August 24, 2017 Board Meeting
/
Department Of Emergency Management
and 911 Communications
230 Government Center Drive, Suite 115
Wilmington, North Carolina 28403
Telephone (910) 798-6920
Fax (910) 798-6925
sstill@nhcgov.com
Steven Still
Director
Memorandum
To:
Public Safety Communications Center Policy Board Members
From:
Steven
Still, Director
Subject:
August 24, 2017 Board Summary
Date:
October 9, 2017
A Public Safety Communications Center Policy Board meeting was held on Thursday August 24, 2017
at 10:00 AM in the Emergency Operation Center, 220 Government Center Drive, Wilmington, North Carolina.
MEMBERS PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT:
Frank Blackley Jerry Brewer
Steven
Still Tim Burgess
Matt Davis
Cindy Hewitt
John Musacchio
Cynthia Deacon
Glen Rogers
Tim Corbett
Guests
Zak Whicker, NHCEM & 911 Chris Hewett, NHCEM & 911
Matt
Langley, NHCEM & 911 Gia Long, NHC IT
Jennifer Price, NHC IT Todd Richardson, NHC IT
Jaquisha Redd, City of Wilm IT Gabrielle Benedict, City of Wilm IT
Chris Graham, City of
Wilm IT Derek Blount, City of Wilm IT
Jennifer Smith, NHC Fire Jessica Spencer, NHC Fire
Mike Cavaluzzi, Wireless
The meeting was called to order at 10:03 am.
Chairman Blackley asked if everyone had a chance to review the minutes from the April 27, 2017 meeting and if there were any questions,
comments, changes or corrections.
Chairman Blackley asked if there was a motion to approve the minutes. Cynthia Deacon made a motion and Steven Still seconded. All in favor; none opposed.
Motion passed.
OLD BUSINESS:
Freedom App
Chairman Blackley asked if there were any items for Old Business; Matt Davis asked the Freedom App policy got straightened out. Gia Long
stated that she was sending around a form for each agency’s point of contact.
Chairman Blackley asked if anyone had any other items.
Derek Blount introduced two new City of Wilmington
IT personnel; Gabrielle Benedict and Jaquisha Redd.
Chairman Blackley asked if there were any more items for old business. No one had any.
NEW BUSINESS
Locution
Chairman Blackley
asked if Steven Still had an update on Locution. They are trying to determine which platform best suits the needs of all agencies we dispatch for; the list is being narrowed down.
Locution was approved through ITGC; funding is an issue with the surcharge as we have gotten conflicting information as to whether this is covered under the funding or if this is a duplicate
to another system we already have in place. There would have to be a reconsideration process to get funding approved over the amount already received; there was a process just completed
to cover the current expenses with the backup center expenses and this was a lengthy process.
Chairman Blackley asked what Steven recommended. He stated that there needs to be an
agreement of what platform would suit all needs, work with IT for integration and get it approved with the NC 911 Board starting with a reconsideration of funding or find other options
to fund the project if it is not available through surcharge funding.
Matt Davis asked if anyone has gotten funding for the program through surcharge that Steven knows of; Steven stated
he did not know if there were any others approved or not.
Chairman Blackley asked if Steven would co-ordinate a meeting of the agencies; Steven said he would.
Chairman Blackley asked if anyone had questions about Locution. No one had any.
Chairman
Blackley asked if anyone had any items for new business. No one had any.
Pulse Point
Chairman Blackley asked if Matt Davis would discuss Pulse Point. A couple of weeks ago he was
in Charlotte and there was a vendor there who had a product called Pulse Point. This is an application like Amber Alert but for cardiac arrest; when a telecommunicator gets a call with
a cardiac arrest, behind the scenes an alert is sent out to the location of the closest AED. Matt asked if the center could look at the functionality of Pulse Point and how it would
work with the current software. Durham County has signed up for it according to the company vendor.
Tim Corbett has said they looked into this a couple of years ago. There wasn’t
a lot of interest at that time. There are a couple of local people that have signed up for the Pulse Point or something similar; it is hard to get everyone to inform where the AED’s
are located though the companies that purchase one have the option to sign up for the program. Some of the programs inform you how long it would take you to “briskly walk to the location”
where the AED is located.
They started the hands only CPR and there was a no survivor rate if there was not a by-stander with CPR. Now there is about a survivor rate 52% of hands
only CPR and there is a pulse rate when EMS gets on scene.
Matt asked if it was possible that it gets looked into Pulse Point. Steven said that there were great programs out there.
The issue when it has been discussed is who maintains the database of the credentialing of those using the program; are they capable to do CPR or use the AED. These and other questions
would have to be answered before they could determine the integration.
Matt Davis suggested that the vendor be asked to come down to do a presentation. There would have to be a group
of the agencies together to include IT so that all would have their questions answered.
Chairman Blackley asked if there were any other questions about Pulse Point. No one had any.
Chairman
Blackley stated that the City of Wilmington was purchasing new 800 MHz radios. The purchase will be completed by December.
Elections
Chairman Blackley stated that it was time for voting for the new Chair and Vice Chair. He did not mind continuing as Chair but if there was a nomination for Vice. Steven
nominated Glen Rogers as Vice.
Steven nominated Frank Blackley for Chair.
Chairman Blackley asked if there were any more nominations for Chair or Vice Chair. No one else was nominated.
Chairman Blackley closed nominations. By acclimation both Chairman Blackley remains Chair and Glen Rogers named as Vice Chair.
OTHER ITEMS AND REPORTS
9-1-1 Center
Chairman Blackley
asked if Steven Still could update everyone on 911. Debora has had a hip replacement and back home doing well. She will be out six to eight weeks; if all would bear with us.
Steven
introduced Zak Whicker has joined us as the Emergency Management Manager. He came to us from NC Emergency Management. He has participated with us during our exercises so he may be a
familiar face.
We have a class starting on August 29, 2017. We have been given casual part time positions. They will be some relief for the folks on the floor. They will be for our
peak time. They will start their career with on the job training and they will be doing call taking.
Everyone is welcome to view the new 911 Center. We replaced all the consoles.
It was a rough project taking down a pod at a time while the rest of the center was running. It was loud and messy but it is now complete.
Chairman Blackley asked if anyone had
any more questions or items for 911. No one had any.
IT
Chairman Blackley asked for an update for IT. Cindy Hewett introduced Todd Richardson. He is the new Tech Support Supervisor.
He has an extensive background in IT.
Cindy informed everyone that the CAD upgrade of the entire suite is complete. Some items have come through. Optima has another upgrade.
Gia
and staff are working on this Optima upgrade. Right now we are on 16.4; Optima requires 17.1 or greater and we are looking to upgrade around October. Right now we are looking at the
whole suite if possible. Cindy stated this would
require another upgrade of CAD and Gia is coordinating and the closer it comes she will reach out to the agencies to minimize down time.
Cindy brought up the Freedom App training.
Gia said there is about two or so hours remaining for the training already paid for; this needs to be end user training and the point of contact would be the preferred attendee when
this is scheduled. Cindy said the classes are about $160 per hour so anything over the remaining time would be an increased cost. If there is a need for a class, the agencies can determine
the time for training so all can attend. Jennifer Price said that it may be best to wait until the Freedom upgrade is complete.
Gia asked that you make sure you have your contact
information for the agency if you are to be the point of contact for the Freedom App.
Cindy stated that the agency contact given for the Freedom App will be utilized for other issues
when IT will need to contact agencies.
Jennifer Price said the point of contact given will be the one and only reporting any problems and calling for issues and support; it is difficult
at times to manage several people calling in from each agency.
Chairman Blackley asked if there were any questions for IT. No one had any.
Chairman Blackley asked if there were
any other items to be discussed.
Steven wanted to inform everyone about the Backup 911. They have started construction at Federal Point Fire Station. Operationally by September
and hopefully turn-key around January 2018. AT&T will be in sometime in January. They will utilize the area as a training site. This should reduce the amount of time in a class since
currently we are just running CAD on a laptop. The class in a functioning 911 center should reduce the training time. Once a month each of the shifts will run out of the backup center.
Cindy asked about the operations of the backup center being utilized for a short time. Steve said that was the goal for the console replacement but not since there was a change of
locations and a delay. Now anything that was left out of the refreshing of the center will be a goal after the backup is up and running.
Chairman Blackley asked if there were any
other items to be discussed.
Meeting adjourned at 10:43 a.m.