CSP East Dispatch Centers to be Merged

[oilmillcharlie]

CSP plans on merging Troops C,D,E, and K dispatching. See link for story.

Calls to state police soon going to 1 place - Norwich, CT - The Bulletin

 

[coolrich55]

I don't know if this is a good idea or not. I just hope if they do move it to troop c then when a dispatcher is talking to a unit down here in troop e area they know where they're sending them. What I mean by that as an example today troop e was sending a trooper to an area of Griswold where there is a gravel pit. The dispatcher seemed to know where it was, trooper wasn't so sure. I'm thinking the dispatcher had knowledge of the area. You hear that alot. It just seems like the dispatchers know alot of info about the area that a computer screen won't tell them. I'm just a little concerned about it.

 

[joetnymedic]

I can see the monetary savings from merging, but like Rich said, it's better to have people who know the area dispatching the area. I can relate 100% on that. I used to work for an ambulance service in NY and during the day we were dispatched locally but after 5 pm we were dispatched from a center here in CT. One noght we got dispatched to Briarcliff Manor for a cardiac arrest in the basement. We were like ok how about an address. The dispatcher here in CT is so used to nursing home names she thought that briarcliff manor was a nursing home and didnt realize it was a village. Good thing we had communications to the PD and 60 control in the rig or things could have been real bad. Granted it was a code and the PT didn't make it, but how would it have looked if we were driving around aimlessly? And that wasn't the only issue. When that same service got bought out, we started getting dispatched at night from Columbia Presb. in the City so it wasn't much better. Needless to say that service got itself together and now has one hell of a dispatch center. So trust me I can relate

 

[Rt169Radio]

Interesting,we will have to wait and see what happens.

 

[dispatcher812]

I was speaking to a friend you is a dispatcher for Troop D. It sounded like he would be going to C if it ever came about. So maybe they will be consolidating but still have those dispatchers working there areas with the others capable of helping out when needed. I can't see them getting rid of any dispatchers. What it will free up are Troopers who work the desk, they can get back on the road.

 

[cg]

The local knowledge thing is good but at some point, someone gets the job who didin't spend their entire life in the district they are dispatching for.
I do shake my head when they say how dangerous not having troopers available 24/7 in the barracks is. How many Resident Trooper's offices are staffed 24/7?

chris

 

[izzyj4]

Since I dispatched for CSP a few years back, you have one trooper at the desk with a dispatcher on every shift. So if you factor that in with Troops C, D, E & K that is four troopers on the desk for one shift. Now if you consolidate the four dispatch centers, you now have one trooper on the desk and three more on the road for the shift. In return that would be 9 troopers more on the road a day covering 3 shifts. So in essence, three out of the four troops that consolidated are getting one more trooper on the road per shift but the troop with the dispatch center will not have that extra trooper on the road.

ALSO, when I was there and I think it is still the case, if they cannot get a dispatcher to fill a shift, then the OT is offered to a trooper. I don't think that is being factored in.

AND having that said, I wonder how it is going to work for the civilian dispatchers if they are going to have four of them working at the console to cover each of the four consolidated areas or are they going to have say two or three civilians a shift? Last I knew there were a lot of open positions for civilian dispatchers prior to the whole consolidation idea.

Lastly as a dispatcher who didn't know a lot of the areas that I my centers that I worked for, I had to learn the areas. That is part of your job as a dispatcher. Though its nice to say and yes it definitely an advantage to have someone who knows the area pretty good, its more of a convenience than a necessity. If you are dispatching for a regional center, then you must learn the areas you don't know. That is why when I was as CSP, they teamed me up with a trooper and I road with them to learn the district. Same thing when I was with C-MED New Haven, I had to learn areas like the Shoreline and Meriden areas though I knew the Valley and Metro New Haven areas very well. That is you job.

 

[csp662]

Hey Joe, those same Troopers that were assigned the desk haven't been eliminated. They are still assigned to sit at the troop. So at Troop L, you have three dispatchers and one desk man. So now you have four people doing the same job that six people used to do. So, as far as getting more Troopers on the road, it hasn't happened. You still have a Trooper sitting the desk at Troop A and Troop B all by themselves, just less phone calls to answer. Radio calls aren't being answered and the dispatchers seem to be so busy that they are missing things like File 1s, misuses and 17s. Hopefully things will improve. At least we're not punching cards and using SPRAMIS anymore!

 

[doctordialtone]

Progress

Punch me an "A Card" for Nostalgia. Pigeon slot please.

As long as you guys are reminiscing, here's some vintage CSP material that mentions SPRAMIS.

2002 Annual Report, with mug shots:

http://www.ct.gov/dps/lib/dps/public_information_files/brochures/2002_annual_report.pdf

(Everyone looks good in uniform)

A labor complaint for handling the extra stress and workload - from 1986, no doubt typed on an IBM Selectric III with a bad Courier Print Head:

http://www.ctdol.state.ct.us/csblr/decisions-pdf/1986/2466.pdf

I think that CSP is so much better equipped to snag the bad guys with the help of all of the technology that's now available. The problem is - many more bad guys.

