911 Cost Study Report to the Legislature
- Issuer
- Congressional materials
- Document type
- Report
- Date
- 2021-11-19
- Case
- 2021 11 19 A29274 D236679 911 Cost Study Report To The Legislature
Summary
The State of Washington 911 Cost Study Report to the Legislature, prepared by the Washington Military Department and dated December, 2020, under Section 145, Chapter 6, Laws of 2019 (Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1109). The executive summary reports that Public Safety Telecommunicators processed 6,931,101 emergent 911 calls in 2018 and that total state and local costs, including dispatch, were $334.8 million, while 911 excise tax revenue was $98 million. It sets out five key recommendations, including expanded governance for the State 911 Coordination Office, shared technology platforms, a non-appropriated E911 account, a sustainable funding plan and certification for telecommunicators. The report covers history, governance, operations, funding and technology, with appendices and county stories that close with Yakima County.
Summary drafted by a model from the document's text below and checked by script against that text before publication. It is a navigation aid, not a reading of what the document proves. Where AI is used
Cite this document
“911 Cost Study Report to the Legislature.”
Original at app.leg.wa.gov, dated 2021-11-19. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/2021-11-19-2021-11-19-a29274-d236679-911-cost-study-report-to-the-legislature/
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State of Washington
911 Cost Study
Report to the Legislature
Prepared pursuant to:
Section 145, Chapter 6, Laws of 2019,
Regular Session
(Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1109)
Washington Military Department
December, 2020
PUBLICATION AND CONTACT INFORMATION
This document is available on the Military Department’s website at:
mil.wa.gov/e911
For more information contact:
Adam Wasserman
State E911 Coordination Office
Building 20
Camp Murray, WA 98430-5011
Phone: 253-512-7468
Adam.Wasserman@mil.wa.gov
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thank you to Representative Ryu and the legislative body for your interest in 911 in the state of
Washington. This study is the result of an extensive amount of work from many dedicated
people in the Washington 911 community. We purposefully utilized the many talented people in
the state who understand, respect and live with 911 daily. Each 911 County Coordinator was
asked to participate as part of the study project team. Even the few who were unable to
participate on specific workgroups due to other commitments, contributed by reviewing and
providing critical feedback to the process. In addition to 911 County Coordinators, we drew upon
the experience and talents of other dedicated professionals from the industry. Public Safety
Answering Point (PSAP) Directors, Public Safety Telecommunicators, Local Elected Officials
and Telecommunication Industry Representatives all played a vital role in the process. The 911
Community in Washington is a uniquely engaged and collaborative group of dedicated
professionals that come from different parts of the industry, with the sole purpose of
establishing, maintaining and operating the best 911 system in the country. Without their efforts,
this study would not have been possible.
Adam Wasserman, State 911 Coordinator
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Washington State 911 community thanks the state Legislature for the opportunity to share a
very important story about 911. This report includes a response to the proviso on costs and
revenue efficiencies and tells the story of what a Public Safety Answering Point1 (PSAP) is, what
they are responsible to do and what they need to accomplish a critical public safety mission. It
outlines key recommendations necessary to continue forward progress in the 911 industry and
describes how a collective body of 911 professionals have become national leaders using
creativity and ingenuity to continue to advance the 911 service in Washington state.
The Proviso requested three elements including the actual cost per fiscal year for the
state, the difference between the actual state and local costs, and current state and local
911 funding with potential cost-savings and efficiencies.
In response to Proviso, Section A, in 20182 Public Safety Telecommunicators processed
6,931,101 emergent 911 calls in Washington. The total state and local costs to support the 911
function statewide was $317.8 million. These costs include the statewide Emergency Services
IP Network (ESInet), personnel, facilities, administrative, and capital and contractual costs for
the equipment needed for the receipt, delivery, logging and recording of 911 calls. These costs
do not include the full functionality of the PSAPs which also includes dispatch services for the
law, fire and emergency medical service (EMS) responders. The additional costs for dispatch
services was $17 million for a total cost of $334.8 million. Broken down, the state costs were
$24 million and county costs were $310.8 million.
In response to Proviso, Section B, the state and local 911 excise tax revenue for this period
was $98 million, which only accounts for 30 percent of the total cost to operate 911. Agency
fees, Sales and Use Tax for Emergency Communication Systems and Facilities, grants and
other local funding such as property taxes were used to bridge the gap between the 911 excise
tax and the actual costs of operating the 911 system. Unfortunately, these other funding
mechanisms are often fragile, subject to the whims of the economy and competition from other
local budget demands.
In response to Proviso, Section C, there have been many cost savings and efficiencies
developed over time. Examples you will see in this report are the deployment of ESInet,
development of pilot projects and subsequent deployments of equipment consolidation and
regionalization efforts, use of cloud-based systems, consolidated buying power for equipment
and services, and cultivating strong partnerships and governance models.
This report identifies five key recommendations:
Key Recommendation: Enhance the governance role of the State 911 Coordination
Office (SECO) to develop statewide standards for the 911 system and provide necessary
support to county and local 911 operations while maintaining local operational authority
of 911 services. The SECO has played a facilitator role without having any statutory authority
1
Also known as Emergency Communications Center (ECC)
2
The Proviso was enacted in the 2019 legislative session. In order to move ahead in the study development, 2018
data was used.
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to establish and uphold standards of service to the PSAPs or the 911 technology vendors. This
has created challenges in maintaining a consistent level of service statewide. However, this
office is uniquely positioned to set standards in the adoption of future technologies and security
and share lessons learned in the development of modern technology advancements.
Key Recommendation: Expand the use of shared technology platforms between PSAPs,
creating economies of scale. With the advancement of technology options, there are several
solutions that have proven to be successful. Some of these advancements are being realized
and in place today in our state, however they need to be expanded if we are to realize
significant efficiencies and keep pace with technology.
Key Recommendation: Change the Enhanced 911 (E911) account to a non-appropriated
account to allow the E911 program to more easily access and utilize funds in this
account for intended purposes. Since the E911 account requires a legislative appropriation,
the E911 program does not have a way to request additional expenditure authority in the case
of unexpected equipment failures or program emergencies. Revenues received into the E911
account are required to be spent on the E911 program, and as those revenues increase or
decrease the program should have a more flexible way to pass surplus revenue in the account
to counties to address programmatic or equipment needs.
Key Recommendation: Develop a sustainable funding plan for all elements of
emergency communications, including dispatch. The greatest challenge to the PSAPs
today is the need for dedicated and sustainable funding to support their full responsibility which
includes dispatching and monitoring of emergency responders. By state statute, the current 911
excise tax is restricted to just the call answering portion of this process which is not able to meet
the needs of today and clearly won’t be able to support the evolving technology needs and costs
of tomorrow. A funding mechanism needs to be developed that can support each county’s
needs for all PSAP functions. Therefore, it is recommended the State 911 Advisory Committee
(AC) develop a task force to include 911 Coordinators, emergency service providers, 911
service providers and other key stakeholders to further explore and develop a funding plan, to
be submitted to the legislature, with options that will support the 911 system from receipt of 911
calls to dispatching and monitoring emergency responders.
Key Recommendation: Create a certification and reclassification for Public Safety
Telecommunicators. The single most important aspect of 911 success is the performance of
the Public Safety Telecommunicators (PST). As the first of the first responders, they gather
critical information, de-escalate volatile situations, provide life-saving medical instructions and
must remain calm and professional during every call. It is critical that more efforts be placed on
mandatory training standards and certification, as well as reclassification (from clerical to first
responders) as they are vital key players in the public safety system.
The study identified additional recommendations and best practices which the 911 community is
already working toward. The full list is in Section 6 Recommendations Summary.
For the past 50 years, Washington has been a leader in developing and supporting the 911
community. There is a very strong and effective partnership between the SECO, the counties,
the 911 coordinator team and the AC. This partnership is unlike any other in the nation. These
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teams3 have consistently worked together to provide the best 911 service to the people of
Washington. This hasn’t been an easy task as keeping pace with accelerating technologies and
meeting the public’s expectations is complicated and expensive.
Each county and the Washington State Patrol face unique challenges with respect to 911 and
have provided brief stories to describe distinct successes, challenges and efficiencies they have
created in their own community4. They are committed to continuing the good work together to
provide a modern 911 system that supports the needs and demands of communities and will
continue to work for sustainable funding for these essential services.
3
In 2018, there were 65 PSAPs operating in the 39 counties of Washington State with a total of 1,658 Public Safety
Telecommunicators.
4
County Stories in Appendix 12
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
PUBLICATION AND CONTACT INFORMATION ............................................................................................ 1
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................................................. 2
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................... 3
TABLE OF CONTENTS ..................................................................................................................................... 6
1.0 HISTORY – HOW DID WE GET HERE ................................................................................................ 9
2.0 GOVERNANCE OF 911 ....................................................................................................................... 10
2.1 FEDERAL LEVEL ....................................................................................................................................10
2.2 STATE LEVEL .........................................................................................................................................10
2.3 COUNTY LEVEL .....................................................................................................................................13
2.4 FUNDING IMPACTS ...............................................................................................................................13
2.5 IMPROVED EFFICIENCIES ..................................................................................................................14
2.5.1 Centralized Statutory Authority ........................................................................................... 14
2.5.2 Washington Utilities and Trade Commission (UTC) Authority Modification ........................ 14
2.6 GOVERNANCE RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................................................................16
3.0 OPERATIONS ............................................................................................................................................. 17
3.1 PSAP STRUCTURE................................................................................................................................17
3.2 PSAP GOVERNANCE ............................................................................................................................17
3.3 PSAP RESPONSIBILITIES ....................................................................................................................18
3.4 PUBLIC SAFETY TELECOMMUNICATOR RESPONSIBILITIES ...................................................18
3.5 RECRUITMENT, HIRING AND RETENTION ......................................................................................19
3.6 TRAINING & CERTIFICATION ..............................................................................................................21
3.7 FUNDING .................................................................................................................................................21
3.8 CHALLENGES .........................................................................................................................................21
3.9 OPERATIONS RECOMMENDATIONS ...............................................................................................22
4.0 FUNDING ..................................................................................................................................................... 23
4.1 INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................................................23
4.2 STATE TAXES .........................................................................................................................................23
4.2.1 Evolution of 911 Excise Tax ................................................................................................ 23
4.2.2 Distribution of 911 Excise Tax ............................................................................................. 23
4.3 STATE SALES & USE TAX ....................................................................................................................24
4.4 STATE COSTS & REIMBURSEMENT CONTRACTS .......................................................................25
4.5 COUNTY USE OF EXCISE TAX ...........................................................................................................26
4.6 REVENUE TRENDS ...............................................................................................................................26
4.7 PSAP OPERATING COSTS ..................................................................................................................27
4.8 WIRELINE & WIRELESS REGULATORY ...........................................................................................28
4.9 FINANCIAL IMPACT OF EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES..................................................................28
4.10 FINANCIAL RISKS & IMPACTS ............................................................................................................28
4.11 911 TAX RATE COMPARISONS ..........................................................................................................30
4.12 FINANCIAL EFFICIENCIES...................................................................................................................30
4.13 FINANCIAL RECOMMENDATIONS .....................................................................................................31
5.0 TECHNOLOGY ........................................................................................................................................... 32
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5.1 CURRENT STATE OF 911 ...........................................................................................................................32
5.2 EVOLUTION OF 911 .....................................................................................................................................33
5.2.1 911 Changes – Migrating to E911....................................................................................... 33
5.2.2 911 Changes – Migrating to NG911 ................................................................................... 33
5.3 EVOLUTION OF 911 – PSAP SYSTEMS & NETWORK CONFIGURATIONS ...............................34
5.4 EVOLUTION OF 911 – CONSOLIDATION & REGIONALIZATION .................................................35
5.4.1 Consolidation by Geographic Area ..................................................................................... 35
5.4.2 Consolidation by Discipline ................................................................................................. 37
5.5 MULTI-NODE (HOST & REMOTE) .......................................................................................................38
5.6 VIRTUAL MODELS .................................................................................................................................40
5.7 SHARED SYSTEMS AND RESOURCES ............................................................................................41
5.7.1 Shared Systems .................................................................................................................. 41
5.7.2 Shared Resources - Shared Services Center ..................................................................... 42
5.7.3 Shared Resources - Centralized Call Taking Center .......................................................... 43
5.8 EFFICIENCY RECOMMENDATIONS ..................................................................................................44
6.0 RECOMMENDATIONS - SUMMARY ...................................................................................................... 46
GOVERNANCE ....................................................................................................................................................46
OPERATIONS.......................................................................................................................................................46
FUNDING ..............................................................................................................................................................47
TECHNOLOGY .....................................................................................................................................................47
7.0 CONCLUSION - FINAL KEY INSIGHTS ............................................................................................ 49
8.0 GLOSSARY .......................................................................................................................................... 50
9.0 STATUTORY CITATION/SESSION LAW FOR REQUIRED REPORT ........................................... 53
10.0 APPENDICES ......................................................................................................................................... 1
APPENDIX 1 – GOVERNANCE – 911 COUNTY COORDINATOR LIST .........................................................................1
APPENDIX 2 - GOVERNANCE – NATIONAL 911 GOVERNANCE STRUCTURES .........................................................3
APPENDIX 3 - GOVERNANCE – 911 LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATION LINKS ............................................................4
APPENDIX 4 – FINANCIAL - RCW LANGUAGE ..........................................................................................................5
APPENDIX 5 – FINANCIAL – RANGE OF 911 USER FEES .........................................................................................8
APPENDIX 6 – FINANCIAL – LOCAL STATE 911 EXCISE TAX REVENUE ..................................................................1
APPENDIX 7 – FINANCIAL – STATE CONTRACT INFORMATION .................................................................................1
APPENDIX 8 – FINANCIAL – FY18 CALL VOLUME ....................................................................................................3
APPENDIX 9 – FINANCIAL – COUNTY SURVEY RESULTS .........................................................................................5
APPENDIX 10 – OPERATIONS – ADDITIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY TELECOMMUNICATOR DUTIES ................................6
APPENDIX 11 – TECHNOLOGY – TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS CURRENTLY IN USE........................................................8
APPENDIX 12 – COUNTY STORIES ...........................................................................................................................9
ADAMS COUNTY ......................................................................................................................................................10
ASOTIN COUNTY .....................................................................................................................................................12
BENTON COUNTY ....................................................................................................................................................14
CHELAN COUNTY ....................................................................................................................................................16
CLALLAM COUNTY...................................................................................................................................................18
CLARK COUNTY.......................................................................................................................................................20
COLUMBIA COUNTY.................................................................................................................................................22
COWLITZ COUNTY ...................................................................................................................................................23
FERRY COUNTY ......................................................................................................................................................25
FRANKLIN COUNTY..................................................................................................................................................26
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JEFFERSON COUNTY ..............................................................................................................................................31
KING COUNTY .........................................................................................................................................................33
KITSAP COUNTY ......................................................................................................................................................35
KITTITAS COUNTY ...................................................................................................................................................37
KLICKITAT COUNTY .................................................................................................................................................38
LEWIS COUNTY .......................................................................................................................................................40
LINCOLN COUNTY....................................................................................................................................................42
MASON COUNTY .....................................................................................................................................................44
OKANOGAN COUNTY ...............................................................................................................................................46
PEND OREILLE COUNTY .........................................................................................................................................48
PIERCE COUNTY .....................................................................................................................................................50
SAN JUAN COUNTY .................................................................................................................................................52
SKAGIT COUNTY......................................................................................................................................................54
SKAMANIA COUNTY .................................................................................................................................................56
SNOHOMISH COUNTY..............................................................................................................................................58
SPOKANE COUNTY ..................................................................................................................................................60
STEVENS COUNTY ..................................................................................................................................................62
THURSTON COUNTY................................................................................................................................................64
WAHKIAKUM COUNTY .............................................................................................................................................66
WALLA WALLA COUNTY ..........................................................................................................................................68
WHATCOM COUNTY ................................................................................................................................................70
WHITMAN COUNTY ..................................................................................................................................................72
WASHINGTON STATE PATROL ................................................................................................................................74
YAKIMA COUNTY .....................................................................................................................................................76
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1.0 HISTORY – How did we get here
9115 is the number people call in the United States to get help in the event of an emergency
requiring law enforcement, fire or medical services. A 911 call is routed over dedicated
networks to the appropriate 911 PSAP, where trained personnel engage with the caller and
send emergency help. A PSAP can also be referred to as an Emergency Communications
Center (ECC).
THE BEGINNING OF 911
On February 16, 1968, Alabama Senator Rankin Fite made the first 911 call in the United States
in Haleyville, Alabama. A week later, Nome, Alaska,
implemented a 911 system.
The 911 program In 1969, Puyallup, Washington became the first locality west of
developed by the the Mississippi in the lower 48 to have a 911 call center.
Washington State
E911 Program Office In 1985, King County implemented the first E911 system in the
state.
was unique and unlike
any other in the In 1991, Washington voters approved Referendum 42 directing
country. all 39 counties to provide E911 emergency communications
systems to its citizens by Dec. 31, 1998.
Over the years, there have been many technology changes in
Washington.
In 1992, Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 38.52.10 went into effect mandating each county
singly or in combination with one or more adjacent counties implement countywide or
multicounty E911 communications systems ensuring E911 was available throughout the state.
The county was to provide funding for the E911 communications system in the county in an
amount equal to the amount the maximum tax under RCW 82.14B.030(1) would generate in the
county less any applicable administrative fee charged by the Washington State Department of
Revenue (DOR) or the amount necessary to provide full funding of the system in the county.
Eight counties6 had already implemented E911 systems using local tax dollars when this
legislation went into effect.
Referendum 42 established the Washington State E911 Program to assist the counties to
assure E911 would be available statewide, RCW 38.52.520. It also established the State E911
Advisory Committee to advise and assist the State E911 Coordinator, RCW 38.52.530. (See
Governance - State Level)
The program developed by the State E911 Program Office was unique, as no other state 911
program in the country provided financial assistance for a wide array of local 911 needs,
5
The FCC in conjunction with AT&T, chose 9-1-1 as it was short and easy to remember and had never been
designated for an office code, area code or service code in the current telephone system.
6
Clark, King Kitsap, Pierce, Snohomish, Spokane, Thurston and Grays Harbor Counties
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assisting in the development of efficient use of facilities, infrastructure and conserving costs
while building a robust and modern 911 system.
2.0 GOVERNANCE OF 911
The governance of 911 services in the United States is handled by overlapping authorities on
federal, state, and local levels.
2.1 FEDERAL LEVEL
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) exercises broad regulatory authority over the
provision of 911 service by commercial providers subject to its jurisdiction. Under this regulatory
authority, the Commission has adopted numerous regulations governing the provision of 911
and E911, including the implementation of 911 as the emergency number and the requirement
to route all 911 calls to the appropriate PSAP.
Other regulations relate to the following:
• E911 location accuracy requirements for wireless carriers;
• E911 requirements for interconnected Voice over Internet Protocols (VoIP) providers;
and
• Most recent, the transition to Next Generation 911 (NG911) to further improve location
accuracy and to enable the public to transmit emergency communications to PSAP’s via
text, data and video in addition to voice.
There are other federal agencies which exert governance over NG911 transition:
• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and its Office of
Emergency Medical Services, which houses the National 911 Program.
• The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through its SAFECOM7 program, works
with state level agencies to improve multi-jurisdictional and intergovernmental
communications interoperability.
2.2 STATE LEVEL
The Washington Military Department operates the State E911 Coordinator’s Office (SECO).
RCW 38.52.520 established the State E911 Coordination Office, and the State Coordinator is
responsible for the following duties:
1. Coordinate and facilitate the implementation and operation of E911 emergency
communications systems throughout the state;
2. Seek advice and assistance from, and provide staff support for, the E911 Advisory
Committee;
7
SAFECOM is the United States Homeland Security Office for Interoperability and Compatibility Communications
Program
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3. Annually recommends the level of the state E911 excise tax for the following year8 to
the Washington State Utilities and Trade Commission9 (UTC) year;
4. Considers the base needs of individual counties for specific assistance and specifies
rules defining the purposes for which available state E911 funding may be expended,
with the advice and assistance of the E911 advisory committee, and
5. Provides an annual update to the Enhanced 911 Advisory Committee detailing how
much money each county has spent on:
• Efforts to modernize existing E911 emergency communications systems; and
• Enhanced 911 operational costs.
