Measuring Fire Dispatch Performance Jim Long, Northwest Fire District Debbie Gilligan, First Watch Inc

Absolute zero (0 K) equivalent to −273.15 °C (−459.67 °F). Performance Measures Lord Kelvin was quoted as saying – “When you cannot measure what you are speaking about, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is of a meager and unsatisfactory kind, it may be the beginning of Knowledge, but you have scarcely in your thoughts advanced to a stage of science, whatever the matter may be.” (CFAI, 1999,pp. 11-12) Absolute zero (0 K) equivalent to −273.15 °C (−459.67 °F).

Where Do We Begin? Identify your team / empower your experts Define & understand your goals Define what is important to measure What can be accomplished with the resources and tools you have today? Evaluate how well you are doing Allow for periodic/incremental changes or “improvements” How will you measure change/improvements? effectiveness? Measure, Refine, Adjust & Adapt……

Why Measure? Comparison Adjustment of Strategy or Tactics Discover Patterns/Trends Alert to Developing Situation (Real Time) Public Scrutiny Return on Investment

What’s Worth Measuring? Elapsed Times? Performance of an Action? (Or Not) Distance Traveled? Frequency of an Event Distribution of a Type or Class Success or Failure Outcomes?

Standards of Cover Accredited/Re- Accredited This Year Central Yavapai Fire District Glendal Fire Dept Mesa Fire Dept Northwest Fire District

Incident Times – Cascade of Events

NFPA 1221 – Call Answering 3.3.1* Alarm. A signal or message from a person or device indicating the existence of a fire, medical emergency, or other situation that requires action by an emergency response agency. 7.4.1* Ninety-five percent of alarms received on emergency lines shall be answered within 15 seconds, and 99 percent of alarms shall be answered within 40 seconds. (For documentation requirements, see 12.5.2.) 7.4.1.1 Compliance with 7.4.1 shall be evaluated monthly using data from the previous month. From NFPA 1221 - 2010

NFPA 1221 – Call Processing 7.4.2* Ninety-percent of emergency call processing and dispatching shall be completed within 60 seconds, and 99 percent of call processing and dispatching shall be completed within 90 seconds. (For documentation requirements, see 12.5.2.) 7.4.2.1 Compliance with 7.4.2 shall be evaluated monthly using data from the previous month. From NFPA 1221 - 2010

Monthly Report Example

NFPA 1710 - Response 3.3.37.2 Call Processing Time. See 3.3.37.3, Dispatch Time. 3.3.37.3* Dispatch Time.The point of receipt of the emergency alarm at the public safety answering point to the point where sufficient information is known to the dispatcher and applicable units are notified of the emergency. From NFPA 1710 - 2010

Public/Provider Input

NFPA 1221 Comparison 2010 Edition Answer – Process 15 Sec 90% 40 Sec 99% Process 60 Sec 90% 90 Sec 99% 2013 Edition (proposed) Answer- 15 Sec 90% 40 Sec 99% Process 60 Sec 80% 106 Sec 95% Exceptions: Language TTY/TDD Criminal Info

1221 - What Didn’t make it in 2013 A.7.4.2.1 The AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction) of the responding agency can allow certain types ofemergency calls to be excluded from the requirements of 7.4.2 that require extra call interrogation time. All emergency calls of these types will be identified and reviewed by the AHJ on a monthly basis. Such calls could include but are not limited to: (3) Dispatch equipment malfunction (4) Unusually high call volume due to unpredictable scenarios (weather events, earthquakes, etc.) Exclusions should be reviewed and trends identified that need to be addressed for possible operational or technical solutions.

Percentile VS Average - Response Time The Philadelphia Fire Department prides itself on an average response time of 4.5 minutes for Fire Engines and 6.5 minutes for Medic Units.

Average Response Time

Percentile Response Time

Defining Performance Times Clock Start….a controversial topic (Smoke & Mirrors) Time First Received at 9-1-1 PSAP Time First Received by Responding Agency (Secondary PSAP) Time Certain Info Obtained Time Dispatched Time Unit En Route Clock Stop (Pretty Definitive) Unit Staged Unit on Scene Crew at Patient

What is Process time? Dispatch Time – Answer Time Answer = When the last Ring is picked up. Ani/Ali to CAD Dump First Keystroke Manual Entry Dispatch = The time the ERF (Emergency Response Facility) ERU (Emergency Response Units)are Notified Tones Pagers, Radio Transmission

Formulas =PERCENTILE Uses a RANGE you want a percentile OF (Talley up the numbers of occurrences Parameters “=“ tells EXCEL there’s a Formula Coming FORMULA TYPE (PERCENTLE) (paren to enclose parameters) Range (Top cell, to bottom cell like A1:A200) “,” next Parameter Percent Value (.1 = 10%, .25=25%, etc)

Live Performance Data Demo How to Look at Data in Excel

Analyitics Packages

Sources to Monitor vs. Reasons to Monitor What data sources are available to monitor Which data source contains that data that matters? If one data source is good, is two better? D A T S O U R C E M N I Phone Data CAD Data ProQA EPCR/RMS Data Billing Clinical Y Dispatch Financial Operational y Risk Mgmt R E A S O N T M I

Real Time Monitoring – First Watch Live Presentation Northwest Fire Data

New Workspace

Excel or Reporting Output

Dispatch Stuff Worth Measuring? Example data source: FEMA

More Fire Dispatch Measures Example data source: FEMA

Even More Stuff Worth Measuring Example data source: FEMA

More for Mayor and Council Example data source: FEMA

Questions