This report is intended for the internal use of the City of Santa Monica, and may not be provided to, used, or relied upon by any third parties.
Proprietary & Confidential
FINAL REPORT
City of Santa Monica
JOINT DISPATCH STUDY
August 8, 2024
Moss Adams LLP
999 Third Ave, Suite 2800
Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 302-6500
Joint Dispatch Study
FOR INTERNAL USE OF CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
Table of Contents
Executive Summary 1
A. Introduction 1
B. Summary of Observations and Recommendations 1
Background, Scope, and Methodology 5
A. Introduction 5
B. Scope and Methodology 5
Commendations 7
Observations and Recommendations 8
Appendix A: Peer Benchmarking 23
Appendix B: Analysis of Organizational Performance 26
Total Call Volume 26
Call Answering Times 26
Police Call Pending Times 26
Fire Call Processing Times 27
Public Perception of Dispatch Services 27
Appendix C: Implementation Plan 28
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City of Santa Monica (the City) engaged its internal auditor Moss Adams, LLP (Moss Adams) to conduct a study to evaluate the effectiveness of the City’s Public Safety Communications Division (PSC), which is responsible for the City’s public safety dispatch services. The objectives of this engagement were to:
• Assess the effectiveness of the City’s consolidated dispatch model • Evaluate PSC’s staffing model and organizational structure • Conduct peer benchmarking to gain insights into PSC’s organizational structure, staffing, and overall performance
We conducted this study between May 2024 and August 2024 using a four-phased approach consisting of project planning and management, fact-finding, analysis, and reporting.
Observations and recommendations are grouped into three sections: (1) Organizational Structure and Staffing, (2) Training and Development, and (3) Organizational Culture and Performance.
OBSERVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Organizational Structure and Staffing
1 Observation
PSC’s minimum staffing levels do not accommodate for employee turnover or leave, which causes an undue strain on operations and can impact PSC’s ability to provide quality service to the community.
Recommendation
A. Consider adding three public safety dispatchers to PSC’s budgeted staffing levels to support PSC’s ability to provide quality dispatch services while staff are on leave and during periods of high turnover.
B. Continue using light duty police officers and non-sworn personnel from the Police and Fire departments to fill staffing gaps when possible. 2 Observation
While PSC’s staff-to-supervisor ratio is comparable to peers, PSC does not have lead dispatcher positions, which is a practice some peers reported finding helpful to support enhanced supervision and opportunities for employee growth and promotion.
Recommendation Consider adding a lead dispatch classification to support effective oversight and the growth and development of PSC employees.
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OBSERVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
3 Observation
Similar to other public safety dispatch agencies, PSC has experienced challenges with employee turnover in recent years and has had difficulty filling vacancies. Such challenges have strained PSC’s operations and services, led to increased overtime, and negatively impacted employee morale.
Recommendation
A. Continue to review compensation for public safety dispatchers on a regular basis (e.g., every two to three years) and adjust as needed to remain competitive and support employee recruitment and retention efforts.
B. In addition to encouraging use of existing mental health and wellness support services, explore whether current mental health and wellness services are sufficient to meet employee needs
C. Regularly collect feedback from staff to proactively identify and address potential issues that may impact employee morale and retention. 4 Observation
There has been a significant increase in mandatory overtime hours per employee since FY 2019, largely due to challenges with understaffing. This has negatively impacted employee morale and contributed to staff burnout.
Recommendation
A. Consider allocating additional funding for dispatcher positions to align staffing levels with the recommendations in Dispatcher Staffing Levels.
B. Revise the PSC overtime policies to reduce the hour limit for shifts from 18 hours to 12 hours to support employee health and wellness and reduce risks of employee burnout.
Training and Development
5 Observation
While PSC has worked to improve training in recent years, PSC lacks a comprehensive formalized program for training staff, which can impact service consistency and dispatcher performance.
Recommendation
A. Continue efforts to develop a formalized training program for new employees that covers all aspects of emergency dispatch and includes both classroom and on-the-job training for a set number of weeks.
B. Ensure PSC is adequately staffed to allow time for staff to participate in ongoing professional development.
C. Continue to provide opportunities for in-house training with the Police and Fire departments to support ongoing collaboration.
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OBSERVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
6 Observation
Very few dispatchers are fully trained in all disciplines, which has created challenges staffing shifts adequately and contributed to perceptions of unfairness.
Recommendation
A. Continue to prioritize cross-training efforts and ensure all dispatchers are fully cross-trained by 2026 to support the effectiveness of the consolidated dispatch model.
B. Ensure cross-training is an integral part of the formalized training program for staff moving forward.
7 Observation
Due to recent staffing challenges and leadership turnover, PSC management has struggled to provide consistent staff oversight or coaching and development, which can limit the effectiveness of dispatch operations and service delivery.
Recommendation
A. Continue efforts to reduce turnover and improve employee retention (see also Employee Turnover and Retention) to provide adequate time for management to provide staff oversight, coaching, and development.
B. Continue to prioritize efforts to improve oversight, coaching, and development for staff, including through regular and timely annual performance evaluations, regular quality assurance reviews, and ongoing feedback and coaching.
8 Observation
Most chapters in PSC's policy and procedure manual were last updated in 2019, which limits operational efficiency and introduces risks related to operational continuity and inconsistent application of processes and rules.
Recommendation
A. Revise and update PSC’s policy and procedure manual to align with current practices and industry standards.
B. Ensure the updated policy and procedure manual continues to be easily accessible to all staff, communicated effectively, and regularly reviewed to maintain relevance over time.
Organizational Culture and Performance
9 Observation Understaffing, increased mandatory overtime, and limited accountability and support have negatively impacted employee morale.
Recommendation
In addition to implementing the other recommendations throughout this report to address understaffing, continue to prioritize improvements to work culture, including developing an operating plan, providing increased communication from management, and fostering a culture of teamwork and collaboration.
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OBSERVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
10 Observation PSC has consistently met established standards for call answering times and recent survey results suggest reporting parties are generally satisfied with dispatch services. However, available data on police call pending times and fire call processing times has historically been limited, which has impacted PSC’s ability to fully understand its performance and make changes based on performance results.
Recommendation A. Leverage the new CAD system to enhance the accuracy and reliability of data on call pending and call processing times.
B. Consider implementing a performance dashboard to track key metrics and identify performance trends.
C. Continue to monitor customer service through the public safety customer service survey and regular quality assurance reviews to support continuous improvement efforts.
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BACKGROUND, SCOPE, AND METHODOLOGY
As part of the City’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 internal audit program, Moss Adams conducted a study to evaluate the effectiveness of the City’s Public Safety Communications Division (PSC), which is responsible for the City’s public safety dispatch services.
PSC is organizationally housed within the Office of Emergency Management in the City Manager’s Office and is responsible for providing joint communications services to the City’s Police and Fire departments. Their responsibilities include answering 911 and non-emergency telephone calls, dispatching public safety resources, providing emergency medical dispatch services, and 911 education to the public. PSC was created in 2015 when the dispatch centers for the Police and Fire departments were consolidated to improve coordination and response efforts. As of the City’s 2023- 2025 biennial budget, PSC budgeted staffing included a public safety administrator who oversees day-to-day operations, five supervisors, 23 dispatchers, and one staff assistant who serves as the custodian of records for incident recordings.
