers on duty, one for police and one for Fire/EMS. These assignments are very fluid; we observed dispatchers answering one another s radios and updating each other s CAD events seamlessly, with responsibility switching multiple times in a single call. With two dispatchers typically on duty at a time, the potential for the center to be overwhelmed by a large fire or hazardous materials incident is high. A commercial structure or multi-family dwelling (apartment complex) fire in Wasilla, for example, may require fire departments from throughout the region to respond for mutual aid. Having two dozen units respond and then work a large, active incident will quickly become untenable, even with the proper use of fire ground command and control communications protocols like the National Incident Management System (NIMS). 6 It is possible that other employees could respond to assist during large events; that is usually the case in communication centers. The initial flood of work (and the highest probability of a potentially fatal mistake occurring) is in the first few minutes of the call, however. Having available backup from someone not assigned their own radio or telephone position to work is a critical requirement for handling high impact, high resource events properly and safely. Palmer uses the InterAct CAD system version , the microdata telephone system, and Motorola Gold Elite radio consoles operating analog repeated voice radio systems for police and fire/ems and has access to the Alaska Land Mobile Radio (ALMR) system. Dispatchers use four keyboards and four mice to operate the disparate systems. There is no dedicated CAD support professional; dispatchers are currently relying on the dispatch supervisor and a new employee who used the same system in a previous job. Both are attempting to update and maintain the CAD system in addition to their other duties. Modern CAD systems such as those in use at Palmer and Wasilla have the ability to display the location of requests for service on an electronic map. The location information is used to deter- 5 Two of these positions were recently authorized. 6 NIMS requires time and personnel to initiate, and the requirements expand as the incident scale increases. It takes time to implement NIMS, and NIMS is most effective in managing the fire ground, not the initial response. Immediately after the initial notification units will sign in service on the air; responders will request additional information and units; on-scene command will be carrying multiple assignments including communications, press and other calls from the public will pour into the center, and so on. Throughout the incident, many additional demands will be placed on the dispatcher, including fire run timers, public and internal notifications, additional mobilization, aid and support units and organizations, and other demands. Without backup and additional help to handle these tasks and someone to continue handling the routine fire and EMS calls that continue elsewhere in the Borough the opportunity to make mistakes and miss traffic is significant. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 8

18 mine the jurisdiction in which an event is occurring so the proper response can be recommended to the dispatcher. The map information comes from the Borough s geographic information systems (GIS) department and must be converted to the CAD system s format before entry. There are severe mapping issues in the CAD system, driving dispatchers to check a large wall map to determine the appropriate jurisdiction and unit recommendations for events. This adds delay to the dispatch of events as they must physically move from their workstation, consult the map, determine the response, remember the response, return to the workstation, and notify the units. Requiring a dispatcher to check a wall map to determine fire and EMS responses prior to dispatch when there is a sophisticated automated system to accomplish that same task sitting on the desk unused is a serious potential liability for Palmer and the Borough in its role as provider of area-wide EMS and Fire services. Delay caused by this manual process could be shown to have had an impact on a response time and therefore increase harm, injury, or property damage, leaving Palmer and the Borough to defend the choice not to devote the time and money required to use the CAD system as designed and intended. Given that funds could be made available through an increase in the surcharge and/or other sources and the fact that mapping of the type described is available and successfully implemented in other Interact systems elsewhere and in the Tiburon CAD system used by MatCom, the failure to address the situation with the CAD system in Palmer would likely be difficult to defend in a lawsuit. Dispatchers are further burdened by a requirement to type event details into CAD and then reenter the same information into the APSIN 7 system, which serves as PPD s records management system (RMS). This double entry is done for every CAD event and extends from initial entry of an incident through to completion, including criminal and driver s registration checks on every person involved and license checks on all involved vehicles. This can turn a simple 5-minute field interview into a 20-minute, multiple-task event as the dispatcher performs local and national records searches, re-enters information into APSIN, enters officer comments and dispositions into CAD and APSIN, and performs other administrative functions. There are two elements of note in this workflow: the double entry and the large volume of information generated solely by the dispatcher. The double entry process can, and should, be eliminated by using an automatic link between CAD and APSIN. The dispatcher should rarely have to enter anything directly into APSIN. Alternatively, PPD could adopt ARMS, 8 the new Alaska state RMS, and develop a CAD interface to that system instead. Requiring the dispatcher to generate a large amount of information for every contact is a matter of agency policy. A full criminal history is run on each in custody, printed out, and an incident jacket started by the dispatcher. It may be desirable while Palmer s police activity remains at current levels, however as population continues to increase the resources required to gather such information will either need to be increased as well or the agency will need to make decisions about what information is relevant and important. 7 Alaska Public Safety Information Network is the state s computerized repository for information regarding active warrants, stolen property, and similar information. APSIN also acts as the gateway to driver and vehicle registration information and the databases of other states and the federal government. 8 The Alaska Records Management System is an online store of law enforcement records and includes case histories, contact information, charges, case dispositions, and other relevant law enforcement related data. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 9

19 Some automation options exist to generate portions of this information as well, though they are not apparently in use at this time. When signing out on a traffic stop, for example, the CAD system should automatically check the vehicle license plate information against online databases, return the registration and other information, attach that information to the CAD event, and then check the registered and legal owner information taken from the registration (if sufficient data is provided). Additional names (such as passengers in the vehicle) should be run through CAD, again with automatic display and attachment of the returned information. At the end of the event, the CAD event should be closed with a disposition code (of whatever type the agency desires, along with whatever other disposition information needed) and the event s information transferred to APSIN automatically. All of the information is then in the system electronically and available to officers, detectives, and other authorized personnel for easy retrieval. All of the functions described here are not only available, they are in regular use across the country. PPD dispatchers perform the following additional duties: Answer incoming business calls for Palmer Police Department Records entry into state and national databases (APSIN, NCIC) 9 Records research on behalf of officers Jacket preparation for all in-custody arrests After-hours contact point for citizens Answer lobby phone Notary public for AST Update and maintain the Notice to Airmen System (NOTAMS) Operate and answer Project HELP requests Call medical facilities to clear transport of patients to their facility on behalf of EMS Palmer Dispatch employees are not represented by a labor organization nor is a collective bargaining agreement in place. Palmer dispatch employees are part of the Alaska Public Employees Retirement System (PERS). PPD created 48,720 CAD events in PPD offers the following approximation of CAD event breakdowns: 10 9 National Crime Information Center is a computerized index of law enforcement information such as criminal history, outstanding warrants, and officer safety information. 10 This is the best available information from Palmer Police Department. The CAD sequence number at the end of 2012 was 48,720, indicating the number of CAD events that had been created in the year. PPD used other sources to arrive at the breakdown number. PPD is unable to provide an explanation for the differences in the CAD sequence number and the sum of the categories; they do not have access to more detailed reports or data (a problem ADCOMM addresses later in this report). These numbers should be considered approximate at best. Since 48,720 is a direct CAD count, ADCOMM has chosen to use it as the total CAD events created by Palmer in Additionally, the Fire/EMS/Rescue number changed only slightly as we progressed through the data gathering phase so we have maintained it as the basis for Borough costs in the following calculations. It must also be noted that PPD typically creates a separate CAD event for each incoming call, even if the call is for an incident for which there is already a CAD incident. If 15 callers report a motor vehicle collision, for example, PPD will create 15 CAD events. There is a mechanism in CAD to mark subsequent events as a duplicate to an existing event, but PPD advises that this function is convoluted and slow and is thus not performed regularly. This skews the numbers when attempting to determine workload. These circumstances can be attributed in large part to the lack of ongoing CAD support and system training and configuration at Palmer. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 10

20 11,761 events for Fire/EMS/Rescue 11 12,115 are Palmer Police Department calls for service, including traffic stops 276 events were created to document PPD responding to assist EMS units with a medical call 7,383 are disconnect calls, mostly handled by Palmer dispatchers without police involvement Approximately 18,500 are CAD events created to document that a call was transferred to MATCOM for processing PPD Dispatch s budget for 2012 was $1,290,636. Mat-Su Borough paid Palmer $714, 543 for Fire/EMS Dispatch services in the same period. (Palmer also received $90,000 in fees in 2012, for a total revenue stream from area-wide [Borough] funds of $804,543 in 2012.) The Borough is thus paying ($714,543 / 11,761 Fire and EMS CAD incidents =) $60.76 per call dispatched. 12 Assuming the remainder of Palmer s dispatch budget ($1,290,636 $714,543 - $90,000 = $486,093) was paid for directly by Palmer citizens, the cost per CAD incident to Palmer is ($486,093 / 19,774 Palmer Police Department CAD incidents =) $ Overall the blended cost per CAD incident at PPD is ($1,290,636 / 48,720 =) $ Wasilla WPD s communications section is referred to as MatCom and operates as a secondary PSAP in the Borough. MatCom dispatches for WPD and the Alaska DPS, the most visible element of which is the AST. In 2012, MatCom dispatched 20,931 calls for service in Wasilla, 54,128 incidents for AST and associated DPS agencies, and 709 incidents for other agencies such as Department of Natural Resources. 14 MatCom has 18.5 authorized full-time dispatch positions, supporting two to three WPD units and up to six AST units on duty at a time. Additional intermittent units can also be on the air: corrections transports, warrant servers, and others typically use the ALMR system MatCom uses to dispatch AST. MatCom dispatchers are trained in-house using a locally developed curriculum. No medical dispatch training is provided as no pre-arrival instructions are offered by policy. MatCom faces the same challenges for ongoing training as PPD does. MatCom staffs three radio positions at all times (WPD, AST, and AST/Data) and a dedicated call receiver and supervisor during most hours. The facility has approximately 1,200 square feet of space for the dispatch area. The staff works with each other well, communicating information 11 PPD advises that their CAD system creates a separate CAD event for each department responding to an event for Fire and EMS. Thus, if an ambulance is sent from one district and manpower from a second district to the same incident, two CAD events are created. PPD estimates 1,039 CAD events from 2012 fall in to this category. 12 The cost per call calculation does not include the $90, fund distribution as it is separate from the Borough s dispatch contract with Palmer. Wasilla also received a $90, fund distribution from the Borough. 13 Incident counts include officer-initiated events such as traffic stops. 14 Source DPS Users and Activity_MatCom Dispatch provided by MatCom. These figures are for the calendar year Other call total information provided was measured for the fiscal year. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 11

21 as relevant, assisting with backed up data work, and covering for one another. The staff we interviewed emphasized their reliance on having a call receiver on duty as it allowed them to concentrate on radio and their other duties. MatCom uses the Tiburon CAD system version 2.2, the microdata telephone system, and Motorola Gold Elite radio consoles operating on the ALMR system. Wasilla employs a technician to maintain MatCom s technical systems, including CAD and the telephone system. MatCom s CAD system functions reasonably well. There is some conversion and clean up needed to the underlying map data when MatCom receives new data from the Borough but this work is accomplished in-house. The CAD system does not contain a Fire/EMS dispatch module, although one could be added. MatCom dispatchers, like their counterparts at PPD, perform double entry, and sometimes triple entry, into CAD, APSIN and ARMS. MatCom dispatchers perform some data entry tasks such as locating warrants and modifying restraining and civil orders. MatCom dispatchers perform the following additional duties: Glenallen Fire and Ambulance service call receiving and dispatch Data support, much of it over the telephone, for AST juvenile units, Fish and Game, Wildlife Troopers, narcotics officers, Alaska railroad police, State Park rangers, and Fugitive Task Force Coordinate search and rescue operations throughout the state (involving AST) Moose charities contact point for the region 15 Statewide contact for Wildlife Safeguard program Records entry into state and national databases (APSIN, NCIC) State road issues through Anchorage (pot holes, sign replacement) Point of contact for OnStar Records research on behalf of officers MatCom employees are represented in bargaining by Teamsters Local 959, the same unit as WPD. MatCom employees are part of the Alaska PERS. MatCom dispatched 75,768 CAD events in MatCom s budget for 2012 was $2,229,232. Mat-Su Borough paid Wasilla $90,000 from the fee, while DPS paid Wasilla $1,488,055 for their dispatch contract. It does not appear that MatCom derives any income from the other agencies for which they provide some dispatch (the 709 calls in 2012 identified above) When a moose is killed by a motorist or train and there is salvageable meat left, MatCom is notified and alerts area charities who recover the meat to provide meals for the needy. An average of 270 moose are killed by motorists or trains in Mat-Su Borough every year according to a recent news report. 16 Because there is no identifiable revenue source associated with these calls, ADCOMM did not include them in either the AST or the Wasilla cost per call calculations but did include them in the blended cost per incident. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 12

22 The DPS is thus paying ($1,488,055 / 54,128 =) $27.49 per CAD incident dispatched. Assuming the remainder of MatCom s dispatch budget ($2,229,232 $1,488,055 $90,000 = $651,177) was paid for directly by Wasilla citizens, the cost per incident to Wasilla is ($651,177 / 20,931 =) $ Overall, the blended cost per CAD incident at MatCom is ($2,229,232 / 75,768 =) $ The Regional View In total, MatCom and Palmer Dispatch are authorized 32 operational personnel and one communications manager. Technical support for the radio and telephone systems are centralized at the Borough; CAD and other technology such as logging recorders are either handled by a technician (at MatCom) and/or by contracted assistance or a reliance on vendor support. GIS information is sourced from the Borough. There are typically five dispatchers and a supervisor on duty throughout the Borough; a call receiver is also on duty during the busiest hours of the day. Between four and six patrol officers are on duty in Palmer and Wasilla for most hours of the day, and AST staffs approximately three to six troopers in the Borough at any one time. Together, the two PSAPs handled 38, calls in 2012 and 146,569 non-emergency telephone calls including a large number of police department administrative calls. Between them, Mat-Su Borough and AST provide 67.7 percent of the dispatch budgets in the Borough; 52.9 percent of the CAD incidents are for Mat-Su and AST. Table 2 shows costs and revenue sources for service across the Borough. TABLE 2 Budget Breakdowns for Each Communication Center, Contributors, and Across the Region, with Associated Data Palmer Wasilla Regional Dispatch Budget $1,290,636 $2,229,232 $3,519, Fund Distribution $90,000 $90,000 $180,000 Customer Contributions $714,543 $1,488,055 $2,202,598 City Contributions $486,093 $651,177 $1,137,270 CAD incidents 48,720 75, ,488 Averaged cost per CAD incident $26.49 $29.42 $ calls received 19,375 19,180 38,555 Non-emergency calls received 38, , ,124 Average cost per call received $66.61 $ $91.29 Average cost per citizen (pop. 93,801) $ Incident counts include officer-initiated events such as traffic stops. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 13

23 Adherence to Performance Standards The National Emergency Number Association (NENA) is the standards setting body for call answering for the United States. NENA has a set of standards and best practices considered the industry standard and these are commonly used to evaluate a communications center s performance. The NENA Call Answering Standard (56-005, part 3.1) calls for 90 percent of all incoming calls to be answered within 10 seconds of the first ring at the PSAP and 95 percent of all incoming calls to be answered within 15 seconds. Information from both PSAPs indicate they are well within these call answering standards. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) also sets standards for the handling of Fire and EMS responses. Specifically, NFPA 1221 stipulates that 90 percent of alarm received via emergency lines (like 9-1-1) are answered within 15 seconds, and 99 percent are answered within 40 seconds. These standards are being met at Palmer. 18 NFPA also stipulates alarm processing time, covering the elapsed time from the acknowledgment of the alarm by the communications center and the time the response information has begun to be sent to emergency response units. This standard is 90 percent of call alarms are processed within 60 seconds and 99 percent are processed within 90 seconds. No data was available to indicate Palmer s performance to this criteria, although the PPD Standard Operating Procedure calls for dispatching the appropriate emergency provider for each emergency call within 3 minutes of incoming call (sic). 19 NFPA requires the transfer of calls from a primary to a secondary PSAP (i.e., Palmer to Wasilla, for example) to occur within 30 seconds 95 percent of the time. Palmer appears to achieve this standard as well. 20 Finally, NFPA requires two telecommunicators be on duty and present in the dispatch room at all times at centers where pre-arrival instructions are provided to callers. MatCom does not give pre-arrival instructions. PPD does provide them, however. While there are two dispatchers on duty at PPD, it is not unusual for one person to handle both radios while the other is on a break or handling an administrative task. 18 NFPA standards 1221, 1710, and Note that the response times for Career, Combination and Volunteer Fire Departments are the same. The timeframes given are for circumstances wherein the PSAP is also the Communication Center, as is the case in Mat-Su. 19 Palmer Police Department Standard Operating Procedures Dispatch, Paging Operations. 20 ADCOMM recognizes that the call transfer time standard can be interpreted as applying to Fire/EMS calls only, however as a rule of thumb for all primary-to-secondary PSAP transfer times goal section is reasonable. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 14

24 Technology Feasibility Next Generation System Next Generation (NG9-1-1) is a group of technologies and network configurations allowing the delivery of calls to PSAPs via IP networks rather than proprietary telephone networks. Using IP networks as the transport for calls allows the introduction of other types of media to be delivered to centers; typically text, pictures, and video are discussed as NG9-1-1 media. 21 Traditional telephone calls were carried over analog circuits and there was a single physical connection between the dialing telephone and the answering telephone. In today s world, however, most telephone calls are carried over IP networks and the analog voice signal is converted to digital packets of data to be reassembled at the destination point and converted back to analog so humans can understand it. There are usually multiple paths through the networks involved, and devices on the network read an incoming packet s destination information and send it to a device it knows to be closer to that destination. When all of the packets arrive at the destination, computers there reassemble it. The same approach is used to transfer pictures, text, video, and other media. This happens today with computers, and this IP technology is being brought to the system. The fully realized NG9-1-1 network is called i3 because of the naming convention used by NENA, the industry s standards setting body. NG9-1-1 often requires routing networks called Emergency Services Internetworks, or ESInets. These networks receive calls from the public switched telephone network (PSTN) and other originating points, read the packet destination information, and apply a set of rules and functions to determine which PSAP handles the call. Devices on the ESInet also facilitate location determination (from information included in the call s data), call transfers between PSAPs, apply policy rules to determine who receives the call, and other functions. One major function of an ESInet is to route calls to the geographically appropriate PSAP. ESInets are often installed as a matter of course when implementing networks, just as selective routing was often installed for Enhanced However, in areas where there are few if any adjoining PSAP boundaries and/or the transfer call volume is very small, there is not a need for a true ESInet. In the case of Mat-Su Borough, there is no significant adjoining PSAP boundary other than to the Anchorage area. The primary traffic that would need to be transferred between the two PSAPs is cellular traffic that may hit a site in the Anchorage area and the response needs to come from the Mat-Su area and vice versa. The geography of Alaska isolates most of the PSAP areas so there are few calls that need to be transferred from one PSAP to another. The small number of calls that do need support from another PSAP can either be handled by the answering PSAP relaying the information or doing a conference call with the caller and the PSAP. At this point, ADCOMM does not see any reason to implement an ESInet in the Mat-Su area; the existing call routing and handling processes can continue. 21 All sessions, regardless of media type, are referred to as calls. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 15

25 Both centers use a single telephone system produced by microdata, a subsidiary of TCS. The microdata system is capable of NG9-1-1 in that it is IP based and can be connected to a network operating NENA s i3 protocol. The system is adequate for the current tasks and should be capable of handling the anticipated call volume increase that will accompany a population increase. See additional notes regarding the telephone system above Network within the Borough The existing primary local exchange telephone carrier telephone network is provided by Matanuska Telephone Association (MTA). They currently operate DMS100 central office switches and connect to the existing microdata telephone switches using CAMA 22 trunks carried by T1 connections. The trunks are split between the two PSAPs so that the loss of one PSAP or the other will not result in the loss of a caller s ability to reach someone when dialing Even though the calls are distributed to both sets of PSAP equipment, all the calls are answered by Palmer Police Department and those for MatCom are transferred. The MatCom calls are transferred using a MetroEthernet23 data connection that exists between the two PSAPs. This transfer is done using an IP connection and not a standard telephony type connection. There are a variety of other telephone service providers, both wireline and wireless, that provide service in the Mat-Su area. These include the various wireless carriers as well as VoIP providers. These services currently terminate at the MTA central office and are then routed to the PSAPs. In a future NG9-1-1 network, those services may terminate directly on the PSAP telephone equipment, without the intervening connection to MTA Telephone Equipment Mat-Su Borough purchased and supports a telephone system by microdata, a company now owned by TCS. TCS is a nationally recognized provider of NG9-1-1 equipment and services. The current telephone system itself is IP based (though it is currently interfaced with the telephone network using older CAMA technology) and is thus more ready to operate in an NG9-1-1 environment than many telephone systems in service around the country. As the i3 standards stabilize and the service providers start to move toward an NG9-1-1 capable infrastructure, Mat-Su will need to work with microdata to make sure the PSAP telephone system is up to date and supports the required interfaces. There have been changes in personnel at microdata since the system was purchased and installed, and more significantly, the i3 standard was not yet fully adopted when the system was being specified. 24 ADCOMM discussed the system s status with representatives of microdata as part of this study and we found current information about the system s configuration to be lacking at microdata. We believe Mat-Su Borough should perform the following steps to ensure NG9-1-1 compatibility with the current microdata system: 22 CAMA (central automated message accounting) trunks have been used for traditional Enhanced circuits because they provide a reliable method for sending the caller s automatic number identification (ANI). These trunk types will be replaced with IP connections ( trunks ) under NG MetroEthernet is a service offered by MTA that is essentially a data LAN connection allowing a network type connection between the two facilities that uses IP natively. 24 The i3 standard, formally referred to as Standard Detailed Functional and Interface Standards for the NENA i3 Solution was adopted in June ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 16

