Unless I missed the numbers, I didn't see any call numbers to indicate how many 911 calls are received
in a 24 hour time frame, per week and per month. It is hard to put together any meaningful
recommendations with out knowing this.
A 6 month time frame may or may not be a little short on trying to pull everything together that needs
to be done to shift a dispatch operation to a new location. You have the phone company to deal
with, the state to deal with for registry checks, radio licenses to consider and radio channels that
may or may not be available. Reprogramming a radio to new channels is the least of their problems.
There is no mention if the second dispatch center has enough space and capacity to absorb the
new load they will be getting from Dunwoody. There is no mention that additional staff may be
needed to provide the answering response that Dunwoody is expecting.
Having worked for some 40 years with public safety and 911 dispatch centers, there may be bad blood
with DeKalb dispatching, but that is no reason to lurch off in a new direction with out doing your
homework. The years that I have spent in a couple of jobs have taught me one thing, make sure
you have all the ducks lined up before you present any proposal for even small changes.
We may not be in the right position to get all the details here, but I would walk slow and carry a
big note pad to write down all the questions. I suspect the details have not been released to
give the complete picture here. I hope Dunwoody knows what they are about to go through in
making a change like this.
The transferring of just the 911 phone line is a major task. Have they considered the issues of
the CAD system and the GIS system at the new location? Is there room on the current dispatch
console system to add a new or multiple new dispatch positions? Is there enough telco cable
capacity to handle the new 911 incoming lines? Is there even enough space in the dispatch room?
Is there enough room in the equipment room for the added equipment that Dunwoody will have to
add? What kind of problems will arrise in trying to add additional radio channels at the new dispatch
location? Is there enough air conditioning to handle the additional equipment and people load?
The list just goes on. All this needs to be addressed to make a smooth transition.
Jim
In a memorandum from Dunwoody's city manager to the city's mayor and city council, it appears the city of Dunwoody is posed to leave DeKalb's E-911 system. This will be discussed Monday night, April 12, 2010.
Dunwoody 911 Memorandum
