Options
for Communications Center
Consolidation
and Cost
Comparisons
|
Prepared by: Information Analytics, Inc. 1207 S. Riverbend Ct. Superior, CO 80027-8013 (303) 499-5233 |
HealthAnalytics, LLC. 5450 McLellan Road Suite 217 Mesa, AZ 85205 |
Table of Contents
Executive Summary................................................................................................... 3
Current
EMS Communications System Analysis.............................................. 3
Communication
Center Operational Objectives........................................... 4
Telecommunications Requirements and Objectives........................................ 4
Radio Interoperability Requirements and Objectives...................................... 6
Computer-Aided Dispatch Requirements and Objectives................................. 6
Data Exchange Requirements and Objectives.............................................. 7
System Administration Requirements and Objectives..................................... 7
Physical
and Virtual Consolidation Comparison Assumptions................ 8
Technical Issues 8
Telecommunications – call-handling requirements...................................... 8
Radio Interoperability – wireless communications between EMS providers....... 9
Data Processing and Management........................................................ 9
System Administration....................................................................... 10
Communication
Consolidation Scenario Cost Analysis............................ 12
Overview 12
Scenario Descriptions........................................................................ 12
Scenario #1: Physical Consolidation of EMS Dispatch Activities (with the exception of Turlock Fire Department) Using New CAD 12
Scenario #2: Physical Consolidation of EMS Dispatch Activities (with the exception of Turlock Fire Department) Using AMR’s Tritech CAD............................................................................... 13
Scenario #3: Partial Physical/Virtual Consolidation of EMS Dispatch Activities 14
Scenario #4: Virtual Consolidation of Existing EMS Dispatch Centers and Activities 15
Appendix
A: Communications Consolidation Cost Comparison................. 16
Appendix
B: Potential Offsetting Savings...................................................... 18
Options for Communications
Center Consolidation and Cost Comparisons
The
communication center serves as the first point of contact with the EMS system
for 911 callers. Long overlooked and typically outside of past EMS system
planning efforts, the communication center is a critical link in the chain of
survival. The training and equipping of dispatch personnel can enable the
system to provide a “zero minute” response time to initiation of treatment for
critically ill patients through the provision of pre-arrival instructions by
emergency medical dispatchers (EMDs). Since EMDs are not limited by space or
portability issues, they can be equipped with and connected by an array of
decision support and resource management tools that can improve the efficiency
and effectiveness of the EMS system.
Furthermore, high-speed connectivity can permit them to function in a
highly synchronized effort, regardless of physical location.
However, in
order to achieve these objectives system participants must be willing to
collaborate on and commit to an operational plan. To this end, the consultants
have developed the following analysis for review and consideration. Its purpose
is to provide the reader with a basis of understanding from which to make
policy decisions regarding further research and development of communication
center consolidation designs. General descriptions of activities, technology
and processes are presented to assist in the comparison of conceptual
communication center alternatives that will be capable of improving the
effectiveness and efficiency of EMS resource utilization.
The report
has been organized to move the reader from general design elements needed to
obtain operational objectives to specific communication center configuration
alternatives. Obtaining these operational objectives is necessary to support
proposed changes to the EMS system. Approaches to these objectives within
Stanislaus County are described in the “Physical and Virtual Consolidation
Comparison Assumptions” section of the report. Specific technologies and
processes are described in greater detail and are specific to Stanislaus County
communication center resources. The “Communication Consolidation Scenario Cost
Analysis” section of the report presents the types and quantities of
technologies that were considered in developing the cost analysis. Appendix A
presents a detailed table listing cost data that was used in the analysis.
At present
EMS calls received via 911 are routed to the primary public safety answering
point (PSAP) which services the area from which the call is originating.
Callers located in Turlock, for example, are routed automatically to the
Turlock Police and Fire Communications Center. Following receipt of the call,
the caller is interrogated by a call-taker regarding the nature of the
emergency they are reporting. If the
caller is requesting EMS they are transferred either to the American Medical
Response (AMR) or the MedCom dispatch center, which serve as secondary
answering points (SAPs). On receipt at either center, the caller is
interrogated by an EMD to determine the nature of the emergency and the
patient’s symptoms. The call is then
classified and assigned to a field resource.
While this
system has served Stanislaus County for several years, the Dispatch and
Response Task Force has determined that the County would benefit from a higher
level of coordination between County ambulance transport providers and first
responders. The current communications
system design has resulted in longer call-processing times, and is not
optimizing the management and response of available system resources.
After being
presented with numerous system design alternatives, the Dispatch and Response
Task Force has determined that Stanislaus County would benefit from the
consolidation of EMS communications. While the word consolidation implies the
bringing together of communications resources and systems in a single facility,
there are actually several ways to consolidate communications. Not all of these
options include co-location of the communications operations in a single
facility. The desired outcome of consolidation is more effective and efficient
management and support of callers and EMS resources. To accomplish these
outcomes, the design of communication center alternatives should be driven by
communication center operational objectives. This section provides a general
description of these objectives.
The future
EMS communications system design should permit the immediate and reliable
interrogation of EMS callers. From an
efficiency standpoint, it would be best for the initial call-taker to complete
the emergency medical dispatch (EMD) interrogation rather than transferring the
call. Given the specialized training and certification requirements for EMDs,
however, distributing this responsibility to every call-taker in the County is
not cost efficient or practical. Thus, we assume that requests for EMS will be
transferred to an EMD call-taker.
The smooth
and reliable transfer of callers is a mission-critical requirement in virtual
consolidation designs. The transfer of a caller from the PSAP to a secondary
answering point should be seamless to the caller. In physically consolidated
communication centers there is little or no reduction in efficiency with the
transfer of callers to an EMD position. Given today’s telecommunications
technology call transfers from one facility to another are generally no more
difficult than transfers across the room. Given today’s technology, EMS
communications could be located almost anywhere within the County. Location of
EMS communications in a single facility does have one advantage, however. While
transfers between communications centers are generally routine, it introduces
potential failure points into the telecommunications system.
In recent
years, substantial advances have been made in the design of emergency
telecommunications systems. Computer-telephony integrated (CTI) phone systems
use networked computers to more efficiently manage telephone lines and 911
callers. In addition to using computers
to manage the phone lines, these systems are able to relate information stored
in databases to the number associated with the incoming call. It is capable of sending the caller/patient
data with the transfer of the caller to other phones within the 911 network.
These systems operate on networked desktop computers, which permits the use of
other software applications (e.g., EMD protocols, geographic information
systems, programs for communicating with the deaf, etc.) and enables
call-takers to more efficiently perform multiple tasks. Such features provide call-takers with more
information (i.e., incident location, premise information, special
instructions, etc.) and call-handling capabilities than ever before. While many
of these applications and activities are more commonly found and performed on
CAD systems, CTI generally operate on the Windows operating system, and thus is
able to operate with applications that may not be compatible with the older CAD
systems. CTI can serve as a common decision support and data management link
between PSAPs and SAPs. Whether a physical or virtual consolidation scheme is
chosen for Stanislaus County, we recommend the implementation of a CTI- enabled
telecommunications network.
Stanislaus
County PSAPs transfer the caller to a SAP for the provision of EMD. However,
some interrogation is performed by County PSAPs in order to establish the need
for first responder response, which increases call-processing time and extends
time to EMD pre-arrival instructions. Furthermore, the method used for determining
the need for first responder response is not reliable enough for prioritizing
the level of response, increasing risk to responders and the community. More sophisticated resource deployment and
response options being considered in proposed changes to the EMS system design
will require more sophisticated and accountable methods of establishing first
response.
All agencies
that are routinely assigned to an EMS response must have the ability to directly
communicate with one another. Furthermore, radio notification and dispatch of
EMS resources must be simultaneous to ensure optimal response time performance.
Interagency or responding unit communications ensures the coordinated delivery
of care and transport. Common strategies to achieve interoperability include
frequency sharing and the installation and use of multiple radios capable of
broadcasting on different frequencies. While frequency sharing is a frequently
used strategy to improve resource notification and coordination, it requires
the implementation and strict adherence to common operational policies and
procedures to manage radio traffic. Reducing voice traffic through unit status
notification automation can reduce transmission time and thus enable more units
to operate on the same frequency.
Interoperability
within the County has been problematic between first responder agencies and
transport agencies. Operating on different frequencies has required responding
EMS agencies to rely on their communication centers to relay information,
resulting in delays and some instances errors. County fire departments have
developed a frequency-sharing plan to improve the utilization of available
frequencies and infrastructure. Additional discussion regarding the plan is
provided later in this report.
Computer-aided
dispatch (CAD) systems are roughly akin to work-order processing systems.
Call-takers enter the details of 911 calls for service into the CAD system. The
system then determines, based on the call type and the location of the
emergency, what resources should be sent to the call. For PSAPs handling more
than 25 calls per day, a CAD system is indispensable. In an EMS system, a CAD
can substantially improve resource utilization and management, and thus reduce
operational costs and improve both operational and financial performance. More
importantly, however, is the ability of these systems to facilitate optimal
distribution or coverage of available EMS resources. The desire to foster
higher levels of coordination among ambulance transport and first responders in
Stanislaus County requires the use of a CAD system. Furthermore, given the unique attributes of EMS resource
management, the CAD must have the ability to support EMS deployment strategies
(e.g., system status management).
Not all
public safety CAD systems are designed to support the needs of EMS. For
example, system status management (SSM) is a common EMS resource management
technique. SSM tries to optimize the staffing and assignment of EMS resources
through hourly system status plans (SSP). Without a CAD that is designed to
support SSM, implementing the SSP’s is time consuming and difficult. We therefore recommend that any communication
centers involved in the management of EMS resources be equipped with a CAD that
has the required functionality.
Furthermore, while it is possible to network different CAD system
together to facilitate call processing and record-keeping, multiple CAD systems
cannot manage a SSP as efficiently as a single CAD.
The legacy
public safety CAD used by Stanislaus Consolidated Communications Center (SCCC)
does not include sufficient features to adequately support the SSPs currently
used by County EMS providers serving urban areas. AMR’s Tritech “Command CAD”,
however, is capable of supporting ambulance as well as fire department
operations.
In order to
facilitate the improved coordination of EMS resources in Stanislaus County, EMS
providers and oversight agencies must have timely and complete data on agency
and system activity. The required data
is largely a byproduct of the call handling process, thus data capture,
storage, and access is of paramount importance. Systems and protocols that
ensure the reliable capture, storage, and access to the data must be present in
any future communications centers in order to improve the ability of the system
to adapt to changing operational conditions.
The County’s
current reliance on several CAD and data systems has significantly hampered
efforts on the part of the EMS agency, as well as, the consultants to perform a
review of overall EMS system performance. Disparate data definitions,
organization, and export features have significantly impeded efforts to perform
a detailed analysis of system response time performance. Changes that result in
a reduction in the number of disparate CAD systems will improve the continuity
of data. However, careful consideration and examination must be given to
required functionality when evaluating CAD alternatives.
Any change in
EMS communications design will require additional administrative support.
Whether the County chooses to use the physical or virtual consolidation model,
additional technology will be required and the sophistication of the systems
will increase. In addition, system participants will require greater access to
data in order to analyze and manage the performance of the new system. The
County should expect an increased need for more system maintenance and network
support in the future. Furthermore, the implementation of new technology will
require more user training and the development of competency-based testing to
ensure communication center personnel can effectively manage system resources.
While there
have been regular discussions regarding the opportunity to consolidate dispatch
activities within Stanislaus County, to date there has been very little formal
evaluation or planning to accomplish it. Given the project’s scope limitations,
additional evaluation of the administrative requirements and costs to
successfully complete the consolidation of communication center activities
within the County will be required.
In order to
develop meaningful budgets for the purposes of comparing communication center
consolidation alternatives, it was necessary to make assumptions regarding
operational features. These features would enhance the ability of proposed
communication center configurations to achieve operational objectives and thus
support changes being proposed in the County’s EMS system design. The following
descriptions were created to provide the reader with common descriptions of
processes and technology used in proposed consolidation designs for the
purposes of making comparisons. In some cases there was insufficient data or
budgeted time to include a projected cost. In these cases, a line item appears
in the comparison table without a value.
