Marion County 911 centers to consolidate?

[Blackhawk2001]

I was at Beech Grove Firearms yesterday and saw a sign on a building that said, "Keep the Beech Grove 911 Dispatch Center". I hope the county isn't trying to consolidate all the Dispatch Centers to save money. That's so stupid, it's frightening.

 

[pudly]

Is a dispatch center different from a call center? I understand that having first responders being distributed so that they can reach different areas quickly makes sense, but consolidating 911 call centers would seem like a no-brainer.

 

[4sarge]

Is a dispatch center different from a call center? I understand that having first responders being distributed so that they can reach different areas quickly makes sense, but consolidating 911 call centers would seem like a no-brainer.

If memory serves me correctly, Lawrence, Beech Grove and Speedway kept their respective 911 Call Centers. This was so the municipality had input & control of their respective dispatch. It also allowed these satellite centers to be utilized in a failure of the central 911 center or a disaster that rendered the central dispatch center inoperable

 

[Blackhawk2001]

That's what I'm getting at. It makes no sense to me to consolidate all emergency dispatch in the county into one facility. Look at the chaos created when the City Emergency Management Agency and Dispatch Center were taken out at the same time as the Twin Towers were coming down. Faulty planning on the part of the Emergency Planners (does anyone remember Jerry Hauer? former director of the State Emergency Management Agency here). I hope we're not following that road here in the county.

 

[j706]

That's what I'm getting at. It makes no sense to me to consolidate all emergency dispatch in the county into one facility. Look at the chaos created when the City Emergency Management Agency and Dispatch Center were taken out at the same time as the Twin Towers were coming down. Faulty planning on the part of the Emergency Planners (does anyone remember Jerry Hauer? former director of the State Emergency Management Agency here). I hope we're not following that road here in the county.

If you want to see a epic fail of a consolidated dispatch take a look at Hendricks County's (HCCC) A utter failure and dangerous to boot. It is so bad that if it wasn't so serious it would be funny. The vast majority of Hendricks County LEO's hate it. You guys need to do anything in your power to not let consolidation happen. You will loose your voice in the operation of the thing. You will be put on the back burner as far as priority.

 

[kedie]

MECA has a backup center in the Perry Township govt. center, so if the main place gets taken out they can go there. Speedway police and fire were dispatched out of the Perry center while their own was being renovated.

As for the Hendricks county center, I can't speak for the cops side, but the fire side of the house is much better than it was with indivdual centers.

 

[Indy317]

2-4-6-8-LETS ALL CONSOLIDATE!!

Here is the law:

IC 36-8-16.5-13
"PSAP" defined
Sec. 13. As used in this chapter, "PSAP" refers to the public safety answering point that is the public safety agency that receives incoming 911 calls and dispatches appropriate public safety agencies to respond to the calls.

IC 36-8-16.5-51
Limitation on number of PSAPs in a county after December 31, 2014; exceptions; establishing new PSAPs on or after March 15, 2008, prohibited; interlocal agreements; other parties; plans required

Sec. 51.
(a) For purposes of this section, a PSAP includes a public safety communications system operated and maintained under IC 36-8-15.
(b) As used in this section, "PSAP operator" means:
(1) a political subdivision; or
(2) an agency;
that operates a PSAP. The term does not include a state educational institution that operates a PSAP or an airport authority established for a county having a consolidated city.
(c) Subject to subsection (d), after December 31, 2014, a county may not contain more than two (2) PSAPs. However, a county may contain one (1) or more PSAPs in addition to the number of PSAPs authorized by this section, as long as any additional PSAPs are operated by:
(1) a state educational institution; or
(2) an airport authority established for a county having a consolidated city.
(d) If, on March 15, 2008, a county does not contain more than one (1) PSAP, not including any PSAP operated by an entity described in subsection (c)(1) or (c)(2), an additional PSAP may not be established or operated in the county on or after March 15, 2008, unless the additional PSAP is established and operated by:
(1) a state educational institution;
(2) in the case of a county having a consolidated city, an airport authority established for the county; or
(3) the municipality having the largest population in the county or an agency of that municipality.
(e) Before January 1, 2015, each PSAP operator in a county that contains more than the number of PSAPs authorized by subsection (c) shall enter into an interlocal agreement under IC 36-1-7 with every other PSAP operator in the county to ensure that the county does not contain more than the number of PSAPs authorized by subsection (c) after December 31, 2014.
(f) An interlocal agreement required under subsection (e) may include as parties, in addition to the PSAP operators required to enter into the interlocal agreement under subsection (e), any of the following that seek to be served by a county's authorized PSAPs after December 31, 2014:
(1) Other counties contiguous to the county.
(2) Other political subdivisions in a county contiguous to the county.
(3) Other PSAP operators in a county contiguous to the county.
(g) An interlocal agreement required under subsection (e) must provide for the following:
(1) A plan for the:
(A) consolidation;
(B) reorganization; or
(C) elimination;
of one (1) or more of the county's PSAPs, as necessary to ensure that the county does not contain more than the number of PSAPs authorized by subsection (c) after December 31, 2014.
(2) A plan for funding and staffing the PSAP or PSAPs that will serve:
(A) the county; and
(B) any areas contiguous to the county, if additional parties described in subsection (f) participate in the interlocal agreement;
after December 31, 2014.
(3) Subject to any applicable state or federal requirements, protocol to be followed by the county's PSAP or PSAPs in:
(A) receiving incoming 911 calls; and
(B) dispatching appropriate public safety agencies to respond to the calls;
after December 31, 2014.
(4) Any other matters that the participating PSAP operators or parties described in subsection (f), if any, determine are necessary to ensure that the county does not contain more than the number of PSAPs authorized by subsection (c) after December 31, 2014.
(h) This section may not be construed to require a county to contain a PSAP.


Here is my basic understanding of the above:
#1: The goal was to have all 911 centers merged into one center. However, due to failure issues, the state decided to allow for a "back-up" center, so now each county can have only two centers where 911 call answering, and initial dispaching, takes place. Hamilton County already merged Noblesville dispatch (which included Westfield) with HCSD. Carmel is keeping there center and they are calling that the "back-up" center.

#2: This only applies to 911 call centers. Every agency could technically keep their dispatchers and take over the incident (cad stuff really) after the initial dispatch to the area.

#3: The only other entities allowed to have their own 911 answering centers are colleges/universities and airports.

I personally don't see this as a bad thing, if ran correctly. Some folks complain about the dispatcher not knowing the area, but that doesn't really make sense. I know plenty of dispatchers who got jobs at enties where they didn't really know the area. That should come with training, and if it doesn't, then it might be more of an issue with the person than the concept of combined dispatch centers.

I have heard of the issues with the Hendricks County center, but I recall it had more to do with internal issues. However, if internal issues are not well, the product and service by the employees will likely suck as well. Obviously this is a serious issue that needs to be addressed if dispatch employe morale is affecting the service to the officers.

 

[j706]

Hendricks County's suck on all counts. From equipment selection at its basic up to the CAD system. No in car radios!!!!! Two or three in every ambulance or firetruck but none in patrol cars. Marion County might be able to get by with no in car radios due to sheer officer numbers. In Hendricks we don't have that luxury. I don't care what anyone says police cars must have in car radios...period.

We also ended up with some outrageously high priced junk Motorola MDT's. these POS's crash more than anything I have ever seen. I am on number 9 in two years! And these things are around 7k per!

Hendricks County's HCCC is a blooming joke. Hope none of you guys ever have to depend on it.