In December 2013, the Blue Ribbon Panel on 911 Funding issued a report to the National 911
Program which addressed the importance of state level governance. It reads in part:
“The establishment of a State-level entity with statewide authority to address necessary State
level functions and responsibilities, with a clearly defined 911 program coordination role, is
critical to maximizing the capabilities of 911 systems. State-level 911 authority that is
comprehensive and accommodates all forms of originating telecommunication services will be
required for NG911 implementation. Legislation defining the role of the State 911 entity should
facilitate the coordination of 911 service networks statewide and include the authority to support
those State-level system operational functions necessary to ensure a statewide 911 system of
systems.”
Governance and provision of 911 services in Washington, is a mix of statewide services,
overseen and provided by the SECO and local provision of 911 services provided by the
counties. The UTC also plays a minor regulatory role for 911 under its tariff regulations for
provision of wireline services.
2.2.1 National Organization Governance Positions
A survey conducted for the Model State 911 Plan illustrated there were seven different
categories where state 911 program agencies are positioned within their state government
structure. A critical question is “How does the Washington state 911 governance position
compare to the other states?” Graph 1 below shows the seven primary categories and the
Graph 1: National Organization of State 911 Agencies
8
This only applies if the full tax allocation is not in use. Currently, the SECO receives the full allocation allowed.
9
The UTC is a three-member commission appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state senate.
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number of state 911 agencies associated in that authority structure throughout the United
States.
2.2.2 State 911 Authority Structure
The Model State 911 Plan also identifies specific structures of how Did you know?
state 911 authority and governance is determined, separate from
where the agency is housed. Section 3 of the National 911 The Counties have
Governance Structures Table identified below in Table 1 shows the statutory authority
most common (54 percent) is “State-level 911 authority with statewide over 911 services
geographic planning, coordination, and funding responsibility for full
scope 911”.
Category Description Characteristics
3 State-level 911 authority with statewide There are 27 state 911 programs in this
geographic planning, coordination, and category10 of which Washington is one.
funding responsibility for full scope of 911.
Table 1: National 911 Governance Structures
The 911 Authority Structure Map identifies “most states in this category have a 911 authority
that is part of a larger state agency.” The 911 function is a full-fledged organizational component
that works within the context and authority of that larger agency. The remaining do not have
statutory authority and rely on other state agencies for administrative support, or a separate
board or commission that sets policy and exerts decision authority.
Washington is listed in this category and the SECO is a part of and working within the context
and authority of the state Military Department. Neither the Military Department nor SECO have
statutory authority over 911 services. Instead, RCW 38.52.510 specifies counties are
responsible to implement 911 emergency communications systems. This division of
responsibility is reinforced in the funding model for the state 911 services, described in Funding
Section 4.0. The SECO has limited authority as described in Table 2 below.
HAS AUTHORITY DOES NOT HAVE AUTHORITY
To provide funding to ensure To ensure equal 911 service statewide
statewide access to 911
To provide statewide geographic To set state standards for vendor system
planning and coordination deployment including security and applications
To provide funding assistance to To manage PSAPs deployments including
smaller counties to provide equal staffing levels, minimum training standards and
access to 911 certification, and additional services provided
by the PSAP
Table 2: SECO Authority of 911
10
The states are Alaska, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana,
Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma,
Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah and Washington.
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2.3 COUNTY LEVEL
Pursuant to RCW 38.52.510, each individual county is responsible for the provision of 911
services within its borders. The Washington State Patrol also operates primary and secondary
PSAPs which receives calls through the 911 system. Each county designates a 911
Coordinator11 responsible for handling the various duties related to the coordination of 911
services within their county.
Each county established its own governance structure to meet its obligation to provide 911
services at a local level. Figure 4 quantifies the county level governance structures within
GOVERNANCE MODELS BY COUNTY
Washington State
911 Program City, 2, 5% Patrol, 1, 3%
Office, 2, 5% Sheriff's Office,
10, 25%
County, 5, 13%
Emergency
Intergovernmental Management,
Agreement Agency, 17, 42% 3, 7%
Table 3: Washington State Governance Models by County
Washington. The two predominant structures are County Government (38 percent of counties12)
and Intergovernmental Agreement Agencies (42 percent of counties). These models may be
driven by population base, geographical areas, number of PSAPs operating within the county
borders or other local factors. One size may not fit all situations. Detailed responses available
in Appendix 2
2.4 FUNDING IMPACTS
Distributions of the state portion of the excise tax to the counties are managed through contract
reimbursement grants between the SECO and the counties, further described in Funding,
Section 4. These grants vary in dollar value based on financial policies established by the
SECO.
This contract reimbursement grant relationship is important to the state level governance
discussion as these contracts are the only mechanism the SECO has to enact or enforce any
statewide policy, procedure or best practice. The contract reimbursement grants are a proxy for
statutory statewide 911 authority.
11
List of County Coordinators – Appendix 1
12
A combination of County agency at 13% and Sheriff’s Office at 25%,
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2.5 IMPROVED EFFICIENCIES
The following areas identify where efficiencies could be made in the governance of 911.
2.5.1 Centralized Statutory Authority
Current legislation provides the SECO, in cooperation with the Advisory Committee, the
authority to coordinate and facilitate 911 service systems statewide and work to establish a
baseline level of 911 service with appropriate funding to ensure consistent access and operation
across the state. It does not allow SECO to set standards for the components of the 911
system to meet this baseline.
A Centralized Statutory Authority would standardize statewide access when deploying
legislatively mandated technology, training, or services, such as are required in The Travis Alert
Act and The Trueblood Act.. It could facilitate consensus or exercise authority to establish
technologies, standards and best practices as well as provide equal access statewide for such
services.
Efficiencies can be gained by enhancing the SECO governance structure as a Centralized
Statutory Authority without losing county level operational authority. This model would support
the following:
A variety of different NG911 telephone systems exist across Washington
Customer Premise State. The SECO would have the authority to set baseline functionality
Equipment (CPE) standards with system and security requirements with the vendors, the
PSAP and/or County.
As part of a competitive market, the SECO could leverage the power of
group purchasing, reducing costs to both the state and counties. They
could:
• Establish an annual or bi-annual list of approved equipment selected
Purchasing Options from joint purchasing organizations or other state bid processes, saving
a considerable amount of time and money, and providing leverage for
smaller purchases.
• Purchase and/or host CPE or other applications allowing PSAPs or
counties to purchase services directly from the state at a reduced cost.
The SECO could set baseline training and certification standards and
manage statewide training and certification processes. They could develop
PSAP Staffing recruiting strength by creating a website application conduit that links to
local PSAPs application process. This supports counties with employment
challenges and provides employment information statewide.