This study was conducted between May 2024 and August 2024. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of PSC. Specifically, the objectives of this engagement were to:
• Assess the effectiveness of the City’s consolidated dispatch model • Evaluate PSC’s staffing model and organizational structure • Conduct peer benchmarking to gain insights into PSC’s organizational structure, staffing, and overall performance
This study consisted of four phases which are detailed below.
PHASE DESCRIPTION
1 Project Planning
and Management
This phase focused on initiating the project and managing its progress, which included conducting a kickoff meeting, scheduling interviews with key staff and stakeholders, submitting a document and data request list, identifying potential public safety dispatch centers for peer benchmarking, and providing ongoing progress reporting.
2 Fact-Finding This phase involved comprehensive data collection through interviews, document review, and peer benchmarking:
● Interviews: We conducted interviews with PSC leadership, front-line staff Police leadership, Fire leadership, and HR staff. The purpose of these interviews was to understand the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for PSC, particularly relating to organizational structure, staffing, and performance.
● Document and Information Review: We reviewed a variety of internal documents such as organizational charts, strategic plans, performance reports, policies and procedures, past studies or audits, and the current operational agreements between the Office of Emergency Management, Joint Dispatch Study | 6
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PHASE DESCRIPTION
Police, and Fire. We also reviewed relevant data, including employee tenure, retention, and recruitment data, and data on key performance indicators. We used the documents and information to supplement our understanding of the current conditions of the PSC.
● Peer Benchmarking: We compared PSC staffing and organizational structure to five peer dispatch centers, identified in collaboration with the City.
Peers were selected based on similar characteristics, such as size, budget, and/or organizational structure. Peers included the cities of Long Beach, Murrieta, Napa, San Francisco, and Santa Maria. We reached out to all five peer dispatch centers and three participated in interviews, including the City of Murrieta, the City of San Francisco, and the City of Santa Maria. We also analyzed publicly available information (including from public-facing websites) for all peers.
3 Analysis In this assessment phase, we evaluated the importance, impact, and scope of our observations within the context of the information we gathered. Based on identified opportunities for improvement, we conducted and consolidated research on relevant industry standards and best practices to identify practical recommendations.
4 Reporting We communicated the results of our analysis with observations and recommendations presented first in a draft report that was reviewed with management to confirm the practicality and relevance of recommendations before finalizing the report.
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COMMENDATIONS
Based on the insights gathered throughout our assessment, we noted several areas of strength at the City that can be leveraged to support ongoing performance of PSC:
• Collaboration: Many interviewees reported that collaboration between PSC and the Police and Fire departments has improved in recent years. The executive and operations committees, which include representation from Police, Fire, Dispatch, and other City departments, appear to be providing an effective mechanism for interagency coordination and collaboration. Both police and fire department leadership expressed appreciation in PSC’s willingness to engage in continuous improvement initiatives.
• Organizational Performance: PSC staff are committed to high-quality service delivery. Between FY 2019 and FY 2023, PSC consistently met State and internal standards for call answering times. Additionally, recent survey results suggest members of the public who called 911 and responded to the City’s public safety customer service survey between December 2023 and July 2024 are generally satisfied with dispatch services.
• Service Level Agreements (SLAs): PSC established SLAs with both Police and Fire that clearly outline roles, responsibilities, and performance expectations. Police and Fire leadership indicated that the SLAs are well-structured and helpful to guide operations and performance reporting. • Staffing: The City has acted to address challenges in filling dispatch vacancies in PSC. The City conducted a compensation study in 2023 and implemented salary increases to enhance competitiveness in the market. The City also reviewed hiring requirements for public safety dispatchers and adjusted processes to reduce barriers, such as removing in-person testing requirements.
• System Improvements: The City adopted a new Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system in 2023 to support more effective management of incident information and optimize the dispatch of first responders. Staff reported the system has streamlined dispatch processes and improved reporting.
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OBSERVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Observations and recommendations are grouped into three sections: (1) Organizational Structure and Staffing, (2) Training and Development, and (3) Organizational Culture and Performance. An implementation plan is included in Appendix C.
Dispatcher Staffing Levels
1. Observation PSC’s minimum staffing levels do not accommodate for employee turnover or leave, which causes an undue strain on operations and can impact PSC’s ability to provide quality service to the community.
Recommendation A. Consider adding three public safety dispatchers to PSC’s budgeted staffing levels to support PSC’s ability to provide quality dispatch services while staff are on leave and during periods of turnover.
B. Continue using light duty police officers and non-sworn personnel from the Police and Fire departments to fill staffing gaps when possible.
As of the City’s 2023-2025 biennial budget, PSC budgeted staffing included a public safety administrator who oversees day-to-day operations, five supervisors, 23 dispatchers, and one staff assistant. Budgeted staffing has remained relatively stable since FY 2019, with the reduction of one public safety dispatcher in FY 2021 during citywide budget cuts.
POSITION FY19 FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24
Public Safety Administrator FTE 1 1 1 1 1 1
Public Safety Dispatch Supervisor FTE 5 5 5 5 5 5
Public Safety Dispatcher FTE 24 24 23 23 23 23
Staff Assistant FTE 1 1 1 1 1 1
Total FTE 31 31 30 30 30 30
PSC uses staffing forecast data from the State of California’s Emergency Call Tracking System (ECaTS) to inform minimum staffing levels for public safety dispatchers. The ECaTS staffing forecast is based on the industry standard Erlang-C formula, which computes the number of agents (i.e., public safety dispatchers) required for a time period using call count, service level, answer time, and average duration. The Erlang-C formula is considered a best practice methodology for determining appropriate staffing levels for a public safety dispatch center because each public safety dispatch agency is unique, with its own set of operational requirements, service expectations, call volume, and service area.
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The ECaTS staffing forecast predicts the number of public safety dispatchers needed for every hour of every day of the week to meet the City’s public safety dispatch needs. Based on the ECaTS staffing forecast, the City needs an average of 5.21 public safety dispatchers staffed at any given time to maintain State call standards (95% of calls answered within 15 seconds).
AVERAGE NUMBER OF NEEDED PUBLIC SAFETY DISPATCHERS
Sunday 5.05
Monday 5.26
Tuesday 5.24
Wednesday 5.19
Thursday 5.24
Friday 5.26
Saturday 5.22
Average 5.21
PSC’s established minimum staffing levels require six public safety dispatchers between the hours of noon and midnight and five public safety dispatchers between midnight and noon, which is aligned with the ECaTS staffing forecast. Additionally, PSC’s current budgeted staffing levels are sufficient to meet these minimum staffing requirements. However, the minimum staffing requirements do not take turnover or employee leave into account. Turnover and staff leave, such as vacation leave, sick leave, or personal leave, results in a reduction in the number of available dispatchers at any given time, which can impact PSC’s ability to provide quality service to the community.
The staffing calculation below adjusts the City’s need for an average of 5.21 public safety dispatchers at any given time to account for employee leave. The results suggest the City should increase staffing from 23 budgeted public safety dispatchers to 26 budgeted public safety dispatchers. Such an increase would support more adequate staffing levels, allow staff to take time off without disrupting operations, and mitigate the impact of employee turnover on dispatch operations. It could also reduce staff burnout and improve employee morale (see also Employee Turnover and Retention).
PUBLIC SAFETY DISPATCHER STAFFING ANALYSIS
Average Public Safety Dispatchers Needed in Any Given Hour (per ECaTS forecast) 5.21 Total Annual Hours Needing Coverage for 24/7 Operation (24 x 7 x 52) 8,736 Total Annual Employee Hours Needed (8,736 x 5.21) 45,496.63 Average Unavailable Hours Annually Per Employee (includes sick leave, vacation leave, holiday pay, bereavement leave, compensatory time off, and personal leave) 324.77
Total Net Available Hours Per Employee (2,080 – 324.77) 1,755.23 Joint Dispatch Study | 10
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Total Staff Needed, Adjusted for Employee Leave (1,755.23 / 5.21) 25.92 The City should consider adding three public safety dispatchers to PSC’s budgeted staffing levels to support PSC’s ability to provide quality dispatch services while staff are on leave and during periods of high turnover.
Additionally, the City should consider continuing to use light duty Police or Fire staff to address staffing challenges and fill in gaps, a strategy that has been occasionally used. Light duty staff are typically employees who are temporarily unable to perform their regular duties due to an injury or other condition. While this strategy is not always possible (e.g., when Police and Fire are also dealing with staffing challenges), assigning light duty staff to work in the PSC during periods of high need can be helpful to provide adequate coverage and support when needed.
Supervisor and Lead Staffing Levels
2. Observation While PSC’s staff-to-supervisor ratio is comparable to peers, PSC does not have lead dispatcher positions, which is a practice some peers reported finding helpful to support enhanced supervision and opportunities for employee growth and promotion.
Recommendation Consider adding a lead dispatch classification to support effective oversight and the growth and development of PSC employees.
To evaluate supervisor staffing, we compared the City’s staff-to-supervisor ratio (i.e., number of dispatchers per supervisor) to peer dispatch agencies. The peers were chosen in collaboration with the City based on similar characteristics, such as size, budget, and/or organizational structure.
Complete peer benchmarking results are included in Appendix A. The results show that Santa Monica has an appropriate staff-to-supervisor ratio. If the City were to add three dispatchers (as discussed in Dispatcher Staffing Levels), Santa Monica’s ratio would be 5.2, which would still be reasonably comparable to peers.
CITY
TOTAL #
DISPATCHERS
TOTAL #
SUPERVISORS
DISPATCHER TO
SUPERVISOR RATIO
Santa Monica 23 5 4.60
Murrieta 32 7 4.57
Napa 25 4 6.25
Santa Maria 16 4 4.00
San Francisco 160 27 5.93
Long Beach 58 19 3.05
Peer Average 4.77
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While the City’s staff-to-supervisor ratio and organizational structure are comparable to peers, PSC does not have lead dispatcher positions, which is a practice some peers reported finding helpful to support enhanced supervision. Most peers are structured with public safety dispatchers, who report to one or more supervisors, who in turn report to one or more managers. Some peers, including Long Beach and Napa, have multiple levels of dispatchers (e.g., lead dispatchers) to provide enhanced supervision, as well as opportunities for growth and promotion. The City of Murrieta is reportedly also moving toward this model. The City should consider whether this model would be beneficial to support the growth and development of its dispatch center employees. For instance, the three positions proposed in Dispatcher Staffing Levels, could be lead positions. Having multiple levels of dispatchers can provide enhanced supervision and support for employees, provide opportunities for employee growth, and increase employee retention, which has been a challenge for PSC (see also Employee Turnover and Retention).
Employee Turnover and Retention
3. Observation Similar to other public safety dispatch agencies, PSC has experienced challenges with employee turnover in recent years and has had difficulty filling vacancies. Such challenges have strained PSC’s operations and services, led to increased overtime, and negatively impacted employee morale.
Recommendation A. Continue to review compensation for public safety dispatchers on a regular basis (e.g., every two to three years) and adjust as needed to remain competitive and support employee recruitment and retention efforts.
B. In addition to encouraging use of existing mental health and wellness support services, explore whether current mental health and wellness services are sufficient to meet employee needs.
C. Regularly collect feedback from staff to proactively identify and address potential issues that may impact employee morale and retention.
Similar to other public safety dispatch agencies, PSC has experienced challenges with employee turnover in recent years and has had difficulty filling vacancies. As shown in the below table, turnover was highest in FY 2020 (17%) and FY 2023 (21%). Even in years with elevated turnover levels, the City’s turnover levels are comparable to nationwide averages. According to the National Emergency Number Association (NENA), there is a 15 to 20% turnover rate for 911 center employees nationwide.1 Still, given PSC’s small size and limited backup capacity (see also Dispatcher Staffing Levels), even industry-standard turnover levels can have significant impacts on operations.
FY19 FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24
Turnover Rate 3% 17% 3% 10% 21% 10%
Elevated turnover and vacancies in recent years have impacted PSC’s operations and services in several ways. There has been less capacity for training and supervisory activities within PSC, which are important to maintain and continuously improve the quality of public safety dispatch services (see 1 National Emergency Management Association: https://www.nena.org/ Joint Dispatch Study | 12
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also Staff Performance Management). Additionally, customer service has reportedly suffered due to consistently elevated workloads (see also Division Performance), and there has been an increase in overtime hours per employee since FY 2019 (see also Overtime).
Based on PSC termination data, most turnover between FY 2019 and FY 2024 was a result of employees moving to different agencies or leaving the industry altogether. Staff reported employees left for other opportunities due to the high-stress environment and low wages. This is aligned with the experiences of other dispatch agencies nationwide. A 2023 State of 911 Survey conducted by Carbyne and NENA, found that 82% of public safety call centers who responded to the survey were understaffed largely due to challenges with hiring and retention.2 Of survey respondents, 75% attributed staffing challenges to the high-stress environment and almost 65% attributed challenges to low wages.
As noted in the Commendations section, the City acted to reduce turnover and fill vacancies in FY 2024. As a result of these actions, turnover rates improved, and PSC hired six new public safety dispatchers and promoted two dispatchers to the supervisor level. Currently, PSC only has two vacancies (about a 7% vacancy rate). These successes are at least partially due to the City’s efforts in increasing wages and improving hiring processes:
• Increased wages: The City conducted a compensation study in 2023 and implemented salary increases to enhance competitiveness in the market, both for new and existing employees. Such measures were important to position the City to attract and retain talented employees. Salary increases can also improve employee morale and increase job satisfaction, which can have a positive impact on employee retention. It is important for the City to continue to review compensation for public safety dispatchers on a regular basis and to adjust as needed to remain competitive and support employee recruitment and retention efforts. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) recommends organizations conduct a compensation study every two to three years.3
• Improved hiring processes: The City also reviewed hiring requirements for public safety dispatchers and adjusted processes to reduce barriers for applicants. As a result of these efforts, the City removed unnecessary in-person testing requirements and adjusted its background check requirements while continuing to meet state requirements.
