Whitepaper: Workforce Complications and Ways to Improve

Public safety officials today are faced with the very real nationwide staffing shortage, and dated legacy equipment and technology. Recognizing this, Mission Critical Partners (MCP) has developed a strategy to update and streamline a dated and strenuous approach for recruiting and retention, where the focus should

MCP Assessment Helps Manatee County, FL EMS Plan Its Future

MCP delivered a five-year strategic plan and recommendations to improve the agency’s operations

The Lean ECC: A Way to Make ECCs Better at What They Do

In Summary:

• The emergency communications landscape is changing rapidly and emergency communications centers (ECCs) have adapted the way that they handle 911 calls and support emergency responders
• Today, technology and science play a much larger role in the way ECCs operate — resulting in new approaches that are not only effective, but repeatable and scalable
• One such approach, known as the lean ECC, focuses on removing extraneous steps in a center's workflows to help meet national standards 
• This does not mean reducing staff — rather, this approach leverages an ECCs existing resources more efficiently to enhance the quantity and quality of what is being accomplished

MCP's 2020 Public Safety Predictions Infographic

Mission Critical Partners surveyed some our subject-matter experts to hear their predictions regarding what will public safety trends will shape the next decade and the public safety industry outlook. Today's public safety landscape is evolving more quickly than ever before. To help illustrate what's coming, as well as where we believe the industry is headed this year, we put together an infographic fueled by statistics on what's substantially impacting the industry, as well as where we believe its headed. See why the experts believe that actionable data, cloud-based technology deployments and new approaches to workforce management will be priorities.

NCT9-1-1 Revolutionizes 9-1-1 Service and Delivery with MCP's Guidance

In Summary: 

• NCT9-1-1 is responsible for 43 PSAPs in 13 counties surrounding the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. They had a vision of leading the 9-1-1 sector with implementation of an Next Generation 9-1-1 system (NG9-1-1) and needed support building a roadmap to get there.
• Together, NCT9-1-1 and MCP created a strategic NG9-1-1 Master Plan that would enable a complete transition to NG9-1-1 while evolving the organization's entire program.
• NCT9-1-1 has made significant progress toward realizing the full benefits of NG9-1-1 technology all while enhancing its organizational culture.

Memphis Police and 911 Communications Enjoys a Rebirth with MCP's Support

In Summary: 

• Memphis Police and 911 Communications was challenged by aging infrastructure, antiquated systems and an understaffed 911 center.
• To help overcome these challenges, the Shelby County 911 District completed two 911 center staffing studies, built a new state-of-the-art 911 center, and an upgraded computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system.
• Today, the situation in Memphis has taken a 180-degree turn. The District has decreased their average time to answer a call from 90 seconds to 6 seconds.

On-Demand Webinar: Workforce Optimization

In public safety, staffing has become the proverbial “thing under the bed,” the one operational aspect that keeps PSAP leaders up at night. While personnel churn has always been a challenge in the industry, today it is exacerbated by a healthy economy, with many telecommunicators leaving for less stressful, better-paying jobs, and a shrinking candidate pool.

A Blueprint to Help Public Safety Organizations Understand Their Environments

 In Summary:

• For public safety officials, the task of monitoring and assessing the myriad technological and operational factors that determine the center's success or failure is a big, complicated and time-consuming job.

• Leaders need help understanding where their centers stand regarding factors such as cybersecurity, IT and networks, next generation 911 (NG911), staffing, and more.

• MCP's Model for Advancing Public Safety^SM, also known as MAPS^SM, is a proprietary assessment program that helps assess a program against standards, best practices, and the collective knowledge of MCP's 115+ specialized public safety professionals.

10 Factors Every PSAP Needs to Consider When it Comes to Staffing the Next Generation Workforce

The Next Generation Workforce: 10 Factors Every PSAP Needs to Consider

There is a lot of change happening in 911 centers today, particularly as it relates to staffing and preparing for the modern public safety communications capabilities that come with text-to-911, Next Generation 911 (NG911) systems, and the availability of enhanced data. This quick read discusses the ten factors that every PSAP needs to consider when it comes to preparing for this transformation.

The Evolution of the Emergency Communications Ecosystem

In Summary:

• Emergency communications centers are not much different from what they were when they first appeared on the scene a half century ago.

• PSAPs need to jettison the legacy analog call-handling equipment that has existed for the last 50 years, and replace it with new equipment capable of processing calls and data that originates from digital devices.

• The evolution of the emergency communications ecosystem will result in PSAPs and telecommunicators that will look and behave very differently than they do today. 

The public safety sector and emergency communications has reached an inflection point. Technology has evolved dramatically, and the needs and expectations of the public served by PSAPs have evolved as well. Data has overtaken voice in terms of importance. As a result, PSAPs need systems that are capable of leveraging the enormous amount of data is that already available, yet inaccessible today. Legacy call-handling equipment equipment that has existed for the last 50 years needs to be replaced with new equipment capable of processing calls and data originating from digital, Internet-Protocol (IP)-based devices.

Workforce Optimization: A Smarter Solution to Resolving 911's Staffing Struggle

In Summary:

• Staffing struggles have plagued public safety communications for years, and the situation is worsening because of favorable economic conditions that bring an abundance of less-stressful, better paying jobs.

• Workforce optimization is the concept of taking a more holistic approach to staffing that places equal emphasis on recruitment, hiring, training, and retention.

• The profile of the ideal telecommunicator is evolving. The next generation telecommunicator will process different skills than they do today.

Several years ago, the National 911 Program released the Recommended Minimum Training Guidelines for the 911 Telecommunicator. The document was intended to ensure that a more consistent standard of care was provided by 911 call-takers and dispatchers to callers requesting emergency services, regardless of their location at the time of the call. A corollary benefit of the guidelines is that they might help reduce the amount of personnel churn that emergency communications centers (ECCs) experience.

MCP Helps Florida PSAP Resolve a 911 Staffing Struggle

In Summary:

• The PSAP operated by the Fort Myers Police Department in Florida was dealing with a significant staffing shortage.
• The organization turned to MCP to assess the situation and make actionable recommendations to resolve the issues.
• Today, for the first time in a decade, all call-taker and dispatcher positions are filled with fully-trained personnel.

Overview and Agency Challenge

These are challenging times for public safety answering points (PSAPs). Many are dealing with funding shortfalls, others are wondering where they will find the money to implement Next Generation 911 (NG911) technology. Given this, it should come as no surprise that the PSAP operated by the Fort Myers Police Department in Florida has been dealing with a significant staffing shortage of its own. The PSAP operated by the police department in Fort Myers handles more than 200,000 emergency calls annually. Low employee morale and a high staff turnover rate were impacting the PSAP’s performance significantly and compounding existing 911 staffing issues. Other challenges they face included: