1. Orange County Fire Rescue Consolidation Commission Presentation Fire Communications

2. Presentation Outline Organizational Structure 911 Center Functions Statistics & Standards Communications Center Budget Technology 911 Call Flow Challenges

3. OCFRD Organizational Chart

4. Fire Communications

5. Dispatch Center Facts Consolidation of Fire District Dispatch Centers in 1981 52 Authorized Dispatcher positions 4 Squads rotate through 12 Hour Shifts Each squad has 13 assigned dispatchers 14 Dispatch Consoles 5.1 million dollar budget –Includes Dispatch Center and Telecommunications functions –Personnel Services –Operating Costs –Technology

6. Technology Investment Computer Aided Dispatch2.4m RMS Automation1.7m Mobile Data System1.0m Automatic Vehicle Location1.0m 800 Mhz Radio System3.0m Fire Station Alerting System1.0m Enhanced 911 System1.0m

7. Dispatch Center Functions Dispatch Center Operations –911 Operator/Call Take –Primary Dispatch –Tactical Radio –Supervision –MEDCOM –State Warning Point Dispatch Center Support –New Employee & In-Service Training –Technology Support –Quality Assurance

8. OCFRD Dispatch Coverage Orange County Fire Rescue –Unincorporated area dispatch OCFRD Fire Service & Dispatch –Oakland, Edgewood, Bell Isle, Lake Nona, Eatonville Municipal Dispatch Contracts –Maitland, Ocoee, Winter Garden

9. Fire Dispatch Coverage

10. Standards National and State Standards –Must answer 911 in less than 10 seconds FSS 365.171, State 911 Plan –Must dispatch emergency calls < 60 seconds ISO, NFPA

11. Statistics Daily Call Volume280 alarms –Busy Day of WeekFriday –Busy Hour of Day5:00 - 5:59 p.m. –Busy Minute of Day3 simultaneous calls Statistics –5.4 seconds - average 911 answer time –46 seconds - average call process time From time phone is answered to dispatch of units

12. Statistics August 2005 –27,742 total phone calls 8,278 calls on 911 5.4 second average answer time on 911 96.2% of all calls were answered in < 10 seconds –8,707 emergency calls were dispatched Busy Hour: –Saturday, August 20, 6:00-6:59 p.m., 36 calls in one hour Busy Day: –Monday, August 15 th, 322 calls in 24 hour period

13. 911 Centers/Dispatch Centers in Orange County 911 Centers: 1Apopka (Apopka PD/FD, Eatonville PD, Maitland PD) 2Winter Garden PD 3Ocoee PD 4Winter Park FD/PD 5UCF PD 6Orlando PD 7Orlando FD 8Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (PD/FD) 9Reedy Creek 10Florida Highway Patrol Private Ambulance Dispatch Centers 11Rural Metro 12Health Central Paramedics

14. 911 Centers in Orange County

15. Typical 911 Call Flow

16. Wireless Issues 45% of all emergency calls to 911 are from wireless phones Wireless calls “route” based on the closest, or closest available, cell tower Wireless calls may route to the correct 911 Center or to a more distant 911 Center

17. Wireless Call Routing Auto Accident, Aloma/Semoran, 911 Call to Winter Park, then to OCFRD

18. Wireless Call Routing Auto Accident Colonial/Semoran 911 Call to Orlando PD, Transfer to Orlando FD Transfer to OCFRD

19. Emergency Call Flow OCFRD 911 Operator Primary “TAC1” Dispatcher Tactical Radio Operator

20. Technology CAD MDT AVL Digital Mapping 800 Mhz Radio System Fire Station Alerting System FireFighter Location Technology Enhanced Mapping

21. Automatic Aid/Mutual Aid Automatic Aid –Formal agreement between agencies –Involves approved geographic areas –Involves designated equipment/apparatus –A request for assistance is “pre-approved” –Dispatch occurs quickly Mutual Aid –Emergency Backup between agencies –Used in Catastrophic or highly unusual events –Requires approval before units are assigned

22. Automatic Aid Occurs about 20 times a day between OCFRD and other agencies –OFD called OCFRD 111 times in August –OCFRD called OFD 39 times in August 2 to 3 minute delay in unit response –Due to time lost in calling the other agency by phone Sometimes an engine or rescue that is physically closer will not be dispatched, because a more distant unit can reach the scene first.

23. Automatic Aid Dispatch Process Example: –Auto Accident on Michigan Avenue at Mills –OCFRD CAD recommends an OFD Engine 5 –OCFRD Dispatcher dials OFD Dispatch Center and asks if Engine 5 is available –If OFD Engine 5 is available, OCFRD dispatcher relays all information type of call, location, cross streets, radio channel –OFD call taker then enters emergency request into their CAD system –OFD dispatcher then alerts OFD Engine 5 to respond

24. Contract Dispatch Agencies Maitland, Ocoee, Winter Garden have multi-year dispatch agreements with OCFRD Their units operate on OCFRD radio channels and in OCFRD CAD system Response in and around the cities is “instant” with no delay Agencies get the benefit of OCFRD technology backbone

25. Contract City Dispatch Station Proximity Ocoee Winter Garden OCFRD

26. Challenges 60 Second Emergency Call Process Time –Callers not familiar with the area Students Commuters Visitors (365,000 average daily visitor population) –Callers who are confused or hysterical Elderly & Small Children –Technology Limitations Cell Phone Callers Voice Over IP (VoIP) Callers Switchboard Callers

27. Challenges Dispatch System Efficiency Issues –Coordination/Rapid Dispatch with outside agencies –Recruitment & Selection of qualified employees

28. Summary OCFRD currently operates a consolidated center Expensive technology is shared among multiple agencies OCFRD dispatchers are highly trained and focus on Fire and EMS OCFRD runs an efficient Communications Center –Congressional 911 Award this year –Performance Measurements –Quality Assurance Program –Customer Service feedback from cities

29. Questions ?