ASTORIA REGIONAL = 9-1-1 2004 Workload

ASTORIA = REGIONAL=20 9-1-1

CY 2004 = WORKLOAD

General

The workload of a 9-1-1 center consists of many = tasks. We do not measure or account = for many of=20 those tasks, but the most significant ones are recorded. One of the primary tasks is = receiving=20 requests for service from citizens, primarily by 9-1-1 or other = telephone=20 call. The dispatcher = obtains the=20 needed information and notifies the appropriate agencies for = response. The dispatchers also support = public=20 safety units on duty, including law enforcement officers performing = traffic=20 stops. Officers also = discover=20 incidents requiring response in the course of their patrol duties, which = we call=20 officer initiated calls. = These=20 activities comprise requests for service. =20 Telephone and radio logs show the following breakdown in requests = for=20 2004:

The greatest workload for dipatchers are the 9-1-1 = calls,=20 traffic stops and officer initiated calls. =20 The general trend in recent years has been an increase in officer = originated activity, up about 25% in three years:

Many 9-1-1 calls are received that were dialed in = error or=20 were otherwise abandoned by the caller before the dispatcher = answered. These abandoned calls require = a=20 dispatcher callback. = Other calls=20 are transferred to another center, or transferred to MEDIX while the = fire=20 department is dispatched. = The=20 remaining calls are dispatched to the appropriate agency for = response.

While =93requests received=94 illustrates the = amount of work=20 dispatchers perform, another measure better illustrates the service=20 rendered. We define a = =93call for=20 service=94 as a single incident requiring response. Every traffic stop and officer = initiated=20 call is an actual call for service. =20 Only a portion of telephone calls result in a call for service, = since=20 many are requests for information or requests to speak with a = person. Some incidents, especially = traffic=20 accidents, result in numerous 9-1-1 calls. =20 Thus the total 9-1-1 =93calls for service=94 or incidents are = less than the=20 actual number of 9-1-1 phone calls received. The calls for service are = recorded in a=20 computer aided dispatch (CAD) program and database.

Most calls for service are for subscriber = agencies. Some are simple transfers of = calls to=20 another 9-1-1 center. = Others are=20 for agencies that do not pay a fee but work closely with subscriber = agencies,=20 such as OSP, MEDIX and Coast Guard.

About 21% of the recorded 9-1-1 calls for service = are for=20 non-subscribers (CG/S28, Ambulance/MEDIX, 911 Transfer, OSP):

The general trend for workload has been a steady = increase as=20 illustrated by the five year trend for law enforcement calls for = service:

Better accounting for Other, non-subscriber, calls = for=20 service explains part of the 50% overall increase in calls for service = in the=20 last 5 years, but the overall trend is obviously increasing.

The majority of Law Enforcement calls for service = originated=20 with telephone calls or traffic stops. =20 A smaller number were officer initiated, and 10% came from 9-1-1=20 calls.

Each law enforcement call for service is = characterized by an=20 offense code, which is a general category of the incident. The most frequent were: TFC, general traffic; TFCC,=20 traffic/citation issued; DIS, disturbance; PRPC, property crimes; SUS,=20 suspicious circumstances; TFCR, traffic/road hazards; and WRNA, warrant=20 arrest.

The majority of Fire Unit calls for service = originated with=20 9-1-1 calls. A smaller = number were=20 telephone calls. = (Duplicate were=20 calls that originated as law enforcement calls that required fire unit = response=20 as well.)

Each fire unit call for service is characterized by = a general=20 category of the incident: