Public Safety Communications Annual Report 2011
calgary.ca | call 3-1-1
Onward/ By 2020, calgary communities are resilient, complete and connected.
Table of Contents 1. Focusing Services to Meet Citizens’ Needs 1 2. Message from the General Manager 3 3. Message from the Board of Governors 5 4. Message from the Commander 6 5. Year in Review 8 5.1 Encouraging Active, Creative and Healthy Lifestyles 10
5.2
PROVIDING AND PROMOTING PUBLIC SAFETY
12
5.3
FOSTERING A COMMUNITY THAT CARES
16
5.4 Providing Services that Calgarians Value and Rely Upon 18 5.5 Building and Strengthening Partnerships to Meet Community Needs 20 5.6 Fostering a Positive, Innovative and Safe Workplace 22 6. 2011 Financial Information Summary 24 7. LOOKING AHEAD
26
1
Focusing services to Meet citizens’ needs
as calgary’s 9-1-1 centre, Public safety communications (Psc) is committed to delivering fast and responsive answering, evaluating and dispatching of emergency and non-emergency calls for the calgary Police service and calgary Fire department, as well as contracted agencies including alberta health services. the timeliness, speed and quality of their work directly impacts the efficiency and effectiveness of the emergency and non emergency service our citizens receive from first responders.
Public safety communications annual report 2011 1
In 2011, nearly one million citizens relied on Public Safety Communications to connect them with the emergency and non-emergency help they needed.
Not only do citizens rely on PSC Emergency Communications Officers to get them the help they need in a time of crisis, but, Calgary’s emergency services also rely on PSC’s quick handling of calls to activate the chain of events necessary for them to respond safely and effectively. PSC’s management and Board of Governors continue to seek out expectations of citizens, emergency service partners and PSC employees. In 2011, this feedback was sought through: •
The Community Services & Protective Services Citizens Expectations and Perceptions research, identifying citizens beliefs about acceptable levels of 9-1-1 and non-emergency call service;
•
The City of Calgary’s Corporate Citizen Satisfaction Survey, assessing overall citizen satisfaction with 9-1-1 services;
•
SC Caller Satisfaction Surveys, examining areas of strength P and opportunities for improvement as identified by actual callers to 9-1-1 and police non-emergency lines;
•
The City of Calgary’s Corporate Employee Survey evaluating employee satisfaction with their jobs, work environment, growth and learning opportunities, organizational direction and management.
Combined, the results of these performance measures indicate that PSC is meeting or exceeding many expectations of citizens and stakeholders, including citizen satisfaction levels. 2011 marked the fourth consecutive year that citizens who had called 9-1-1 rated the service provided at more than 90 per cent. In fact, 94 per cent of citizens who used PSC’s services in 2011 said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the service they received when calling 9-1-1. This service level rating is up from 91 per cent in 2010.
2
Message from the general Manager
dear council, citizens and city colleagues,
we do all this with a staff of 5,200 hard-working, dedicated employees, in partnership with community agencies, community and social recreation partnerships, civic partners and a network of provincial and federal departments and emergency management agencies. and we do so with the needs and priorities of citizens in mind.
on July 25, 2011, city council created a long-term sustainable funding pool to address both new and existing community infrastructure needs. their foresight to create this fund demonstrates the city’s commitment to safe, sustainable and vibrant neighbourhoods for all calgarians. the community investment fund will allocate $252 million into tangible and useful community improvements over the next six years on things like libraries, recreation centres, swimming pools, arenas, athletic fields, parks, playgrounds and emergency services. while projects vary in scope, size and cost, every single one of them directly helps create more livable communities. i look forward to sharing more information with you on these projects in 2012!
Public safety communications annual report 2011 3
improving the quality of life in calgary is at the heart of everything we do in community services & Protective services. we deliver a broad array of social, recreation, leisure and public art programs and services that encourage active lifestyles, inclusive communities and vibrant neighbourhoods for all citizens. we protect, preserve and restore public safety through the programs and services of the calgary Fire department, 9-1-1, bylaw education and enforcement, and emergency and disaster response systems.
citizens have told us they value things like libraries, recreation facilities, culture and sport facilities, and fire services. we have listened. and we are responding.