Oooops! Files are down until 0600.

Back to Post It Notes!

KCA 788

 

[PJH]

Much of this is the brain child of Stebbins. When he was a Capt, he had these grand ideas of mergers, consolidations, etc for everything in the CSP. Now that he is the 2nd top dog of the agency and out of retirement, he can do all these things that he wanted that was stopped by everyone above him back in the day.

As for unfamiliarity of an area, and local knowledge - it does go a long way. However with the advent of technology, GPS, the CAD system - its not as nessesary as it once was. With the CSP CAD system, the troopers have a map that shows where the call is based on the address or lat/long location and will also show them where they are in relation to it. There are some limitations for the crappy CAD software that is used, but it does work.

As for consolidation, it can be done as, and it can be done well as long as the backend is thoughly in place before the switchover. As I have stated before, there are some states that have ONE center for State Police, DOT, and other statewide agencies and do not have the perceived problems. There are counties in other area's of the country larger and more populated than the entire state of Connecticut that work this way. (I worked for one in California that was over 8000sq miles, major highways and all that fun stuff - and the Sheriff's office was staffed by 3-5 dispatchers, and fire with about the same staffing). The CAD system and AVL was top notch.

The way of thinking needs to change, however the processes and way of operating also needs to change - which the state (Stebbins) isn't. Can't have everything switch over without management changing their ways.

Ideally, your going to still have a dispatcher for each troop, but your also going to have dedicated (or should) call takers. Can't have one person do both jobs in a consolidated center - doesn't work that way, and the state hasn't figured that out yet.

The only reason why there are still dispatchers at Troop W, er State Police at Bradley Airport - is due to the fire department and a few other unique features. All Stebbins did there is elimiate a Lt and M/SGT position on paper but those were just really reassigned to other areas in the dept with no real cost savings (but on paper there is).

 

[PJH]

ALSO, when I was there and I think it is still the case, if they cannot get a dispatcher to fill a shift, then the OT is offered to a trooper. I don't think that is being factored in

With the budget issues, they haven't really filled any open positions (looks good on paper) but its costing them in overtime pay.

Overtime by contract is offered to other troop dispatchers, then to other dispatchers in the state who have a card in to work overtime at that troop, then offered troopers who are willing to work the desk who are "desk quailified" then if that doesn't work, a trooper that is desk quailified will assigned to the desk off the road and a trooper offered/ordered in to fill that slot unless they run the shift short on the road.

Basically, its a headache for the M/SGT or shift Sgt.

Oh, and you had the "A" cards, but never send anyone anywhere if they were on a "brown" card

 

[izzyj4]

Hey Joe, those same Troopers that were assigned the desk haven't been eliminated. They are still assigned to sit at the troop. So at Troop L, you have three dispatchers and one desk man. So now you have four people doing the same job that six people used to do. So, as far as getting more Troopers on the road, it hasn't happened. You still have a Trooper sitting the desk at Troop A and Troop B all by themselves, just less phone calls to answer. Radio calls aren't being answered and the dispatchers seem to be so busy that they are missing things like File 1s, misuses and 17s. Hopefully things will improve. At least we're not punching cards and using SPRAMIS anymore!

Thanks Matt, yah I was trying to say that the desk trooper was still there at the dispatch center. Didn't realize that all of them were still there at the respective troops.

Thankfully SPRAMIS was gone by the time I was there working with you all!! How yah been? Give me a PM.

PJH, the old "brown' card was calling today on the way home, wish I still had a "scale key"! Hahahah!

 

[cg]

Article on CSP Western CT merger:
Connecticut State Police brass caught off guard by dispatch backlash
TORRINGTON – State Police brass – acknowledging strong resistance to dispatch consolidation – vowed to press forward with additional mergers throughout the state during a two-and-a-half hour community meeting Friday at The Register Citizen Newsroom Café.

“We’re not going to fail at this,” Col. Danny Stebbins told a group of legislators and local officials. “Whatever we have to put into it, we will. It will work.”

Connecticut State Police brass caught off guard by dispatch backlash- The Register Citizen

chris

 

[kmacinct]

Old Thread, but thought I would bump it off of the programming thread.....

The "EAST" district is now all being dispatched out of Tolland.
Plenty of comments about the merger, lack of service, and delay in service coming out now.
From the inside, and as a resident, I am concerned about the service being provided...

I guess the question is.....
How long is an acceptable time to WAIT for service......????





State Lawmakers Question Consolidation Of State Police Dispatch Services | WTIC FOX CT
Lawmakers rap Malloy over trooper consolidations - News - The Bulletin - Norwich, CT

 

[w1haf]

Wow I can't believe everyone thinks the sky is falling. We separated dispatch from the police department in Waterford in 1991. We never lock the front doors to the police department. There is always an officer available to answer the window. If the state is locking the doors to the barracks they are doing it wrong. I would bet that there is always a Trooper or Supervisor inside the building. There has to be if there are prisoners inside. I'm sure the Barracks Sgt. or Lt. are in there also working unless they are called out to a scene. This should not have any impact on calls for service. Did it really matter where the dispatcher was before? Dispatch is still being conducted by well trained and informed dispatchers who know their areas. It really should not matter where they are located as long as they answer the phone quickly and professionally.