Centralized statutory authority over 911 systems and programs may not be
well received under the current structure, primarily because of home rule
and local authority at the county and PSAP level. A positive outcome of
Home Rule (Local Authority)
centralized authority would create a balance between local operational
control and a system that ensures statewide interoperability while also
maintaining local authority.
Table 4: SECO Governance Change Efficiencies
2.5.2 Washington Utilities and Trade Commission (UTC) Authority Modification
Currently in Washington State, there are more than 90 telephone carriers known as Originating
Service Providers (OSPs) which either provide 911 service to customers or aggregate traffic for
other OSPs. Of these, there are 21 Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers (ILECs).
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When 911 first came into usage, the PSAPs were required to place an order for 911 service with
the ILECs, before the ILEC’s customer’s 911 calls were able to be delivered to the PSAPs.
Because this was a telephone service, the ILECs charged the PSAPs a fee for the service.
Since the UTC was charged with regulating telephone companies and the services they
provided, and because 911 was simply just another service offering, tariffs were developed and
utilized for the service. There was not any specific “authority” or statute which mandated this
service.
As 911 evolved into a statewide essential public safety service, PSAPs merged, consolidated
and regionalized. Wireless and VoIP technologies emerged and this funding arrangement with
the ILECs never changed. The wireless and VoIP OSPs were expected, by the 911 community
and the FCC, to transport their customer’s 911 calls to a PSAP without cost to the PSAP – this
was considered the cost of doing business.
In 2006, the Counties asked the SECO to aggregate and consolidate the paying of these costs
on behalf of the PSAPs. In 2020, the annual cost for 911 service charged by the ILECs is
approximately $2.75 million per year. This is approximately 11 percent of the State’s annual 911
excise tax revenue, while the total call volume from these same ILEC’s customers is
approximately 7 percent of the total 911 calls placed in Washington. This disparity between cost
and service is likely to continue as wireline phone use declines but the cost to connect remains
the same. The current structure that pays wireline carriers from the 911 excise tax to deliver
911 calls to the ESInet or an ESInet transport provider needs to change. The wireline
companies should bear the transport and connection costs just as wireless and VoIP providers
do.
2.5.3 Revised Code of Washington
The current RCWs regulating the 911 industry are outdated. During the past 4 years, the 911
community has reviewed and drafted new legislative language to prepare Washington for the
future. These changes were ready for introduction in the 2021 session but due to COVID-19,
they are now postponed until a future legislative session.
15 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
2.6 GOVERNANCE RECOMMENDATIONS
Enhance the Require all LECs to
governance role of transport 911 calls
the SECO without a cost to 911
Key Recommendation: Enhance the governance role of the State 911 Coordination Office
(SECO) to develop statewide standards for the 911 system and provide necessary support to
county and local 911 operations while maintaining local operational authority of 911 services.
Enact legislation that enhances the role of the SECO to include the authority to:
a. Facilitate the coordination of interoperable 911 service networks
statewide and to support those state-level systems;
b. Develop standards for the components of the 911 systems
including security, equipment standards and purchasing options;
c. Assist local authorities with staffing issues, recruitment, training
and certification standards; and
d. Develop statewide purchasing power.
Recommendation: Change the current 911 fee structure for wireline carriers
Change the current structure that pays wireline carriers from the 911 excise tax to
deliver 911 calls to the ESInet or an ESInet transport provider, instead requiring them to
bear the cost like wireless and VoIP providers.
16 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
3.0 OPERATIONS
Each county13 is responsible for providing 911 services to its community. When a person calls
911, the first point of contact is a PSAP where the process of service delivery for law
enforcement, fire and medical service begins. PSAP personnel receive the 911 call, quickly
interview the caller and provide the call information to a dispatcher, who in turn relays the
information to the field units for a response.
PSAP Info Dispatch Field unit
Caller dials contacts
Interview relayed to info to
9-1-1 Caller dispatch field unit caller
PSAP operations also involve many other components including organizational structure, user
agency service agreements and operational requirements, facility purchase and maintenance,
hiring, training and retaining staff, managing services, and maintaining strong governmental
relationships, all with limited funding.
3.1 PSAP STRUCTURE
The PSAP structure can vary greatly between counties. The most common structure in
Washington is a single county-wide PSAP providing services for law enforcement, fire and
medical services. Additionally, there are several regional PSAPs providing these same services
for multiple counties. Less common are single discipline PSAPs providing services for a law
enforcement, fire or EMS agency serving a smaller community within a county.
The physical structure of a PSAP has specific building requirements and recommendations from
various standards’ bodies including National Emergency Number Association (NENA),
Association of Public Communications Officials (APCO), National Fire Protection Association
(NFPA) and federal, state and local building codes. They must be in facilities with specialized
security and structural needs such as controlled entry, ballistic resistant glass, natural disaster
resistance, and terror mitigation along with redundant power supplies and built for 24x7
continuous usage. The technology components of a PSAP are continuously being updated and
require additional security, redundant power (for example generator, HVAC system, UPS
batteries, etc.) and connectivity.
Many PSAPS are co-located with law enforcement, a fire department or emergency operations
centers.
3.2 PSAP GOVERNANCE
PSAP governance differs based on the county structure and the PSAP location. The PSAP can
be a department within a local government structure where governance comes from a
department with reporting structure to the department head. The agency could be a separate
governmental entity organized with an Interlocal Governmental Agreement (ILA or IGA)
between major stakeholders. This type of agency can be governed by a board of elected
13
RCW 38.52.510
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officials or executive officers of the agencies served. An ILA agency can be organized as a
Municipal Corporation, non-profit or as a Public Development Authority.
Because of the essential services they provide, PSAPs typically have a Continuity of Operations
Plan (COOP) which could include a back-up
facility, an alternate PSAP or portable
Answer 911
Calls communications capability.
Answer non- Dispatch & 3.3 PSAP RESPONSIBILITIES
emergency & A PSAP is responsible for a wide variety of
Monitor Field
Admin calls Units
services utilizing a wide variety of personnel
such as supervisors, trainers, technicians, and
PSAP administrative staff. These employees may
monitor or provide jail service, provide public-
Emergency
Record facing duties such as record keeping functions
Management
or Jail Service
Keeping and interacting with the public for a variety of
different needs. They may enter and maintain
Technical,
Supervisory, warrants, monitor alarms and perform additional
Training, administrative duties. They are required to
Admin
manage public disclosure requests and specific
Figure 1: PSAP Responsibilities records requests for the agencies they serve
including required audio and computer aided
dispatch (CAD) recordings for agency training, quality assurance, disciplinary support, and as
part of discovery in criminal cases.
3.4 PUBLIC SAFETY TELECOMMUNICATOR RESPONSIBILITIES
Public Safety Telecommunicators (PST)14 play a vital role as first, first-responders when they
answer and process 911 calls and provide radio dispatch and monitoring of field personnel.