Technical
requirements are generally met through a combination of hardware and software
solutions in today’s public safety communication center environment. The
following descriptions provide an overview of the features and functional
requirements used to make generic equipment selections, and thus facilitate the
development of pro forma capital budgets. Since they were developed without the
benefit of an EMS system design from which to craft specifications, the budgets
will be subject to change as EMS system features and designs are modified later
in the project, and thus influence the functional requirements of technology.
·
Caller routing from PSAPs – Calls are currently
transferred from the County’s PSAPs to either AMR’s communication center or
Memorial’s MedCom communication center. To enhance the transfer of callers and
data from PSAPs to PSAP/SAP, computer telephony integration (CTI) equipment and
corresponding interface development is included in the analysis.
·
Administrative phone lines – The number will be dependent
on telecommunicator division of labor (i.e., cross-trained vs. scheduled
permanently to either PD, FD, or EMS), and remaining activities in
communication centers (i.e., non-emergency transfers, Medi-Flight program
dispatch, etc.). The specific number of administrative phone lines will be
dependent on operational and administrative policies and procedures that have
yet to be developed.
·
It was assumed that radio frequencies and supporting
infrastructure needed to coordinate and create interoperability between EMS
responders would be a byproduct of the Fire Frequency Plan being developed by
the Stanislaus County Fire Chief’s Association.
·
Resource dispatch – Based on the Fire Frequency Plan
the proposed system would support:
o Unit
notification – The system should be capable of simultaneously dispatching
prioritized EMS system resources.
o Logistical
support – The system should be capable of supporting direct field requests for
additional resources as well as other information.
o Unit-to-unit
communication and scene communication – The system should be capable of
supporting EMS unit-to-unit communications as well as portable-to-portable
scene communications.
·
Medical control - Current County radio systems provide
wireless communications through base stations at local medical control
hospitals using UHF frequencies, and via the VHF hospital emergency and
administrative radio (HEAR) system.
·
Alternatives to the frequency-sharing plan being proposed
by County fire departments could consist of connected audio from any channel or
frequency to other agencies via a "hub" and high-speed data
connections. This approach would permit field users to communicate without the
requirement for them to change channels in the field during an event. Existing
frequency licenses and infrastructure currently in place could be used to
create radio interoperability as well.
·
CAD system requirements:
o
Incident dispatching –Once unit selections are made,
initial dispatch should include simultaneous integrated alphanumeric paging or
other handheld wireless technology capable of receiving text messages.
o
Station alerting – Station/unit notification should be
automated, provide printed copies of incident location information, and capture
“dispatched” time stamp.
o
Mobile computing – The system should be capable of
supporting mobile data computing (MDC)
o
System status management, inter-agency messaging – The
system must be capable of monitoring and selecting the most appropriate unit as
defined by clinical need and required response time performance. The system
should be capable of supporting a countywide, multi-platform system status plan
(SSP). It must also be capable of notifying system status controllers of
resource coverage problems and make move-up recommendations in accordance with
the countywide system status plan.
·
Vehicle location requirements (e.g., AVL) – County EMS
resources should be equipped with automatic vehicle location (AVL) devices. The
AVL system should provide the CAD with unit location data to aid in selecting
the most appropriate unit. The unit cost of AVL was not included in the
analysis.
·
Records management system – CAD data should be integrated
with other system data within a comprehensive records management system. The
generic CAD and Tritech CAD used in the analysis is equipped with data analysis
tools and a variety of data export features to facilitate its inclusion with
other system data.
·
Messaging – An interface cost is included in unit
pricing but not assigned. The assignment of consulting fees to determine data
flow and entity relationships is included but an accurate estimate can not be
calculated. These line entries were included as placeholders for discussion.
CTI networks could be used to support some data/message transactions in the
absence of CAD-to-CAD interfaces.
The available
funding for this project was not sufficient to include a detailed analysis of
communication center administrative issues. Thus, it was outside of the scope
of this analysis to project costs that would occur as a result of changes in
technology and activities. The following list presents descriptions of the
likely “ripple effect” on administrative processes with communication center
consolidation.
·
Customer input/control – The communications network
should include a mechanism that creates a sense of control and facilitates
collaboration among participants. Operational policy and capital investments
should be controlled by this mechanism.
·
Implementation priorities – The development of a plan
for consolidation of communications activities should prioritize the systematic
execution of changes to the system.
·
Process changes – The consolidation plan must also
consider and plan for changes in how key administrative support activities will
be executed. While some are already being conducted within the candidate
communication centers, the consolidation of activities will require changes in current
policies, levels of activity, and relationships with new network customers.
Some of these process changes will likely include:
o
EMD – The implementation of a comprehensive EMD program
will permit changes in the EMS system design and the possible future
implementation of Level III dispatch activities, as well as, impact current
call-taker time-on-task, training, and quality assurance procedures and
activities.
o
Nonemergency dispatch – Consolidation of all ambulance
dispatch activities will include the provision of non-emergency dispatch
activities and will require additional training and policy development.
o
Workflow adjustments – The addition of other dispatch
activities will require an administrative analysis and possible adjustments to
current processes within a consolidated and/or networked communication center.
o
Security administration – The addition of customers
will require adjustments in data and center access procedures.
o
Database administration - The addition of customers
will likely require adjustments in database architecture and administration to
support universal access as well as compliance with future HIPAA requirements.
o
Network administration and performance monitoring - The
addition of customers will require additional network connections, as well as,
increase demands on information systems and networks.
o
Hardware management – The addition of customers will
require additional workstations and thus hardware and its selection, purchase,
and installation.
o
Documentation development and maintenance – The
addition of customers will require the development and maintenance of system
and user documentation.
o
Training development and presentation - The addition of
customers will require training of both new customers and existing customers to
ensure the coordinated response of EMS resources.
·
Personnel Issues
Staffing changes needed to manage call volume changes and type of calls (i.e.,
ambulance emergency and non-emergency requests), as well as, the need to
provide an opportunity to transfer personnel from consolidating communication
centers will have an impact on communication personnel costs. Differences in
calculated wage and benefit rates were significant. Based on data obtained from
County communication centers that may participate in consolidated designs,
combined wage and benefit amounts range from a low of $48,000/person, for
privately operated communication centers, to a high of $90,000/person, for
publicly operated centers.
·
Additional effort and expense will likely be incurred
with efforts to comply with contract stipulated standards of practice published
by:
o
Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials
(APCO)
o
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
o National
Emergency Number Association (NENA)
o National
Academy of EMD (NAEMD)
The following
scenario descriptions identify and list specific technologies and assumptions
that were used in the analysis and how they affected the development of values
used in the comparisons. The results of the Communication Consolidation
Scenario Cost Analysis are presented in Appendix A for review.
The
assumption that Scenario #1 would require the purchase and installation of a
new CAD was based on the operational requirements necessary to manage a system
status plan of comparable sophistication to AMR’s current system status plan.
Furthermore, the effective integration and utilization of ALS first responder
resources, as well as, the potential adoption of a County-wide system status
plan would place additional operational requirements that cannot be obtained
from the current version of the PRC CAD being used in Stanislaus Consolidated
Communication Center (SCCC). The use of a County-wide SSP would enhance
coordination and improve the efficiency of first responder and ambulance
deployment. The consultants developed and used a CAD price that represents a
system capable of supporting complex SSPs. Other features that may be needed to
support law enforcement activities specific to Stanislaus County were not
included.
·
Without a detailed communication center staffing
analysis, the consultants made the assumption that frequency-sharing would
permit the SCCC County fire radio dispatch position to support Paterson,
Westside, and Oak Valley, thus the four positions currently staffed by AMR would
be needed to support AMR and Hughson ambulance dispatch functions;
·
The four new ambulance call-taker/dispatch positions
would require new furniture and CTI call-handling equipment;
·
Three CTI interfaces would be needed to transfer
callers and data from Turlock, Ceres, and Oakdale;
·
One CAD-to-CAD interface would be needed with the City
of Turlock Communication Center;
·
An alphanumeric paging system would be implemented
countywide;
·
AMR’s EMD technology licenses would be used;
·
EMD software/CAD interfaces are existing features;
·
The closure through consolidation of AMR with another
communication center would create offsetting savings for the system, however,
calculating the amount was beyond the scope of this engagement.
