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FOCUS Consolidation of Communication Centers KEY ISSUES FOR SUCCESS A 2010 report issued by the Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council (CSRIC) focused on the issues key to the successful consolidation of PSAPs. Findings of the report include the following: ��� Identifcation of a well-respected champion is essential to support the effort and streamline the process. ��� Participating agencies must overcome loss of control and shared responsibility. ��� Legislation may be necessary to create sustainable funding. ��� The arrangement should be formalized through a legal agreement defning responsibilities and expectations. ��� Consideration of potential personnel issues should be addressed early in the process. ��� Enhanced communication between stakeholders and governing bodies is critical to identify issues of concern. ��� Long-term cost effciencies may be realized by reducing operations and technology duplication. ��� Consolidation results in uniform training and consistent SOPs (Standards of Operation). ��� Increased interoperability of technology is key to successful consolidation. The report also included recommendations encouraging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to develop new funding strategies to assist public agencies in their consolidation efforts. Other recommendations include providing a road map for public safety agencies as they migrate to Next-Generation (NG) solutions; collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security during the updating of the National Emergency Communications Plan (NECP); and development of a repository of effective practices with regards to policies, practices, training, and technology tion centers remain intact ��� only the systems and hardware they use are ���centralized��� in one location. The other centers use a remote connection, usually Internet or network based, to access this centralized system. ���For example, we could have three communication centers running off of the same Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system. While the server physically resides at only one of the centers, the others are linked to the server for all of their call processing and mapping functions.��� The remotely linked centers only need a PC at the call station to display and access the CAD system, with all three agencies sharing the cost of the server, installation, battery back-up, and maintenance. Messinger also cited an example of phone system centralization that was recently implemented in Washington State. The model for legacy phone systems (systems based on copper wire and physical phone switches) dictated that each PSAP in Washington State had a backroom system for processing the incoming 9-1-1 calls. Expensive to purchase, install, and maintain, and with a 28 LAW and ORDER I February 2013 Where consolidation is not feasible, consider centralization. stated lifecycle of about six years, these systems had to be regularly replaced among the state���s 39 counties. In response to the push for NG9-1-1 systems, Washington built out a secure statewide network, essentially a private Internet cloud called the ESInet that allows a 9-1-1 call to enter the ���cloud��� and be routed just about anywhere. With this ability came ���centralization��� in which they could install one phone system and serve numerous other centers remotely through the secure Internet cloud. As with the CAD example, the individual centers only need a PC to access and receive the calls pushed out to them from that shared and centralized phone system. ���On top of the cost saving this type of system provides is the call routing diversity. With copper wire systems, once the wire is cut, the center is dead in the water, so to speak. With an Internet cloud, the system almost instantaneously re-routes around the affected area, restoring communications. I have seen this work in testing and it was impressive,��� Messinger said. As more municipalities nationwide are under pressure to cut costs while increasing effciency and frst responder safety, regional consolidation may well be the wave of the future. A recent FCC white paper reported that approximately 80 percent of dispatch centers have fve seats or fewer, and suggested that PSAP consolidation will result in a 35 percent decrease in the number of PSAPs as networks migrate to NG9-1-1. Regardless of local agency resistance, disparities in protocol usage, and potential legal issues, the concept of shared services and functional consolidation presents a viable option to government agencies seeking to improve the quality of services while reducing the cost of performance. Susan Geoghegan is a freelance writer living in Naples, Fla. She can be reached at susangeogh@me.com. LaO Post your comments on this story by visiting www.lawandordermag.com