Their function extends far beyond 911 call taking and dispatching calls for law enforcement, fire
and EMS agencies.
The responsibilities of a PST include answering 911 calls, gathering, analyzing and reporting
critical information during life or death situations such as crimes in progress, medical
emergencies and fire/rescue incidents. They are expected to provide critical lifesaving
emergency instructions for medical conditions such as heart attack, choking, childbirth, and
injury management for the victim prior to responders arriving on scene. They provide crisis
intervention, negotiating with suicidal callers or hostage takers, scene de-escalation, triage of
events and information all while processing multiple data streams of information at the same
time.
The PSTs who provide dispatching and field unit monitoring duties are required to manage
multiple radio frequencies, monitor multiple personnel from law enforcement, fire, medical,
emergency management, search and rescue, public works and utilities agencies. They must
follow agency protocols for unit notification, consistently provide clear, concise and updated
information, make agency administrative notifications, monitor, and keep accurate records of
14
A Public Safety Telecommunicator is also referred to as 911 Call Taker, Dispatcher, Call Receiver or
Communications Officer/Specialist
18 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
unit status and needs. They are to take protective actions for responders by providing life-safety
information during responses such as officer down or MAYDAY calls.
Some PSAPs separate call processing duties from dispatching duties. Other PSAPs combine
these functions for a single PST to manage. PSAPs may deploy a PST to the scene of major
emergencies, long term incidents, or planned events, as well as supporting other PSAPs in a
disaster, in and out of the state. PSAPs may also require this position to manage administrative
functions as described in 3.3 PSAP Responsibilities.
PST answering 911 calls - primary performance expectations:
Answer 9-1-1 calls within 15 seconds
Determine the incident location, caller's contact
information and reason for assistance
Properly document all necessary information within 90
seconds of call receipt
Provide medical and/or safety instructions, scene de-
escalation instructions, and negotiate with callers in
high stress situations
PST dispatch of responders - primary performance expectations:
Notify appropriate responders of the incident and
coordinate the response
Consistently provide and update clear and concise
information
Prioritize safety considerations for victims, bystanders,
responders
Monitor and document all requests, make agency
notifications
These duties and responsibilities may be assigned to a single PST or a combination of PSTs.
Additional PSAP staff and responsibilities are listed in Appendix 10
3.5 RECRUITMENT, HIRING AND RETENTION
Recruiting, hiring and retaining qualified individuals to serve as PSTs is a national challenge and
Washington State is no exception. The hiring process is comparable to a law enforcement
process. This includes skill testing, a background investigation, a polygraph exam, a
psychological exam, hearing and drug tests. Challenges include:
19 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
• Competition between centers which can include pay and benefit disparity, agency size and
scheduling options;
• Extended hiring timelines due to the hiring process;
and the
• Ability of applicants to successfully meet the job
Combined challenges in
requirements of multi-tasking, keyboard, computer
recruiting, hiring, training, and
skills, and critical thinking.
retention makes it clear why
It is not uncommon for applicants to withdraw from a there are nationwide staff
hiring process after sitting with a PST and observing shortages in 911
firsthand the complexity of the position and nature of calls.
When a candidate is hired, they must then successfully
complete an extensive and rigorous training program. Of
those counties who responded to a retention survey15, the training completion success rate
varies from PSAP to PSAP.
In addition to recruiting, hiring, and
New Hire Retention retention following training, there is a
150 80.00% systemic issue in 911 regarding long
term and on-going staff vacancy
60.00%
100 rates. From 2016-2020, those
40.00% Washington PSAPs surveyed
50
20.00% experienced an annual average of 14
0 0.00% percent of PST vacancies. The work
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 environment requires 24/7 shift work,
requires overtime for last minute staff
Hired Retained % Retained
absences or shift vacancies, lacks
Figure 2: Hiring Retention consistent time off, experiences low
pay and benefits, and lacks
professional recognition. Frequent exposure to critical incidents, an ever-changing technical
environment, and the impact of cumulative stress to a PST adds to the challenges with long-
term retention. A report from the APCO published in 2004 identified 97 percent of law
enforcement and fire-rescue personnel will work long enough to retire16. This is not the case for
PSTs. In Washington, the average length is nine and a half years17. Nationally, it is less than
five years.
Technology constantly changes and PSAPs struggle with the increased individual job
complexity for PSTs. This includes the challenge of maintaining appropriate skill levels as the
employee ages. As in other public safety professions, this work takes a toll on the PST.
Combine the recruitment and hiring process, lack of successful completion of training and
tenured staff retention issues, stressful working conditions which can and has led to medical
issues including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), it quickly becomes clear why there is a
staffing shortage at most PSAPs.
15
20 of 39 counties responded to the retention survey
16
2004 APCO Project Retains
17
20 of 39 counties response to a retention survey
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3.6 TRAINING & CERTIFICATION
Nationwide, there is a growing trend for states to require standardized training for PSTs. In a
recent 2020 study18, 29 of 56 states and territories have some level of basic training and 23 of
56 states and territories have some degree of mandated basic continuing education training for
PSTs. In Washington, PSAPs develop their own training standards and have historically
worked together to voluntarily create a statewide training certification program. Beyond this
voluntary effort, there is no state mandated initial training or continuing education requirements
for PSTs. State mandated minimum training standards and a certification process is critical to
ensure consistent and appropriate content and skills.
Despite these challenges, Washington is recognized nationally for its training programs. This is,
in part, due to the networking and shared professional vision of the PSAP directors.
3.7 FUNDING
At the PSAP operation level, lack of sustainable funding for all PSAP functions and
responsibilities is one of the primary obstacles. There is not enough funding for call receiving
and there is no statewide dedicated funding to sustain the dispatch portion of PSAP operations
which includes costly radio infrastructure, equipment and services. Additional funding issues
are further explained in Section 4 Funding.
3.8 CHALLENGES
The current operational challenges for PSAPs in Washington include but are not limited to:
Costs
Staffing
Standards
Technology
Figure 3: Operations Challenges
Costs: Increased operational costs with no sustainable dedicated funding.
Staffing: Hiring and retention for PSTs.
18
Haight, K. (2020). 9-1-1: What’s our emergency? Diagnosing a struggling occupation serving a neglected system.
Downloaded from the NPS Archive: Calhoun http://hdl.handle.net/10945/64917
21 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Standards: Ability to meet industry standards such as APCO and NENA for items such
as system delivery and answer times, call taking process times, and the need for
universal quality assurance and quality improvement.
Technology: Aging infrastructure/technology and rapidly changing technology. The
public’s increasing expectation of services, widening the gap between expectations and
services and capabilities currently available in PSAPs. Multiple platforms for CAD,
phones, Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD), geography and radio-systems making it
difficult for centers to share data, technology or personnel between PSAPs.