Scenario #2
assumes that AMR’s Tritech Command CAD would be installed in SCCC on a separate
computer server and network and have a PRC interface. It was assumed that Tritech’s fire CAD resource management and
dispatch features would result in its use by County fire departments, as well
as, by County ambulance providers. This would permit the development and use of
a Countywide ALS fire first responder and ambulance SSP; enhancing coordination
and improving efficiency of first responder and ambulance deployment.
·
Modesto Police Department and Stanislaus County Sheriff
will not use the CAD;
·
Additional workstations will be purchased for the
Modesto Fire and County Fire radio dispatch positions;
·
Fire/EMS dispatch personnel would need to be trained on
two different CAD platforms;
·
Without a detailed communication center staffing analysis,
the consultants made the assumption that frequency-sharing would permit the
SCCC County fire radio dispatch position to support Paterson, Westside, and Oak
Valley, thus the four positions currently staffed by AMR would be needed to
support AMR and Hughson ambulance dispatch functions;
·
The four new ambulance dispatch positions would require
new furniture and CTI call-handling equipment;
·
Three CTI interfaces would be needed to transfer
callers and data from Turlock, Ceres, and Oakdale;
·
Two CAD-to-CAD interfaces between SCCC’s PRC CAD and
Turlock’s HTE CAD would be needed;
·
An alphanumeric paging system would be implemented
Countywide;
·
AMR’s EMD technology licenses would be used;
·
EMD software/CAD interfaces are existing features;
·
The closure through consolidation of AMR with another
communication center would create offsetting savings for the system, however,
calculating the amount was beyond the scope of this engagement.
Scenario #3
assumes that only ambulance dispatch activities would be combined at a site
other than SCCC, and would require the continued use of the Tritech Command CAD
to manage system resources. By combining MedCom and AMR dispatch activities,
ambulance resources can be managed using a Countywide SSP; enhancing
coordination and improving efficiency of ambulance deployment.
·
Without a detailed communication center staffing
analysis, the consultants assumed that the efficiency of the two current MedCom
position is high, thus four positions would be needed to increase ambulance
dispatch capability;
·
The four new ambulance dispatch positions would require
new furniture and CTI call-handling equipment;
·
Four CTI interfaces would be needed between SCCC,
Turlock, Ceres, and Oakdale to transfer callers and data;
·
Two CAD-to-CAD interface would be needed between the
SCCCs PRC CAD and Turlock’s HTE CAD;
·
An alphanumeric paging system would be implemented;
·
AMR’s EMD technology licenses would be used; and
·
EMD software/CAD interfaces are existing features.
·
The closure through consolidation of AMR with another
communication center would create offsetting savings for the system, however,
calculating the amount was beyond the scope of this engagement.
Scenario #4
assumes that all existing fire and ambulance dispatch centers continue to
operate. The centers’ call-handling and CADs are networked or linked through
the development of CAD-to-CAD interfaces. The features and operational
requirements described earlier in this document would be achieved through
agreed-upon communication center policies and procedures, telecommunications
interfaces, frequency sharing, and CAD-to-CAD data exchanges.
·
Six CTI interfaces would be needed between AMR and
Modesto, Turlock, and Ceres; and between MedCom and Modesto and Oakdale; as
well as, between AMR and MedCom to transfer callers and data;
·
Four CAD-to-CAD interfaces would be needed between
AMR’s Tritech and SCCC’s PRC and Turlock’s HTE CADs; and between MedCom’s
AMBPAC and SCCC’s PRC and AMR Tritech CADs;
·
Four additional CTI workstations for AMR would be
purchased
·
An alphanumeric paging system would be implemented
Countywide;
·
Additional EMD technology licenses would be needed; and
·
EMD software/CAD interfaces are existing features.