26 1. Coordinate with the Alaska Office and local carriers to determine a timeline for NG9-1-1 service availability. 2. Request a system audit and configuration evaluation from microdata to determine suitability for i3 NG9-1-1, generate/validate as-built drawings and documentation (including current programming and a confirmation of how the system counts calls for reporting purposes), and prepare a quote and plan to perform any system changes required. ADCOMM recommends the Borough consider their overall timeline for implementation before committing to additional work to configure the microdata system for i3 compatibility, however. If Alaska s conversion to NG9-1-1 or Mat-Su s own interest in providing that functionality is not likely within the next 5 years, the Borough should not pursue this course of action. Instead, the Borough should consider preparing an RFP for either an upgrade to the current system or a replacement system, as the current system will be nearing end of life. Maintenance The telephone system requires little maintenance in the traditional sense. However, being software based, it is critical that the system s software be kept up to date and other software maintenance tasks such as monitoring log and error files, optimizing database, etc. be done as required. Consolidation Related Issues The telephone system currently acts as a single, multiple server system with end devices in multiple locations. It also provides some business/administrative line capabilities to some stakeholders. A consolidated organization could continue to provide these services, homing the servers at the new location if desired. Operation of the system would be essentially the same, however long distance links between the centers would be eliminated. This increases reliability as the number of potential failure points is decreased. Maintenance of the system would be somewhat easier as the physical servers could be co-located, allowing for faster access. Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) The CAD system is the primary and radio traffic processing tool used by dispatchers and call receivers. It is a centralized data processing system with multiple workstations, one at each call receiving and dispatch position, that manages requests for assistance; provides geographic and response information; and allows operators to track radio traffic and status of both calls for service and field responders. Two separate, unconnected systems are currently in use within the Borough: Wasilla operates a Tiburon Command CAD system (version 2.2) and Palmer operates an InterAct CAD system (version ). The systems do not share information with each other; operation of each system is different enough that employees from one communication center could not effectively operate the other center s system without additional training. The Tiburon Command CAD system was purchased in 2002 for a cost of $1.2 million. It supports law enforcement dispatch only in its current configuration (additional modules to support Fire and EMS are available as an upgrade). The system currently includes a law enforcement RMS as an integrated module. Mobile computers (for vehicle-mounted computers) ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 17

27 are supported as is automatic vehicle location (AVL) for WPD units; however, these functions are not fully implemented at this time. MatCom advised ADCOMM that they need to perform a major upgrade and are currently preparing for this. The Tiburon system is maintained by an in-house technician with assistance from a contract network support engineer and vendor support. Palmer s CAD system is by InterAct and was purchased for approximately $375,000. The system includes Law, Fire, and EMS modules and is scheduled for its first upgrade in the first quarter of Implementation and maintenance appear to have been substandard; there are serious concerns related to the system s current ability to accurately locate an incoming request for help on the computerized map and to derive the correct Fire/EMS response from the system. There is no dedicated support for the system at Palmer. Upgrade Paths Tiburon has provided quotations to Wasilla for upgrades. 25 Tiburon s proposal included Fire and EMS modules, a direct automated interface to ARMS, and an extension of the maintenance and support service for an additional 5 years. 26 The rough order of magnitude budgetary quote for the upgrade was $595,000. The upgrade would cover eight dispatch seat licenses and 32 mobile user licenses. Hardware and upgrades to the operating system and database management software were not included; they would cost approximately $40,000. Tiburon has proposed an initial payment of $100,000 and an increase in annual maintenance and support costs of $40,000 per year (from $85,000 to $125,000) to cover the remainder of the cost. InterAct provided a budgetary proposal for an extensive upgrade and expansion of the Palmer CAD system, including hardware and software. The following items were proposed by InterAct: Seven all-purpose positions, one supervisor position, and two training positions (partial licensing) Two-way interface to State law enforcement database Fire RMS interface Paging microdata phone system interface to CAD (mapping) MDC/AVL for 100 users (half fire/ems, half law) 25 The following information was provided by Wasilla staff; Tiburon did not respond to multiple requests for upgrade information made by ADCOMM for this report. 26 The ARMS interface (and where needed an interface to APSIN) would automatically populate the records databases with information from CAD, thereby significantly reducing the amount of double and triple entries dispatchers must currently perform. Wasilla reports that discussions regarding an ARMS interface are underway and, in the course of this study, the AST has indicated an openness to interfaces of the type being considered. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 18

28 InterAct s estimate cost for this upgrade/expansion is $457,795, with an annual maintenance/support cost of $56, Consolidation Related Issues ADCOMM recommends all stakeholders deploy a single, shared CAD system regardless of whether they decide to consolidate or not. Consolidating operations reduces the total number of workstations being operated and maintained throughout the Borough. This reduces costs for maintenance and replacement. Since the workstations are co-located, access for maintenance is easier as well. A single CAD system greatly simplifies the data loading, GIS maintenance, and other upkeep activities as well. With only a single system to maintain, conversion times for GIS data are shortened resulting in faster map and address updates and therefore better information with which to dispatch calls for help. Deciding which CAD system to implement may be a challenge for the stakeholders; there is a vested interest by each city in their own CAD system and that may impact the decision making process. ADCOMM recommends a joint selection group be assembled and include dispatchers, technical experts, and field personnel. Dispatchers from Wasilla and Palmer should lead the group jointly and keep the group tightly focused on the mission to purchase a dispatch and call receiving tool. Bringing the dispatch groups together on a joint project is an important first step in consolidation and the forming of the new organization s culture. GIS Mapping The Borough has a robust and active GIS program. GIS data is collected and created and then fed to MatCom and PPD for use by their CAD systems. As noted elsewhere, the conversion to CAD is smoother at MatCom than at Palmer; much of this has to do with the lack of dedicated technical expertise and responsibility for the system at Palmer. The question of what data layers are to support NG9-1-1 was raised during interviews. A main driver for improved GIS data is the advent of NG9-1-1, and the Borough is wise to emphasize GIS in relation to now. Rather than the current Master Street Address Guide (MSAG) and carrier-held databases of subscriber addresses, location information in the i3 environment is delivered with the call. The system uses GIS data to locate the call in real time. The GIS information (held and maintained at the PSAP or a central authority) must be accurate to enable proper call routing and handling. The following data layers are required to accurately locate an NG9-1-1 call in the i3 standard: 1. Location point file 2. Road centerline 3. Emergency service agency location 4. Emergency service area boundary 5. Cell site locations and coverage areas 6. Borough boundaries 7. Municipal boundaries 27 See Appendix D for a more detailed breakdown of InterAct s price proposal. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 19

29 The critical data layer required for NG9-1-1 GIS is the point layer. This is a map layer containing the points (x, y, z) of spatial elements. A point is typically assigned to a residence or building but can be assigned to any point on the planet. Road centerlines should also be maintained, even with a point file. There will be locations that cannot resolve to a point in the point file, and the use of a centerline map provides an additional resource for locating calls. The underlying data object carrying location information in an i3 call is in a format called PIDF- LO, or Presence Information Data Format Location Object. This is a defined data object (a set of XML tags and a conforming data structure) that includes specific identities for pieces of data. The PIDF-LO acts like a filing system for data; it is a way of organizing and working with incoming data in a standardized way. The PIDF-LO consists of a series of containers of increasing specificity. The first field in the data structure is called Country and will contain the country from which the call originates. Next is A1, the place for state, province, or commonwealth. A2 is the county, parish or district field; A3 is the city or township, and so on. When the data arrives, it will be compared to existing GIS data and a determination made about where to send the call. The level of specificity needed to validate a location is a decision to be made by the PSAPs. Some PSAPs may require validation data to the specific house number (the HNO field), while others may allow validation at a higher level. The combination of how granular the point data is and the decision about the level at which to validate incoming address information determines how calls are routed and how detailed the point file must be. The accuracy of the point file determines where the call is placed on the map, which in turn determines what responders are sent to the scene. Therefore, the Borough s point file should be field verified, as it is the primary piece of routing information used to resolve the call for service. Additional data layers should be considered optional and informational; they are not required for properly locating an incoming call. Because the NG9-1-1 network and end systems are IP based, nearly any kind of information can be displayed or accessed: flood map layers updated in real time using pre-placed sensors, video camera feeds from road network or other sources, real time weather, imagery, road mile markers, railroad mile markers, and site and structural information are just some of the additional information points that could be displayed. Consolidation Related Issues Because GIS information is generated centrally already, consolidation only impacts the number and types of deliveries and conversions that would occur. Today data is fed to two locations, each undergoes a CAD-system specific conversion, and is maintained by different people. Consolidation would result in a single receiving CAD system, one conversion process, and one person to handle it. Police RMS Law Enforcement in the Borough currently uses either the Alaska Public Safety Information Network (APSIN) or Alaska Records Management System (ARMS) for police records management. As mentioned elsewhere, dispatchers are currently doing double or triple input of ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 20

30 information into CAD and one or both of the RMSs, leading to a significant inefficiency and taking dispatchers away from their primary radio monitoring and call taking duties. A better approach is to implement a data link between the CAD system and records management. These data links are widely available from CAD vendors and from third party suppliers. While they require cooperation from both the CAD vendor and the RMS vendor, the resulting time savings and reduction in duplication errors are generally considered to be worthwhile. Consolidation Related Issues A single CAD system to feed multiple records systems would simplify the acquisition and development of interfaces; it is less expensive and easier to obtain interfaces for one CAD system than for two. This should happen with the implementation of a shared CAD regardless of whether organizational consolidation occurs or not. A consolidated center using uniform procedures will produce more standard data for entry into the RMS. With each dispatcher generating the same types of information (using methods and procedures determined jointly by the consolidated organization s policymakers), each customer agency will have the same expectations regarding what data is available from the RMS. This will result in more streamlined case processing, better communication regarding cases, and ultimately a smoother investigation. Fire RMS The City of Palmer uses Firehouse for their RMS. Mat-Su Borough uses RedAlert. There is an interface between the InterAct CAD system used by Palmer Dispatch and the RedAlert product. All other RMS entry is done manually by fire department personnel. It is fairly common among other multi-discipline, multi-agency PSAPs to have a direct interface between CAD and Fire/EMS RMS. Consolidation Related Issues As with the other RMSs identified here, consolidation leads to more streamlined and standard procedures. These procedures result in more uniform data collection and entry and, done correctly, can assist in reducing post-incident processing time for field personnel by making event coding and reporting easier. A single CAD system may reduce the total number of interfaces required. Having a single source CAD system for the data makes the development of interfaces easier and less expensive. EMS RMS There are no EMS RMS applications in use within the Borough at this time, although Mat-Su Borough just signed a contract with Image Trend for electronic patient care reports. Because of the significant time savings and error reduction inherent in an automatic machine-to-machine interface, we recommend the Borough support a direct-link interface between CAD and the ImageTrend system. This interface will allow for automatically populating the ImageTrend data fields with CAD information, reducing field responder time. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 21

31 Consolidation Related Issues Other than the benefits noted for the other records systems and external applications for which interfaces will need to be built, there are no consolidation related issues involving EMS RMS. Voice and Data Radio Traditional public safety voice radio has been undergoing many changes over the last few years. In addition, there has been much discussion about new technologies such as public safety broadband. 28 Currently, the most dramatic technology radio change in public safety is the continuing conversion of analog voice radio systems to digital voice using a standards based technology referred to as APCO Project Radio systems have traditionally been analog based. Analog conventional radio systems have been the mainstay of public safety communications throughout the country. That situation still exists in most of the rural and suburban areas in the United States. However, back in the late 1980s and 1990s, many urban areas needed a system that would support more radio users on existing channels. As a result, they implemented trunking systems that allowed many users to share a limited number of channels in a way that gave the users the illusion they each had their own channels. Trunking systems were generally very successful. However, there was one major drawback: manufacturers of these systems each developed proprietary technology for trunking. Consequently, once an area selected a particular vendor for their system, they had to use that vendor s equipment for as long as the system remained in operation. This significantly reduced competition. Public safety wanted to obtain better technology and enable competition to reduce prices. This resulted in the APCO Project 25 standards process being developed. This change was driven primarily by the desire of public safety to have radio systems that operate using an industry standard so that multiple vendors could build to the standard and more competition would help drive down equipment prices. As a result, today there are multiple vendors supplying both conventional and trunked Project 25 based systems. The Project 25 technology transmits voice over the radio waves using digital technology instead of analog. There are both advantages and disadvantages to this technology so its applicability depends on the specific application. Two examples are discussed below: Voice Encryption. Voice encryption is straightforward when the voice is already digital and the encryption is simply adding encryption to a digital data stream. Encryption in a Project 25 system does not change the voice quality or range. Encrypting an analog voice system always degraded the voice quality and the range. Since law enforcement is often interested in encryption and the fire services are not, law enforcement has generally embraced the Project 25 standards more than fire. 28 Public safety broadband is a general term for a set of services and functions that would be made available to public safety using technology that is currently being used by the major wireless cell phone carriers to deliver high speed data. This technology is known as long-term evolution (LTE) and is expected to be the broadband technology of choice for the next decade or so. 29 APCO Project 25 is the name of the set of digital radio standards that were developed to promote interoperability between various proprietary trunking technologies. Project 25 standards cover both trunking and conventional type radio systems. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 22

32 Paging. Fire departments have used tone-encoded pagers for voice alerting since the 1960s and possibly before. The pagers were one-way devices that often used the same frequencies as the fire voice radio system. As a result, the firefighter who received a page could often also monitor the dispatch frequency and hear additional dispatch information and responding units. This mode of operation is often an integral part of fire service operations. Project 25 systems do not support traditional paging. This is one reason fire services have been slower to embrace Project 25 technology. There are a variety of other technological issues related to the differences between Project 25 and analog radio systems. Those are beyond the scope of this project. However, at this time in Mat-Su Borough, the law enforcement agencies are using Project 25 technology and the fire services are using analog voice technology. The radios they have been purchasing are capable of operating on both technologies. Within Mat-Su Borough, there are three different voice radio systems being used by public safety, four if one counts cellular services. The three are: ALMR System. The ALMR system is operated by the State of Alaska and the Department of Defense with the State of Alaska being the primary user and operator. This system is a multi-site VHF Project 25 trunked radio system. The exact makeup of how the system is governed and built is outside of the scope of this report. 30 The AST and WPD use this radio system within Mat-Su Borough as their primary radio communications tool. Palmer Police Department Radio System. Palmer Police Department operates a separate set of repeaters to provide radio coverage for their police department. This system operates in the conventional analog mode and covers primarily the greater Palmer area. Mat-Su Borough Fire Radio System. This is a conventional analog system that operates throughout the Borough and provides Fire and EMS radio support for Fire and EMS agencies in the Borough. It is a series of repeaters located on various radio sites including remote mountain tops. Access to these three radio systems by dispatch is through the existing Motorola Gold Elite consoles in place at each center. This will be discussed further below. The City of Wasilla also operates a mobile data radio system that provides data only services to City of Wasilla users. The system has two sites, one located near the WPD facility and one at a remote mountaintop location. The system operates on 700 MHz. This system uses proprietary technology and has limited bandwidth due to the relatively narrow radio channel available. The system provides 128 kbps when users are on the local Wasilla transmitter and 64 kbps when on the remote transmitter site. Note that commercial wireless carriers provide bandwidth that is 10 to 50 times faster. While this system does work for the City of Wasilla, the limited bandwidth restricts the use to non-graphic oriented applications and the speeds are not suitable for downloading photos or video. In addition, the system uses proprietary technology ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 23

33 LTE and FirstNet Over the last 2 to 3 years, there has been a movement at the national level to develop a nationwide interoperable radio system now being called FirstNet. 31 This system is slated to use the 700 MHz band and to use LTE (long-term evolution) technology. 32 LTE is the current technology of choice for the wireless carriers and it seems it will be that way for at least the next 10 years. Congress has provided up to $7 billion to plan and implement such a system. There has been and still is much controversy over this network and the technology. While there is no doubt that LTE technology will provide a significant improvement in commercial wireless services and can be used by public safety for data services, there are significant limitations with the technology as it exists today with regards to replacing standard push-to-talk type public safety radio services. Even if those problems were resolved, the cost to deploy this technology is significantly more than Congress allocated. While LTE will likely be deployed for data in some major urban areas, it is not likely a viable replacement for standard 2-way radios in the next 5 to 10 years. This is more so in the rural areas where coverage for 700 MHz will be difficult to provide over a wide area. Consolidation Related Issues Any and all of the radio systems could be supported in a consolidated radio center environment. The operation of the radio systems would be essentially the same as they are today. The point at which the consoles are located and interconnected may change but this would not affect the basic operation of the radio system. LTE and FirstNet should not be considerations related to consolidation. One of the major pushes for moving to Project 25 standards based radio systems was to promote interoperability. Unfortunately, many agencies do not have adequate interoperability because they are dispatched by disparate dispatch centers. Having a common radio system does not guarantee interoperability. Having a common dispatch center results in a much higher level of interoperability than does having a common radio system. Base Stations and Receivers The existing radio systems have all been converted to narrowband operation as required by the FCC. This has resulted in all of the base station equipment being replaced over the last several years. The base station equipment used in Mat-Su Borough by all of the agencies is generally relatively late model and good quality. The primary radio used is the Motorola Quantar and MTR2000. Unfortunately, the Motorola Quantar has been manufacturer discontinued. The existing Quantars will continue to provide good service for at least 5 to 8 years but at some point will need to be replaced as obtaining parts and service may be more difficult. The ALMR network, in order to keep their system up to the latest software and hardware, will need to replace all of their Quantar base stations when they need to upgrade in a few years ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 24

34 Consolidation Related Issues There are no consolidation related issues with the existing base stations and receivers. The easiest approach would be for any base station equipment to remain at the existing locations at Wasilla and Palmer for those agencies. The interface points would move to a new consolidated center and over time, depending on the location of the center, other equipment could move. There is no reason why, at least initially, the radio system ownership would change. In the future, the consolidated center could also take over the responsibility for providing radio coverage for the users as well, assuming that is something the users would be willing to support and fund. Dispatch Consoles The existing radio consoles are Motorola Gold Elite, which are manufacturer discontinued but are still serviceable and supported by Motorola. There are two console systems, one in Palmer and one in Wasilla. These two console systems are connected to the state ALMR system. As a result, the two systems work together and depending on programming can access radio resources at either location as well as access the ALMR system. These consoles provide access to both ALMR trunking resources and conventional resources used by Palmer and Fire and Rescue. The existing consoles will have to be replaced with the Motorola MCC7500 consoles sometime over the next 2 to 4 years as the state upgrades the ALMR system. The MCC7500 consoles support both trunking and conventional resources as the existing consoles do. The new consoles are IP based. As a result, the interconnections are all LAN based. This makes the actual hardware configuration of the new consoles less complicated than the existing consoles. The exact cost of these consoles is not yet known because it is not clear how much the State of Alaska and/or ALMR will pay. However, the basic cost is approximately $100,000 per position. These costs will have to be borne by either the individual dispatch centers currently in operation or by a consolidated center. The exact amount will be a function of how much will be local costs versus how much will be state costs. Consolidation Related Issues The existing and proposed MCC7500 replacement consoles are both compatible with a consolidated center. The existing consoles can be reused and reconfigured to be used in a new consolidated center with minimal effort and cost. In addition, consolidation will result in fewer consoles to purchase, resulting in savings. Intercom/Paging System Intercom and paging systems are typically local in application and use. Any consolidated center would incorporate a building intercom/paging system using standard systems. These systems are often integrated with the telephone system allowing access to paging speakers and door intercoms through the telephone system. Consolidation Related Issues There are no consolidation related issues as this equipment is local to the facility in which the consolidated center would be located. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 25

35 Logging Recorders The existing logging recorders log both radio and telephone traffic at each dispatch center. MatCom records both telephone and radio interactions on a Voice Print logging recorder currently. PPD uses a Stancil voice logging recorder for the same purpose. There may need to be some capacity upgrades made in order to meet the increased volume but either of these voice logging recorders are able to accommodate the activities within a larger consolidated communications center. These recorders, assuming they are maintained should provide serviceable use for the next 3 to 5 years. As systems become more IP oriented, logging recorders may migrate to be IP based as there will be little or no analog audio within the networks. Any future replacement of a logging recorder should consider the need for an IP interface. Consolidation Related Issues There are no consolidated related issues assuming the two existing logging recorders are moved to any new consolidated center. However, at some time in the future, the recorders may need to be upgraded to fully support IP based logging for telephone, radio, and CAD logging. When this happens, a consolidated center will only need to purchase a single logging recorder for replacement. Network and Infrastructure The underlying technology behind data networks and infrastructure has remained relatively the same over the last couple of decades. The primary difference is that the speed has increased and the routing of data has become more sophisticated. In addition, radio and telephone equipment have moved to IP transport. This results in the same basic network technology being used across multiple systems and networks; modern networks today are essentially seamless network and do not require transport protocol transitions. The same network can transport voice and data, as well as radio control information. Although the underlying transport protocols are the same and this would allow multiple networks to be merged into a single network, it is not always a good idea to do so. In Mat-Su s case, it is important to manage network traffic that is sensitive to time delays separately from traffic that is less sensitive. Loading a text page in a web browser is not particularly time sensitive, but delays in some types of data can have a significant impact in how usable the systems are. Voice traffic and radio control signaling are two examples of traffic that does not tolerate delays well. Delays in portions of voice traffic can lead to unusual noises or unintelligible audio being received or transmitted. Delays in radio signaling can result in missed key-ups or transmit releases, leading to uncontrollable radios. Keeping delay-sensitive traffic off of general use networks is a wise network design choice. Mat-Su should also consider keeping separate, redundant networks in place for resilience and recovery reasons; networks should be thought of as potential points of failure in the same ways ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 26