In addition to continuing to review compensation on a regular basis, PSC should also continue to improve employee morale and retention, including efforts such as the following:
• Encouraging use of mental health and wellness support services: In addition to encouraging use of its existing mental health and wellness support services, PSC leadership should explore whether the City’s current mental health and wellness services are sufficient to meet employee needs. This could include conducting a needs assessment (such as through surveys, focus groups, or other feedback mechanisms) to identify what services employees would find beneficial.
Mental health and wellness is a common concern in many public safety dispatch agencies and providing adequate support services is essential for retention. As previously noted, 75% of call centers who responded to the 2023 State of 911 Survey mentioned previously attributed staffing 2 2023 Pulse of 911: https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.nena.org/resource/resmgr/docs/2023_Carbyne_and_NENA_The_Pu.pdf 3 How to Establish Salary Ranges, Society of Human Resource Management: https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/tools/how-toguides/how-to-establish-salaryranges#:~:text=Ultimately%2C%20salary%20survey%20data%20should,to%20the%20organization's%20salary%20ranges.
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challenges to the high-stress environment. Additionally, 74% of call centers who responded to the survey experienced staff burnout, and 83% observed early warning signs of mental health concerns among employees, including anxiety, fatigue, and low energy levels. • Regularly soliciting feedback from staff: PSC leadership should regularly collect feedback from staff to proactively identify and address potential issues that may impact employee morale and retention. Given the significant impact turnover can have on PSC’s operations and services, such ongoing efforts would be beneficial to identify potential issues and support employee retention moving forward.
Overtime
4. Observation There has been a significant increase in mandatory overtime hours per employee since FY 2019, largely due to challenges with understaffing. This has negatively impacted employee morale and contributed to staff burnout.
Recommendation A. Consider allocating additional funding for dispatcher positions to align staffing levels with the recommendations in Dispatcher Staffing Levels.
B. Revise the PSC overtime policies to reduce the hour limit for shifts from 18 hours to 12 hours to support employee health and wellness and reduce risks of employee burnout.
The City must maintain minimum staffing levels around the clock to effectively serve the community.
As such, overtime is often needed to adequately staff shifts when positions are vacant or employees are on leave. Overtime is a common cost-saving strategy and is generally viewed as a component of overall compensation in public safety agencies across the nation. However, extensive overtime, especially mandatory or forced overtime, can lead to chronic issues when unaddressed, including impacts on employee health, safety, and service performance.
There has been a significant increase in total overtime hours per PSC employee since FY 2019.
Average overtime hours per employee increased by 26% between FY 2019 and FY 2024.There has also been a significant increase in average mandatory overtime per employee since FY 2019. Studies have shown that mandatory overtime hours are associated with an increase in stress.4 Additionally, mandatory overtime can have more negative impacts on employee morale and burnout than voluntary overtime, given mandatory overtime is required rather than being a choice made by the employee.
FY19 FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24
PERCENT
CHANGE
(FY19 –
FY24)
Average volunteered
overtime hours per
employee
344.65 446.13 461.31 448.61 382.26 287.57 16.56%
decrease
4 Effect of Mandatory and Voluntary Overtime Hours on Stress Among 9-1-1 Telecommunicators:
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/21650799231202794 Joint Dispatch Study | 14
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FY19 FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24
PERCENT
CHANGE
(FY19 –
FY24)
Average mandated overtime
hours per employee
10.37 9.39 7.91 33.13 121.10 158.63 1,429.70%
increase
Average total overtime
hours per employee
355.02 455.52 469.22 481.74 503.36 446.21 26%
increase
Increased mandatory overtime since FY 2019 is at least partially due to understaffing and the increased need for overtime overall. However, it also appears to be partially due to employees volunteering for less overtime hours, which is a common trend across public safety agencies and other industries that have historically relied on employee willingness to work additional hours. To combat challenges with increased mandatory overtime, the City should consider allocating additional funding for dispatcher positions to align staffing levels with the recommendations noted in Dispatcher Staffing Levels and reduce the need for mandatory overtime. The City should also continue its efforts to reduce turnover and improve employee retention (see also Employee Turnover and Retention).
Staff also noted concerns that dispatchers can be mandated to work up to 18 hours per shift according to PSC’s policy. With PSC’s staffing challenges and increased use of mandatory overtime, this has contributed to a significant strain on staff and many staff reported it has further impacted employee morale and contributed to burnout. Studies have shown that working excessively long shifts, particularly those that are 12 hours or more, in law enforcement and across other industries leads to lower levels of alertness, increased sleepiness, and can negatively impact health and safety.5 PSC should consider reducing the number of consecutive hours staff can be scheduled to work. The City of San Francisco’s mandatory overtime policy eliminates employees from consideration for mandatory overtime if they are already working 12 hours or more on a shift or if the mandatory overtime would not allow them to have 12 hours of rest between the mandatory overtime and their adjacent shift. While PSC’s policies should allow flexibility in times of urgent circumstances, implementing a reduced maximum hour shift would be beneficial in supporting employee health and wellness and reducing risks of employee burnout.
5 Shift Scheduling May be Key to Improving Health and Cutting Costs: https://cops.usdoj.gov/html/dispatch/04- 2013/shift_scheduling.asp#:~:text=Although%20many%20law%20enforcement%20agencies,sleep%20and%20reducing%20ov ertime%20costs.
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Training Program
5. Observation While PSC has worked to improve training in recent years, PSC lacks a comprehensive formalized program for training staff, which can impact service consistency and dispatcher performance.
Recommendation A. Continue efforts to develop a formalized training program for new employees that covers all aspects of emergency dispatch and includes both classroom and on-the-job training for a set number of weeks.
B. Ensure PSC is adequately staffed to allow time for staff to participate in ongoing professional development.
C. Continue to provide opportunities for in-house training with the Police and Fire departments to support ongoing collaboration.
The City is a participant in the State’s Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) program. As a participant in this program, the City requires all PSC employees to complete entry-level dispatcher training through the State’s POST training program. The training program includes 120 hours of training across 14 learning domains, or topics. Participation in POST is an excellent first step to promoting a well-trained and knowledgeable workforce. PSC also provides additional internal training to staff on call taking, radio dispatching, and other operations specific to the City of Santa Monica.
While PSC has worked to improve training in recent years, PSC lacks a comprehensive, formalized program to train staff. While management recognizes the need to fully formalize the training program, there has been limited time to dedicate to training development efforts, given understaffing and workload challenges. As staffing has improved since FY 2024 (see also Employee Turnover and Retention), PSC management has taken initial steps to formalize and improve training by establishing a list of training topics and a rubric for monitoring mastery of key topic areas (e.g., technology, teamwork, communication, call entry, etc.). However, staff reported training challenges have impacted PSC services and resulted in inconsistencies in how calls are addressed.
Staff also reported supervisors and dispatchers have limited time for continued professional training to maintain and expand their knowledge and skills. For instance, the SLAs PSC established with the Police and Fire departments require dispatchers to complete six hours of Police ride-alongs and six hours of Fire ride-alongs each year, but dispatchers have been unable to consistently meet this requirement due to persistent vacancies. Now that some vacancies have been filled (see also Employee Turnover and Retention), PSC management has been working to reinstitute ride-alongs moving forward. Without formalized training and adequate time for professional development, staff may not have the skills or resources to handle certain situations effectively, which can lead to delays in response times, errors in dispatching resources, and service inconsistencies.