 

[kmacinct]

Sgt, I respect your service and time to the area - I'm sure we have crossed paths!

Wow I can't believe everyone thinks the sky is falling. We separated dispatch from the police department in Waterford in 1991. We never lock the front doors to the police department.

Doors are locked - Big sign on the door to walk down the ramp and press the call box for assistance - which goes to the call takers in Tolland - who treat your call as a land line, "Next Caller Please" situation.

There is always an officer available to answer the window. If the state is locking the doors to the barracks they are doing it wrong. I would bet that there is always a Trooper or Supervisor inside the building.

Sgt's dont answer the door. Trooper assigned to 'local patrol' does not have to be in the building all the time. Or, if they are, they may be no where near the lobby.

There has to be if there are prisoners inside.

Duty of the local patrol, who returns when a prisoner is coming in -but is not responsible for walk up's, as primary duty is to watch prisoner -

I'm sure the Barracks Sgt. or Lt. are in there also working unless they are called out to a scene.

Nope.....

This should not have any impact on calls for service. Did it really matter where the dispatcher was before? Dispatch is still being conducted by well trained and informed dispatchers who know their areas. It really should not matter where they are located as long as they answer the phone quickly and professionally.

It should NOT MATTER.... but.....
Calls are answered by call takers, who are either new or from any one of the four barracks. There is no local knowledge anymore. Call takers spend a significant amount of their time just trying to figure out where the call is. 43 Towns in Region 4, not to mention the 'local names' of sub communities and districts. Their goal is to fill in as many of the blocks in the CAD as possible - the the call finally goes 'pending' and the Dispatcher starts from scratch, reading the details and free text comments before putting the call out.
Dispatchers are the same, one from one of the four barracks, but it is luck of the draw who get's what troop radio. The local knowledge will disappear from here shortly also.

Does consolidated dispatch work - yes - most of the time - if it is done from top to bottom, not squeezed in in the middle of a system somewhere.

 

[w1haf]

I hear all the responses to the problem. It sounds to me like they are making the situation worse because they do not want the consolidation to succeed.

The big savings was supposed to come by freeing up manpower to go back out on the street rather than stay in Dispatch with the civilian dispatcher. That means that the Trooper can be freed up to go back to service where they are needed. That means they are available at the station when they are needed. We rotated the Officers from patrol thru the station so the could complete reports and do station duty. The supervisors on duty were also in the station reviewing paperwork and completing administrative chores.

There may not always be someone at the lobby window but if someone comes in all they need to do was push the button and it would ring a bell in the station to alert the person in the building. If they were busy there was also a phone on the wall directly to dispatch.

This works all over the country but for some reason it won't work in Connecticut? Just because there is a central dispatch doesn't mean you shut the station. I don't think that all the precincts in New York City shut the doors.

The big savings is reducing the telco lines to each individual troop and centralizing them to three or four main centers. Less equipment to maintain at each troop.

It sounds to me like a management issue that needs to be addressed.

 

[izzyj4]

w1haf, you not saving any money nor are you reducing any telco lines at the troop dispatch centers, you are still going to have the same number of phone lines at the troops.

Also too, no matter what type of dispatch center you have, you are are going to have a desk trooper present there at the console for all the NCIC and COLLECT interfaces.

 

[kmacinct]

w1haf, you not saving any money nor are you reducing any telco lines at the troop dispatch centers, you are still going to have the same number of phone lines at the troops.

Also too, no matter what type of dispatch center you have, you are are going to have a desk trooper present there at the console for all the NCIC and COLLECT interfaces.

Phone lines in our case, are now changed to new phone numbers. Now long distance for many residents.

The Colchester Barracks, is now a Willimantic Phone number, going across the Fiber Network - so who really knows how many places the switches the calls go thru now......

As for the Desk
The Barracks Desk is in the process of being dismantled - except for a printer - which the Consolidated Dispatch can print to. That's how the troopers can get their NCIC/Collect info sent to them.

The Consolidated Dispatch is all civilian, with a Civilian Supervisor - Currently there is a Sgt available, but not routinely part of the operations.


...

 

[w1haf]

I see that this is a very hot topic.

The NCIC and COLLECT terminals just have to be in a secure location. There is no police officer present in our civilian dispatch center. It is subject to inspections by the police department and state collect system. There are routine audits.

Telco lines are used for more than telephones . There are dedicated T1 lines for radio communication along with data and alarms . There are also numerous trunk lines for the E-911 system that now can be consolidated to three or four main locations rather than each troop.

Change can be difficult at times, but when you look at all the facts and weigh the options it makes good sense.

I don't want to beat this subject to death. Everyone one is entitled to their own opinion. It is important to make a well informed decision based on all the information available.