We are proud to share with you the major accomplishments and milestones we have highlighted in our 2011 Annual Reports. Thank you to all the employees of our department who work in Calgary neighbourhoods every day to make our city vibrant, healthy, safe and caring.
Erika Hargesheimer General Manager Community Services & Protective Services The City of Calgary
3
Message from the Board of governors
2011 was a milestone year for Public safety communications as we celebrated our fifth anniversary. the past five years have been both immensely challenging and rewarding for our organization as we continued to fuse into a cohesive entity under the city of calgary umbrella. in 2006, the communication sections of the calgary Police service, calgary Fire department and calgary emergency Medical service moved to a common location under the new identity of the city of calgary Public safety communications.
as with any change, we have experienced some bumps along the way as we have worked to streamline our operation and establish a unique organizational culture. i am very pleased to see that the
as we embark on another challenging year in 2012, i thank the citizens of calgary for their ongoing support of the Psc and i applaud all Psc employees for the exceptional work they do every day!
trevor daroux chair, Psc Board of governors
Public safety communications annual report 2011 5
receiving almost a million 9-1-1 emergency and non-emergency calls each year, Psc is the largest public safety answer point in alberta, and one of the largest in canada in terms of call volumes and number of people served. we are the lifeline for calgarians and surrounding areas as we link people in need of help with the emergency service responders who can help them. we are very proud of the role we play as first responders for the citizens we serve!
overall rating of emergency communications officers at the Psc by citizens remains very high at 95 per cent, according to the 2011 city of calgary citizen satisfaction survey. this number is up an impressive 4 per cent from our previous rating of 91 per cent in 2010. i am also very pleased to report that 52 per cent of Public safety communications employees are satisfied with the overall quality of their work life, compared to 34 per cent in 2010, according to the 2011 city of calgary employee satisfaction survey. i am certain the creation of our core values of teamwork, respect integrity and honesty will only serve to increase both citizen and employee satisfaction in the years to come.
4
Message from the commander
2011 was a significant year for Public safety communications. we celebrated our five-year anniversary, launched a public education campaign aimed at reducing accidental 9-1-1 calls and developed a strategic plan that will guide our actions over the next five years.
•
delivering unparalleled service to our primary agencies, contracted clients and citizens;
•
optimizing our workforce to meet the service demands of our primary agencies and contracted clients;
while Public safety communications has seen significant growth and success in its short, five year history, the development of the Five-Year strategic Plan entitled “connecting our citizens and emergency services” will guide the direction and decisions through 2016 with the goal of delivering the agility, foresight and leadership expected from an organization supporting public safety. Five strategic directions have been outlined in the plan:
•
Building service resiliency and business continuity;
•
leveraging innovation in technology;
•
ensuring better financial capacity.
this plan will help us to strengthen our core areas of focus and importantly, provide steps toward the achievement of industry standards and best practices, ensuring Public safety
communications meets the needs of citizens, emergency responders and staff. we have challenged ourselves to reach for some very ambitious goals because we know that this is what our stakeholders expect of us, and, it’s what we expect of ourselves.
i look forward to this exceptional momentum continuing into 2012 and beyond.
nina vaughan Psc commander
Public safety communications annual report 2011 7
in 2011, our core service of answering emergency calls for Police, Fire and eMs continued to meet our targets. we answered 95 per cent of emergency calls within 15 seconds. importantly, calgarians indicated their approval of our work, with 94 per cent saying they were satisfied or very satisfied with the service they received when calling 9-1-1. this is an increase from 91 per cent in 2010.
lastly, our employees indicated that 87 per cent of them are proud to work for the city of calgary and 73 per cent get a great sense of accomplishment from their work.
5
Year in review
2011 was an important year in the evolution of Public safety communications. Beginning with celebrations marking its fifth anniversary, Psc’s vision and goals for the next five years were articulated and began to take shape. Both internally and externally, Psc’s profile was raised in 2011.
5 Year Strategic Plan while Psc has seen significant growth, improvement and success in its short, five year history, this strategic plan will guide the direction and decisions for the next five years with the goal of delivering clients and citizens the agility, foresight and leadership expected from an organization supporting public safety.
Public Education Campaign early in 2011 a public education campaign was launched, aimed at raising the awareness of the critical issue of accidental 9-1-1 calls and educating calgarians about how to avoid making these calls. emergency communication officers field between 300 and 400 accidental 9-1-1 calls every day, occupying key resources from assisting those with real emergencies. the success of the campaign was demonstrated in the recall rate of 51 per cent. additionally, almost 30 per cent of calgarians could recite at least some of the campaign’s key messages.
the basis of this plan was formed by integrating the recommendations of Psc’s operational review with a series of goals and objectives to form a roadmap from which Psc staff will strengthen the foundation of effective and efficient public safety communications in calgary.
Three Year Business Plan
•
Building service resilience and business continuity;
a comprehensive three year business plan was developed in 2011 that will serve as a guide for Psc through 2014. it takes the Five-Year strategic Plan, the operational review, the community services & Protective services Business Plan, council’s objectives and imagine calgary’s vision all into account to ensure alignment and progress for Psc.
•
leveraging innovation in technology; and
•
ensuring better financial capacity.
the three-year business plan is broken down into five strategic directions: •
delivering unparalleled service to all of our stakeholders;
•
optimizing our workforce to meet the service demands of our emergency service clients;
internally, Psc staff led the creation of guiding values for Psc. through an open and collaborative process creating a framework for discussion and accountability, staff agreed that Teamwork, Respect, Integrity and Honesty were the values they feel best described the working environment they desired.
Public safety communications annual report 2011 9
this plan offers a detailed road map for managing stakeholder needs and preparing for and implementing emerging trends such as changes in consumer technology.
Value Development
encouraging active, creative and healthy lifestyles
5.1
Promoting Safer Communities
Connecting with Youth
throughout the year, Psc staff were involved with several key initiatives designed to foster safer living and communities, particularly among some of the more vulnerable populations including youth and senior groups.
in 2011, Public safety communications staff attended many job fairs at high schools and post-secondary institutions, offering information about both preventing accidental 9-1-1 calls, and careers at Psc. By introducing the possibility of a career as an emergency communications officer to students who are either entering postsecondary or who have already begun their studies, staff at Psc were able to provide advice on key requirements for qualifying for the job.
in 2011, Psc employees attended the city of calgary’s safety expo to encourage and empower youth to take an active role in creating safety-minded attitudes. More than 3,000 students in grades four to seven were given the opportunity to practice calling 9-1-1 and learn how to prevent accidental 9-1-1 calls to ensure resources are available when needed for emergencies. •
calgary emergency Management agency’s disaster alley;
•
the city of calgary safety expo;
•
the calgary Police service Junior Police academy;
•
the calgary Fire department cadet Program.
Providing a Supportive Environment for Staff
Public safety communications annual report 2011 11
like all emergency responders, emergency communications officers are often involved in difficult, emotional incidents through the course of their work. Psc supports a formal critical incident stress Management team trained in crisis intervention, targeted specifically to emergency services personnel. using a peer-driven model to encourage employee participation, staff are taught how to build resiliency and are supported through appropriate crisis interventions. in 2011, the cisM team completed 20 interventions with approximately 100 employee participants.
5.2
Providing and Promoting Public safety
Psc is the largest Public safety answer Point in alberta, and one of the largest in canada in terms of call volumes and number of people served. Psc staff answer nearly one million calls annually from residents in calgary and surrounding districts. combined, Psc serves a region of approximately 40,000 square kilometres.
Breakdown of calls to PSC in 2011: 598,221
600,000
525,520 494,180
500,000 445,960
Increase in Emergency Calls in 2011, the number of emergency calls to 9-1-1 increased by over 50,000 from 2010, while the number of non-emergency calls decreased by just over 23,000.
454,783
448,459 415,747
443,206
446,433 423,221
400,000 300,000 200,000 100,000 0
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Total Emergency Calls Total Non-Emergency Calls
similar to previous years, police-related non-emergency calls made up the majority of non-emergency calls to Psc in 2011.
Breakdown of non-emergency calls: 350,000 300,000 250,000
150,000 100,000 50,000 0 Police Non-Emergency Calls Fire Non-Emergency Calls
Medical Non-Emergency Calls
Public safety communications annual report 2011 13
200,000
78%
89% 91% 86% 82% 86%
82% 86% 88% 84% 87%
63% 65%
60
90% 94% 93% 95%
80
40
35% 43%
In 2011, the emergency call Grade of Service targets were met, and while the non-emergency targets were not met, they did improve over 2010. There will be a focus on meeting the non-emergency answer time targets in 2012.
100
78%
The timely answering of 9-1-1 calls is of extreme importance to citizens who look to PSC to provide fast response to emergency and non-emergency calls. PSC has set a target Grade of Service to answer emergency 9-1-1 calls within 30 seconds, 95 per cent of the time and within 15 seconds, 90 per cent of the time for nonemergency calls.
Percentage of Calls Answered Within Grade of Service 85% 89% 97% 98% 96%
Providing Fast Response to Calls for Help
20 0
In 2011, the average speed of answer for a call to 9-1-1 was 6 seconds.
9-1-1/Fire/EMS
2007
Police 9-1-1
2008
EMS Fire Non-Emergency Non-Emergency 2009
2010
Police Non-Emergency 2011
Accidental Call Campaign Public Safety Communications staff answer more than 300 accidental phone calls each day.
With a tagline of “9-1-1 Needs You!”, the campaign focused on helping Calgarians understand the seriousness of accidental calls and how they can take steps to prevent their cell phone from unintentionally dialling 9-1-1.
Public Safety Communications Annual Report 2011 15
In 2011, a public education campaign was launched to educate citizens about the importance of freeing up emergency lines by putting cell phones on “stand-by” or storing them in a holster to avoid accidental calls to 9-1-1.
5.3
Fostering a community that cares
United Way every day, staff at Public safety communications come to work committed to helping calgarians in their time of need. this commitment to helping citizens extends well beyond their work, as Psc staff are regularly involved in finding ways to support the community. in 2011, staff at Psc raised thousands of dollars for the united way of calgary & area. through employee organized events including a valentines day cupcake sale and a christmas bake sale, coupled with raffles, bingos and soliciting pledges, employees at Psc chose to support this important organization that serves so many.
in addition to supporting the united way campaign, Psc contributes year-round to activities that contribute to the community, such as volunteering at the ronald Mcdonald house. Psc employees volunteer numerous times throughout the year, planning meals, purchasing groceries and cooking for families whose children are receiving medical care at the nearby alberta children’s hospital.
Finally, Psc employee operate the ‘snack shack’ – a convenient place for staff to purchase snacks. the supplies’ are managed by employees and all profits go directly to various community organizations.
Public safety communications annual report 2011 17
Psc in partnership with the calgary Police service, the calgary Fire department and alberta health services participated in the 2011 sirens for life Blood donor challenge. Psc exceeded the target of saving 911 lives and was able to donate 930 units of blood. calgary won the ninth annual sirens for life blood donor challenge.
Citizen in Need of Fire Assistance: I found them to be very professional, very calm on the phone. It made the whole situation a lot easier to deal with. Meeting Expectations of Emergency Callers in 2011, Psc surveyed callers to 9-1-1 and the police nonemergency line to assess citizen satisfaction and the service provided. For the fourth consecutive year, callers to 9-1-1 have rated satisfaction above the 90 per cent target set for the service. in fact, 94 per cent of citizens who used Psc’s services in 2011 said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the service they received when calling 9-1-1. this service level rating is up from 91 per cent in 2010.
9-1-1 Caller Satisfaction 100 90%
91%
91%
94% Target line: 90 percent
5.4
Providing services that calgarians value and rely upon
80
60
40
20
0
2008
2009
2010
2011
Citizen in Need of Police Assistance: I got all of the information and then some, so I think that they were very knowledgeable and professional about what I was calling about.
100 96%
95%
80
92%
88%
Citizen Metrics for Public Safety Communications 96 per cent of citizens feel calgary’s 9-1-1 service is important, while 88 per cent feel 9-1-1 is essential to their quality of life.
60
40
0
Calgary’s 9-1-1 service is important
Calgary’s 9-1-1 service should educate the public about proper usage
I trust that 9-1-1 will be there in a time of need
9-1-1 is essential to having quality of life
Citizen in Need of Emergency Medical Assistance: She was excellent and calm. I told her what was happening on my end and she was really calm and courteous.