PSC management should continue its efforts and develop a comprehensive and formalized training program that covers all aspects of emergency dispatch. Other peer agencies have formalized academies or training programs that include robust classroom training and on-the-job training for a set number of weeks. For instance, the City of San Francisco’s training program includes seven weeks of in-person classroom training with weekly exams, 12 weeks of on-the-job phone training, and Joint Dispatch Study | 16
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12 weeks of police radio training. The City of Long Beach’s training program includes 5 weeks of inperson classroom training, followed by 12 weeks of on-the-job training focused on answering incoming calls, and 24 to 36 weeks of on-the-job training focused on police or fire radio frequency.
The City should also ensure PSC is adequately staffed to allow time for staff to participate in ongoing professional development. As part of its ongoing training efforts, PSC should continue to provide opportunities for in-house training with the Police and Fire departments to support ongoing collaboration. Other centralized public safety dispatch agencies, including San Francisco and Long Beach, highlight the importance of such training to maintain strong relationships and support consistency of service.
Cross-Training
6. Observation Very few dispatchers are fully trained in all disciplines, which has created challenges staffing shifts adequately and contributed to perceptions of unfairness.
Recommendation A. Continue to prioritize cross-training efforts and ensure all dispatchers are fully cross-trained by 2026 to support the effectiveness of the consolidated dispatch model.
B. Ensure cross-training is an integral part of the formalized training program for staff moving forward.
Very few dispatchers are trained in all five PSC disciplines: police call-taking, police north seat, police hot seat, fire call-taking, and fire radio. As of June 2024, only four of the City’s 20 public safety dispatchers (including supervisors and staff) were trained on all five PSC disciplines. The table below shows the number of public safety dispatchers trained in each discipline area.
POLICE CALLTAKING
POLICE NORTH
SEAT
(SECONDARY
RADIO)
POLICE HOT
SEAT
(PRIMARY
RADIO)
FIRE CALLTAKINGFIRE
RADIO
Number of
dispatchers
trained (of 20
filled
positions)
20 14 10 15 11
When public safety dispatchers are not trained on all PSC disciplines, it creates challenges staffing shifts adequately since each shift is required to be staffed with a certain number of public safety dispatchers trained in each discipline area to meet PSC’s minimum staffing requirements.
Consequently, staff who are trained in more discipline areas, or who are trained in discipline areas with less trained staff (e.g., fire radio) are likely to receive more mandatory overtime than those who are not fully trained. This has created a perception of unfairness and impacted staff morale. Effective cross-training is also important to support effectiveness of the consolidated model.
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initial training to address immediate needs (see also Employee Turnover and Retention). Additionally, the City’s original implementation plan for the consolidated model stated that training in all five disciplines was only required for new employees. Existing employees (who came from either the Police or Fire dispatch centers in place at the time) were given the option to train in new disciplines with no deadline to complete full training. The City’s new classification and compensation structure now requires all staff to be cross-trained, which will resolve this issue over time.
To improve cross-training, PSC management set a goal to have all dispatchers cross-trained in at least four disciplines by the end of 2025 and to have all dispatchers trained in all five disciplines by 2026. Management is creating a plan to accomplish this goal. To increase the likelihood of the plan’s success, PSC should ensure the plan includes adequate timelines, milestones, and defined responsibilities. Additionally, the importance of cross-training should be regularly communicated to staff so that everyone is aware of the goals and benefits of achieving them. Finally, progress should be tracked and monitored to ensure all staff complete the expected training, and successes should be celebrated to help maintain momentum and motivation. Overall, PSC should continue to prioritize cross-training efforts to support the effectiveness of the consolidated dispatch model. Additionally, PSC should ensure cross-training is an integral part of its formalized training program for staff moving forward (see also Training Program).
Staff Performance Management
7. Observation Due to recent staffing challenges and leadership turnover, PSC management has struggled to provide consistent staff oversight or coaching and development, which can limit the effectiveness of dispatch operations and service delivery.
Recommendation A. Continue efforts to reduce turnover and improve employee retention (see also Employee Turnover and Retention) to provide adequate time for management to provide staff oversight, coaching, and development.
B. Continue to prioritize efforts to improve oversight, coaching, and development for staff, including through regular and timely annual performance evaluations, regular quality assurance reviews, and ongoing feedback and coaching.
Due to recent staffing challenges and turnover in management, PSC management has struggled to provide effective staff oversight or coaching and development to dispatchers. According to the City’s original implementation plan for the consolidated model, one of PSC’s five supervisors is supposed to be assigned to a rotational assignment of quality assurance and professional training, but due to recent vacancies at the supervisor level, this role has not been consistently filled. Additionally, vacancies at the dispatcher level have resulted in supervisors working at the dispatcher level with limited capacity to fulfill supervisory roles and responsibilities such as providing oversight or coaching.
Finally, turnover in the public safety administrator position throughout 2023 resulted in inconsistent leadership and oversight in PSC. The current administrator has been in place since November 2023.
Specifically, the following key issues related to staff oversight and training were identified:
1. Annual staff performance evaluations have not been consistently completed, which are important to review staff performance, support staff in their growth and development, and set expectations and goals for staff each year.
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2. Quality assurance reviews of 911 calls, phone segments, and radio segments have also not been consistently completed, but are important tools to measure individual performance and promote staff compliance with PSC policies, procedures, and standards. Regular quality assurance reviews are also required by PSC policy and in the SLAs PSC has established with the Police and Fire departments.
3. Staff reported supervisors have had limited time to focus on providing feedback and coaching to develop and support dispatchers in their growth and development. Overall, staff reported that increased time for feedback and coaching would improve service to the community.
Without effective performance management and quality assurance, there is an increased risk of errors, inconsistencies, and delays in emergency response. Additionally, staff performance management and quality assurance reviews are essential to promote effective dispatch activities, ensure accountability, and support compliance. By monitoring and evaluating staff performance, PSC can identify areas for improvement, provide targeted training and coaching, and ensure that staff are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to handle a wide range of emergency situations effectively.
As noted above, PSC has taken action to address turnover and filled several vacancies in FY 2024 (see also Employee Turnover and Retention). Two of these vacancies were supervisor-level positions. PSC also hired a new public safety administrator in late 2023. These efforts have increased management capacity and allowed PSC to catch up on many of the activities that could not be prioritized over the last several years. PSC should continue to prioritize efforts to improve oversight and development for staff, including:
• Ensuring regular coaching and feedback: Supervisors should continue to provide regular coaching and feedback to support the development of dispatchers. This includes mentoring staff, providing constructive feedback, and offering guidance on handling complex situations. By prioritizing coaching and feedback, supervisors can help staff improve their performance and enhance service quality.
• Consistently conduct quality assurance reviews: PSC management should ensure regular quality assurance reviews are completed in alignment with PSC policy and the SLAs PSC has established with the Police and Fire departments.
• Consistently completing performance reviews: PSC management should ensure that annual performance evaluations are consistently completed for all staff. These evaluations should provide comprehensive feedback and set clear goals for improvement. Supervisors should be responsible for conducting these evaluations and ensuring they are thorough and constructive.