|
Consolidation
Assumptions |
|||||
|
|
|
Scenario # 1 |
Scenario #2 |
Scenario #3 |
Scenario #4 |
|
Note: While commonly practiced accounting
methods would depreciate the assets, the consultants choose to expense all
costs in the first year to reduce to complexity of the analysis. |
|
New
CAD |
Tritech |
Tritech |
Multiple
CADs |
|
|
Unit
cost |
|
|
|
|
|
Facilities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Furniture |
$6,000 |
$24,000 |
$24,000 |
$24,000 |
No
change |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Telecommunications |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Call-handling technology (CTI) |
$11,539 |
$46,156 |
$46,156 |
$46,156 |
$46,156 |
|
Caller routing from PSAP: CTI interface |
$20,000 |
$60,000 |
$60,000 |
$80,000 |
$120,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Radio Interoperability |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Unit Dispatch - single frequency |
To
be determined |
|
|
|
|
|
Unit Dispatch - multiple freq. |
To
be determined |
|
|
|
|
|
Data transmission (e.g., AVL) |
To
be determined |
|
|
|
|
|
Unit-to-unit radios |
To
be determined |
|
|
|
|
|
Tactical frequencies |
To
be determined |
|
|
|
|
|
Radio communications infrastructure |
$15,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
Radio communications consulting |
$40,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) System |
|
|
|
|
|
|
CAD capable of PD, FD and EMS dispatch |
$1,250,000 |
$1,250,000 |
|
|
|
|
CAD relocation and testing |
$75,000 |
|
$75,000 |
$75,000 |
|
|
Additional Tritech positions |
$25,000 |
|
$50,000 |
$50,000 |
|
|
CAD data (e.g., unit availability)
interface devel. |
$60,000 |
$60,000 |
$120,000 |
$120,000 |
$240,000 |
|
E911 interface |
$9,500 |
$9,500 |
Installed |
Installed |
Installed |
|
Vehicle location (e.g., AVL) interface
devel. |
$20,000 |
$20,000 |
Installed |
Installed |
Installed |
|
Paging interface |
$9,000 |
$9,000 |
$27,000 |
$27,000 |
$36,000 |
|
Messaging - data flow consulting |
To
be determine |
|
|
|
|
|
Messaging interfaces |
$5,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
Mapping/GIS changes |
$11,000 |
$11,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
EMD Technology & Training |
|
|
|
|
|
|
EMD cards and software |
$3,295 |
$3,295 |
Installed |
Installed |
$9,885 |
|
Software training |
$3,500 |
$3,500 |
Installed |
Installed |
$3,500 |
|
EMD training |
$225 |
$11,250 |
$2,250 |
Installed |
Installed |
|
Quality assurance software |
$5,000 |
Installed |
Installed |
Installed |
Installed |
|
EMD-Q training |
$495 |
Installed |
$495 |
Installed |
Installed |
|
EMD software integration |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Estimated Capital Costs |
|
$1,507,701 |
$404,901 |
$422,156 |
$455,541 |
Potential Savings Created Through Communication Center Consolidation
The absence of a completed EMS
redesign document reduced the ability of the consultants to calculate specific
cost savings associated with the consolidation of communication center
activities. Depending on the consolidation configuration that is selected, the
following potential offsetting savings could be expected:
·
Improved position efficiency – The use of a single
call-taker position and simultaneous alerting of fire and ambulance resources
will reduce the total time on task and thus will improve dispatch efficiency.
The amount of potential savings cannot be accurately calculated without
additional analysis of current staffing level adequacy. For the purposes of
developing the consolidation scenarios, the consultants assumed that the County
fire dispatch position would be capable of managing County (with the exception
of the City of Modesto) EMS dispatch activities. The planned staffing of a
peak-hour position at AMR and an additional position at MedCom may not be
necessary with consolidation as well. However, precise estimations of
consolidation savings cannot be made without a more detailed analysis of
position activity and time-on-task within SCCC, AMR and MedCom communication
centers.
·
Personnel costs – While savings can likely be achieved
through reductions in the number of total communication center positions, the
employer of personnel could also affect costs. Publicly-operated centers pay
significantly more in salaries and benefits than privately-operated centers.
·
Countywide system status plan – The development and
management of a single County-wide system status plan (SSP) would permit
changes in the EMS system response that would likely result in more consistent
Countywide response time performance. Furthermore, ambulance operating costs
could potentially be reduced through a reduction in the number of ambulance
unit hours needed to provide coverage with ALS first responder and Quick
Response Vehicle (QRV) integration.
·
Finally, the closure through consolidation of AMR with
another communication center would create offsetting savings for the system as
well.