In Summary:

• The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management sought a robust, modern call-handling solution and needed guidance defining requirements, as well as during the procurement and implementation process.

• In 2017, they hired Mission Critical Partners to help them build requirements, and to support the agency's implementation efforts.

• The new call-handling solution has played a role helping 911 call-answering times improve.

"MCP's guidance during the procurement stage was invaluable. Their familiarity working with 911 call-handling system vendors and their knowledge of the newest technology and vendors available played an essential role helping us feel more comfortable with the requirements-gathering and RFP process."

Jun Chen, PMO Manager, City and County of San Francisco

Overview and Agency Challenge

The city of San Franscisco Department of Emergency Management (DEM) sought a robust, modern call-handling system that would support its 42 call-taking positions. A second requirement was a path to a National Emergency Number Association (NENA) i3-compliant system and meeting public safety standards for performance and reliability. They looked for a partner that could provide guidance defining requirements, as well as during the procurement and implementation process.

How Mission Critical Partners Helped

The San Francisco DEM partnered with Mission Critical Partners to provide technology procurement guidance and implementation support. MCP helped San Francisco build a strong foundation of requirements before issuing a request for proposal (RFP) by extensively engaging a large team of stakeholders to define what was most desirable from a new system.

MCP helped the agency build a strong RFP that included use cases, detailed specifications and stakeholder input, and led them through the RFP process. Once the new call-handling system was selected, the team completed a vigorous testing process as well as implementation support in the form of support and oversight during the cut-over process. In the meantime, the agency’s leadership was empowered to stay focused on maintaining their daily operations while MCP ensured a seamless procurement and implementation process.

The Results

The San Francisco DEM cut-over to the new call-handling system in November 2016, and since them, has witnessed improved 911 call-answering times. While this cannot be directly attributed to the new system, it’s a contributing factor. MCP played a key role in helping them define a sound strategy and a strategic vision for deploying a call-handling solution that builds a strong foundation for transitioning to Next Generation 911.