36 commercial power and unique equipment components are thought of in the disaster planning methodology. In addition to the separate/merged network considerations there are numerous interconnections to remote systems required. Currently, these connections are using a variety of interfaces including the MetroEthernet connection provided by MTA, T1 circuits, and state microwave. Consolidation Related Issues A consolidated center will need a robust data networking infrastructure with connections to various external sites. These external connections include: Palmer and WPD stations for access to CAD data ALMR for radio control and console interconnections State of Alaska IT services for connection to APSIN and ARMS MTA for telephone and data interconnection for NG9-1-1 Console connections to existing Fire, PPD, and any other non-almr radio system connection These connections would likely be made by a variety of methods depending on what is available. Some of the connections exist today such that they could be moved, while others would likely require new service. Mobile Data Communications There is an existing mobile data network operated by the City of Wasilla. While this system has operated well and can continue to provide services, the trend is towards software applications that require higher bandwidths due to the graphical nature of the data being transmitted. As a result, many if not most public safety agencies are migrating towards using public commercial wireless carriers for mobile data. This presents a problem in some areas as the coverage provided by the commercial wireless carriers is often not adequate for public safety use in rural areas. However, the cost to implement a proprietary system is very high. Consolidation Related Issues There are no specific consolidation related issues other than the CAD system will need to support mobile data applications. Anchorage Police Department Interface During interviews, the topic of interfacing with an Anchorage Police Department mobile data network was raised. While this is possible and may have some benefit, the impact of the decision to do so would have no appreciable influence on the decision to consolidate or the methodology used to achieve the consolidation. It is well to note that implementation of a link to Anchorage may require additional infrastructure costs and the stakeholders are advised to gain a full understanding of the initial and recurring costs of such a build out prior to committing to a project of this nature. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 27

37 State and Federal Interfaces (NCIC, APSIN, Amber Alerts, etc.) State and Federal database interfaces are provided largely through APSIN. The need to access these data sources through an automated interface via the CAD system is discussed above. Video Equipment Video surveillance systems such as traffic cameras, high risk area monitoring, and so on are gaining popularity in some areas of the United States. Similar systems are in high use in England and in other countries as well. While technology has evolved (in high-end systems) to allow some rudimentary facial recognition, setting of virtual boundaries to detect intrusion based on the incoming video image, and other advancements, the basic monitoring and detection component of the system remains the human being. Depending on the size of the implementation, it would not be impossible to dedicate an entire staff to monitor the video system for emergencies, wanted people, and so on. A system design and evaluation is out of scope of this report; however, we do note that there are some systems notably Intergraph CAD and the Zetron ACOM system that allow video input and alarm monitoring to be built in to the infrastructure. A more passive use of video systems is to record and store events. While there may be some preventive effect simply by having the cameras in an area and visible to would-be criminals, the collection of evidence for later recall is considered by many to be of benefit to prosecutors. Residential and Commercial Alarms and Alarm Monitoring There has been a significant change in residential and commercial alarms monitoring with many commercial players in the business. This includes commercial wireless carriers as well. The advent of high-speed wireless networks allows a home or business owner to check the status of their alarm system using a smartphone, computer, or tablet device. These systems can be installed by the home or business owner themselves. In the past, these systems were often connected by wirelines to some central point where they were monitored. Now the monitoring point can be any place as the connections are all IP data connections so all that is needed is access to the Internet. In the past, many dispatch centers also provided monitoring for bank, business, and in some cases residential alarms. The trend over the last couple of decades has been for centers to no longer provide those services due to the high workload required because of testing requirements and false alarm rates. As a result, alarms are generally monitored by a commercial provider or the alarm owner themselves where the initial alarm analysis is done. If there is reason to believe the alarm is valid, the alarm monitoring company then calls the center to report the alarm and the conditions. This call in is done using a special 10-digit alarm line number as the calls could be coming in from any place in the world. Palmer Police Department is currently monitoring and responding to alarms from senior citizens through a program operated by the Senior Center called Project Help. Having a center monitor this type of a system is unusual and while it seems to work for a small number ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 28

38 of units, if the program were expanded and covered a large number of users, it could become a significant workload. Consolidation Related Issues There are no direct consolidation related issues to alarm monitoring. The consolidated center can support alarm monitoring if that is a service the consolidated center would like to offer. Emergency Telephone Notification System (aka Reverse 9-1-1) Emergency telephone notification systems are relatively new. The basic concept behind the idea is to have a computer based dialing system dial the wireline telephone numbers of people living in an area affected by an emergency, fire, evacuation notice, etc. Public safety agencies buy the service from the local telephone company or a third party vendor. If there is, for example, a hostage situation in an area, the system can be commanded to dial all of the wireline phones within some defined radius. The system then dials the number and when someone answers, plays back a pre-recorded message. While these systems sound good on paper, the actual deployments have had very mixed results. There are several reasons for this: The technology does not include telephone numbers other than traditional wireline services. This leaves out a large block of numbers including cellular. The capacity is determined by the following: The number of trunks purchased by the agency for use for alerting. The cost of the trunks can be expensive. The number of trunks directly determines how many people can be alerted in any given time. Assuming that each alerting telephone call takes 60 to 90 seconds to complete and a dispatch center purchased 10 outgoing trunks, then in 10 minutes possibly as many as 100 people could be notified. The number of trunks the telephone company has into the area being notified and how many of those are actually available. For example, if a neighborhood area had 24 trunks available and possibly 20 were busy with other calls, then only four would be available for inbound alerting. People may already be on the phone, ignoring their phones, or not able to answer the phone, thereby missing the alert until it is too late. As fewer and fewer people use traditional land-line telephone systems, the success rate for these systems will continue to go down. There is a service being worked on by the cellular companies called Cellular Broadcast, which is much like a paging system except it is provided by the cellular networks. Where this is implemented, people with cell phones would receive the message that a certain area is being evacuated or that there is some type of emergency there. The problem with these systems is the alerting is typically done over a large area. Amber alerts are often sent out using Cellular Broadcast now. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 29

39 Consolidation Related Issues Emergency notification systems are not affected by consolidation. If emergency notification systems are implemented, a consolidated center could coordinate and manage the alerts over a larger area than multiple dispatch centers. Environmental Equipment Environmental equipment is largely driven by federal, state, and local energy codes. Modern systems are more energy efficient than in the past. The climate experienced in the Mat-Su area of Alaska places some special requirements on environmental equipment to be able to handle the cold weather, but the requirements are not significantly different from those in the country where winter temperatures are very cold. In any dispatch center, having fresh air, proper temperatures, and non-drafty conditions are critical to dispatcher comfort. Unlike many jobs, dispatchers cannot simply go outside for a breath of fresh air or get up and move someplace if there is a draft where they are working. Air flow and temperature seem to be two of the largest complaints dispatchers have about their working places. In addition to the working spaces, equipment spaces also need environmental controls. In many colder regions, lack of moisture in the air results in very dry air in both equipment spaces and working spaces. This dry air can cause in a significant problem with static electricity. Static electricity can cause equipment to malfunction and in some cases actually damage sensitive electronics. Working and equipment spaces should be maintained to between 40 percent and 60 percent relative humidity. Consolidation Related Issues There are no direct consolidation related issues other than any facility that houses a consolidated center should have environmental systems that support the 24/7 dispatching function. Whether a new facility or a remodel approach is chosen with regard to housing a consolidated organization, special attention should be paid to the issues of air flow, vent placement, temperature control, and multiple HVAC control zones. The use of security vestibules should also be considered in light of their ability to mediate between widely different temperature gradients, especially between exterior and interior spaces. Backup/Alternative Processing Site(s) Providing backup operations should always be a concern for any PSAP and/or dispatch center. There are a variety of options available for providing backup operation depending on the need, scope, nature of the possible event to disable the primary center, and budget. The following are the typical scenarios requiring a backup center: Personnel need to evacuate but all the systems are operating. In this situation, personnel can sometimes relocate to a portable command vehicle, a remote location that has computer terminals and remote radio control stations, or an ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 30

40 emergency operations center that has been equipped with connections to the dispatch center to access the still working equipment. In this scenario, the equipment functions will be largely intact but the personnel will be operating with reduced capability because the environment is not optimized for dispatch operations Systems have failed due to some temporary condition such as complete loss of power but are basically intact. Repairs are hours or a few days in duration. In this scenario, access to support equipment such as servers, radio consoles, and/or telephone equipment will be limited or non-existent. However, the duration of this event is not expected to be long and operating out of temporary facilities will be tolerable. This will place a significant burden on the dispatch staff to adapt to the reduced automation and radio system connectivity. Depending on the specific radio systems being used, there may be significant limitations in access to some radio systems, fully functional telephone functions may not be available, and CAD systems may not be available. However, this will be for a short period of time and barring any major incident personnel should be able to adjust and manage the situation. Systems have been damaged by some event such as a fire or structural damage but repairs can be completed within days or a few weeks. In this scenario, access to support equipment such as servers, radio consoles, telephone equipment will be limited or non-existent. The duration of this event is expected to be long, and operating out of temporary facilities will place a strain on personnel and the facilities. The duration will disrupt any operations that may have been planned and the facilities such as bathrooms, kitchens, and HVAC may not be suitable for long-term 24/7 use by dispatch personnel. This will place a significant burden on the dispatch staff to adapt to the reduced automation and radio system connectivity. Depending on the specific radio systems being used, there may be significant limitations in access to some radio systems, fully functional telephone functions may not be available, and CAD systems may not be available. It is also anticipated that the additional stress of working in this environment will result in additional dispatch sick leave and an increase in dispatching errors due to the lack of automation and increased stress. In addition, there is an increased likelihood that an event that would be considered moderate when the dispatch center is in its normal operating condition would be considered a major incident because of the reduced capacity of the center. Finally, the longer the backup operation continues the higher the likelihood of a major incident (or multiple incidents) occurring, further increasing the opportunity for error. The smoking hole where the center is essentially completely destroyed and repairs will not be feasible for months. In this scenario, the dispatch center and all of the equipment spaces will be damaged beyond repair. Any backup facility will need to remain operational for 18 to 24 months ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 31

41 or longer. There will be significant operational limitations until the equipment that was damaged can be replaced and networks rebuilt. On the positive side, these events are very rare, with probability approaching zero. This scenario will place a significant burden on all of the dispatch and public safety elements that were operating with this dispatch center. It should be noted that many, if not most, dispatch centers do not have adequate backup facilities to remain fully functional in this situation. In most cases, the center operations move to the backup facilities for initial operations and then dispatch center management musters the resources to immediately focus on improving the backup operations and starting the process of replacing the dispatch center. A complete backup facility and failure analysis are beyond the scope of this report. However, each of the scenarios above should be addressed by the existing centers as well as any future consolidated center. Even if budgets do not allow for a fully functional backup center, planning for each of the scenarios listed above should occur. Consolidation Related Issues Every dispatch center should have written procedures and plans to accommodate backup operations as required. In a consolidated environment, having a well-developed plan is critical since there is no other dispatch operation in the area covered by the consolidated center. Note that this is not an adequate reason not to consolidate. There are hundreds of consolidated centers where there is no other fully functional dispatch center that can simply be switched on in case the primary dispatch center is no longer operational. However, it does place an additional burden on the consolidated dispatch center management and users to define and fund a backup approach. Some of these might be: Placing equipment and interconnection facilities at an emergency operations center that can be activated in case the primary center needs to be evacuated. Placing equipment at multiple locations in the Borough such as existing fire stations, police departments, or county buildings. For example calls can be answered at one location and then transferred to another location for dispatch. Obtaining a new mobile command post (or repurposing existing equipment) that can be used to support the radio dispatch portion of dispatching. This is best implemented at a location that supports call takers answering calls in a facility that also supplies access to high-speed data, briefing areas, meal preparation areas, and personal needs facilities. Working with a nearby larger dispatch center such as Anchorage to provide connectivity so that calls could be answered there and transferred back to Mat-Su for dispatch. This could be an interim measure while Mat-Su dispatch personnel travel to Anchorage to handle the calls. Developing a backup emergency operations plan would be one of the first tasks a consolidated center management team would need to develop. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 32

42 Radio System Interoperability Radio system interoperability is critical in most public safety environments. However, it is often not achieved. Radio interoperability requires the following basic elements: Technical means to enable interoperability Training, policies, and procedures to enable interoperability In the Mat-Su area, all of the public safety radio operations are on the VHF frequency band so they have the technical means for interoperability. In addition, users are generally cross programmed so they can access other radio systems. For example, Palmer Police Department can access the ALMR radio system to talk directly to the AST when required. The law enforcement agencies can switch frequencies to talk to the fire and rescue agencies as well. However, in general, the fire responders do not have access to the ALMR system so communications in the field when responding with AST or WPD can be complicated. There is no technical impediment to accessing the ALMR system, but there are operational/ organizational issues. While the fire equipment is capable of operating on the ALMR trunked system, the fire radios would have to be programmed with that ALMR trunking system. There is also concern that there is not adequate channel capacity on the ALMR system at some sites to support the fire users. This is further complicated by the fact that WPD and AST are not dispatched by the same dispatch center as Fire/EMS, nor is a common CAD system being used. Consolidation Related Issues There are no technical issues related to interoperability that would result from consolidation. In fact, consolidation would significantly enhance interoperability as there would be a common situational awareness in the dispatch center for both fire and law enforcement. The radio consoles currently being used and the proposed replacement MCC7500 consoles support radio system interoperability. Fiber Optic Connections Fiber optic use has exploded over the last couple of decades by virtually all communications providers and major users. This applies to virtually all terrestrial communications. Extensive fiber optic networks connect virtually all countries in the world together and have largely replaced satellite communications except in the most remote areas. Technology has allowed existing fiber cables to handle an ever increasing amount of data. In addition to the commercial carriers, state and local governments and utilities have used fiber optic cables to interconnect government buildings to provide high-speed data services for their users. The recent Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) 33 provided financial support for many rural communities to build out fiber connections to schools, libraries, and government buildings. Fiber cables have a virtually unlimited life and are not directly affected by the environmental factors that damage copper cables: water, electrical currents, grounding loops, and other sources of mechanical or electrical interference. In addition, fiber cables are often installed with 33 ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 33

43 a small amount of slack so that minor earthquake related ground movement does not cause the cable to fail. Some dispatch centers and their associated equipment rooms are making use of fiber optic cables for intra-building and inter-equipment connections. Fiber connections are commonly used now for connections in equipment rooms between high-speed data processing equipment and servers. Consolidation Related Issues The use of fiber optic cables is not a consolidation specific technical issue. Certainly, a consolidated dispatch center will need high-speed data connections to provide connectivity to the variety of radio, telephone, and data services used. For the amount of data typically used in a dispatch center, fiber cables or data optimized microwave radio can be used to provide the interconnection. Common carrier services such as MetroEthernet can also be used. However, these services are generally quite expensive. Other Public Safety Software As technology has progressed and virtually all systems have become IP based and software oriented, there has been a significant effort to increase the interconnection and interoperability of these systems. This is a significant undertaking and while there have been some successes, there have also been failures as the complexity of these interconnected systems can become significant. Some of these other software systems are: Fusion software to fuse together data and information from a variety of sources to provide a coherent view of current situations. This can be feeds from weather reporting stations, video cameras, dispatch systems, alarm reporting systems, flood and stream flow sensors, public news feeds, etc. Face recognition software tied to video cameras to allow the recognition of individuals or at the very least the ability to tag a specific person and follow them. Interconnected RMSs so information from a variety of sources about an individual is available to dispatch or the officer in the field. These sources can be from law enforcement databases, government files, and public resources such as telephone and credit reporting agencies. System management and alarm reporting so remote radio site conditions and equipment conditions are reported to a central location. Some of these systems such as facial recognition are quite controversial (although thousands use it every day on Facebook) and others such as alarm reporting are becoming more common and less expensive. In addition to these complex programs, there is a growing use of social media and networking sites for investigative work. It is common to see officers looking at the Facebook pages of suspects, persons of interest, and other involved people to glean additional information. There are obvious data integrity issues involved with this practice (verification that the information presented is actually the same person being investigated, to name only one), and there are no well-established best practices in the dispatch profession regarding how or even if this work ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 34

44 should be done by telecommunicators. ADCOMM s experience is that as regions grow in population and call volume increases a telecommunicator s time is best spent answer calls and radio traffic. It is also our experience that removing a service from a field responder is far more difficult than not offering it in the first place. Given these elements uncertain legal status, questionable contribution to a case, increasing call volume, and the difficulty involved in stopping the practice if it gets started ADCOMM recommends leaving investigation to the investigators and communications to the telecommunicators. Consolidation Related Issues There are no issues related to consolidation with these other public safety software systems. Some of the systems such as remote site alarm reporting and system monitoring may be enhanced by having a consolidated center so there is a central point for alarm monitoring. In addition, having a consolidated center may facilitate communications to allow other system enhancements to be deployed but these are really outside the basic consolidation functions. ADCOMM cautions against increasing the number and types of services implemented during consolidation; there will be more than enough to accomplish to consolidate the centers without introducing new and complex services and systems into the mix. Recommendations ADCOMM recommends implementing a single CAD system Borough-wide as soon as possible. The GIS and functionality issues at Palmer are unacceptable and place the City, and potentially the Borough, in a disadvantageous position with regard to potential liability. We recommend dispatch personnel from both centers lead the effort jointly, with field and technical personnel advising as needed, in order to keep the focus on obtaining the best dispatch and call taking tool available. ADCOMM also recommends obtaining automated interfaces between the new CAD system (and/or the existing CAD systems) to the relevant RMSs and to the state criminal information switch (APSIN). The interfaces should, at minimum, perform data look up for entered names and vehicles from CAD and automatically populate the relevant portions of the incident and related records in the RMS, without dispatcher intervention. We recommend determining the true status of Alaska s NG9-1-1 plans and to strongly consider whether the need exists for the Borough to participate in an ESInet for the service. If the State s timeframe for NG9-1-1 is greater than 5 years, we recommend the Borough engage microdata to validate the system s ability to meet the State s NG9-1-1 requirements. If the State s timeframe is less than 5 years, the Borough should consider scheduling an RFP for either a system upgrade or a replacement system to coincide with the State s plans, as the current system will be at end of life by that time. Regardless of the NG9-1-1 status statewide, we recommend the Borough contract with microdata to perform a functionality and programming audit and obtain true as-built drawings from microdata (including current programming and confirmation of system accounting and call attribution). ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 35

45 We recommend the Borough continues its work in GIS, including increased involvement at the state level during the development of NG9-1-1 requirements like the granularity of validation issue discussed above. ADCOMM recommends the questions regarding radio console replacement be answered as soon as possible so planning can continue. Consolidating into a single center will reduce the number of positions requiring replacement. ADCOMM recommends that public notification systems ( Reverse ) be carefully planned, especially with regard to outgoing telephone line capacity and its impact on the speed of notification. Finally, ADCOMM recommends that the adoption of new software, capabilities, and technology in the dispatch center take place only after careful consideration of the impact and demands such capabilities place on communication center personnel. As the Borough continues to grow, the call volume will increase, as will the portion of dispatchers time needed to handle the demands. There will need to be an increased concentration on handling calls and radio traffic and a decreased capacity for dispatchers to perform records and investigative work in support of field units. Care should be taken when considering adding capabilities that increase expectations of the dispatch staff in records and investigative work as that will inevitably lead to less available time to perform their primary functions of processing calls and radio traffic. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 36

46 Facilities Review The two existing dispatch centers are located in facilities that were not designed to be dispatch centers but pressed into service as needed. A description of the existing facilities is below. Palmer Police Department The Palmer Police Department facility is located at 423 South Valley Way in Palmer along with a detachment of AST. This facility is at least several decades old and the dispatch center is somewhat crowded. The room is approximately 945 square feet. There is a separate supervisor s office that is approximately 100 square feet in size. The console furniture is manufactured by Watson Furniture and appears to be serviceable. Each of the four work station positions has telephone, CAD, radio, and a general use PC (see Figures 2 and 3). In addition to the four fully equipped workstations, there are two workstations installed along the back wall that are currently held in reserve. FIGURE 2 Palmer Police Department Console System Overview Law enforcement personnel were observed entering the building through the back door and stopping to talk to the dispatchers. This improves dispatcher-toofficer communications but also increases the distractions and noise in the facility. There were no windows in the dispatch room. The north wall of the dispatch center has the large map on it that the dispatchers use to verify response zones and agencies when receiving an address. There appeared to be a significant amount of equipment in the dispatch center that did not have earthquake tiedowns. This FIGURE 3 Typical Palmer Police Department Workstation equipment during a significant earthquake could move, fall off shelves, and be damaged. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 37

47 FIGURE 4 Palmer Dispatch Exterior FIGURE 5 Palmer Dispatch Exterior The Palmer dispatch equipment room is outside in an equipment shelter next to the dispatch center as shown in Figures 4 and 5. The equipment room is the brown building in the center of the photo with the tower next to it. It has approximately 210 square feet. In addition to the tower at the end of the building, there are numerous smaller poles and antennas mounted along the dispatch center exterior. The proximity of the equipment shelter, the HVAC equipment at the end of the building, the antenna structures, and what appears to be a power distribution cabinet at the rear of the dispatch center would make increasing the size of the existing dispatch center difficult but not impossible. Figure 6 is the interior of the equipment shelter. There is limited expansion space in this building. The racks did have some earthquake strapping but there was also some equipment such as the Gold Elite maintenance console that was not seismically braced. In addition, it is not clear that the strapping that is used is adequate. In general, there is little room for equipment expansion in this shelter. The dispatch center does have an emergency generator to provide power to the equipment and dispatch operation if there is a power loss. Analysis There is not adequate space at this facility to support a consolidated center. While the space could be expanded, the location of the equipment room, antenna mounts/towers, HVAC, etc. would make expanding the facility expensive and disruptive to existing operations. FIGURE 6 Palmer Equipment Shelter Interior ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 38

48 MatCom - Wasilla Police Department MatCom is co-located with the WPD station at 1800 East Parks Highway, Wasilla, Alaska. This building was previously a bank with two stories including the bank s data center. The dispatch center is on the second floor along a wall with windows. The dispatch center is long and narrow. The large windows let in considerable natural light but also can cause glare problems on the computer screens so shades are used to control the lighting. The long and narrow nature of the center makes communications between dispatchers and the call taker more difficult as the distance from the call receiver to the end dispatch position is approximately 35 feet (see Figure 7). This distance does, however, tend to reduce the noise from one console position to another. There are six console positions: four normally used for dispatch, one for a call taker, and one for a supervisor. The space is crowded and there is little room for expansion. The entrance to the dispatch room is also where the employee lockers are located. The space is about 1,200 square feet but is oddly shaped with angled walls that make some of the space not usable. FIGURE 7 MatCom Interior View FIGURE 8 MatCom Console Position Figure 8 is a typical MatCom console position. The furniture is manufactured by Watson, the same company that makes the furniture used at Palmer Police Department. In general, it appears to be in good repair. As with Palmer, the equipment did not appear to be earthquake braced, nor is the rack at the end of the room, the printers, or book cases. AST Troopers and Wasilla officers were seen in the dispatch center talking to the dispatchers, picking up printouts, and asking questions. The Wasilla dispatch area is not used by police department officers as an entrance way so the officers were generally there for a specific purpose. Figure 9 shows the interior of the equipment room, which was approximately 314 square feet. There is some capacity to add equipment to the space as some of the space is currently being used for storage. Note that there was little earthquake bracing but the use of four-post racks for some of the equipment means it may not fall over as easily. These racks should still be supported from above, however. A number of items that were loose including monitors and ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 39

49 items stacked for storage that could cause damage to equipment in racks during a major earthquake. There is a heavy-duty 140-foot tower next to the WPD station that supports the facility s two-way radio and microwave interconnections. The emergency generator for the facility is located near the tower. In addition to the equipment room and the dispatch floor, there is approximately 320 square feet of space for the technical staff, which allows assembly and testing of mobile data equipment, PCs, and related equipment. There is also a training room of FIGURE 9 approximately 700 square feet across the hall Wasilla Police Department Equipment Room from the dispatch center and adjacent to the technical space. Analysis The existing dispatch floor does not have adequate space to accommodate a consolidated center. If the dispatch operations were expanded into the training room and the space remodeled, it could possibly support a consolidated center. However, it is our understanding that the police department needs additional space and expanding the dispatch operations would exacerbate that situation and result in the loss of training space. Conclusions It is our opinion that neither of the existing facilities presents a viable long term alternative for housing a consolidated center for the following reasons: Neither facility has adequate space to support the new center without remodeling. There is not adequate existing space for expansion that is not already being used. Expansion of Palmer Police Department is complicated by the location of the antennas, equipment space, and HVAC equipment. A consolidated center with a regional identity would be more difficult to establish if it were directly associated with an existing public safety administrative office location. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 40

50 Projected State Analysis Mat-Su Borough is experiencing significant growth compared to the other large urban areas within the state of Alaska. Determining the population growth rate is an essential factor in determining the alternative and recommended outcomes for the Mat-Su Borough Consolidated Dispatch Feasibility Study. Interviews with stakeholders and experts all recognized the Borough s growth potential in the coming 20 years. That Mat-Su Borough will continue to grow is accepted as fact by nearly all of the project s stakeholders. Based on research conducted by the Alaska State Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOTPF) and the University of Alaska Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) ADCOMM is presenting two scenarios for growth in the Borough. The scenarios are designated base growth and high growth. Base growth is what can be expected for area population increases resulting from natural migration to the area bolstered by the completion of the rail expansion currently underway between Port MacKenzie and the area just north of Willow. This extension is expected to improve transport of materials from the interior to the port and drive a demand for jobs and people to fill them. The base growth case is estimated at 3.06 percent to 3.09 percent per year through The base growth scenario projects population will reach 120,000 in approximately 10 years, between 2020 and 2025 (Table 3): TABLE 3 Base Population Growth Projections Base Growth Projected Populations July 1, 2015 July 1, 2020 July 1, 2025 July 1, 2030 July 1, 2035 Matanuska-Susitna Borough 103, , , , ,693 Source: Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Research and Analysis Section High growth incorporates the completion of the rail extension and a series of developments poised to occur following the completion of a bridge across the Knik Arm that will link the Borough directly with Anchorage. The high growth case is estimated at 5.03 percent annually through The high growth scenario predicts Borough population to 120,000 much sooner, between 2015 and 2020 (Table 4): TABLE 4 High Population Growth Rate Projections High Growth Projected Populations July 1, 2015 July 1, 2020 July 1, 2025 July 1, 2030 July 1, 2035 Matanuska-Susitna Borough 103, , , , , See Appendix E for a summary of the growth calculations and full citations of studies used to determine these growth calculations. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 41

51 Impact on Public Safety Communications Two factors are generally considered when estimating workload in a communications center: the number of CAD events handled and the number of calls processed. CAD events are created to record, track, and store information regarding an incident or report of which the communications center becomes aware. CAD is the dispatcher s primary tool for managing units of work. A CAD event is created in a number of circumstances. Public requests for assistance received through the system are one initiator of CAD events; however, CAD events can be created following an officer s report received by radio as well. When an officer stops a vehicle, a CAD event is created. When an officer performs a check on a business, a vacation house check, interviews citizens, or performs other actions requiring a record of the time, place, and activity he or she initiated or took part in, a CAD record is created. In-person reports by citizens (for example via a lobby phone) or even incidents observed through facility video cameras can also trigger the creation of a CAD event. Conversely, not every call results in a new CAD event. With the prevalence of cellular telephones, it is common that multiple people will call to report the same traffic accident, fire, and other visible incidents. Each of these calls must be answered and processed however generally only one CAD event is created. Historically in Mat-Su Borough, CAD incidents per year average 33 percent greater than the population at the time. CAD incident growth correlated to base case and high case population growth are projected in Table 5. TABLE 5 Projected Increases in CAD Incidents Based on Population Growth CAD Incidents Correlated to Population Growth Projections Year Projected Base Case 96, , , ,932 Population Growth High Case 98, , , ,694 Projected CAD Base Case 128, , , ,348 Incident Growth High Case 131, , , ,949 Conclusion It is anticipated that the annual population growth in the Borough will be at least 3.06 percent and at most 5.03 percent through Considering the anticipated population growth rate and applying the correlated CAD incident data, the communications center should plan for a CAD incident growth rate of 33 percent greater than population over the next 22 years. This equates to a 57 percent increase in CAD events in the next 15 years (Figure 10). As the number of events and calls increase in the Borough, the resources required to maintain performance standards will also increase. There is no hard and fast rule regarding when this resource increase will occur; the variable is how long a citizen or field officer is willing to wait to be served. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 42

52 Population vs. CAD Events (Base) 202, , , ,692 96, , , , Projected Population Growth Projected CAD Incident Growth FIGURE 10 The Borough Should Plan for an Increase in Police and Fire/EMS Activity of at Least 57 Percent Over the Next 15 Years In the case of MatCom and PPD, we anticipate that the nature of the work will change prior to needing to increase staff. The amount of non-emergency field unit support will decrease; officers will create their own case file jackets, for example, and conduct their own records searches because the dispatchers will be too busy answering calls and radio traffic. Radio discipline procedures can be put into place and mobile data computers used more heavily in efforts to reduce radio traffic. 35 At some point the call answering times will grow too long and/or the time it takes for a dispatcher to respond to radio traffic will become too great and pressure will build to hire additional personnel for communications. Recommendation The rate of growth and the increased emergency call volume it will bring, even at moderate levels, will outpace the ability of the current communication centers to handle the increased 35 ADCOMM s experience is that when a radio channel reaches approximately 35 percent of capacity (measured as the amount of used airtime divided by the amount of available air time in the busiest hour) the channel is considered saturated. Mobile data computers can reduce air time when used properly; however, they can inadvertently lead to more work for the dispatcher. Field units, freed from having to wait for dispatch to check warrants and stolen reports on people and vehicles, run such checks more often, resulting in more hits. The hits need to be confirmed with the issuing agency, and that is typically done by dispatch over the telephone. So, while there is less radio traffic, the data-related dispatch work increases. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 43

53 workload at the level of quality citizens and responders expect. Some gains can be made through technology and policy changes. Implementing a more streamlined call processing methodology, collocating dispatch personnel, and consolidating systems and organizations are an important part of allowing the Borough to meet the challenges of this rapid growth. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 44

54 Consolidation Feasibility and Recommendation Decisions and Recommendations There are three levels of decisions to be made regarding consolidation in Mat-Su Borough (see Figure 11). The first decision is whether to consolidate or not. The second decision level concerns three areas: organizational structure and business considerations, service requirements, and physical space needs. The third decision level is how to best implement the changes required to achieve consolidation. Each of these decision levels is discussed below. Consolidate Decide Yes or No If No, consider shared CAD to improve awareness & data collection Specifics Values and Mission Organization structure, governance, funding Services, staffing, support Location Identify implementation strategy Implement Timeline and project plan Human resources Facilities improvement/creation Technology considerations FIGURE 11 Stakeholders Need to Make Decisions in Three Broad Areas Consolidate or Maintain Status Quo The fundamental decision to be made is whether consolidating Palmer Dispatch and Wasilla Dispatch is beneficial to all of the Borough s citizens. There are financial factors to consider in any consolidation; a consolidated center formed as a standalone organization will face costs that are currently paid for by each communication center s city but not necessarily shown in the dispatch center budget, raising the visible cost of a new entity. The financial reality is that both Palmer and Wasilla rely on large customers to pay the bulk of their communication center budgets. This means that, under some funding allocations, the cities may pay more of their own money for a consolidated center. The importance of power and politics when forming a consolidated center should not be underestimated. The Borough s power to influence dispatch decisions comes from the ability to collect and distribute surcharge money, from its position as the area-wide provider of Fire/EMS services, and from its contractual relationship with Palmer and the funding it ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 45

55 provides there. Palmer s power base is the fact that the dispatch center is part of its own police department and housed in the City s facilities. Its dispatchers are Palmer employees and, if need be, the police chief or dispatch manager can order policy and procedural changes almost unilaterally or with minimal consultation (depending on the specific change). Wasilla is in a similar position with regard to the AST. AST provides more than half of the dispatch budget, and contractual requirements dictate some measure of minimum staffing. AST has concerns about the flexibility of all its dispatch operations, whereas Wasilla retains the authority to alter policies and procedures with little or minimal consultation or constraint outside the existing contract with AST. These power structures would all change in a consolidated communications center formed as a standalone organization. The details of funding and authority would have to be worked out over time between the partners; compromises would have to be reached and new ways of working together formed. A consolidated center only works as a partnership with clearly defined rights and responsibilities. A consolidated center requires a different approach to management, influence, and operations; partners with divergent philosophies and approaches must spend more time working collaboratively on potentially divisive issues to reach the best possible outcome for all the citizens the center serves. While financial and political/organizational concerns were expressed by many of those ADCOMM interviewed, the overwhelming consideration from nearly everyone we interviewed was the level of service as measured by ease of access and the accuracy and timeliness of response delivered to citizens calling for help. This concern is well founded given the duplication of systems and the complexity of call flow and decision points. Every hour of every day there are two separate CAD systems being operated by two separate staffs of emergency telecommunicators doing essentially the same job. The ease and timeliness with which a citizen calling has their request for assistance entered into the response system depends on where in the Borough they need help and the kind of help they need. While there will always be some variability in the actual response due to geography an AST response to Talkeetna will probably always take longer than a Palmer Police Department response to Grizzly Espresso on East Valley there is no technical or geographic reason a person s request for help should be based on where in the Borough that person is calling from. There is also no technical reason notification of responders should depend on where the reporting party called from. Both of these limitations exist today purely because there are two separate communication centers in the Borough. If the stakeholders do not consolidate, the overly-complex call routing will continue. The region will continue to pay for duplicated services. Dispatchers will continue to be isolated from one another, unable to easily share information with each other and notify responders of potential dangers at the scene of emergencies. Systems will continue to deteriorate and will cost more money to replace as individual entities have neither the expertise nor the funds to repair or replace them. The quality of and emergency communications services will deteriorate as increasing population places increased demands on a fractured system not designed to handle the workload. Based on that criteria, ADCOMM s recommendation is clear. We recommend the current call answering and dispatching operations at Palmer and Wasilla be consolidated into a single organization serving all citizens and responders in Mat-Su Borough. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 46

56 One of the strongest arguments in favor of consolidating was expressed separately by dispatchers at both Wasilla and Palmer: Why should somebody call and have to tell their story to two different centers when all they re trying to do is get help? ADCOMM agrees. Transferring calls between centers introduces opportunities for technical failure that would not be present in a consolidated center. Additionally, and perhaps more importantly, streamlining the caller s experience results in smoother data collection, faster call request entry times, and a more comprehensive response from field units. Compare the Current Workflow (Figure 1) with the Proposed Workflow diagram (Figure 12) below. A number of processes like transferring a call, double and triple entry of information, and duplicate questioning are eliminated. Fewer people are involved as well, leading to a more personalized service and a fuller understanding of the reported situation by Center personnel. Because the caller s request for assistance is received once, by one person, who then describes it via a CAD entry to a dispatcher, there are fewer opportunities for the request to be inadvertently misinterpreted or altered between the caller and the dispatcher. Citizen Calls This flow chart illustrates decision points and call flow through a consolidated communications center. It eliminates the need to transfer callers based on their location or the type of service they need. No Was call routed correctly? Yes Other What help is needed? Law Only Law and Fire/EMS Refer Defer Transfer Fire/EMS Dispatch Fire/EMS Dispatch Law Dispatch Law And Fire/EMS CAD event FIGURE 12 Decision Points in the Proposed Consolidated Center (compare with Figure 1, the current workflow) ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 47

57 In a consolidated center, calls for additional resources such as the reported non-injury motor vehicle collision that is later discovered to require EMS would simply be an update to the CAD system record. Law enforcement and EMS/Fire responses to a scene would be easily more easily coordinated; not only would the single CAD system make all responders status available to all dispatchers, the dispatchers would be co-located and would share the information with each other. Regardless of whether stakeholders decide to consolidate or remain organizationally separate, ADCOMM urges consideration of a single, shared CAD system between the two centers, similar in concept to the single telephone system in use today. (ADCOMM also recommends this as the first step in implementing a consolidated communications center.) A single CAD system displaying calls for service, unit status, and other information to both centers would improve dispatcher awareness, ease Borough-wide data collection, and improve responses area wide, especially with regard to the integration of GIS data and response parameters. As noted in the Palmer agency profile above and as discussed in the NG9-1-1 portion of the Technology Feasibility section of this report, the importance of valid and accessible GIS data will become even more important in the near future. A single CAD system reduces the number of data conversions necessary to make this GIS data part of the dispatching process throughout the Borough, reduces the number of maintenance contracts required, increases the capability for personnel from one center to back up the other in an emergency, increases dispatcher awareness, 36 and provides for better data collection throughout the Borough. Along with a shared system, one or more individuals should be designated to administer the CAD system as part of their regular position responsibilities. 37 We believe the best solution is to consolidate, however. In addition to the personnel coverage gains, standardized training and procedure execution, better backup for Fire/EMS combined with full-time supervision, and the streamlined customer experience, systems upgrade and maintenance will be less expensive in a consolidated center compared to the existing two centers. The radio console upgrades discussed above (and estimated at $100,000 per position) would cost $1.2 million if each existing center were to upgrade separately. In a consolidated center as described here, the cost would be $800,000 or less. CAD system interfaces, upgrades, and maintenance would be less expensive in both real dollars and staff time and training: it is more efficient to maintain one system than two separate and different systems. GIS data would be transferred into a single system rather than two separate systems, saving time and money in conversion, loading, and other maintenance activities. Other, similar savings are also possible for equipment like logging recorders, telephone system replacements, and other items. 36 A dispatcher for AST would be able to see that an EMS unit had been dispatched to the scene of a motor vehicle collision the Trooper is investigating, for example. 37 In many centers, this is a full-time position. The specifics of the position in Mat-Su Borough would depend on which organization took on the position (i.e., Borough, Palmer, or Wasilla), how involved the position s incumbent would be in the GIS conversion process; the number of moves, adds, and changes that would occur in the CAD system; and other factors. Identifying, acquiring, implementing, and providing training for users of the CAD system (whether new or an expansion of either of the existing systems) would likely require a full-time position until the system is fully operational. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 48

58 Legal Framework for Consolidation Alaska state law provides authority and constraints on establishing new government and quasigovernmental organizations. 38 The parameters are broadly categorized as the boundaries on local government s authority and the authority to collect and distribute taxes, fees, and surcharges. Establishing a governance structure that is endorsed and supported by all the stakeholders of the communications center is essential to the success of the organization no matter what form the organization takes. Governance is often the most political decision in a consolidation and the most prone to impede or stop any progress forward. The Alaska State Constitution provides for maximum local self-government with a minimum of local government units, and to prevent duplication of tax-levying jurisdictions. All local government powers are vested in boroughs and cities; cities are incorporated and part of the borough in which they exist; and there are different classes of borough and city, each with specific restrictions on the services they provide and the powers they can exercise. 39 Mat-Su Borough is a second-class borough, not a home-rule borough so the Borough s authority is limited to those given by the State of Alaska through the legislature. If solutions are chosen that are outside of this limitation, the State Legislature would have to enact legal changes necessary to enable the solution. In the State of Alaska, only cities and boroughs are given the power to tax and collect taxes. They are not permitted to transfer that power. Although the surcharge is not specifically labeled a tax, this parameter is considered as applicable to the surcharge (see Section Assessment and Collection of Taxes). State Law details the surcharge uses and restraints. The last two sentences in subsection (a) support the borough or city obligation to set and collect the tax and do not support the ability to transfer that responsibility: The governing body of a municipality shall review an enhanced 911 surcharge annually to determine whether the current level of the surcharge is adequate, excessive, or insufficient to meet anticipated enhanced 911 system needs. When a municipality imposes an enhanced 911 surcharge or the amount of the surcharge is changed, the municipality shall notify in writing the telephone customers subject to the surcharge and provide an explanation of what the surcharge will be used for. There are no restrictions that limit the Borough from transferring surcharge funds to another entity. The other entity would have to follow the State Law for use of the funds under Sec surcharge. 38 Full legal citations are listed in Appendix C. 39 See Article 10 - Local Government subsections 1,2,4,7,8,11, and 13. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 49

59 Both Wasilla and Houston are classified as general law municipalities by Alaska law. This means each is a municipal corporation and political subdivision and is an unchartered city. It has legislative powers conferred by law. 40 Palmer, on the other hand, is a home-rule city. In Alaska a home rule municipality is a municipal corporation and political subdivision and has all legislative powers not prohibited by law or charter. 41 Finally, Mat-Su Borough is classified as a second-class borough. Second-class borough powers are articulated in Sec ; of note is a specifically mentioned power in subsection (10), Establish an emergency services communication center under AS Parameters for emergency services communications centers are set by State Law in Sec In summary, all municipal entities listed would appear to have the legal authority to participate in a consolidated communications center under state law. Alaska law appears to support two functionally distinct models of governance for a consolidated emergency communication center: a host-contract agencies model and a public non-profit corporation. While each could be operated collaboratively from a functional perspective, the differences in liability are significant. In the host/contract agency model, a single entity would be created and others would contract with it for services. The single entity would be designated the host. In this model, the liability rests primarily with the host agency and, while risk could be apportioned through contractual means with other participating agencies, the final target of recourse would remain the host organization. If AST were to form their own dispatch center in Mat-Su and others were to contract with the new center, this is the model allowed under law. The second model is the formation of a public non-profit corporation. The corporation created is not governmental per se; it does not have legislative or taxation rights. Rather, it would be considered quasi-governmental, meaning that it would provide services to its constituent agencies and through them to the public and would collect fees from the public via its member agencies for those services. More detail is given below. Consolidation Models ADCOMM evaluated three models and considered a fourth. They are: 1. Standalone public non-profit corporation 2. City managed and operated center 3. Borough department 4. Alaska State Trooper owned and operated The role of the Public Employment Retirement System (PERS) in deciding how to consolidate is significant. Each of the models evaluated below could be eligible for PERS participation without penalty to the participating agencies, depending upon how the consolidation is executed and 40 Sec General Law ( 3 ch 74 SLA 1985) 41 Sec Home rule ( 3 ch 74 SLA 1985) ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 50

60 how the resulting entity is configured. The involvement of PERS is discussed in more detail in the Implementation section of the report. Public Non-Profit Corporation ADCOMM recommends stakeholders form a public non-profit corporation as the governance structure for a consolidated emergency communications center. This governance structure option establishes a separate, standalone organization to manage and operate the communications center. The standalone agency would be quasi-governmental but would be a public non-profit corporation organized under Alaska State Law. Sec Emergency services communications centers. (a) A municipality may establish an emergency services communications center with one or more other municipalities and one or more state, federal, or private agencies that provide emergency service communications to the same geographic area. An emergency services communications center established under this section may be organized and operated as a public nonprofit corporation under AS The new public non-profit would be organized under the parameters of State Law AS 10.20, which pertains to public non-profit corporations and under Federal IRS tax exempt organization rules articulated in 501(c)(3) Section 115. State law requires the new organization to file articles of incorporation and create bylaws for governance of the organization. The articles and/or bylaws detail the structure of the Board of Directors, voting rights, and any other critically important governance issues the forming partners determine are necessary. During discussions with stakeholders, the Alaska Railroad was referred to as a good model for a standalone organization that deals with public issues. The Alaska Railroad has some similarities but is not exactly the same as a public non-profit communications corporation. The Alaska Railroad is a wholly owned corporation by the State of Alaska and the U.S. Government so it is not organized as an intergovernmental cooperative agency. Even though its base funding comes from the State and the U.S. Government, it is still able to set and collect fees for services on the railroad by users of the railroad. It does not control its own funding beyond fees for service. The public non-profit corporation would be able to set and collect user fees but would not be able to set or collect the surcharge only the Borough is able to set and collect those taxes. The public non-profit corporation would not have ties to any local, state, or federal governments but would be responsible for public safety communications for all the public safety agencies, districts, and departments within the Borough. Without any attachments to local government at the Borough or City levels, the corporation would not be able to leverage existing infrastructure to provide support to the organization it would have to hire or pay fees for services like human resources, legal and technical services. The costs of these functions will be a large consideration in determining if the functions will be handled by organizational staff positions or contracted on an as-needed basis. An independent organization gives each member a voice in its operation and direction. Depending on how the voting power is distributed, this influence could be determinative or 42 According to Borough legal authorities, the and in the second sentence is passive; it does not obligate the public nonprofit corporation to include State agencies. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 51