Public safety communications annual report 2011 19
20
5.5
Building and strengthening Partnerships to Meet community needs
as Psc continues its evolution as alberta’s largest public safety answering point, its key focus has been on meeting the needs of its partnering organizations to deliver timely and effective emergency response to citizens.
Call Management Service Standards and Quality Compliance in 2011, Public safety communications’ Board of governors directed Psc to establish service standards and define performance expectations for the calgary Police service and calgary Fire department to ensure that partner agencies receive appropriate services at the required level. as part of their commitment to ensuring they are meeting the needs of their partnering agencies, Psc will collect data and will review one per cent of calls for quality compliance with policy and procedures with a targeted compliance of 90 per cent.
Performance Measure
Recommended Grade of Service Standard
Grade of Service prior to Feb 2011
Speed of Answer – 911
95% within 15 seconds
90% within 20 seconds
Speed of Answer – Police 911
95% within 15 seconds
90% within 20 seconds
Speed of Answer – non emergency
90% within 30 seconds
90% within 30 seconds
Strengthening Relationships to Support Emergency Medical Service to Citizens in 2011, Psc continues its role as the ground ambulance dispatch centre for alberta health services in calgary and surrounding communities in southern alberta. this key relationship allows Psc to efficiently coordinate a tri-services response to an emergency, which
supports enhanced citizen and emergency responder safety. throughout the year, Psc staff worked with alberta health services to ensure their needs and targets were achieved. the current emergency medical service dispatch service agreement expires on March 31, 2013.
The People Behind the 9-1-1 Service to Calgarians in 2011, 312 employees, 91 per cent of whom are emergency communications officers, provided emergency and non-emergency call assistance to nearly one million callers.
Public Safety Communications Staffing Levels as in past years, training played a significant role in both the onboarding and ongoing development of emergency communication officers to ensure they are prepared to confidently and competently assist citizens and emergency responders in emergency situations. training remains a critical element in our operations, emergency communications officers receive between 320 – 360 hours of initial training, depending on their functions. additional training sessions are held for operations staff on a regular basis throughout the year.
300
296
312
2010
2011
261
250
231
230
2007
2008
200 150 100 50 0
2009
Public safety communications annual report 2011 21
Training to Improve Service to Citizens
5.6
Fostering a Positive, innovative and safe workplace
Employee Satisfaction
PSC Values
in 2011, over 60 per cent of Public safety communications employees responded to a survey gauging employee satisfaction and 87 per cent indicated they are proud to work for the city of calgary.
in 2011, Psc employees worked together to create values for their workplace. an employee committee was formed to gain an understanding of the values that represent Psc. over the course of several months, input and feedback was solicited from employees at all levels of Psc, and the result was four guiding values:
overall, 52 per cent of Public safety communication employees are satisfied with the quality of their work life, up significantly from 34 per cent in 2010. other strong gains were achieved in the number of employees who feel their work-related stress is manageable, with 58 per cent of employees agreed with this statement, compared to 34 per cent a year earlier. the positive gains in employee satisfaction can be attributed to the concentrated work undertaken to improve the lives of employees at Psc. significant work was undertaken in 2011 to transform the culture, including instituting employee forums, developing guiding values with the input of all employees and developing leaders.
•
teamwork – we are a proud, supportive, united team, committed to a common cause
•
respect – we treat people with fairness, compassion and understanding
•
integrity – we strive to achieve the highest ethical and professional standards
•
honesty – we are truthful and open with others
the values have become important to the staff at Public safety communications. they display their values prominently throughout the building, as a way to demonstrate their commitment to continual excellence.
Recruitment in 2011, through ongoing recruitment and rigorous screening of applicants, 34 new emergency communication officers joined Psc, bringing the compliment of operational staff to 284.
5 Year Celebrations
vision:
To be the model of excellence in public safety communications in Canada.
Mission:
To meet or exceed Canadian industry standards
Mandate:
Improving safety by coordinating emergency response and providing updates more quickly to emergency personnel on calls.
core services:
Provide constant and continuous:.
• Emergency telephone call evaluation and dispatch; • Non-emergency call evaluation and processing for our client agencies and citizens;
• Communications support for frontline crews.