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Policies and Procedures
8. Observation Most chapters in PSC's policy and procedure manual were last updated in 2019, which limits operational efficiency and introduces risks related to operational continuity and inconsistent application of processes and rules.
Recommendation A. Revise and update PSC’s policy and procedure manual to align with current practices and industry standards.
B. Ensure the updated policy and procedure manual continues to be easily accessible to all staff, communicated effectively, and regularly reviewed to maintain relevance over time.
PSC has a policy and procedure manual that addresses administration, call-taking, radio dispatching, secondary dispatchers, geography, and emergencies affecting dispatch. While this manual is undated, staff reported most chapters have not been updated since 2019. Additionally, staff reported policies and procedures are not always clear and the lack of complete policies and procedures has led to service inconsistencies. It is important for policies and procedures to be up to date and comprehensive to promote alignment with current best practices and support operational efficiency and consistency.
PSC should update its existing policies and procedures to ensure they are up to date, comprehensive, and aligned with current best practices. To do so, PSC should take the following steps:
• Conduct a thorough review of existing policies: PSC should conduct a thorough review of existing policies to identify areas that need updates or revisions, as well as any areas that should be added or reviewed. This review should consider current best practices, changes in technology, and any new legal or regulatory requirements.
• Develop a plan for updates: Based on results of the policy and procedure review, PSC should develop a plan for updating its policy and procedure manual, including timelines, milestones, and responsibilities for completing updates. Such a plan will support the team in breaking down the work into manageable tasks that can be completed as capacity allows. Additionally, setting timelines, milestones, and responsibilities encourages accountability and increases the likelihood that activities will be completed.
• Involve staff in the update process: Involving staff in the process can help strengthen the quality of policies and procedures. This may include soliciting feedback from staff on unclear or needed policies and procedures, as well as involving staff in the update process. • Provide training on updated policies and procedures: Once updated policies and procedures are in place, PSC should provide training to all staff to ensure they are aware of the changes and understand their responsibilities. Refresher trainings should also be provided. • Ensure the updated manual continues to be easily accessible and regularly reviewed: The updated policy and procedure manual should be made easily accessible to all staff, ensuring they are well-informed and can follow consistent procedures. PSC should also establish a regular review process to keep the manual up to date and maintain its relevance over time.
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Employee Morale
9. Observation Understaffing, increased mandatory overtime, and limited accountability and support have negatively impacted employee morale.
Recommendation In addition to implementing the other recommendations throughout this report to address understaffing, continue to prioritize improvements to work culture, including developing an operating plan, providing increased communication from management, and fostering a culture of teamwork and collaboration.
The challenges noted throughout this report, including understaffing, increased use of mandatory overtime, and limited support and accountability, have negatively impacted employee morale and contributed to some distrust among the team within PSC. Additionally, staff noted concerns about limited collaboration and teamwork among the team and emphasized a desire for more regular communication from management. When employee morale is low, employees may become disengaged, less productive, and more likely to leave their jobs. This can lead to increased costs associated with turnover, recruitment, and training. It can also lead to increased absenteeism, which can further exacerbate staffing shortages and increase the workload for remaining staff. Finally, low employee morale can impact the organization’s reputation, customer service, and ability to attract employees.
To improve employee morale, it is essential to take meaningful steps that foster a positive work culture and build trust between management and staff. PSC management has already made progress in this area by conducting regular town hall meetings and feedback sessions to gather input from staff on division operations and potential changes. Additionally, staff reported that communication has started to improve since the new public safety administrator was hired in late 2023. In addition to implementing the other recommendations throughout this report to address understaffing, PSC should continue to prioritize improvements to its work culture, including, at a minimum, engaging in the following:
• Acknowledgement of challenges: It is important for PSC management to acknowledge the challenges the organization has faced in the last several years. Acknowledgement of challenges can help build trust and improve employee morale.
• Development of an operating plan: PSC management should also develop and share a clear operating plan that outlines next steps to overcome historical challenges. The plan should include steps that have already been taken as well as additional steps that will be taken to address any ongoing challenges. Progress on the plan should be regularly monitored and reported on to promote transparency and accountability.
• Increased communication from leadership: PSC management should continue to enhance communication between management and staff, including continuing regular town hall meetings and feedback sessions. These forums provide transparency, allow for open dialogue, and help build trust between management and staff. Management should continue to actively engage with employees, listen to their concerns, and provide updates on organizational changes and initiatives. For instance, PSC management is currently drafting a plan and vision for its training efforts moving forward, and it will be helpful to share this plan and vision with staff once it is finalized.
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• Fostering a culture of teamwork and collaboration: PSC management should continue efforts to foster a culture of teamwork and collaboration, including encouraging open communication, providing team-building activities, recognizing and rewarding teamwork and collaboration, and providing training and development opportunities. Such efforts to strengthen collaboration and encourage employees to support each other are important to improved dispatch services, enhanced efficiency, and increased morale and well-being.
Division Performance
10. Observation PSC has consistently met established standards for call answering times and recent survey results suggest reporting parties are generally satisfied with dispatch services. However, available data on police call pending times and fire call processing times has historically been limited, which has impacted PSC’s ability to fully understand its performance and make changes based on performance results.
Recommendation A. Leverage the new CAD system to enhance the accuracy and reliability of data on call pending and call processing times.
B. Consider implementing a performance dashboard to track key metrics and identify performance trends.
C. Continue to monitor customer service through the public safety customer service survey and regular quality assurance reviews to support continuous improvement efforts.
PSC regularly reports on four established performance measures to monitor its organizational performance for its SLAs with the Police and Fire departments. These performance measures include:
• Total call volume: Represents the total number of calls handled by PSC staff within any given time period. Calls are broken down by 911 calls, non-emergency calls, and outgoing calls. • Call answering times: Represents the total seconds it takes for a 911 call to be answered. PSC has two standards for call answering times. One is the standard set by the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), which is to answer 95% of calls within 15 seconds. The other is the target established in the SLAs with the Police and Fire departments, which is to answer 90% of calls within 10 seconds.
• Police call pending times: Represents the time from the time a call is received by the first public safety dispatcher to the time the call is dispatched to a field unit. PSC has the following targets for police call pending times:
○ Priority 0 and 1 calls should be dispatched immediately to any available field unit. The maximum pending threshold shall not exceed two minutes. ○ Priority 2 calls should be broadcast within 30 seconds and dispatched within 10 minutes. ○ Priority 3 calls should be dispatched within 20 minutes. ○ Priority 4 calls should be dispatched within 60 minutes. • Fire call processing times: Like police call pending times, this metric represents the time from when a call is received by the first public safety dispatcher to the time the call is dispatched to a field unit. PSC’s target for fire call processing times is that 90% of all calls for the highest prioritization level emergency events shall be processed within 60 seconds. The highest priority Joint Dispatch Study | 22
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Emergency Medical Services call types include trauma, neurologic emergencies, cardiac-related events, unconscious/unresponsive patients, allergic reactions, patient not breathing, and choking.
The highest priority fire call types include fires involving or potentially extending to a structure and explosions.
PSC also monitors public perception of dispatch services through a public safety customer service survey that is sent via text message to reporting parties 24 hours after certain calls for service are received. The survey includes questions related to dispatch, including one on satisfaction with call answer times and one on dispatcher professionalism.
