Source: Arizona City Independent Staff Reports, Pinal County Sheriff’s Office
Pinal County, Ariz. — The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office has reduced emergency response times by over two minutes and thirty seconds during the past two years. This has been accomplished through a reorganization of our Patrol Division, the method in which dispatchers take and enter 9-1-1 calls for service and improved equipment for our first responders.

Sheriff Babeu stated, “Seconds matter when you’re talking about an emergency response. When a citizen picks up the phone and dials 9-1-1 they expect help to get there as quickly as possible. The reduction in response times is not because we are driving faster but is largely due to utilizing available resources more efficiently.”

Patrol Reorganization
The patrol reorganization was completed July 1, 2009 and consisted of breaking the county into three regions as well as assigning individual beats. The beats were determined geographically utilizing historical data that identified the amount of calls for service. Deputies have been assigned to specific beats so they can learn and become familiar with the neighborhoods, businesses, schools and repeat criminal offenders. Pinal County is now divided into twenty-two separate beats.

Dispatch
The Communications Division has gone through a workload and workflow evaluation which has led to the expansion of services, 9-1-1 and non-emergency call ring-time reduction and customer service enhancements. Included in the expansion was the ability for the Communications Division to go from one full-time radio frequency to five; one primary channel, an inquiry channel and three emergency frequency channels for deputies to use when responding to the highest levels of emergencies.

In August of 2009, the PCSO Communications Division began measuring ring-times, the number of seconds a 9-1-1- call rings before being answered; while the call volume has increased by an average of 1,200 phone calls per month, the ring time percentage has decreased by an average of 5.82% over the past year.

Equipment
Eighteen months ago there were only 29 MDCs installed in the PCSO patrol fleet. Through grant funding, we have been able to purchase and install Mobile Data Computers (MDCs) in all of the patrol vehicles for each deputy to use.

The MDC’s allow for dispatchers to send call information directly to the deputy in the field. The MDC’s also allow deputies to view maps that can help them navigate and arrive to calls in a quicker and safer manner. The MDC’s also permit deputies to complete written reports in the field so they can be more responsive to calls for service.

Posted with permission of the Arizona City Independent.