9-1-1 Resolutions
The arrival of Jan. 1 motivates many people to make New Year’s resolutions. You may include resolutions related to your health, education or profession. Why not make resolutions organization-wide for your agency? Gather everyone around and celebrate the New Year with some good discussion and create plans to make the resolutions happen.
We asked some APCO International committee members their thoughts. Below, their responses.
What resolutions should your agency have for 2012?
To investigate and implement innovative ways of doing more with less, while championing the cause of public safety communications by opposing cutbacks, layoffs and furloughs that endanger the public and first responders.
To begin looking at NG9-1-1 implementation (if possible, begin implementation). All agencies should resolve to become fully aware of the demands of data-based communications on the entire field. This includes IP-based telephony, texting, e-mails, streaming audio and video, photographs and all forms of digital communications both in and out of the center.
To apply for P33 Training Program Certification.
To check telecommunicators’ customer service skills, how they interact with the internal business partners and others they routinely interface with. We don’t want to be the center that no one wants to call or has horror stories about trying to work with. Can we improve what we’re doing?
To strive to go beyond our expectations in providing an efficient, caring and dedicated level of service to the ones we serve. To provide the utmost courteous and professional assistance, not only to our customers (internal and external), but to each other as well.
To reduce call-handing times.
To fill open positions. (Advertise them in APCO’s Career Center.)
To work together with other public safety communications operations in the area to evaluate the potential benefits of consolidating to one shared public safety comm center. Check out APCO’s Pre-Consolidation Assistance Program.
To be ready to provide input if needed on the public safety broadband spectrum network. Check out APCO’s Government Affairs page, the Public Safety Alliance and APCO AFC for additional information.
To implement a quality assurance or improvement program.
To recommit to our job and responsibilities as an emergency comm center.
To determine we will sustain/obtain a professional level and continuously improve on it through training, continuous review and being forever mindful of what we do as a profession.
To plan early and plan big for National Public Safety Telecommunications Week this year with the goal to top the last.
To become a champion for innovative technology at my agency. One idea is to examine the Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP) standard and its goals and benefits.
Conclusion
Let’s build on this list and help each other with more great ideas. Visit the blog on PSConnect to read more and share your answers to these questions.
Editor’s note: Thanks to the members of APCO International’s Call Center Standards and Standards Development committees and their subcommittees, and the staff of the Communications Center & 9-1-1 Services department for their contributions to this article.
Excerpted from Top Ops, “Resolutions & Actions,” January 2012, Public Safety Communications.