An overview of PSC’s organizational performance based on these metrics is included in Appendix B.
Overall, based on available data, PSC has consistently met established standards for call answering times. Additionally, recent survey results suggest reporting parties are generally satisfied with dispatch services. However, available data on police call pending times and fire call processing times has historically been limited due to system and data challenges, which has impacted PSC’s ability to fully understand its performance and make changes based on performance results. For instance, data on police call pending times includes calls for which no police unit was available to dispatch, which is not within PSC’s control. The inability to disaggregate this data limits the ability of PSC and its stakeholders to understand and analyze this data to make meaningful improvements. This makes it difficult to determine to what extent, if any, PSC’s staffing challenges have impacted performance.
Given these challenges, it is important for PSC to continue to monitor and improve data collection.
PSC is currently leveraging its new CAD system to enhance the accuracy and reliability of data on call pending and call processing times. Improved data collection will enable PSC to identify and address performance issues more effectively. PSC should also consider implementing a performance dashboard to track key metrics and identify trends. Such a tool would help facilitate proactive management of service delivery and enhance service quality. The dashboard should be accessible to all relevant staff, allowing for transparent monitoring of performance indicators.
Additionally, while recent customer service survey results suggest reporting parties are generally satisfied with dispatch services, interviewed City staff both within PSC and in other City departments indicated elevated workloads and staffing challenges have impacted customer service and dispatcher professionalism. PSC should continue to monitor customer service through the public safety customer service survey and regular quality assurance reviews (see Staff Performance Management) to promote continued high-quality service. Such monitoring will support PSC in identifying areas for improvement and addressing any issues or concerns that arise. By regularly reviewing customer feedback and quality assurance data, PSC can identify trends and patterns in service delivery, as well as areas where additional training or resources may be needed.
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APPENDIX A: PEER BENCHMARKING
The following table compares the City’s staffing and organizational structure to the City’s peers, including the City of Long Beach, the City of Murrieta, the City of Napa, the City of San Francisco, and the City of Santa Maria. Data was pulled from conversations with peers where possible and publicly available information (including public-facing websites).
SANTA
MONICA LONG BEACH MURRIETA NAPA SANTA MARIA
SAN
FRANCISCO
General Population
(2023 U.S. Census
Bureau Estimate)
89,922 449,468 111,878 77,492 109,987 808,988
# of Calls Annually
(CY2023)
78,761 575,000 73,486 115,000 170,000 1,168,000
Where are they
Housed (e.g., Fire,
Police, or Other)
Office of
Emergency
Management
Disaster Preparedness
& Emergency
Communications
Department
Police Department Police Department Police Department Department of Emergency
Management
Geographical
Footprint
City of Santa
Monica
City of Long Beach City of Murrieta and
City of Menifee
City of Napa, City
of American
Canyon, Town of
Yountville, and all
unincorporated
areas of Napa
County
City of Santa
Maria and City of
Guadalupe
City and County
of San Francisco
Total # Dispatchers
(FTE)
23 58 32 25 16 160
Total # Supervisors
(FTE)
5 19 7 4 4 27
Total # Other FTE 1 4 1 1 1 10
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SANTA
MONICA LONG BEACH MURRIETA NAPA SANTA MARIA
SAN
FRANCISCO
Total # Staff (FTE) 30 81 40 30 21 197
Dispatcher to
Supervisor Ratio
4.60 3.05 4.57 6.25 4.00 5.93
Break Down of Staff
(Budgeted FTE)
23 dispatchers
5 dispatch
supervisors
1 dispatch
administrator
1 staff assistant
58 public safety
dispatcher II
4 public safety
dispatcher III
(supervisor)
11 public safety
dispatcher IV
(supervisor)
4 communications
center supervisors
3 communications
center coordinators
1 communications
center officer
32 dispatchers
7 dispatch
supervisors
1 communications
manager
21 public safety
dispatcher I/II
4 public safety call
takers (entry-level
position during
training—primarily
receives and routes
calls while
receiving basic
training in
dispatching duties)
4 public safety
dispatch
supervisors
1 communications
manager
16 dispatchers
4 senior
dispatchers (i.e.,
supervisors)
1 sergeant
160 dispatchers
27 supervisors
10 managers
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The cities of Murrieta, San Francisco, and Santa Maria responded to our outreach and participated in interviews. Below is a summary of lessons learned from those conversations.
Consolidated Model Benefits and Challenges
• Cities generally agreed a consolidated Police and Fire dispatch model improves coordination between Police and Fire services.
• Some peer dispatch centers highlighted that while the consolidated Police and Fire dispatch model offers operational efficiency, maintaining cross-disciplinary proficiency is challenging. A lack of effective cross-training is a common challenge and can undermine the effectiveness of a consolidated model.
Recruitment and Retention
• All cities we spoke with have experienced similar staffing challenges as Santa Monica in recent years.
Some cities have struggled to meet performance standards given these staffing challenges. • Cities have prioritized improvements to recruitment, such as hiring dedicated recruiters, simplifying testing processes, prioritizing lateral hires, promoting a strong workplace culture, and increasing compensation.
• The City of Murrieta reported their overtime scheduling method, which rotates who gets to pick overtime first (rather than being based on seniority) has helped with employee morale and recruitment efforts.
Training and Development
• Cities emphasized the importance of formalized training curriculums and dedicated training teams, though some peers are also experiencing limited capacity for training and development due to staffing challenges.
• Cross-training all staff on all dispatch disciplines provides flexibility and reduces burnout.
Morale and Wellness
• All cities we spoke with are prioritizing employee morale and wellness to promote employee retention and job satisfaction. Cities have implemented wellness initiatives such as peer support networks, treadmill stations, and therapy dogs. Cities also prioritize regular and open communication and training opportunities to maintain a positive working environment and promote collaboration and teamwork.
• Fair distribution of overtime and transparent policies help mitigate burnout and maintain morale. Most cities mandate overtime based on those with the least amount of overtime hours.
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APPENDIX B: ANALYSIS OF ORGANIZATIONAL
PERFORMANCE
The following analysis is based on PSC’s annual performance reports from FY 2019 to FY 2023.
PSC does not have a set target for total call volume. Instead, the metric is meant to represent the workload and volume of activity managed by PSC each year. Call volume for 911 call times remained relatively steady between FY 2019 to FY 2023, with a decrease of about 1% over the time period. Nonemergency call volume represented the most significant change between FY 2019 to FY 2023, with a decrease of about 26%. This was largely due to the implementation of the City’s 311 phone line and ticketing system, which processes non-emergency City service requests, and the implementation of an automated phone attendant on the non-emergency line, both of which streamlined dispatch operations.
CALL TYPE FY19 FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23
911 Calls 79,632 70,778 78,198 80,014 78,761
Non-Emergency Calls 174,849 179,729 177,821 143,055 129,123 Outgoing Calls 76,065 61,533 64,723 68,193 57,152
Total Calls 330,546 312,040 320,742 291,262 265,036
For call answering times, PSC consistently met both Cal OES standard and the standard established in its SLAs with the Police and Fire departments between FY 2019 and FY 2023.
STANDARD TARGET FY19 FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23
Calls answered within 15 seconds (Cal
OES standard)
95% 96.23% 97.87% 98.15% 98.15% 95.70%
Calls answered within 10 seconds (SLA
standard)
90% 93.04% 95.54% 95.80% 95.80% 92.30%
PSC has not consistently met targets for maximum police call pending time thresholds. Additionally, pending call times for all priority levels except for priority 0 increased between FY 2019 and FY 2023, suggesting challenges in processing calls efficiently. However, average pending times included calls for which no police unit was available to dispatch, which is not within PSC’s control. PSC set a goal to identify a way to capture data for this metric in a more useful way in 2024, which should be possible with PSC’s implementation of a new CAD system in 2023.
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PRIORITY LEVEL
MAX PENDING
THRESHOLD
(MINUTES) FY19 FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23
Priority 0 2.00 1.71 1.08 1.00 1.45 1.52
Priority 1 2.00 3.14 2.60 3.18 3.63 3.84
Priority 2 10.00 8.78 7.71 9.49 11.81 11.99
Priority 3 20.00 27.64 25.77 32.09 36.20 36.69
Priority 4 60.00 36.96 42.26 53.04 46.06 48.92
Fire call processing times have been historically difficult to calculate due to CAD limitations. While PSC reported fire call processing times in some years between FY 2019 and FY 2023, the data was noted as limited and unreliable. Given this, we did not analyze fire call processing times.
PSC collects public input on dispatcher services through a public safety survey that is sent via text message to members of the public who call 911 24 hours after certain calls for service are received.
Recent survey results suggest reporting parties are generally satisfied with dispatch services. Most respondents (about 80%) between December 18, 2023 and July 11, 2024, indicated they were satisfied or very satisfied with how quickly their call was answered by dispatchers. Additionally, 86% of respondents in the same time period indicated they were either satisfied or very satisfied with the professionalism of the dispatch personnel they interacted with.
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APPENDIX C: IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
Recommendations are listed in order of priority (critical, high, medium, or low). Consideration has been given to both the impact and urgency of each recommended activity. This implementation plan should be viewed as a living document that leadership will discuss, reorganize, and adjust to create a feasible timeline. All items, including those listed as low priority, will be important to execute eventually. Recommendations that are necessary to begin with are categorized as critical priority. The party listed under Primary Responsibility is the leader in coordinating activities to accomplish the line item. This party may or may not directly execute the work detailed but will be responsible for moving the work forward.
REC.
# CATEGORY RECOMMENDATION PRIORITY
EFFORT
LEVEL
PRIMARY
RESPONSIBILITY
1A Organizational
Structure and
Staffing
Consider adding three public safety dispatchers to PSC’s budgeted staffing levels to support PSC’s ability to provide quality dispatch services while staff are on leave and during periods of high turnover.
Critical Low City Council, City
Manager, Chief
Resilience Officer
4A Organizational
Structure and
Staffing
Consider allocating additional funding for dispatcher positions to align staffing levels with the recommendations in Dispatcher Staffing Levels.
Critical Low City Council, City
Manager
5A Training and
Development
Continue efforts to develop a formalized training program for new employees that covers all aspects of emergency dispatch and includes both classroom and on-the-job training for a set number of weeks.
Critical High Public Safety
Administrator
6A Training and
Development
Continue to prioritize cross-training efforts and ensure all dispatchers are fully cross-trained by 2026 to support the effectiveness of the consolidated dispatch model.
Critical High Public Safety
Administrator
6B Training and
Development
Ensure cross-training is an integral part of the formalized training program for staff moving forward.
Critical Low Public Safety
Administrator
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REC.
# CATEGORY RECOMMENDATION PRIORITY
EFFORT
LEVEL
PRIMARY
RESPONSIBILITY
2 Organizational
Structure and
Staffing
Consider adding a lead dispatch classification to support effective oversight and the growth and development of PSC employees.
High Low City Council, City
Manager, Chief
Resilience Officer
4B Organizational
Structure and
Staffing
Revise the PSC overtime policies to reduce the hour limit for shifts from 18 hours to 12 hours to support employee health and wellness and reduce risks of employee burnout.
High Low Chief Resilience Officer,
Public Safety
Administrator
7A Training and
Development
Continue efforts to reduce turnover and improve employee retention (see also Employee Turnover and Retention) to provide adequate time for management to provide staff oversight, coaching, and development.
High Medium Chief Resilience Officer,
Public Safety
Administrator
7B Training and
Development
Continue to prioritize efforts to improve oversight, coaching, and development for staff, including through regular and timely annual performance evaluations, regular quality assurance reviews, and ongoing feedback and coaching.
High Medium Public Safety
Administrator
9 Organizational
Culture and
Performance
In addition to implementing the other recommendations throughout this report to address understaffing, continue to prioritize improvements to work culture, including developing an operating plan, providing increased communication from management, and fostering a culture of teamwork and collaboration.
High High Chief Resilience Officer,
Public Safety
Administrator
3B Organizational
Structure and
Staffing
In addition to encouraging use of existing mental health and wellness support services, explore whether current mental health and wellness services are sufficient to meet employee needs Medium Medium Chief Resilience Officer,
Public Safety
Administrator
3C Organizational
Structure and
Staffing
Regularly collect feedback from staff to proactively identify and address potential issues that may impact employee morale and retention.
Medium Medium Public Safety
Administrator
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REC.
# CATEGORY RECOMMENDATION PRIORITY
EFFORT
LEVEL
PRIMARY
RESPONSIBILITY
5B Training and
Development
Ensure PSC is adequately staffed to allow time for staff to participate in ongoing professional development.
Medium Low City Council, City
Manager, Chief
Resilience Officer
5C Training and
Development
Continue to provide opportunities for in-house training with the Police and Fire departments to support ongoing collaboration.
Medium Medium Public Safety
Administrator
8A Training and
Development
Revise and update PSC’s policy and procedure manual to align with current practices and industry standards.
Medium Medium Public Safety
Administrator
8B Training and
Development
Ensure the updated policy and procedure manual continues to be easily accessible to all staff, communicated effectively, and regularly reviewed to maintain relevance over time.
Medium Medium Public Safety
Administrator
1B Organizational
Structure and
Staffing
Continue using light duty police officers and non-sworn personnel from the Police and Fire departments to fill staffing gaps when possible.
Low Low Chief Resilience Officer,
Public Safety
Administrator
3A Organizational
Structure and
Staffing
Continue to review compensation for public safety dispatchers on a regular basis (e.g., every two to three years) and adjust as needed to remain competitive and support employee recruitment and retention efforts.
Low Medium Chief Resilience Officer,
Human Resources
10A Organizational
Culture and
Performance
Leverage the new CAD system to enhance the accuracy and reliability of data on call pending and call processing times.
Low Medium Public Safety
Administrator
10C Organizational
Culture and
Performance
Continue to monitor customer service through the public safety customer service survey and regular quality assurance reviews to support continuous improvement efforts.
Low Medium Public Safety
Administrator
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REC.
# CATEGORY RECOMMENDATION PRIORITY
EFFORT
LEVEL
PRIMARY
RESPONSIBILITY
10B Organizational
Culture and
Performance
Consider implementing a performance dashboard to track key metrics and identify performance trends.
Low Medium Public Safety
Administrator