61 debilitating. Adopting a one agency one vote policy would result in Houston having the same voting power as the AST, for example. Should voting power be based on financial contribution to the organization? Should power to control the organization be based on call volume? Would each Fire/EMS department have a separate vote, would the Borough have one vote for each of them, or would they vote as a single entity with a single vote? These questions may seem academic or political on their face, but they have real consequences that must be carefully considered during the organization s formation. These determinations often take a lot of time to make, delaying the consolidation effort and continuing the existing service deficiencies. ADCOMM recommends executive command staff and line/supervisory staff form advisory groups to the organization s Director and Operations Manager. Maintaining an active and ongoing communication link between the needs of the field user customers and the dispatch service providers is a key element of success. The independent agency would have the same support needs as the other configurations and would have to provide them in-house or obtain services from another organization. Technical support for some systems CAD, for example would most likely be provided in-house as there is no equivalent position at the Borough or City level today. 43 Legal, other technical systems support, and the other required organizational infrastructure could be obtained from the Borough or one of the cities at the start of the organization as a matter of expediency and financial responsibility, being taken on as organizational responsibilities as the agency matures. 44 While this approach may be slightly more expensive, it has the advantage of allowing the organization to become fully functional in a relatively short period of time. Each service can also be transitioned to in-house resources at the organization s own pace. Figure 13 is an example of the organizational structure that could provide governance for a public non-profit corporation. Wasilla or Palmer City Managed and Operated Under this form of governance, one of the two cities that currently manage and operate communications centers would manage and operate a single communications center for the entire Borough. All Law, Fire, and EMS services currently serviced by the two separate centers would be combined under the management of either Palmer or Wasilla. In this alternative, the basic governance infrastructure for the combined center is largely already in place and only needs to be expanded to accommodate the larger organization. The combined communications center may continue to function organizationally as it does today under the respective police department or, given its new size and responsibility, the City may choose to create a new reporting structure to better address the specific needs of the larger center. Either configuration poses challenges, however. 43 ADCOMM recommends a single CAD system and dedicated CAD support be implemented regardless of the organization type selected. The current position at Wasilla handling technical matters is the closest cognate to the proposed position and should be used as the starting place for a new, more comprehensive position description. 44 One exception is human resources. Depending on the approach the organization takes to the employees of existing dispatch centers, collective bargaining, and benefits management, a human resources expert on board from the organization s beginning can be critical to its success. It is well to remember that a communication center s budget is typically 80 percent to 90 percent personnel related, so having an on-staff expert is often a good idea. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 52

62 Contract Agencies Advisory Committee Board of Directors (Partner Agency Representatives) Executive Committee Finance/Budget Committee Admin Assistant Director Human Resources Financial Administration Legal IT / GIS Radio Svcs NG9-1-1 Mntnce Fac. Mntnce Contracted Functions Operations Advisory Committee Operations Manager Technical Manager/ CAD Administrator Technical Advisory Committee Supervisors Dispatchers & Call Receivers FIGURE 13 The Recommended Organizational Structure for a Standalone Consolidated Communications Center for Mat-Su Borough This organizational structure can be accomplished by individuals in each position or many of the positions may be combined under one employee; for example, the CAD Administrator and IT/Telecommunications may only require one employee, especially where the City has IT staff available for support. Also important to note are the three advisory groups built into the model advising the director is the User Agency Advisory Committee; the operations manager will receive input from the Operations User Group; and the technical manager will receive similar input from a Technical Advisory Group. The names of these groups are not important, what is important is their function. They serve to provide system stakeholders a voice in the direction and operation of the communications center. One advantage of this model over a standalone public non-profit corporation is that the City has support staff responsible for functions like human resources that could be leveraged to provide services to the combined communications center (see Figure 14). This relationship could drive the indirect expenses of the center a little higher but would still be much less expensive than contracting or hiring for the functions. Significant challenges face a communications system choosing to configure itself in this way. Those challenges are the City s ability focus on area-wide services, organizational identity and association, employee representation, and support capacity. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 53

63 Contract Agencies Advisory Board City Elected Officials HR Legal Risk Management Finance IT Facilities Mntnce City Services City Administrator Telephone Svcs Radio Svcs Finance (Surcharge) GIS / NG9-1-1 Data Borough Services Contract Agencies Operations Advisory Committee Comm. Center Manager Technical Advisory Committee Supervisor Supervisor Supervisor Technician CAD Dispatchers & Call Receivers FIGURE 14 Sample Organization Chart for a City-Managed Consolidated Center The leaders of a City, along with its resources and efforts, primarily are focused on the City itself. Wasilla is rightly concerned with what happens in Wasilla; Palmer is rightly focused on Palmer. While there is an awareness of citizens, issues, and development beyond the City s boundaries, the City s primary responsibility is to its citizens. This does not translate well to a City department providing an area-wide service. While the department s personnel may be well aware of the service needs of it contracted customers, the broader City culture is focused within much smaller borders. As a result, departments focused outside the City limits are at a disadvantage in budget discussions, at City Council meetings, and in other situations where they must contend for a limited resource with other, City-focused departments. 45 This is ultimately disadvantageous to the dispatch organization and to its customers. Not only must a customer gain influence with the department, they must elevate the 45 ADCOMM stresses that we are describing results observed in other cities, not in Wasilla or Palmer. Each dispatch section is a division of their respective police departments, thus budget discussions are maintained at an equal footing department to department within the City. What we are positing here is that, should dispatch be a separate department of the City, it would be forced to compete for general funds and support with departments providing services solely within the City, a situation that, in our view, is disadvantageous to the area-wide services department. The problem is exacerbated should the dispatch operation remain within a police department, as the dispatch section would then have to contend with other police department budget priorities. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 54

64 department within the City structure in order to ultimately be successful in having their needs met. The dispatch department will always be associated with its City, again to the detriment of its ability to provide equal and fair treatment to its contracted customers. If the dispatch department is in City A, for example, there will always be a feeling among users in City B and City C that City A field units get better treatment, faster response times, better rates, and more services than they do. ADCOMM has seen the opposite occur as well: City A employees feel that they get worse treatment because their City is bending over backwards to please the other users and ignoring their own employees. Even with completely fair and transparent treatment being actually provided, the existence of internal pressures to perform on the hosting City s behalf are ever present. These pressures may rise and fall depending on the elected leadership as well, making the job of the department head tenuous. Ultimately, a mayor is elected to represent the City s citizens and, actual performance aside, the mere perception that there is the possibility that the mayor is acting against the needs of the Borough in order to gain advantage for the City s citizens is a detriment for which there is no offsetting advantage. Each City receives some support for dispatch and related services from the Borough already; the shared telephone system is one clear example of Borough money supporting dispatch and other operations inside each City. Placing dispatch operations under one City s management would likely continue to require a transfer of funds and/or services from the Borough to one of the cities even with some expertise already located in the cities; it is not likely either city could take on the financial burden of providing information technology, telephone, GIS, and other Borough-supported functions at the level required by an area-wide service. The Borough, the non-managing City, and AST may see some disadvantages to a City-managed approach. Because it would be a City department contracting services to the other City, AST, the Borough, and others, each user s influence, control and recourse would be limited to the contract language. Policy review and approval, including input into the setting of annual fees and the overall direction of the department, would be desired by the contract agencies and would likely be resisted by the managing City. Additionally, once a user is part of the system, it will be difficult to change given the high cost of providing the services alone, effectively limiting user s choice to either remaining a contracted user or stop providing the service to its citizens. Mat-Su Borough Managed and Operated This alternative is much like the City run model except the manager/operator would be Mat-Su Borough. The biggest difference between the City model and this one is that the Borough does not currently operate a communications center; the management infrastructure at the Borough would have to be expanded to accommodate the new function. All the other observations about the City model apply to the Borough model as well. Borough staff has communications and management experience sufficient to manage the new organization. Forming a new Borough department with the responsibility for call processing and law enforcement and fire/ems/rescue dispatch is permissible under AAC Sec Funding for the department would come from Borough general funds, funds collected from the excise tax, and from fees collected under contracts with Palmer, Wasilla, AST, and others desiring service. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 55

65 The department solution has several advantages. First, it is in keeping with the general governance philosophy that regional/area-wide services are provided by the Borough. With today s citizen mobility, the de facto area-wide law enforcement duties of the AST in the unincorporated areas of the Borough, the Borough level excise tax responsibility, and the existing public view that is already a single entity, placing a consolidated service at the Borough level supports the philosophy and satisfies the public s existing expectation. Second, the Borough has the administrative and technical infrastructure already in place to support a multijurisdictional, multidiscipline service like a consolidated communication center. The new organization will require services like human resources management, information technology support, billing and accounting services, insurance and risk management, legal counsel, continuity of operations support, and others. The Borough is already supplying some of these services to the existing communication centers separately and has the capacity to provide all of these services to a new organization. Making that new organization part of the existing Borough organization results in a more tightly coupled, integrated organization than would result in a fee for service arrangement, which is one option in a standalone organization solution. Cities and AST may see some disadvantages to this approach. As illustrated in the Citymanaged option, a contract agency s influence, control and recourse would be limited to the contract language. Participation and control would be desired by the contract agencies and likely resisted by the Borough. The decision to participate will be difficult to undo; once a user is part of the system, the high cost of re-establishing a dispatch service and the lack of competing service providers would make the option to leave the combined center costly and difficult. ADCOMM recommends two approaches to address these concerns. First, each user agreement for service must clearly identify the required level of service from the Borough to the user, the method and frequency of measuring that service, the user s recourse should the service level not be adequate, the rights of the user to escalate complaints and concerns to the Borough Assembly, and the distribution of liability and indemnification between the user and the Borough. Second, ADCOMM recommends a committee of user entity representatives and the general public be formed to provide advice and oversight to the Borough s department. The committee should be empaneled by the Borough Assembly and report to the Assembly and should consist of elected officials from each user entity (mayors, fire commissioners, and so on) or a senior member of executive staff from State organizations like AST. 46 This committee would be advisory only but should review department budget and policy and have the ability to make a recommendation to the Assembly as a separate entity (i.e., not speaking for the department). Figure 15 shows the relationships of these advisory bodies to the rest of the organization. 46 ADCOMM also strongly recommends committees formed of user field command staff and line/supervisory staff to advise the department on operational and policy matters. These committees would express the field user s needs to the dispatch center staff to ensure their needs are being met by procedure and policy. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 56

66 Contract Agencies Advisory Board Borough Assembly Borough Manager Operations Advisory Committee Comm. Center Manager Technical Advisory Committee Supervisors CAD Administrator Dispatchers & Call Receivers FIGURE 15 One Option for a Communication Center Organized as a Borough Department Alaska State Troopers Managed and Operated Another governance model considered was a communications center managed and operated by the AST. This model, although possible, has many large obstacles to overcome in order to be successful. Among the obstacles is the lack of political will at the policy and decision maker level, the lack of a physical communications facility presence in the Borough, and the difficulty/impossibility of raising funds to accomplish this model. ADCOMM evaluated a shared facility model wherein AST might operate one part of the dispatch area while a combined Borough-wide staff occupied another. The result is a more expensive center for all involved; shared infrastructure is a small cost element compared to duplicate supervisory staff, maintenance, and other considerations. The inability to use crosstrained staff across all positions within the organization is also a detriment to one of the biggest problems AST encounters: flexibility in communications needs. One of AST's main concerns with any dispatch service provider is the ability to react quickly to rapidly changing circumstances. The most often mentioned circumstance involves adding more dispatchers to handle a special situation or emphasis. This is a difficult situation for any communications center, especially if the center must add more staff to do so; the training period ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 57

67 for a brand new dispatcher is typically close to a year from recruitment to operational effectiveness. Having a separate staff for AST does not solve this problem. The ability to react quickly to a requirement to change staffing levels is a problem industrywide. Staffing is typically calculated at minimum levels in an effort to maintain the lowest possible funding levels for the constituent agencies; it is not common for a center to have more people than they need just to meet the minimum schedule requirements. Staffing for the absolute minimum is not a requirement, however; the owners of a communication center can staff to whatever level they deem appropriate and that they can afford. Even in a consolidated center, one or more partners may desire more staffing than is required to staff other positions; some consolidated centers have dispatchers trained specifically for Fire/EMS dispatch and are paid for by the Fire/EMS agencies. Defining a level of service is done through a service level agreement that defines what level of services each agency will receive. Should the AST desire more flexibility in staffing, this would be accomplished by defining that in their service level agreement. Participating in a larger center as opposed to a smaller one, however, does provide more personnel depth to cover short-term staffing problems. If a center has a staff of 35, for example, there are more people available to work overtime than if there are only 15 people on staff. ADCOMM s staffing calculations do not include any built-in overage to accommodate special circumstances; however, staff to handle surges could be included if the appropriate levels could be determined and funding identified. Recommendation ADCOMM recommends the public non-profit corporation model as best meeting the stakeholders needs for improving quality, reducing risk, sharing costs, and maintaining an appropriate level of control over emergency communications in the region. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 58

68 Financial Considerations Both communication centers today exist within larger organizations. They are physically located within buildings owned and maintained by the larger organization: the costs of utilities, maintenance, land, and so on are not reflected in the communication centers budgets. Likewise, each center relies on its parent organization to provide services like human resources, legal counsel, billing, risk management, and so on without the actual cost for services being reflected in its departmental budget. These hidden costs are brought to light in a consolidated, standalone organization s budget. In 2012, the published costs for communications in the two PSAPs were $3,743,361. These costs did not include the following: 24/7 supervision Fire/EMS dispatch backup Legal, human resources, procurement, risk management, liability insurance and other administrative costs Facilities costs A true one call solution for residents Both Palmer Dispatch and MatCom are heavily supported by large single customers: Mat-Su Borough provided just over 55 percent of Palmer s Communication Center budget and AST paid for almost 67 percent or MatCom s budget in The costs for a new organization will be higher than the combined communication center budgets are today (due to the hidden costs and, potentially, debt service on a new facility). Given these factors, it is possible that each City would pay more than their current budgeted costs to participate in a Borough-wide consolidated center. Conversely, it is unlikely that either City could maintain a high-quality, properly staffed communications center without the participation of their respective customers. Personnel Personnel typically account for 80 percent or more of a communication center s costs, and the number of people is directly related to the number of call receiving and dispatch positions available to the public and responders. ADCOMM is presenting three alternative budgets based on operational staff size. Option 1 estimates 39 personnel employed as supervisors, dispatchers, and call receivers in the new organization, Option 2 posits 33 people, and Option 3 identifies 30 personnel. In addition to those operations personnel, each model includes one director, one operations manager, one technical/cad support person, and one executive assistant. Below is a general description of each position s responsibilities: 47 Calculations used dispatch contract only; disbursals from the surcharge of $90,000 from the Borough to each City were not included in this calculation. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 59

69 The director is primarily responsible for developing, with the Board, the strategic direction of the center and for leading the center to its goals. Responsibilities include developing policy proposals, financial management, overall administration, developing strategic plans and executing existing plans, Board communications, and other leadership tasks. The director should maintain operational awareness through the assistance of the operations manager and be, at minimum, conversant in the technologies required in a modern day communications center through the assistance of the technical manager. The director is hired and fired by the Board of Directors and is a direct report to the Board. The operations manager is primarily responsible for the day-to-day operation of the center. The position includes personnel management tasks such as recruiting, testing, recommending for hire/termination, preparing work schedules, administering collective bargaining agreements, and reviewing payroll; developing procedures to execute policy direction; supervising supervisors; and working with operations level advisory groups. The operations manager works collaboratively with the technical manager to integrate technology in support of the center s mission. The incumbent supports the director in budget formulation, policy and strategic direction initiatives. The operations manager is hired/fired by the director and is a direct report to the director. The technical manager/cad support position is charged with maintaining the CAD system, integrating (or managing the integration of) GIS data from the Borough into CAD, and acting as the primary communication center contact for all other technical systems including the telephone system. Given the size of the center, this person should have hands-on experience with at least some of the technical systems but must also be skilled in leading the organization through the significant technical challenges ahead. The standalone organization is expected to contract with the Borough and others for some services, however it may eventually assume responsibility for the primary technical systems it uses, such as the telephone system. The technical manager supports the director and operations manager with technology impacts; strategic direction initiatives; and determining the methods, timing, and selection of appropriate technology as it develops. The technical manager is hired/fired by the director and is a direct report to the director. The executive assistant is responsible for supporting the director, especially in administrative tasks such as payroll preparation, benefits administration, budget preparation support, and so on. The assistant position is intended to reduce the need for some contract services such as clerk level accounting and generalist human resources tasks as well as maintain the center s flow of business correspondence and related documentation. Borough-wide today there are seven work positions in regular use: Palmer Police Department, Fire/EMS, WPD, AST, AST data, call receiver, and MatCom supervisor. ADCOMM evaluated existing practice and contractual obligations for minimum staffed positions. 48 We also compared industry standards and best practices, overflow/backup scenarios, and the break requirements of the National Labor Relations Act AST s contract with Wasilla, for example, requires a minimum of three dispatch positions be staffed at all times U.S.C ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 60

70 Some of the existing positions are not staffed at all times; call receivers at MatCom, for example, and supervisors at both centers are not in place around the clock. Additionally, the only available backup for Fire and EMS dispatching at Palmer is another dispatcher, provided they are available. From this data we posited three dispatch position models: Option 1: 1 Palmer Police Department dispatcher, full time 50 1 WPD dispatcher, full time 1 AST dispatcher, full time 1 Data dispatcher, serving AST, WPD and PPD, full time 1 Fire/EMS dispatcher, full time 1 Call receiver, two-thirds time 51 1 Supervisor, also providing Fire/EMS backup and break relief, full time Option 2: 1 City Law dispatcher serving PPD and WPD, full time 1 AST dispatcher, full time 1 Data dispatcher, serving AST, PPD, and WPD, full time 1 Fire/EMS dispatcher, full time 1 Call receiver, two-thirds time 1 Supervisor, also providing Fire/EMS backup and break relief, full time Option 3: 1 City Law dispatcher serving PPD and WPD, full time 1 AST dispatcher, full time 1 Data dispatcher, serving AST, PPD, and WPD, full time 1 Fire/EMS dispatcher, full time 1 Call receiver, two-thirds time 1 Supervisor, also providing Fire/EMS backup and break relief, half time 52 The City Law dispatcher is a combined municipal law dispatch position serving both Palmer Police Department and WPD. This is a cost reduction measure and, in some options, is a tradeoff between increased supervision and Fire/EMS backup dispatch capability and additional staff to serve small law enforcement departments. ADCOMM s experience is that the combination of small geographically separate police departments at a single dispatch position is viable and a regular occurrence in many centers across the nation. We consider the availability of some level of backup to Fire and EMS dispatch to be critical, thus we are recommending a blended role for the supervisor position. In a large event like an apartment complex fire or a derailment with hazmat involvement, a single Fire dispatcher will be overwhelmed. It is likely that the Law dispatcher will be overwhelmed as well. Increasing supervision to 24/7 coverage and designating the supervisor as a backup Fire/EMS dispatcher 50 In these descriptions full time means 24/7/365, or 8,760 hours of coverage per year. 51 In these descriptions two-thirds time means 5,870 hours of coverage per year. 52 In these descriptions half time means 4,380 hours of coverage per year. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 61

71 is a reasonable safeguard that covers both the worst-case scenario and improves the center s day-to-day operations as well. 53 The remaining, non-personnel costs are categorized as fixed and recurring. For purposes of comparison, ADCOMM developed single-year, post-consolidation budget sample. The fixed and recurring costs for the sample year totaled $836,720. A summary table (Table 6) describing costs for each configuration and employee count is included below. The remaining costs line account for the fixed and recurring costs of the sample budget year. 54 Complete sample budgets are available for each option in Appendix B. TABLE 6 Summary of Costs Today and for Options 1, 2 and 3* Positions Today Option 1 Option 2 Option 3 Fire/EMS Fire/EMS Backup 1/2 Palmer Police Department Wasilla Police Department City Law Dispatch AST Dispatch Data Call Receiver 1/2 2/3 2/3 2/3 Supervisor 1/2 1/2 Director Ops Manager Tech. Manager Exec. Assistant Personnel Subtotal $3,743,361 $4,019,775 $3,517,449 $3,206,382 Remaining Costs $836,720 $836,720 $836,720 Total $4,856,495 $4,354,169 $4,043,102 Cost per Citizen (pop. 93,801) $51.77 $46.42 $43.10 *Note that today s costs do not include many services provided to the communication centers by their municipalities, costs that would have to be paid for by a standalone consolidated center. ( indicates full-time coverage, 1/2 indicates approximately half-time coverage, and 2/3 indicates approximately two-thirds time coverage. The supervisor position provides emergency Fire/EMS backup coverage as needed.) Recommendation ADCOMM recommends the new organization plan for Budget Option 2 to provide improved personnel coverage, especially for supervision and for Fire/EMS. The number of active Law officers on the air regularly at any one time in Wasilla and Palmer do not, in our opinion, 53 NFPA requires that a telecommunicator be dedicated to an incident s tactical channel and relieved of all other duties within the communication center when so requested by the incident commander. This requirement is a step beyond simply being able to handle the influx of radio and telephone traffic that occurs in a major incident. ADCOMM recommends addressing that initial concern before planning for being able to dedicate a dispatcher to a single incident. 54 Details on how ADCOMM calculated employee count for each configuration, salaries and benefits, fixed and recurring costs, and the assumption made are available in Appendix A. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 62

72 warrant separate dispatch positions. Any participant in the new organization should be free to obtain any level of service they desire and can afford, however. The addition of executive and technical personnel is essential in a standalone organization. These personnel will allow the organization to contain costs that would appear as contract services elsewhere in the budget, provide constant and visible leadership, and maintain equipment and systems critical to the proper functioning of the emergency communications system. Standalone Organization Startup Costs ADCOMM consulted with Alaska attorneys, professional search firms, and others to develop sample startup costs for a new organization. They do not include the costs of developing a consolidated center. Those costs are dependent on the location of center and if the work is new construction or a remodel. The details are listed below: Startup Activity Estimated Cost Incorporation Articles of Incorporation (AK) $50.00 IRS form Tax exempt 501(c)(3) Section 115 $ Legal $295/hr + expenses (PERS work included) $29, Subtotal $30, Personnel Executive and management hiring processes $46, Workforce hiring processes $20, Labor relations $14, Subtotal $80, Communications Community, inter-agency, internal $ Web site creation $10, Subtotal $10, Corporate Collateral Materials Graphic artist logo, etc. $2, Letterhead, envelopes, business cards $2, Subtotal $5, Systems and Applications CAD consolidation $600, Data conversion/integration RMS conversion/integration Radio engineering $25, Voice logging recorder expansion $12, Subtotal $637, Project Management Incremental consolidation project management $125, Subtotal $125, Total $888, ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 63

73 The programming effort to find a suitable location and develop a more refined facility budget and definition of requirements is estimated to cost between $50,000 and $70,000 depending on how long it takes to find a suitable location for the facility and if programming is done for both a new location and a remodeled facility. Funding Mechanisms There are multiple funding mechanisms and sources of revenue available for startup and ongoing costs of the Mat-Su Borough Public Safety Communications Center regardless of the final configuration. The seven funding mechanisms we want to explore are: surcharges, bonds (borrowing), grants, general fund contributions, state legislature appropriations, contracted services, and user fees. In addition, there are two sources of existing funds that could be leveraged for startup expenses including facilities costs. There are some existing reserve funds and grant dollars within the Borough and the City of Wasilla that could be repurposed toward startup expenses for equipment, facility, and organizational costs. The Borough has a reserve fund that currently has an $800,000 balance. At the moment, the fund is intended for a community notification system, general equipment repair and replacement, and a CAD-to-CAD interface. The City of Wasilla has received a Federal DOT grant purposed for a public safety data network that has not been implemented yet and may not be implemented. The grant requires a $500,000 match to use the remainder of the $5 million grant funds. City officials indicate that a public safety communications center may be within the scope of the grant. Details are below. Funding Options E9-1-1 Emergency System Surcharge The E9-1-1 Emergency System Surcharge ( surcharge ) is used to support various activities related to the enhanced and emergency services communications as delineated in AS The surcharge rate is set by the Borough Assembly and funds are collected by the telephone companies from each subscriber (on a per-line or per-number basis with a cap at 100 access lines), and remitted to the Borough (minus an administrative fee held back by the telephone companies). State law sets the surcharge maximum at $2.00 by administrative action; the municipality may exceed $2.00 if the increase is approved by the voters. An enhanced 911 surcharge may not exceed $2 per month for each wireless telephone number and $2 per month for each local exchange access line for wireline telephones. The maximum surcharge amount of $2 provided for in this subsection may be increased above that level if the surcharge amount is approved by the voters of the enhanced 911 service area. Rates around Alaska vary widely; below is a sampling of surcharge rates for comparison: 55 Anchorage $1.50 per access line per month Bethel $2.00 per access line per month 55 Rate comparison compiled by GCI, a telecommunications, video, and data services company. Retrieved 8/5/2013 from ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 64

74 Cordova $2.00 per access line per month Delta Junction $2.00 per access line per month Eagle River $1.50 per access line per month Eielson $1.00 per access line per month Fairbanks $1.00 per access line per month Fort Wainwright $1.00 per access line per month Juneau $1.90 per access line per month Kenai $1.50 per access line per month Kodiak $0.75 per access line per month (local service only) Mat-Su Borough $0.75 per access line per month Nome $2.00 per access line per month North Pole $1.00 per access line per month Sitka $1.48 per access line per month Valdez $0.75 per access line per month (local service only) Wrangell $1.00 per access line per month The Borough Assembly recently increased the surcharge from $0.75 to $1.00 per wireline telephone and wireless telephone number. The increase is intended to fund improvements in the Borough s GIS that will enable better emergency processing and response. At $0.75, the surcharge generated $902,000 per year for the Borough. State law is very specific about the use of enhanced surcharge. The surcharge uses and prohibitions are: The surcharge revenue may not be used for any capital or operational costs for emergency responses that occur after the call is dispatched to the emergency responder. The surcharge revenue may not be used for constructing buildings, leasing buildings, maintaining buildings, or renovating buildings, except for the modification of an existing building to the extent that is necessary to maintain the security and environmental integrity of the PSAP and equipment rooms. The surcharge revenue may be used for the following costs to the extent the costs are directly attributable to the establishment, maintenance, and operation of an enhanced system: The acquisition, implementation, and maintenance of PSAP equipment and service features The acquisition, installation, and maintenance of other equipment, including: o Call answering equipment o Call transfer equipment o ANI controllers and displays o Automatic location identification (ALI) controllers and displays o Station instruments o telecommunications systems o Teleprinters o Logging recorders o Instant playback recorders o Telephone devices for the deaf ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 65

75 o PSAP backup power systems o Consoles o Automatic call distributors o Hardware and software interfaces for computer-aided dispatch systems Salaries and associated expenses for 911 call takers for that portion of time spent taking and transferring 911 calls; Training costs for PSAP call takers in the proper methods and techniques used in taking and transferring 911 calls; Expenses required to develop and maintain all information necessary to properly inform call takers as to location address, type of emergency, and other information directly relevant to the 911 call-taking and transferring function, including ALI and ANI databases. (AAC Sec (i)) Although the permitted uses are broad, the surcharge funds may not be used for constructing buildings, leasing buildings, maintaining buildings, or renovating buildings, except for the modification of an existing building to the extent that is necessary to maintain the security and environmental integrity of the PSAP and equipment rooms. This source of revenue would not be available for use to build a new building nor, in our lay opinion, to modify an existing building that did not already house a dispatch center. The surcharge would be an excellent source of funding for all the other enhanced related equipment, personnel and training costs, however. Table 7 illustrates the estimated amounts of revenue generated by increasing the surcharge rate. The calculations in this table are based on the number of wireline and wireless telephones/numbers in the Borough currently (1,202,667 surcharge payers in 2013). 56 TABLE 7 Anticipated Revenue From the Surcharge Rate Based on 2014 Population Projections Surcharge Rate $1.00 $1.25 $1.50 $1.75 $2.00 Annual revenue $1,239,468 $1,549,335 $1,859,202 $2,169,069 $2,478,937 Number of Surcharge Payers (2014 Base Case) 1,239,468 Using the population growth rates calculated earlier in this document and assuming the relationship between population and wireless/wireline telephone contributors remains the same, we assembled the following projections of enhanced surcharges through 2028 in 5-year increments (see Table 8). The population assumption considers the least and most population growth: 3.06 percent and 5.03 percent, respectively 56 Note that the surcharges are based on the number of lines and numbers, not the number of people in the Borough. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 66

76 TABLE 8 Anticipated Surcharge Revenue Through 2028, Correlated to Population Growth Projections Enhanced Surcharge Contributors and Revenue Generated Projected Based on Population Growth Correlation Year Least Contributors 1,398,286 1,625,723 1,890,155 Most Contributors 1,537,135 1,964,622 2,510,994 E9-1-1 Surcharge Rate $0.75 $0.85 $1.00 $1.25 $1.50 $2.00 Least $1,048,714 $1,219,293 $1,417,616 Most $1,152,851 $1,473,466 $1,883,246 Least $1,188,543 $1,381,865 $1,606,631 Most $1,306,565 $1,669,928 $2,134,345 Least $1,398,286 $1,625,723 $1,890,155 Most $1,537,135 $1,964,622 $2,510,994 Least $1,747,857 $2,032,154 $2,362,693 Most $1,921,419 $2,455,777 $3,138,743 Least $2,097,429 $2,438,585 $2,835,232 Most $2,305,703 $2,946,932 $3,766,492 Least $2,796,572 $3,251,447 $3,780,309 Most $3,074,271 $3,929,243 $5,021,989 The current Alaska administrative code is written to capture surcharges on wireline telephone and wireless telephone numbers but does not address a growing trend toward voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) devices and pre-paid telephone calling cards and services. All of these avenues are capable of dialing in the case of an emergency and at this time are not contributing to the Enhanced fund. If these avenues are added to the legislation, then the revenue numbers will change. We note that legislative action would be required to change the status of VoIP devices and contribution to the E9-1-1 fund, and we encourage Mat-Su to pursue this change. Bonds AS identifies two types of bonded indebtedness available to municipalities (cities and boroughs) and the terms and conditions associated with each. The two types of bonds are revenue and general obligation bonds. Revenue bonds are issued based on anticipated revenue in the coming fiscal year that will repay the debt. Debts from revenue bonds for the coming fiscal year must be repaid before the end of the next fiscal year. This mechanism may be helpful for short-term operating expenses associated with public safety communications center and could be leveraged against the surcharge revenue or user fees revenue. General obligation bonds are typically issued to fund long-term capital improvement projects. In this case, general obligation bonds could be issued for part or all of the long-range capital improvements, especially if a consolidated center with a new building and all the associated technology is the chosen plan. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 67

77 Note that non-profit corporations cannot usually incur public obligation (bonded) debt. The usual practice among consolidated centers when bonded debt is needed is to have a stakeholder municipality issue the bonds and provide either the proceeds or the resulting assets to the center for its use, with the stakeholder retaining ownership of the asset until the center pays off the bonds. Grants, General Fund Contributions, and State Legislative Appropriations The Borough and the cities within the Borough have had very good success with obtaining and using grant funds. This public safety project could qualify for many State and Federal grant programs. Grant monies have been prolific in the past and still remain readily available for certain types of projects; however, the overall trend for both State and Federal grant funding is decreasing. If this funding source is to be a material portion of the overall funding strategy, the stakeholders should be encouraged to consider this source early in the process and not rely on it for later stages of funding. The Borough, Houston, Wasilla, and Palmer could all make line item general fund contributions over and above their fair share allocation designated for the public safety communications center. It may not be realistic to expect the cities to take this action, but it is conceivable that a funding formula could determine an amount of subsidy from the Borough that would mitigate the user fees required to fill the gap in funding between actual costs and the revenue generated from contract agencies like AST and from the surcharge. The Borough already makes such contributions to emergency communications Borough-wide. An argument could be made that the public safety communications center is an area-wide service therefore should be supported by area-wide funds. The other source for funding contribution is the State Legislature. The legislature may be willing to fund part of the project if they are convinced the consolidation model is both effective and efficient and could be used as a model for other areas of the state to emulate. This approach would be most effective if AST became a vocal supporter of the future plan for the public safety communications center. Contracted Services and User Fees The remaining source for funding the center comes from contracted services and user fees. This is usually the last source considered after all other possible sources have been used to cover the organization s expenses. Debt service is often calculated primarily on these funding streams as they are often seen to be the most predictable and stable. It is important to differentiate between contract agencies and user agencies. Contract agencies, like AST in the current configuration, typically enter into agreements for services, terms, and conditions for a negotiated price without any direct connection to the governance of the organization. Participants who pay user fees, however, are usually connected and represented in the governance structure and therefore have direct influence in the policy and direction of the organization. In all the governance models except the public non-profit corporation, most of the participants would be contracting for services from the municipality that assumes responsibility for the governance and funding of the public safety communications center. Cost Allocation and Example There is no perfect cost allocation formula for every communication center; there is no consultant, no standard or secret formula that will produce exactly the right funding formula ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 68

78 for any given group. The allocation formula that is correct for this communication center is the one that all the stakeholders can agree on. The governing body of the communications center, in consultation with advisory groups, will determine the allocation formula or formulas for all participants within the center. There are myriad approaches to cost allocation, and which elements and factors a given group might choose to include are nearly limitless. Below are some commonly used approaches to cost allocation: 1. Call volume, based on: a. Total CAD events b. Non-officer initiated CAD events c calls for service on a per-area basis d calls for service plus business/non-emergency calls per agency e. All of the above with various weighting factors assigned to each element 2. Allocation by discipline, in which each discipline (Law, Fire, EMS) are assigned either a negotiated or call based percentage of total cost. Agencies within each discipline may be assigned a cost based on another metric, or they may negotiate a rate among themselves to meet the obligation. 3. Ability to pay metrics such as: a. Assessed valuation of the jurisdiction served b. Assessed valuation modified by services levies and fees collected c. Dedicated sales tax d. Dedicated property tax 4. Per-position costing, in which the total costs of the center are divided by the number of dispatch positions being operated. Agencies sharing a dispatch position determine their individual contributions between themselves (most often used with Fire/EMS positions). 5. Number of sworn personnel per agency 6. Population only a. Modified for day and night time populations b. Modified by resident and transient/tourist population levels 7. Minimum buy-ins for all agencies 8. Services provided by the organization a. Some users may receive radio maintenance services and dispatch while others may receive only dispatch b. Ancillary services like MDT and Reverse may be charged for actual use plus a minimum maintenance fee, for example Often a combination of elements is used to reach the final allocation formula. It is not unusual for a communications center to allocate costs based on some call volume metric and include a minimum contribution level. This accounts for both the fact that there is a fixed cost to staff the ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 69

79 position and the users of the dispatch position place unequal demands on the resources of that position. ADCOMM developed two examples of allocation formulae for this report. These are examples only; stakeholders must take care to avoid becoming caught up in the particulars of these examples and focus instead on reaching agreement on one that will work for this consolidated center. Arriving at the correct funding formula is an area for which we recommend facilitation by a third party. ADCOMM calculated one possible user fee allocation based on non-officer initiated CAD events using 2012 data (see Table 9). 57 The calculation is based on several assumptions: 1. The surcharge is raised and $1.50 is used to support the consolidated center. 2. CAD event count is the metric used to allocate costs. 3. No other funding source beside the surcharge is used. 4. The budget used is Option 1, the highest personnel count option. 5. The total budget amount is $4,856,495. The amount left to users to fund after the surcharge amount is applied is $2,997,293. TABLE 9 One Example of a Cost Allocation Formula Using CAD Event Count as the Metric CAD Incident Agency Volume 2012 Percentage Allocated Amount DPS (Alaska State Troopers) 23, $1,259,589 Houston Fire $17,143 MSB EMS 7, $385,066 MSB Fire 2, $144,373 MSB Rescue $30,331 Palmer Fire $33,126 Palmer Police Department 12, $653,610 Palmer Rescue $9,073 WPD 8, $464,981 Total 56, $2,997,293 ADCOMM also created an example of a per-position based cost allocation formula (see Table 10). In this variation, the total costs of the center are divided by dispatch position, and the costs per position are further divided by the users of each position. The same assumptions from the above example are used in this sample. 1. The surcharge is raised and $1.50 is used to support the consolidated center. 2. CAD event count is the metric used to allocate costs. 57 Given the difficulty of determining accurate CAD event counts for 2012, the data presented here should be considered representative only. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 70

80 3. No other funding source beside the surcharge is used. 4. The budget used is Option 1, the highest personnel count option. 5. The total budget amount is $4,856,495. The amount left to users to fund after the surcharge amount is applied is $2,997,293. TABLE 10 In This Example, the Total Center Cost is Divided by the Number of Dispatch Positions DPS has two positions AST and Data Budget Option 1 Total Budget $4,856,495 Surcharge ($1.50) $1,859,202 Remainder (funded by users) $2,997,293 Cost per position (5 positions) $599,458 PPD, WPD, AST, Data, Fire DPS (2 positions) $1,198,917 Palmer $599,458 Wasilla $599,458 Fire/EMS $599,498 The final example illustrates allocations when users share dispatch positions, as in Budget Option 2 (see Table 11). TABLE 11 Sharing a Dispatch Position Reduces the Cost per User in This Model This example assumes a 50/50 split in costs between Palmer and Wasilla for sharing a dispatch position Budget Option 2 Total Budget $4,354,168 Surcharge ($1.50) $1,859,202 Remainder (funded by users) $2,494,966 Law, AST, Data, Fire Cost per position (4 positions) $623,741 DPS (2 positions) $1,247,483 Palmer (1/2 position) $311,870 Wasilla (1/2 position) $311,870 Fire/EMS $623,741 Summary Surcharges dedicated to providing services are a mainstay of emergency communications funding throughout the country, and Alaska law recognizes the funding mechanism s value. Providing service is considered a regional service by virtue of the Borough s ownership of the telephone system, and extending that funding to operation of a consolidated center is clearly anticipated in the law. Given the other options, using the surcharge to fund a significant portion of the center is preferable to incurring debt or relying on State or Federal grants. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 71

81 User fees and contracts for services are the other major component of funding for ongoing operations. Surcharge funds will offset some, but not all, of the costs of a consolidated center. Charging a fee for services rendered is very common practice in both the public and private sectors. Together, surcharge, user fees, and contracts for service are the most local sources of funding, are the most reliable, and are most subject to the highest level of local control. Grants and legislative appropriations should be used when a particular need has been identified and the long-term impact of the funding has been evaluated and accommodated. The new service or facility implemented with grant money or a congressional earmark has to be maintained after the funds have been expended, and such obligations must be accounted for before accepting the money. Debt, like grants, has its place in the overall funding picture. Typically, debt should only be used for large capital projects, and only then to the extent necessary. The Borough has extensive experience with construction and capital projects so there is no need to reiterate the best practices with regard to debt obligation here. Figure 16 shows varying levels of surcharge and participant contributions for each of the three options given above. The table assumes that all of the surcharge money is available to contribute to the consolidated communications center. Partner's Contributions Relative to 911 Surcharge Rates Projection $4,000,000 $3,500,000 $3,000,000 $2,500,000 $2,000,000 $1,500,000 $1,000,000 $500,000 $- Surcharge Rate $1.00 Surcharge Rate $1.50 Surcharge Rate $1.75 Surcharge Rate $2.00 Projected Base Case Population Growth Surcharge Revenue $1,239,468 $1,859,202 $2,169,069 $2,478,937 Partners Contribution (Option 1) $3,617,027 $2,997,293 $2,687,426 $2,377,558 Partners Contribution (Option 2) $3,107,701 $2,487,967 $2,178,100 $1,868,232 Partners Contribution (Option 3) $2,796,634 $2,176,900 $1,867,033 $1,557,165 FIGURE 16 Partner Contributions Compared to Surcharges Collected at Various Rate Levels, for Each of the Three Budget Options ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 72

82 Recommendation ADCOMM recommends raising the surcharge to $2.00 to fund the consolidated center. We also recommend structuring user fees and contracts for service to fund the remainder of operational costs associated with the consolidated center. Grants and any form of debt should be used only for large equipment purchases, facilities costs, and other significant financial burden. Existing grant funds and earmarked funds existing within the stakeholders budgets should be used to offset the startup costs of the new organization. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 73

83 Facilities Options A new dispatch center would need to support the staff required for a consolidated center as well as allow for growth. Based on the previous analysis of the staffing required, equipment space, administrative space, storage, and training facilities, we recommend the following square footage values (Table 12). TABLE 12 Facility Programming Recommendations Space Description Square Footage Dispatch Floor (space for 8 positions) 1,200 Electronics/Communications Equipment Room 800 Electrical Equipment Room 400 Mechanical Spaces 400 Kitchen/Break Spaces 300 Manager s Office 120 Supervisor s Office 100 Operations Manager s Office 120 Administrative Workspace/Office 150 Storage 400 Technical Manager s Office/Workspace 300 Janitor s Closet 40 Training/Conference Room 350 Restrooms (ADA Compliant) 300 Lockers/Hallways/Entrance 400 Subtotal Estimated 5,380 Circulation 600 Total Minimum 5,980 Design Value Estimate 6,500 The spaces are defined below. Dispatch Floor This space is for the dispatch consoles and some counter and storage space along the walls. The design is for eight console positions. Each console space is allotted 150 square feet to allow for ADA access and movement around the room. Electronics/Communications Equipment Room This space is for the computer, data processing, data networking, radio, console, etc. equipment to be installed. All of this type of equipment would share the space. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 74

84 Electrical Equipment Room This space is for the power panels, alarm panels, generator transfer switch, UPS system, and the other miscellaneous building electrical and control systems. Mechanical Spaces This space is for the heating and air conditioning equipment. Kitchen/Break Spaces This space is for an employee kitchen space and includes a cooking, eating, and break space. Dispatch Manager s Office This space is for the dispatch center manager s office and would include a small conference table. Operations Manager s Office This space is for the Operations Manager s space and includes enough space for a small conference table for confidential employee meetings. Supervisor s Office This is for the dispatch floor supervisors to have a workspace that is not on the dispatch floor and to deal with immediate personnel issues that may arise. This will be a shared space with all of the dispatch supervisor staff. The space should have a door and privacy shades on any windows. Administrative Workspace/Office This space is for the facility receptionist/administrative assistant and includes space for file storage. Storage This is space for training materials, public information, emergency supplies, etc. Technical Office/Workspace This space is for the technical manager and includes work counter space and storage for electronic and computer parts. Janitor s Closet This is space for cleaning equipment and supplies. Training/Conference Room This space is for employee training and as a larger conference room for general meeting space. This may be programmed to act as emergency bunk space for prolonged emergencies requiring staff to remain on premises. Restrooms (ADA Compliant) This is for one male and one female restroom that is ADA compliant and contains a small shower to accommodate prolonged staffing due to emergencies. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 75

85 Lockers/Hallways/Entrance This is a space allotment for entrance space, locker space (along a wall), and for hallways. Circulation This is a general space allotment for lost space, walls, movement around equipment and storage, doors, etc. Design Value Estimate This is the recommend amount to use for budgeting purposes at this point until detailed space planning and facility programming can be completed. Facility Cost Estimate It is beyond the scope of this project to provide a detailed facility study and site locations. Some preliminary work was done. The cost for a facility depends on a variety of factors including: New or remodel construction. Remodels do not always cost less than new construction depending on the age of the building and general condition. Cost of the property Cost to bring in utilities to the site Construction materials used (wood frame, concrete, steel, etc.) Civil work required at the site Compliance with NFPA 1221, Standard for Emergency Services Communications Systems Seismic design criteria used In addition, the cost of construction is higher in Alaska than in many areas due to the weather and cost of materials. A more refined cost would be developed as part of a facility programming study that would include site costs and a more detailed facility space program. However, ADCOMM feels that using a number of approximately $700 per square foot for new facility construction cost is a reasonable number. This equates for a building construction cost estimated to be approximately $4,500,000. This does not include the cost of the land, the cost to bring utilities to the site, or any complex civil work to make the site ready for construction. Possible Facility Locations It was beyond the scope of this project to identify and select specific sites. However, ADCOMM personnel did spend some time looking at possible parcels of land and/or locations for a new center. These locations should not be considered the only possibilities but may be in the list of likely candidates. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 76

86 Juvenile Justice Center This site is located at approximately 500 Outer Springer Road (Figure 17). It is a flat location and is next to an existing government facility. The site is within line of site to the MTA main offices that would reduce the length of telephone facilities required. In addition, it might be possible to use a microwave link to connect to the telephone company building. Fire Station 62 This property is located at Mile 7 on the Knik Goose Bay Road (4500 South Mainsail) and is owned by the fire district (Figure 18). It appears there are several acres here with some existing development. It is FIGURE 17 Juvenile Justice Center Site not known what utilities, especially telephone and water/sewer are located in the immediate area. Since there is some development at this site already, the site development costs should be less than for an undeveloped parcel. Kincade Building This building is located at approximately the 100 block of Swanson Avenue near the current Department of Emergency Services offices on the North Seward Meridian Highway (Figure 19). A portion of this building is currently being leased by Emergency Services for equipment storage. It is much larger than necessary for the consolidated dispatch center but possibly the building could be used by other government entities to reduce the cost to each entity. ADCOMM did not inspect the interior of the building and it is unknown what seismic standards were used to design the building. FIGURE 18 Fire Station 62 FIGURE 19 Kincade Building ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 77

87 There are a myriad of other government owned properties around the Mat-Su area that may be suitable. It is important that whatever location is chosen, it is on solid soil that will not liquefy during an earthquake and will provide a solid foundation. Recommendation ADCOMM recommends against trying to use either existing facility to house a new consolidated dispatch center. ADCOMM recommends planning for a 6,500-square-foot facility, either a sufficiently constructed building to remodel or new construction. We estimate construction of a new facility in the $4- to $5-million range, depending on the specific location selected. Next Steps CAD System ADCOMM strongly recommends adopting a single CAD system Borough-wide, even if the decision is made not to consolidate the existing centers. Standardizing on a single platform would greatly simplify maintenance, resolve the GIS conversion issues, and provide a higher level of data availability for use in decision support. While there would be some retraining necessary, training all dispatchers on a single CAD system would also greatly improve their ability to work at either center in times of need. The single CAD effort should begin immediately to take advantage of the better coordination between agencies. This should be done regardless of where the consolidated center is located. 58 Consolidation Commitment The idea of a consolidated communications center in Mat-Su Borough is not new; by some accounts the discussions have been going on for more than 10 years. Political and financial winds have certainly shifted several times in the past decade, and they will continue to shift in the coming years. A consolidated dispatch center created now as an independent partnership of stakeholders dedicated to improving public safety communications into the future is the step needed to address the increasing demands that are so clearly coming to Mat-Su. ADCOMM recommends each stakeholder municipality and organization sign a binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in the next 30 to 90 days that commits them to the following: 1. Committing financial and staff support as needed to bring the new organization into existence, including legal, incorporation, and other fees 2. Working together with other stakeholders to produce a statement of values, a mission statement, and a charter for the new organization, within 60 days of the MOU signing 3. Completing negotiations with PERS within 120 days of signing the MOU 58 There are good reasons to install the shared CAD system in both existing locations well before the new facility is ready. Reducing the number of new systems and environments that a dispatcher has to contend with at the same time will make transition to the new center easier, and being already familiar with the CAD and telephone systems would be a significant benefit. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 78

88 4. Within 30 days of the organization s incorporation, entering into agreements allowing use of the current dispatch space, equipment, and services by the new organization 5. Within 60 days of the new organization becoming incorporated, transferring all dispatch staff to the new organization (marking the beginning of the operations of the new organization) 6. Obtaining call answering and dispatching services for public safety exclusively from the new organization for 3 years following the beginning of dispatch operations under the new organization The MOUs can form the basis for the full agreements each stakeholder will sign making them partners in the endeavor. Additional elements of that agreement should include cost allocation, asset ownership, member s rights, and withdrawal procedures. Implementation The values and mission statement form the foundation of an organization. Stakeholders coming together to form a new organization will have different views of what the new entity will do, what its values will be, what their own place in the organization will be, who should operate it, how it would be funded, how their own constituents will be represented, and how committed the organization they represent should be to the new entity. 59 The method for answering these questions for each stakeholder is to discover the group s shared values, determine the new organization s mission, and set out goals for the new center. The end result of this work is the organization s mission statement and charter. Determining the organization s values, mission, and charter should be completed quickly; this work is best done in short, focused sessions with stakeholders together. Participants must be empowered to speak for their agencies; those who are not decision makers should not participate. We also recommend involving only those agencies who have, at minimum, an open mind regarding consolidation; those actively opposed to any consolidation can stop progress in its tracks and kill the entire process. (Those who are not at least open to the idea of consolidation are effectively self-selecting out of voluntary consolidation as well, information that is useful to those participants who are working toward consolidation.) The organization s mission should come from the shared values of the organization; one should support the other (see Figure 20). Each constituent of the organization must support the mission, so it is important that the mission be complete and clear. The mission states the organization s reason for being in language specific enough to be clear and complete but not so specific that a change in a particular service renders it moot. Providing excellent emergency communications services to the citizens of Matanuska-Susitna Borough is the start of a good mission statement; 59 The group doing this work is often called a steering, organizing, exploratory, or forming committee but it does not have to have a formal name as it is, by definition, an ad hoc committee. Participation usually does not require a commitment to join the organization that is created, although this should be clearly stated at the beginning. Formal commitments in the form of Memoranda of Understanding, Letters of Intent, or other documents should be required prior to the election/designation of a Board, the formal adoption of a Charter, the adoption of bylaws, the adoption of Articles of Incorporation, and so on. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 79

89 FIGURE 20 Clearly Identified, Shared Values are the Foundation of a Strong Organization (From these flow the mission and the incorporation charter. The charter, mission and shared values provide guidance for hiring the right people, allocating budget, writing policy, and acquiring systems.) We will provide call receiving, radio dispatch, and Project HELP services is probably too specific for a mission statement. 60 This will sort out the ideas of what the new organization will be and what it will achieve. We highly recommend these sessions be facilitated by an outside party to keep the group focused on the end goal. The ad hoc committee should form subcommittees charged with accomplishing specific tasks. These include: Executive: search to identify and recruit a director Facilities: charged with identifying and providing a suitable facility for the center Technical: charged with ensuring all the technical concerns of the new agency are met, including radio, telephone, CAD, voice logging, and others. The technical committee should also handle all licensing changes required by the Federal Communication Commission (FCC). 60 These are excellent statements for the list of services the agency will provide, however. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 80

90 Operations: the group responsible for defining how the communications center will work, how it will train, report, dispatch, receive calls, and so on. This group should work with legal and finance to determine the level of staffing, number of dispatch positions, and other cost-impacting elements of the new organization. Human resources: charged with transitioning staff to the new organization, recruiting and hiring additional staff, developing wage and benefit packages and employment agreements/collective bargaining agreements, and related activities. The committee should include an expert on labor issues. Human resources will typically comprise more than 80 percent of the operating cost of a communications center and as such is the single largest expense. People make communication centers work and it is critical that the staffing needs are addressed thoroughly and collaboratively. Legal and finance: a group with the responsibility to ensure the organization is properly incorporated, has the correct recording and reporting mechanisms in place, and is adhering to the relevant laws and regulations. Since the organization will not legally exist prior to incorporation, legal and finance should be one of the first committees to be activated. The group and the human resources subcommittee, should work closely with PERS to ensure employees can transfer to the new organization without incurring an obligation for their current employer. Assets: a committee sometimes part of legal and finance, is charged with evaluating the existing physical assets throughout the Borough to determine their functional worth to the new organization. The asset committee should recommend acquisition or rejection of available and/or offered assets to the committee at large. In some cases it may be advantageous for constituents to sell the new organization some assets for a low price simply to be rid of the maintenance cost. Once the organization is incorporated, the director hired, and financial systems in place, the stakeholders should consolidate in place as described below. Samples of interlocal agreements are included in Appendix G. Special Considerations PERS ADCOMM performed independent research and engaged collaboratively with the Alaska Division of Retirement and Benefits to determine how PERS law and communication consolidation would interact. PERS regulations currently require a termination study and (potentially) an ongoing contribution obligation on the part of a municipality that eliminates a classification of personnel. If a City eliminated the classification dispatcher from its organization and discharged all the employees of that class, a termination study would be required. The termination study could find that the City would be liable for continued contributions to the PERS fund to make up for the expected funds the City would have contributed on behalf of those (now discharged) employees This actuarial contribution is intended to establish and maintain the health of the overall retirement system. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 81

91 ADCOMM asked the Division what their view would be if the staff from two existing communication centers both departments of existing, PERS-participating municipalities were to become employees of a new, consolidated communications center that would also be a PERS participant. After review by the Division and their legal counsel, they determined that since the employees in question would not have left the PERS system, there would be no further contribution obligation on the part of the municipality. No termination review would be needed. The Division s answer was careful to state that any new organization would have to be a qualified participant in PERS. ADCOMM s question included an example wherein the new communications organization would be a department of the Borough; the Division was comfortable with the Borough s participation status in PERS and predicated their answer on that assumption. When asked about a new organization, separate from Borough government, the Division s answer was more circumspect. The Division would have to review the articles of incorporation and other details to ensure the new organization would be eligible for PERS participation before committing to an answer that removed the obligation for the terminating municipalities to contribute further to the fund. 62 From an implementation perspective, this means that the new organization should seek early involvement by PERS in the development of the controlling documents. The new organization should also seek a written agreement, signed by PERS and by the new entity, attesting that the new organization is eligible for PERS and that no termination study or continued actuarial contribution will be required of the participating municipalities. Formation of the new organization should not proceed until the PERS question has been addressed and a legally binding, written agreement has been signed by all parties involved. Union Participation Another personnel item to consider is that Palmer employees are not represented by any organization for the purposes of collective bargaining whereas Wasilla employees are members of a union. Stakeholders should expect that the new organization will fall under the requirements of Alaska Statue Article 2 the Public Employment Relations Act (PERA). It is ADCOMM s understanding that a newly chartered public organization such as that being recommended would be subject to the usual certification, petition, and election procedures should employees decide to organize. Such activity should be planned for in the implementation timeline. Consolidating In Place As soon as the organization is legally formed, a director is hired, and financial systems for collecting and paying out money are in place, ADCOMM recommends a consolidation in place. In this process each dispatch employee is accepted into the new organization, each agency begins paying the organization for services, and the organization moves forward with procuring space, writing policy, and obtaining systems. The cities and the new organization may negotiate a rental agreement for space and equipment the organization will be 62 The Division also stated that there may be an adjustment in the contributions required of each city following the termination of dispatch employees if the total payroll of the city fell below a certain level. Determining this impact is out of scope for this project; however, it should be fairly simple for each city to determine its status with regard to this requirement. The exchange including the Division s response is included in Appendix F for reference. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 82

92 occupying and using during this period, or in-kind contributions could be accounted for in their contributions to the organization s budget. Consolidating in place solidifies the new organization as an entity separate from any that have existed before and gives the staff an opportunity to form as a new team. Training and orientation should be held jointly whenever possible, and all organization communication should happen simultaneously to all staff members regardless of their physical location. The corporate identity should be formed at this point, as should the culture, expectations, and performance requirements of the new staff. Because it will likely take between 18 and 24 months to locate and build or remodel a suitable space, the implementation of the new or upgraded CAD system will occur before the building is completed. There may also be changes to the radio console system and the telephone systems. Depending on the status of the building, these system changes should be implemented either fully in the existing spaces or partially in the new facility. If possible, installing common equipment in the new building is preferred as it will simplify the transition to the new location when it occurs. Once the facility is ready staff should transition. If done correctly, the number of variables can be kept to a minimum: the telephone and CAD systems will be familiar to the staff already since they will have been using them in their old locations prior to the move. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 83

93 Recommendations Summary ADCOMM recommends the following: 1. Matanuska Susitna Borough, Palmer, Wasilla, Houston, and Alaska DPS (the stakeholders ) create a consolidated emergency communication center responsible for all call processing, law enforcement, and Fire/EMS/Rescue dispatching in the Borough. 2. The consolidated center be formed using staffing levels in Budget Option 1 or Budget Option 2 in order to ensure sufficient supervision and backup for Fire/EMS dispatch. 3. Stakeholders should commit fully, early in the process, and for a time sufficient to allow the new organization to mature in order to increase the chances of creating a viable organization. 4. The stakeholders form an ad hoc committee for the purposes of creating a public, non-profit corporation as the legal governance structure for the consolidated communications center. 5. The stakeholders, through subcommittees and legal representation, engage the Alaska Division of Retirement and Benefits early in the formation of incorporating documents and, further, seek legally binding agreements regarding the new organization s eligibility for PERS participating and the release from liability of the participating municipalities for actuarial contributions for the transferred personnel. 6. Mat-Su Borough, Palmer, Wasilla, and AST form an ad hoc technical committee to acquire a shared, area-wide CAD system for installation as soon as it is ready, regardless of the outcome of consolidation discussions. ADCOMM also recommends obtaining automated interfaces to the appropriate RMSs and the state criminal information systems. 7. Mat-Su Borough coordinate plans for NG9-1-1 service with the Alaska state plan, paying particular attention to whether an ESInet will be needed and if the current telephone system will reach end of life before Alaska is ready to implement. 8. The Borough should obtain complete as-built drawings, programming, and other documentation on the existing telephone system from microdata. 9. Work with the State ALMR program to determine exact replacement schedules for existing radio consoles and, if possible, leverage the consolidation to obtain state funding for the new consoles, as they will be fewer in number in the new organization than exist currently in the Borough. 10. When considering new technology and functionality, pay particular attention to increased demands on dispatcher resources, given the increased workload that is expected based on growth projections in the Borough. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page 84

94 Appendix A Budget Information

95 Appendix A Budget Information ADCOMM gathered the current expenditure data from the City of Wasilla, the City of Palmer, and Mat-Su Borough. This data provided a benchmark for comparison and validation of some of the budget assumptions, for example the Borough s cost to maintain the telephone system and salaries/benefits of existing personnel. Data was also gathered from three sources within Washington state that have similar size operations as the proposed consolidated communications center. These sources of data were used to fill in budget gaps within the combined expenditures from the three Alaska agencies, for example we were not able to definitively determine the administrative overhead costs for services like human resource management, legal assistance, and IT support. Almost all of the budget data was anchored to a solid source on which the assumptions were made either existing expenditure data or comparable agency data. Some of the data was placed in the budget to acknowledge there would be a cost but a definitive cost was not available so an educated assumption was made. Legal support is a good example, because in the early years of the organization there will undoubtedly be more legal support required but over time will be reduced to a normal operational level. An example of a budget assumption that has an anchor but may be overstated is the agency director/operations manager position. The Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development provides very good data about wages in Alaska and in the Anchorage/Mat-Su MSA; however, the data was not specific enough to capture the wage ranges for the director and managers for the organization. The wage data for these positions was gathered from Mat-Su Borough Human Resources using similar level department heads and managers as examples of the levels of responsibility the positions require. Lease, rent, or building debt service was another major area of the budget that required some assumptions. The consolidated organization may or may not have this expense depending on the decisions made about facility procurement process. Recognizing that there are many variables associated with borrowing capital funds, we simply assumed a 20-year, $3.5 million debt service at 3 percent interest as a placeholder of about $230,000 annually in the budgets. Staffing Calculations Staffing level is the primary cost driver for a communications center; 80 percent of operational cost is the minimum proportion of personnel costs in a typical center budget. It is therefore important to understand how the staffing numbers were calculated. There are three factors used when determining the number of employees for a dispatch organization: 1. Number of required physical work positions (i.e., how many Law dispatch positions, Fire/EMS dispatch positions, call receiver positions, etc.) 2. How many hours of coverage each work position requires per year 3. How many hours each employee is available to be present at a position ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page A-1

96 After determining the number of work positions to be staffed (see main text), it is necessary to know how many hours each employee would have to devote to operating the position. Like other employees, dispatch personnel are entitled to annual leave, sick leave, breaks, meals, and other absences from work. Unlike other professions, the work of a dispatch position cannot simply be moved to another day or another position. Dispatching is about being ready to respond, so a person needs to be at each working position for the designated hours, regardless of who sits in the seat. Determining the number of people needed to staff each position involves an organization s policies regarding absences from the primary job functions and the efficiency of an organization s schedule. ADCOMM compared the personal leave, training, holidays, and other policies of Wasilla and Palmer, applied some assumptions regarding allowed absences, and further assumed the most effective schedule configuration (5 days on, 2 days off, 8-hour shifts) to calculate an employee s availability to work at a position. The sum of these calculations shows that an employee paid for 2,080 hours of work per year would, after vacation, sick leave, training, holidays, and other absences are deducted, be available to perform work at the center for 1,559 hours per calendar year. 63 Applying each employee s availability to work to the required hours of coverage for each position yields the following staffing requirements for each configuration: TABLE A-1 Total Operations Personnel Needed for Each Dispatch Center Configuration Option 64 Option 1 Option 2 Option 3 Dispatchers Call Receivers Supervisor Total Ops Personnel To calculate employee costs, ADCOMM evaluated current pay schedules, taxes, and benefits from Palmer and Wasilla. We divided employees in similar positions into tenure bands based on the time each employee has worked for their respective department (less than 1 year, 1 year to 2 years, and so on.) We assigned the higher hourly rate to each tenure band where there was difference in pay between the two centers. Finally, we used Palmer s provided costs for health care, PERS contributions, and other employer-provided benefits to derive a final fully encumbered wage for each tenure band. This gives a model of what the per-employee cost might be for a new communications center assuming that existing PSAP employees would make up the bulk of the new staff and provides a baseline entry level cost for new people the new center would need to employ. 63 This is a best case scenario applied across a mixed work force of veterans and new employees. Both Palmer and Wasilla have a wide range of employee tenure and thus personal time off accrual rates. Additionally, Palmer has a minimum required annual leave policy requiring employees to take 80 hours of personal time off per year. The specifics of the new organization s leave, holiday, training, compensatory time, and other absence policies would have to be crafted as part of the determined during the organization s formation period. 64 All staff requirement calculation results were rounded up to the nearest whole number. Each option includes only operations personnel; management, technical, and administrative staff are not included in these numbers. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page A-2

97 For director, operations manager, technician, and administrative assistant wages, ADCOMM used Alaska statewide figures, cross-checked them with similar positions in Palmer, Wasilla and/or the Borough, and applied the same employer-provided contributions to estimate the full encumbered wage. 65 Schedule Availability Calculations Schedule: 5-2(8) Hours % of Time Scheduled Shift Hours: % Actual Shift Hours: % Actual # of Shifts Worked: % Shift Duration 8 Meals/Breaks 1 # of days in rotation 7 Rotations in yr Days off in rotation 2 Days off in yr Days Hours Running total % avail. Base % Days Off % Vacation % Sick % Compassionate % Holiday % Comp % Insvc Trng % Injury % Turnover % Meals/Breaks % 65 May 2012 Wages in Alaska Alaska Statewide, Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Research and Analysis Section retrieved July 23, 2013, from ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page A-3

98 Schedules and Positions Option 1 PPD WPD AST AST/Data Fire/EMS CR (2/3) Supervisor Annual Availability Employees DPs: 29 CRs: 4 SUPs: 6 2 City Law AST AST/Data Fire/EMS CR (2/3) Supervisor Annual Availability Employees DPs: 23 CRs: 4 SUPs: 6 3 City Law AST AST/Data Fire/EMS CR (2/3) Supervisor Annual Availability Employees DPs: 23 CRs: 4 SUPs: 3 ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page A-4

99 Appendix B Budget Options

100 Sample Budget Option 1 MatSu Borough Public Safety Communications Center 2014 % Difference Combined LINE 39 Operations Personnel Model Proposed Combined to 2013 Budgets ITEM # CATEGORY Budget 2014 Proposed Administration Salaries/ Wages Executive Director $109,574 Operatons Manager $94,619 Technical Manager/CAD Administrator $94,619 Administrative Assistant $49,836 Note: Wages are mid-range Borough range 33 for Executive Director and mid-range range 30 for Managers Note: Wage according to: May 2012 Wages in Alaska -- Alaska Statewide ; Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Research and Analysis Section). Published wages are mid-range. $0 Salaries/Wages TOTAL $348,648 No Data Administration Employee Benefits Health Insurance $82,057 FICA $13,569 PERS $39,022 SBS Unemployment $1,560 Worker's Comp $4,931 $0 Employee Benefits TOTAL $141,139 No Data Operations Salaries/ Wages $1,915,335 Regular Salaries (6 Supervisors, 4 Call Takers, 29 Dispatchers) $1,856,983 Temporary Wages $163,716 Overtime (calculated at 10%) $185,698 Earned Leave Compensation $2,079,051 Salaries/Wages TOTAL $2,042, % Operations Employee Benefits $871,651 Health Insurance $868,088 $20,364 FICA $142,059 $315,752 PERS $408,536 $87,028 SBS $13,039 Unemployment $17,000 $14,006 Worker's Comp $51,624 $1,321,841 Employee Benefits TOTAL $1,487, % Medical Services Pre-Employment drug screen, vision and hearing $2,400 Psychological screening Consultation Incident Stress (CISM) Misc medical $0 Medical Services TOTAL $2,400 No Data General & Administrative $1,000 Advertising $500 $13,050 Office & Operating Supplies $14,000 $26,200 Office Equipment Leases $28,000 Debt Service-- Other $0 $40,250 General & Administrative TOTAL $42, % Professional Services $1,300 Legal $10,000 Human Resources $45,000 Billing Services $3,000 IT Services $3,000 GIS Services $3,000 Radio Services $3,000 Organizational Culture, Change Management Consulting/Training $3,000 $1,000 Other $1,000 $2,300 Professional Services TOTAL $71, % Computer Supplies Replacement keyboards, mouse, video cards, ergonomics, etc. $1,500 $2,000 Computer Software $2,000 $2,000 Computer Supplies TOTAL $3, % Equipment Under $5,000 Dispatch Computers & Monitors $3,000 Administrative Computers & Monitors $1,500 Headsets $500 Dispatch Chairs $1,500 Task lighting Office Equipment $1,000 $6,000 Small Tools & Equipment Misc Equipment $1,000 $6,000 Equipment Under $5,000 TOTAL $8, %

101 Sample Budget Option 1 MatSu Borough Public Safety Communications Center 2014 % Difference Combined LINE 39 Operations Personnel Model Proposed Combined to 2013 Budgets ITEM # CATEGORY Budget 2014 Proposed Telephone & Communications Systems $58, Telephone System $60,000 Administrative Telephone System Language Translation Services $5,000 Fax Lines Dispatch Cellular Phones Managers & Supervisors Cell Phones $3,600 Information Services -- Cable & Internet $1,800 $49,968 Communications Network -- Connectivity and Bandwidth Charges $50,000 $108,802 Telephone & Communications Systems TOTAL $120, % Travel Transportation Meals Lodging Misc. $15,100 $15,000 $15,100 Maintenance TOTAL $15, % Training, Fees, & Subscriptions $4,200 Training $5,000 $10,500 Dues & Subscriptions $11,000 $9,000 Staff Development $10,000 Misc. $23,700 Maintenance TOTAL $26, % Maintenance CAD Maintenance $65,000 $16, Telephone System Maintenance $17,000 Administrative Telephone System Maintenance $11,000 Voice Logging Recorder Maintenance $15,000 Radio System Maintenance $35,000 $16,650 Maintenance TOTAL $143, % Facilities $564 Lease/Debt Service $232,920 $13,077 Insurance $14,000 $19,500 Utilities -- Electricity, Heat, Water, Sewer, Garbage, etc $20,000 $106,186 Building Maintenance & Repair $110,000 Grounds Maintenance Janitorial Service $139,327 Facilities TOTAL $376, % Capital Equipment Replacement Fund $24,750 CAD & Peripherals Replacement/upgrades $25, Telephone System Replacment/upgrades Administrative Telephone System Replacement/upgrades Voice Logging Recorder Replacement/upgrades $24,750 Capital Equipment Replacement Fund TOTAL $25, % Miscellaneous $2,390 Fuel $2,500 $0 $2,390 Miscellaneous TOTAL $2, % $3,743,361 TOTAL FOR COST CENTER $4,856, % Increase/Decrease from Combined 29.74%

102 Sample Budget Option 2 MatSu Borough Public Safety Communications Center 2014 % Difference Combined LINE 33 Operations Personnel Model Proposed Combined to 2013 Budgets ITEM # CATEGORY Budget 2014 Proposed Administration Salaries/ Wages Executive Director $109,574 Operatons Manager $94,619 Technical Manager/CAD Administrator $94,619 Administrative Assistant $49,836 Note: Wages are mid-range Borough range 33 for Executive Director and mid-range range 30 for Managers Note: Wage according to: May 2012 Wages in Alaska -- Alaska Statewide ; Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Research and Analysis Section). Published wages are mid-range. $0 Salaries/Wages TOTAL $348,648 No Data Administration Employee Benefits Health Insurance $82,057 FICA $13,569 PERS $39,022 SBS Unemployment $1,560 Worker's Comp $4,931 $0 Employee Benefits TOTAL $141,139 No Data Salaries/ Wages $1,915,335 Regular Salaries (6 Supervisors, 4 Call Takers, 23 Dispatchers) $1,599,021 Temporary Wages $163,716 Overtime (calculated at 10%) $159,902 Earned Leave Compensation $2,079,051 Salaries/Wages TOTAL $1,758, % Employee Benefits $871,651 Health Insurance $735,176 $20,364 FICA $122,325 $315,752 PERS $351,785 $87,028 SBS $13,039 Unemployment $15,000 $14,006 Worker's Comp $44,453 $1,321,841 Employee Benefits TOTAL $1,268, % Medical Services Pre-Employment drug screen, vision and hearing $2,400 Psychological screening Consultation Incident Stress (CISM) Misc medical $0 Medical Services TOTAL $2,400 No Data General & Administrative $1,000 Advertising $500 $13,050 Office & Operating Supplies $14,000 $26,200 Office Equipment Leases $28,000 Debt Service-- Other $0 $40,250 General & Administrative TOTAL $42, % Professional Services $1,300 Legal $10,000 Human Resources $45,000 Billing Services $3,000 IT Services $3,000 GIS Services $3,000 Radio Services $3,000 Organizational Culture, Change Management Consulting/Training $3,000 $1,000 Other $1,000 $2,300 Professional Services TOTAL $71, % Computer Supplies Replacement keyboards, mouse, video cards, ergonomics, etc. $1,500 $2,000 Computer Software $2,000 $2,000 Computer Supplies TOTAL $3, % Equipment Under $5,000 Dispatch Computers & Monitors $3,000 Administrative Computers & Monitors $1,500 Headsets $500 Dispatch Chairs $1,500 Task lighting Office Equipment $1,000 $6,000 Small Tools & Equipment Misc Equipment $1,000 $6,000 Equipment Under $5,000 TOTAL $8, %

103 Sample Budget Option 2 MatSu Borough Public Safety Communications Center 2014 % Difference Combined LINE 33 Operations Personnel Model Proposed Combined to 2013 Budgets ITEM # CATEGORY Budget 2014 Proposed Telephone & Communications Systems $58, Telephone System $60,000 Administrative Telephone System Language Translation Services $5,000 Fax Lines Dispatch Cellular Phones Managers & Supervisors Cell Phones $3,600 Information Services -- Cable & Internet $1,800 $49,968 Communications Network -- Connectivity and Bandwidth Charges $50,000 $108,802 Telephone & Communications Systems TOTAL $120, % Travel Transportation Meals Lodging Misc. $15,100 $15,000 $15,100 Maintenance TOTAL $15, % Training, Fees, & Subscriptions $4,200 Training $5,000 $10,500 Dues & Subscriptions $11,000 $9,000 Staff Development $10,000 Misc. $23,700 Maintenance TOTAL $26, % Maintenance CAD Maintenance $65,000 $16, Telephone System Maintenance $17,000 Administrative Telephone System Maintenance $11,000 Voice Logging Recorder Maintenance $15,000 Radio System Maintenance $35,000 $16,650 Maintenance TOTAL $143, % Facilities $564 Lease/Debt Service $232,920 $13,077 Insurance $14,000 $19,500 Utilities -- Electricity, Heat, Water, Sewer, Garbage, etc $20,000 $106,186 Building Maintenance & Repair $110,000 Grounds Maintenance Janitorial Service $139,327 Facilities TOTAL $376, % Capital Equipment Replacement Fund $24,750 CAD & Peripherals Replacement/upgrades $25, Telephone System Replacment/upgrades Administrative Telephone System Replacement/upgrades Voice Logging Recorder Replacement/upgrades $24,750 Capital Equipment Replacement Fund TOTAL $25, % Miscellaneous $2,390 Fuel $2,500 $0 $2,390 Miscellaneous TOTAL $2, % $3,743,361 TOTAL FOR COST CENTER $4,354, % Increase/Decrease from Combined 16.32%

104 Sample Budget Option 3 MatSu Borough Public Safety Communications Center 2014 % Difference Combined LINE 30 Operations Personnel Model Proposed Combined to 2013 Budgets ITEM # CATEGORY Budget 2014 Proposed Administration Salaries/ Wages Executive Director $109,574 Operatons Manager $94,619 Technical Manager/CAD Administrator $94,619 Administrative Assistant $49,836 Note: Wages are mid-range Borough range 33 for Executive Director and mid-range range 30 for Managers Note: Wage according to: May 2012 Wages in Alaska -- Alaska Statewide ; Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Research and Analysis Section). Published wages are mid-range. $0 Salaries/Wages TOTAL $348,648 No Data Administration Employee Benefits Health Insurance $82,057 FICA $13,569 PERS $39,022 SBS Unemployment $1,560 Worker's Comp $4,931 $0 Employee Benefits TOTAL $141,139 No Data Salaries/ Wages $1,915,335 Regular Salaries (3 Supervisors, 4 Call Takers, 23 Dispatchers) $1,427,982 Temporary Wages $163,716 Overtime (calculated at 10%) $142,798 Earned Leave Compensation $2,079,051 Salaries/Wages TOTAL $1,570, % Employee Benefits $871,651 Health Insurance $668,720 $20,364 FICA $109,241 $315,752 PERS $314,156 $87,028 SBS $13,039 Unemployment $14,000 $14,006 Worker's Comp $39,698 $1,321,841 Employee Benefits TOTAL $1,145, % Medical Services Pre-Employment drug screen, vision and hearing $2,400 Psychological screening Consultation Incident Stress (CISM) Misc medical $0 Medical Services TOTAL $2,400 No Data General & Administrative $1,000 Advertising $500 $13,050 Office & Operating Supplies $14,000 $26,200 Office Equipment Leases $28,000 Debt Service-- Other $0 $40,250 General & Administrative TOTAL $42, % Professional Services $1,300 Legal $10,000 Human Resources $45,000 Billing Services $3,000 IT Services $3,000 GIS Services $3,000 Radio Services $3,000 Organizational Culture, Change Management Consulting/Training $3,000 $1,000 Other $1,000 $2,300 Professional Services TOTAL $71, % Computer Supplies Replacement keyboards, mouse, video cards, ergonomics, etc. $1,500 $2,000 Computer Software $2,000 $2,000 Computer Supplies TOTAL $3, % Equipment Under $5,000 Dispatch Computers & Monitors $3,000 Administrative Computers & Monitors $1,500 Headsets $500 Dispatch Chairs $1,500 Task lighting Office Equipment $1,000 $6,000 Small Tools & Equipment Misc Equipment $1,000 $6,000 Equipment Under $5,000 TOTAL $8, %

105 Sample Budget Option 3 MatSu Borough Public Safety Communications Center 2014 % Difference Combined LINE 30 Operations Personnel Model Proposed Combined to 2013 Budgets ITEM # CATEGORY Budget 2014 Proposed Telephone & Communications Systems $58, Telephone System $60,000 Administrative Telephone System Language Translation Services $5,000 Fax Lines Dispatch Cellular Phones Managers & Supervisors Cell Phones $3,600 Information Services -- Cable & Internet $1,800 $49,968 Communications Network -- Connectivity and Bandwidth Charges $50,000 $108,802 Telephone & Communications Systems TOTAL $120, % Travel Transportation Meals Lodging Misc. $15,100 $15,000 $15,100 Maintenance TOTAL $15, % Training, Fees, & Subscriptions $4,200 Training $5,000 $10,500 Dues & Subscriptions $11,000 $9,000 Staff Development $10,000 Misc. $23,700 Maintenance TOTAL $26, % Maintenance CAD Maintenance $65,000 $16, Telephone System Maintenance $17,000 Administrative Telephone System Maintenance $11,000 Voice Logging Recorder Maintenance $15,000 Radio System Maintenance $35,000 $16,650 Maintenance TOTAL $143, % Facilities $564 Lease/Debt Service $232,920 $13,077 Insurance $14,000 $19,500 Utilities -- Electricity, Heat, Water, Sewer, Garbage, etc $20,000 $106,186 Building Maintenance & Repair $110,000 Grounds Maintenance Janitorial Service $139,327 Facilities TOTAL $376, % Capital Equipment Replacement Fund $24,750 CAD & Peripherals Replacement/upgrades $25, Telephone System Replacment/upgrades Administrative Telephone System Replacement/upgrades Voice Logging Recorder Replacement/upgrades $24,750 Capital Equipment Replacement Fund TOTAL $25, % Miscellaneous $2,390 Fuel $2,500 $0 $2,390 Miscellaneous TOTAL $2, % $3,743,361 TOTAL FOR COST CENTER $4,043, % Increase/Decrease from Combined 8.01%

106 Appendix C Legal Citations from the Text

107 Appendix C Legal Citations from the Text The following laws, rules, and regulations are cited in the text and are provided here for easy access by the reader. Sec Assessment and Collection of Taxes (a) A borough shall assess and collect property, sales, and use taxes that are levied in its boundaries, subject to AS (b) Taxes levied by a city shall be collected by a borough and returned in full to the levying city. This subsection applies to home rule and general law municipalities. ( 10 ch 74 SLA 1985) Sec Emergency services communications centers. (a) A municipality may establish an emergency services communications center with one or more other municipalities and one or more state, federal, or private agencies that provide emergency service communications to the same geographic area. An emergency services communications center established under this section may be organized and operated as a public nonprofit corporation under AS (b) An emergency services communications center under this section may be governed by a board of directors. A member of a board of directors of an emergency services communications center serves without compensation but is entitled to per diem and travel expenses. If an emergency services communications center is organized as a nonprofit corporation, a member of its board of directors may not be employed by the nonprofit corporation. (c) An emergency services communications center may assess the feasibility and desirability of providing emergency services communications for the geographic area in which it is located through one central office. An emergency services communications center may (1) combine or coordinate the existing emergency services communications programs of the participating municipalities and agencies; (2) operate a dispatch center to receive all requests for emergency services and dispatch those services; (3) study the need for improvement in the timely delivery of emergency services to residents of the participating municipalities; (4) hold public hearings to obtain information concerning the timely delivery of emergency services; (5) apply for and accept federal, state, municipal, and private money, property, or assistance for use in providing the timely delivery of emergency services; (6) enter into contracts to carry out the provisions of this section; (7) employ personnel necessary to carry out the provisions of this section. (d) In this section, (1) "emergency services" means services provided by law enforcement agencies, fire departments, ambulance services, and other organizations that are intended to respond to emergency situations of imminent danger to life or property; ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page C-1

108 (2) "state agency" means a department, division, or office in the executive branch of state government. Alaska State Constitution Article 10 - Local Government 1. Purpose and Construction The purpose of this article is to provide for maximum local self-government with a minimum of local government units, and to prevent duplication of tax-levying jurisdictions. A liberal construction shall be given to the powers of local government units. 2. Local Government Powers All local government powers shall be vested in boroughs and cities. The State may delegate taxing powers to organized boroughs and cities only. 4. The governing body of the organized borough shall be the assembly, and its composition shall be established by law or charter. [Amended 1972] 7. Cities Cities shall be incorporated in a manner prescribed by law, and shall be a part of the borough in which they are located. Cities shall have the powers and functions conferred by law or charter. They may be merged, consolidated, classified, reclassified, or dissolved in the manner provided by law. 8. The governing body of a city shall be the council. 11. Home Rule Powers A home rule borough or city may exercise all legislative powers not prohibited by law or by charter. 13. Agreements; Transfer of Powers Agreements, including those for cooperative or joint administration of any functions or powers, may be made by any local government with any other local government, with the State, or with the United States, unless otherwise provided by law or charter. A city may transfer to the borough in which it is located any of its powers or functions unless prohibited by law or charter, and may in like manner revoke the transfer. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page C-2

109 Appendix D CAD Upgrade Cost Estimate, InterAct Systems

110 Appendix D CAD Upgrade Cost Estimate, InterAct Systems InterAct provided the following upgrade information to ADCOMM during the study. InterAct Pricing Summary InterActCAD Software $58,500 Hardware $35,950 Services $65,500 Maintenance/Support $14,217 Subtotal $174,167 InterActMaps Software $20,625 Services $9,000 Maintenance/Support $4,125 Subtotal $33,750 InterActMobile Software $187,000 Hardware $4,149 Services $19,500 Maintenance/Support $39,230 Subtotal $249,878 InterAct Proposal Summary Total $457,795 Recurring Annual Maintenance & Support $56,571 (Beginning 2nd year) ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page D-1

111 Appendix E Growth in Mat-Su Borough

112 Appendix E Growth in Mat-Su Borough University of Alaska ISER, Economic and Demographic Projections for Alaska and Greater Anchorage (Goldsmith, 2009) Mat-Su Borough is experiencing significant growth compared to the other large urban areas within the State of Alaska. Determining the population growth rate is an essential factor in determining the alternative and recommended outcomes for the Mat-Su Borough Consolidated Dispatch Feasibility Study. Interviews with stakeholders and experts all recognized the Borough s growth potential in the coming 20 years. However, there are many factors that could impact how rapidly that growth takes place. The 2009 University of Alaska study addressed the most impactful growth rate factors. Even though the study published in December 2009 is over 3 years old, it is still considered valid for today s projections. For purposes of this feasibility study, ADCOMM will present two alternatives the base case and the high case for population growth. The high case projections exceed population growth predictions resulting from completion of the Knik Arm Bridge, which makes the high case projections the most extreme on the high side. In the 2009 study written by Scott Goldsmith, population and economic growth were projected for two reasons first was an Alaska DOT project that required population projections through 2035, and second was the build-out projection. Build out is the state when all usable space in an area is built to maximum capacity. Both projections were considered using base, high, and low case results. The study also separated the considerations geographically by the entire State of Alaska, the greater Anchorage area and within the greater Anchorage area the Mat-Su Borough area. Comparisons of the base, high, and low cases were presented as well as a comparison to projections considering the Knik Arm Bridge and Toll Authority (KABATA) data, which projected growth based on completion of the Knik Arm Bridge (ISER, 2005). Base, High, and Low Case Comparison Interviews with economic development experts from the Borough revealed their working assumption of a 3.06 to 3.09 percent per year population growth through These assumptions correlate to the base case numbers shown in the tables below. These tables of the base, high, and low rates and comparisons graph are found in the 2009 ISER study. ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page E-1

113 Base Case Growth Rates High Case Growth Rates Low Case Growth Rates (Goldsmith, 2009) ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page E-2

114 When considering the high case for population projections, there are several factors that could stimulate more rapid population increases than the base case. Two initiatives and one constraint will have profound impacts on population growth in the Borough. The rail extension to the Port of MacKenzie and the Knik Arm Bridge are the two initiatives that could have the biggest impact on population by adding ease of access and more jobs. The constraint that impacts all cases of population growth is the inability to build water treatment facilities capable of handling the build out population for the Borough. Railroad Extension A 43-mile rail extension connecting Port MacKenzie to the main railroad just north of Willow is currently about half complete. Completion of the project is expected by When completed, the rail extension will accommodate the transportation needs for at least three commodities from the interior. Coal shipments from the Usibelli Coal Mine in Healy bound for Nikiski coal gasification plant, would be railed to MacKenzie Port and loaded on barges for the remainder of the trip. Healy coal producers are poised to be the first industrial use of the rail line extension once it is complete. Other commodities that could use the deep water port facility once the extension is done include wood chips and sand and gravel. Coal producers use of the port will take an estimated 10 years to ramp up to full production capacities and would add 250 jobs to the economy, 40 of which would be located at the Port. Knik Arm Bridge If the bridge is built, as the KABATA are predicting, it will be the catalyst for population and economic growth for the Mat-Su Borough. Here is one scenario and its impact: Knik Arm Bridge is funded by the Assembly by the end of KABATA predict the bridge could be built and operational by the end of Planning has begun for a natural gas power plant in the Borough by the Goose Creek Correctional Center. (Thought to be 65 percent likely if the bridge is built.) The power plant would become a co-generator of heat. Co-gen heat would be bought by the wastewater treatment plant and correctional facility. The wastewater treatment plant built for the correctional facility is already plumbed and ready for co-gen heat use if the natural gas facility is built. Use of natural gas facility co-gen heat will quadruple the wastewater plant's production capability allowing it to service up to a population of 6,000 residents. If the bridge is not built, the correctional facility wastewater treatment plant will service the expected community of 30 homes. The following table compares the Knik Base to the DOT population projections. The Knik Base numbers were based on a 2005 study that assumed the bridge would be started by 2007 and completed in Since the bridge project has not been funded, started, or completed yet, this data is not current; however, the growth rate percentage would still be valid. If and when the bridge is completed, the Mat-Su Borough should experience a higher growth rate of 0.85 percent ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page E-3

115 higher than the DOT base projection, resulting in the same population increase but in a shorter amount of time. Biggest Obstacle to Population Growth (Goldsmith, 2009) Wastewater treatment facilities will act as the counter-balance to extreme population growth in the Borough. In order to accommodate the population of a fully built out Borough, there would need to be 12 or so wastewater treatment facilities packet plants. At $5 million to $10 million for each packet plant, the cost to provide the infrastructure is simply not possible now or in the foreseeable future. In addition, with a return of investment rate as long as 60 years, private entities are not willing to take the risk at this time either. Growth in Mat-Su Borough Conclusions Population Projections ADCOMM will provide alternatives and recommendations for the Mat-Su Borough Consolidated Dispatch Feasibility Study based on two population assumptions. The first will assume a base case population growth of 3.06 percent annually through 2035, which closely correlate to these Department of Labor and Workforce projections: July 1, 2015 July 1, 2020 July 1, 2025 July 1, 2030 July 1, 2035 Projection Projection Projection Projection Projection Matanuska-Susitna Borough 103, , , , ,693 Source: Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Research and Analysis Section The second set of alternatives and recommendations will assume a high case population growth of 5.03 percent annually through 2035, which is taken from the 2009 ISER study in the following table: ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page E-4

116 July 1, 2015 July 1, 2020 July 1, 2025 July 1, 2030 July 1, 2035 Projection Projection Projection Projection Projection Matanuska-Susitna Borough 103, , , , ,000 CAD Incidents and Population In the chart below, the data compares CAD incidents to population from 2008 through Although not conclusive, there is a strong correlation between population of an area and the number of emergency responses within the area. The correlation percentage of CAD incidents to population ranges from 22 percent to 44 percent higher number of CAD incidents to population. The average correlation percentage for the 5-year period is 33 percent more CAD incidents than population in the area. Mat-Su Borough CAD Incidents & Population by Year % % % % % Total CAD Incidents 102, , , , ,325 Mat-Su Population 83,691 86,074 88,995 91,797 93,801 Percentage Correlation % % % % % ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page E-5

117 Economic and Demographic Projections for Alaska (Goldsmith, 2009) ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page E-6

118 ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page E-7

119 ADCOMM ENGINEERING COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING Page E-8

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