Public safety communications annual report 2011 23
2011 marked the five year anniversary. the achievements and progress made by the employees at Psc since its inception in 2006 were celebrated by the chiefs and executives of stakeholder organizations, as well as internally.
in public safety communications while balancing the needs of multiple stakeholders.
6
2011 Financial information summary
Operating Budget
Capital
Psc is committed to maintaining a transparent, cost-effective approach to its operations. in 2011, Psc had a favourable operating variance of $722 thousand. 3.45 million was transferred to the 9-1-1 reserve fund.
the 2011 annual capital budget for Psc was $4.075 million. at the end of the year, 30 per cent of that budget had been spent. this is lower than originally anticipated, due primarily to delays in two of the largest planned capital projects, being the 9-1-1 telephone system upgrade and the central communication hardware project.
$16.4 million in revenue was recorded in 2011, with a favourable variance of $1.1 million due to higher 9-1-1 fees, rural fire dispatch and other revenues.
PSC Approved Budget vs. Actual Budget Year
Approved Budget
Actual Budget
2007
14.6
13.7
2008
17.2
17.1
2009
18.8
13.2
2010
16.7
14.8
2011
19.1
18.4
Breakdown of Community Services & Protective Services Spending
Views about Investment in Public Safety Communications
For every dollar of the city of calgary residential property tax bill*, 43 cents are collected on behalf of the province. of the 57 cents collected for the municipality, the city spends 13 cents on community services & Protective services as follows:
when asked, a full 59 per cent of calgarians said more money should be invested in Public safety communications.
Proportion of Tax Dollar by Business Unit
Municipal services & Programs 57
60
Public safety communications annual report 2011 25
Provincial government 43
Citizen Views About Investment in Public Safety Communications: 59%
50
community & neighbourhood services 0.1 40
38%
Parks 2.8 recreation 1.5
* Based on the combined current municipal and provincial property tax rates as independently determined by each level of government.
30
animal & Bylaw services 0.4
20
calgary Fire department 6.5
10
Public safety & communication (9-1-1) 0.7
0
1%
More
Same
Less
3%
Don't Know
7
looking ahead
2012 and beyond will be important years in the evolution of Public safety communications in calgary.
improving safety by coordinating emergency response and providing updates more quickly to emergency personnel on calls.
in the years ahead, Psc will play a significant role in the evolution of public safety communications in both calgary and alberta. with the implementation of provincial police information and radio communication systems, there will be a dramatic change in how Psc employees help to connect emergency service responders more quickly and reliably with the information they need.
enhancing public value and customer service by streamlining 9-1-1 calls and dispatching emergency personnel more quickly.
as consumer handheld devices continue to grow in popularity, Psc will become part of this communication revolution, identifying how these technologies will impact how citizens will contact 9-1-1 and share information that can inform emergency response. as an organization, Psc will continue its evolution in 2012. work towards aligning staff and resources to support the calgary Police service, calgary Fire department and contracted client agencies will be a key focus, as will the commitment to service excellence for citizens and emergency responders.
Managing the demand of demographic and geographic growth by increasing the city’s capacity to handle the expected increase in call volumes, and by enabling calgary Fire department, calgary Police service and alberta health services to share costs for infrastructure, technology and support.
PSC Core Services on behalf of client agencies, Public safety communications provides emergency services and non-emergency services to citizens and communications support to frontline responders.
Calgary’s Connection to Emergency Services
Resolving Non-Emergency Health, Safety and Property Issues for Calgarians
well trained Psc staff answer the call from citizens and assess the nature of the emergency before dispatching the appropriate emergency responders to resolve the situation quickly, safely and effectively. Psc’s emergency communications officers are the reassuring, trained voice on the other end of the line who are prepared to provide guidance, support and instructions to citizens regarding any type of fire, police or medical emergency.
Many citizens encounter issues that impact their health and safety but may not be an emergency. through fire, police and emergency medical service non-emergency lines, Psc connects calgarians with the resources, emergency services and information they need to resolve these concerns.
Psc coordinates all of the information required for firefighters, police officers and paramedics responding to an incident. By quickly bringing together information from multiple sources, emergency communication officers are properly prepared to deliver citizens the type of help they need.
Public safety communications annual report 2011 27
Centralized Point of Incident Information and Coordination of First Responders
Public Safety Communications Annual Report 2011
2012-0230