1. Dallas Fire-Rescue Communications Division Dispatch Operations September 14, 2015

2. Briefing Objective Discuss Dallas Fire-Rescue Department’s (DFR) Dispatch Center Operations Discuss 911 call volume trends Overview of how technology assists with processing and dispatching resources tied to 911 calls 2

3. Fire Dispatch Operations City of Dallas 911 calls are handled by Dallas Police Department call takers Calls requiring fire, technical rescue or Emergency Medical Services (EMS) are transferred to the Fire Communications Center for efficient handling Fire Dispatch call takers include firefighter and EMS trained individuals whose experience enhances information gathering and appropriate resource assignment 3

4. Fire Dispatch Operations Fire Dispatch Call Takers are trained in Emergency Medical Dispatching (EMD) used to assist 911 callers reporting medical emergencies Quality Assurance entails routine review and monitoring of handled calls to ensure quality customer service delivery Interagency Communication - Fire Dispatch Call Takers coordinate with many agencies to remedy various emergencies (DART, Dallas Sheriff Department, DPD, other fire departments, media, etc.) 4

5. 911 Call Volume Trends EMS call volume has trended up (17.5% increase over the last 5 years) 5 EMS Calls 205,878 211,580 221,803 228,544 166,585 173,666 182,035 193,820 195,802 Fire & EMS

6. 911 Call Volume Trends Dallas’ population growth continues and high rise construction density will continue to place a strain on all public safety resources including 911 call handling DFR continues to collaborate with CIS and Purchasing Departments along with a consultant for purchase of needed call handling software that will provide for more efficient dispatching of EMS resources The goal of new software use is to keep Advanced Life Support (ALS) resources available to address high priority EMS calls (Heart Attacks, Strokes, Shootings, etc.) 6

7. Technology Applications Automatic Vehicle Locators (AVLs)-Vehicle tracking technology used to identify fire and EMS fleet units closest to reported emergency Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) software integrates with the AVL system to assist with emergency resource assignments Display status boards-displays by color code the status of emergency fleet resources 7

8. Technology Applications 8 Phone number identifier/mapping technology use provides Fire Dispatch Call Takers with names of individuals or businesses along with address locations for 911 callers 911 Caller information is also accessible to first responders on their fleet unit Mobile Data Computers (MDCs) Locution is a station alerting system which announces 911 call related information over the fire station public address system

9. Questions? 9