3.9 OPERATIONS RECOMMENDATIONS
Create certification
Provide dedicated
and reclassification
and sustainable
for
funding
Telecommunicators
Key Recommendation: Create a certification and reclassification for Public Safety
Telecommunicators.
Staffing and Retention - Create statewide certification for Public Safety
Telecommunicators that includes mandatory and standardized training. Reclassify
Public Safety Telecommunicators from a clerical position to a Public Safety First
Responder 19. Provide the professional recognition for the professional job they do.
Allow efforts to be considered for a lower retirement age for those tenured employees
who can no longer perform the functions due to age, similar to law enforcement and fire
personnel.
Recommendation: Provide dedicated and sustainable funding.
PSAP operations need funding for all aspects of a PSAP organization including call
answering and dispatch services. More thoroughly addressed in the funding section.
19
https://www.apcointl.org/government-relations/topics/soc-revision/aligning-job-descriptions-with-protective-
nature-of-work
22 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
4.0 FUNDING
4.1 INTRODUCTION
Funding for the 911 system in Washington is accomplished through the collection of an E911
excise tax on telephone devices. This funding was developed when telephone technology
consisted of only wireline phones. Technology drastically advanced with the implementation of
wireless cell phones and VoIP communication devices. The introduction of smart devices
continued the advancement allowing the public to communicate with 911 using a variety of
options such as smart phones, smart watches, health care monitoring pendants, and fall
monitors.
Today, the older E911 and the newer Next Generation 911 technology are both deployed in
Washington. The 911 networks and systems must incorporate current technologies and that
comes at a significant cost. Progress must always ensure a stable and responsive system is
available to people needing access to emergency services.
4.2 STATE TAXES
4.2.1 Evolution of 911 Excise Tax20
In 1981, the first 911 excise tax was imposed by counties for switched access lines supporting
wireline phones. Over the next 30 years, the taxation for 911 services had minimal increases
supporting the advancement of technology as wireless, VoIP, and prepaid phones were
deployed. The state and counties worked diligently to create funding efficiencies while building
the necessary infrastructure to support the emerging services.
1981 1992 1994 2002 2002 2011
Counties State imposes County tax State $0.20 County 911 State &
impose first $0.20 911 tax of $0.25 for 911 tax tax County 911
911 tax per switched wireless extends to increased tax increased
access line wireless to $0.50 to $0.95 total
4.2.2 Distribution of 911 Excise Tax
Currently, the state of Washington collects a $0.95 excise tax on all devices and lines that can
access 911. This includes traditional residential and business wireline phones, Voice over
Internet Protocol (VoIP) lines, wireless cell phones and pre-paid phone cards. The entire excise
tax is collected and distributed by the Department of Revenue (DOR) after the deduction of a 1
percent administrative fee.
• $0.25 is distributed to the State E911 Coordination office (SECO) to ensure 911 access is
operational statewide, to assist counties as necessary to assure they can achieve a basic
service level for 911 operations, and to assist counties as practicable to acquire items of a
20
https://dor.wa.gov/about/statistics-reports/history-washington-taxes
23 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
capital nature appropriate to modernize 911 systems and increase 911 effectiveness (RCW
38.52.545).
• $0.70 is distributed to counties. Distribution of funds is based on where the 911 services are
purchased and identified in a billing address or, in the case of a pre-paid phone card, the
address of the store in which the card was purchased.
The SECO utilizes the $0.25 to provide and maintain the statewide ESInet, the backbone of the
state 911 service, through a contracted vendor. Additionally, the SECO pays wireline
connection fees between the primary PSAPs and the ESInet, on behalf of the counties, for the
delivery of 911 calls
originating in the state of
Washington.
The smaller counties are
impacted by reduced
population bases and the
revenue they can receive from
the 911 excise tax. By
population, larger counties
receive more funding from
collected taxes. However,
they face the same
Figure 4: Use of State Portion of 911 Excise Tax
challenges as other counties
to impose additional taxes to
support emergency communications. Additionally, the increased population in the larger
counties positively affects the overall excise tax revenue received at the state level. Regardless
of all taxes received, each county must sustain technology to allow for equal access to
communities and those costs have the same impact in both large and small counties.
The critical nature of public safety call receipt and dispatching should not be dependent upon
the population base or competing interests in the various counties, but rather should be based
upon a clearly defined and supported funding model that has equal support throughout the state
of Washington.
4.3 STATE SALES & USE TAX
In 2002, the Sales and Use Tax for Emergency Communication Systems and Facilities was
adopted by the Legislature. It requires voter approval at the local level and allows 1/10 of one
percent of local sales and use tax be used for emergency communication systems and facilities.
In 2019, the Act was modified allowing up to 2/10 of one percent (RCW 82.14.420) for the same
use. There are currently 17 of 39 counties who passed the original tax (1/10 of one percent) and
only four counties who have passed the 2/10s of one percent. This tax does not provide funding
support for the state 911 system.
This was a good first step. However, it is a local decision for ballot placement and competes
with many other issues both politically and publicly. Funds are affected by the state of the
economy and can also be diverted away from PSAP operations for other emergency systems
and facilities such as radio systems. PSAPs need dedicated funds to meet all operational
responsibilities.
24 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
4.4 STATE COSTS & REIMBURSEMENT CONTRACTS
In fiscal year 2018 (FY18), the SECO used 100 percent of the State 911 excise tax received
($24,060,239.34) to directly support 911 statewide. This included administrative costs, state
assistance grants, and the network and database costs paid on behalf of the counties. The
SECO maintains reimbursement contracts with all 39 counties in Washington and the
Washington State Patrol Communications Section to support state assistance grants. A county
is eligible for reimbursement of WAC eligible expenses if they meet specific requirements
including:
• Compliance with ESInet cyber security standards
• The county’s 911 costs and expenditures exceed the local ($0.70) excise tax revenue for
WAC 118-66-050 eligible items and subject to SECO Policy caps; and
• The county spent 100 percent of its local telephone excise tax on WAC eligible items in the
previous year.
A detailed breakdown of funds disbursed to, or spent on behalf of, each county and the
Washington State Patrol can be found in Appendix 7. Expenses not identified in WAC 118-66-
060 are not eligible for reimbursement.
Network and
Database paid on
behalf of Counties
State $14,360,918.75
Assistance
Grants
$8,502,640.04
State
Administrative
$1,196,680.55
Total State Funding ($0.25) Spent on 911
$24,060,239.34
The following examples show a simple breakdown of the average cost per call and average cost
per person using the state portion of the 911 excise tax distribution. See Appendix 6 to review
individual county 911 excise tax costs per call and per person.
25 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
State State Funding
Funding $24,060,239.3
$24,060,239. 4
34
State Cost State Cost
per 911 of 911 per
Call Person
$3.47 $3.24
911 Call Estimated
Volume Population
6,931,101 7,427,570
4.5 COUNTY USE OF EXCISE TAX
Defined by WAC 118-66-060, counties are limited on how they can use the remaining $0.70 of
the total excise tax. This includes management services, human resources, legal costs,
financial services, PSAP and 911 administration lease/purchase costs, E911 building repair and
maintenance, major systems replacement/repair, E911 property and liability insurance, a 911
and PSAP administrative telephone system, E911 / NG 911 reserve accounts and radio
communications service companies (aka cellular/wireless service providers) wireless E911
recovery expenses.
4.6 REVENUE TRENDS
Early revenue models were based on the number of wireline phones in use and later, on
wireless phones. Over the course of the last decade, the number of wireline phones has
significantly decreased, as consumers disconnected their home phones in favor of their wireless
devices. This trend has shifted
revenues as well. The current
trend shows wireline revenue
continuing to decline while the
wireless, VoIP and prepaid
stay somewhat consistent.
Due to one-time revenue
corrections in years 2013 and
2017, the graph shows a spike
in revenue. As the cellular
market saturation peaks, the
911 excise tax revenue stream
has not and is not able to keep
pace with the growing
Graph 2: Ten Year Revenue Trend of State Portion of Excise Tax
consumer demands and
increased technology costs.
26 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
4.7 PSAP OPERATING
COSTS
Expenses Not
A PSAP’s operational
Covered responsibility includes not just the
$0.25 Tax
2% 7% answering of 911 calls, but also
the processing of the information
$0.70 Tax Expenses Not Covered received and the dispatching and
Other Local
23% monitoring of the law
Revenue $0.25 Tax
68% enforcement, fire and EMS
$0.70 Tax
providers as previously defined in
Other Local Revenue Operations Section 3.3. In 2018,
cost estimates21 of operating
PSAPs, from call maker to field
response, was $335 million. This
Expenses and Revenue amount does not include all the
Graph 3:Local Revenue Use radio infrastructure costs. The
cost estimates for just the call
maker to the PSAP interview, as described in Figure 522 below, was $317.8 million. The 911
excise tax, by statute, only provides funding for the 911 component of the PSAP operations in
the amount of $98 million. In 2018, this funding only covered 23 percent of the overall cost of
911. In many counties, the current excise tax does not cover the basic cost of 911 and it has
never funded the full operating costs of the PSAP at the local level. Counties are required to
use other revenue sources to cover those costs including, but not limited to, local Sales and Use
Tax for Emergency communication Systems and Facilities of up to 2/10 of one percent (RCW
82.14.420), charging user agency fees, or utilizing other local revenue sources.
In 2018 there was an overall shortfall of funding of $5,548,611.00 across the state. Counties
had to rely on reserve accounts and external grants to balance funding needs. Many factors
play a role in shortfalls including unplanned equipment failures, repayment of bonds (even after
the equipment purchased has reached its end-of-life cycle), and unstable revenue sources such
as is inherent in the Sales and Use Tax for Emergency Communication Systems and Facilities.
Info Field unit
Caller PSAP Dispatch
relayed contacts
dials Interview info to
to caller
9-1-1 Caller field unit
dispatch
Figure 5: 911 Excise tax funded Funded by 911 excise tax Locally funded
and local funds
21
Radio systems in the larger counties are funded separately and not included in these estimates
22
This is also depicted in Technology Section 5.1
27 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
4.8 WIRELINE & WIRELESS REGULATORY
Wireline calls comprise approximately seven percent of the 911 call volume but the costs to
support the cost recovery for wireline carriers consumes 11percent of the state’s revenue.
Wireline providers are regulated at the state level by the UTC. WAC 480-120-450 (3) states
“LECs choosing to provide E911 services including selective routing, database management
and transmission of the call to a PSAP must file with the commission tariffs and supporting cost
studies that specify the charges and terms for E911 services.” This causes an added burden to
the 911 system as the current regulations require the state to pay an extremely high rates for
connections, routing fees, and database charges to a small percentage of wireline providers as
describe in Section 2.5.2. Wireless and VoIP are regulated by the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) and providers are required to deliver the 911 calls at their own cost.
4.9 FINANCIAL IMPACT OF EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES
As traditional funding sources continue to erode, new technologies gain popularity in the general
market, requiring changes in the current funding model to accommodate the new modes of
accessing 911. This includes digital technologies utilized in our homes and businesses that can
notify 911. Many businesses today utilize video tele-conference technology which should
provide access to 911 and therefore be subject to 911 taxation. Additionally, the era of 5G has
arrived and with this new technology comes exponential growth. A vehicle can notify 911 and
the local hospital of the type of injuries to expect in a specific car accident, including how many
patients should be in the vehicle. As technology advances, legislation needs to be ready to
apply charges on all services that can access 911.
The nature of the 911 business requires the state and counties to be as nimble fiscally as they
are technologically. It is critical to have sustainable funding mechanisms as well as reserve
accounts or fund balances, without the fear of fund diversion, to support the entire 911 system,
from call receipt to dispatch of appropriate public safety
response. This is both appropriate and necessary to reduce
delays in implementing needed technology that assists in the
Did you know?
safety and welfare of the citizens of Washington State, including
911 funding does not the law enforcement, fire and EMS responders who provide
support the process of those services. It is also what the consumer demands.
dispatching and
4.10 FINANCIAL RISKS & IMPACTS
monitoring law, fire Long range 911 planning requires a safe and protected funding
and EMS responders. source that can accumulate over time and is not subject to
repurposing during difficult fiscal years. When 911 funds are
diverted, it puts the growth of the 911 system at risk and
impacts the state and counties from participating in vital federal
grants. Since 2001, almost $33.5 million of 911 excise tax funds were diverted away from the
911 program for non-911 purposes as described in Figure 6 below. This had a devastating
impact on the 911 program statewide and delayed the growth of the 911 system.
28 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
2001-2003 2003-2011 2011-2013 2013-2015 2015-2017
Biennium Budget Biennial Budgets Biennial Budget Biennial Budget Biennial Budget
•$6M to State •$2.3M to WSP •$2M to the •$10.842M to the •$2.7M (fund shift
General Fund for for CAD system Department of Washington by the
FY2003 over 4 Biennia Corrections to State Military Legislature to
meet an FCC Department replace
narrow band (fund shift by the equivalent GF-S
requirement. Legislature) normal source of
•$3.867M to the funding for the
WSP for Mobile department’s
Office Platform operating
•$2M to budget)
Department of •$3.009M to WSP
Corrections for •$633K for state
radio government
infrastructure policy
upgrade. compensation
changes
•$130K for King
County CPR
cellular pilot
program
Figure 6: Historical 911 Fund Diversion
In 2018, the SECO was not able to fulfill their commitment to purchase CPE for four counties as
systems continued to fail. These counties petitioned the state Legislature and were awarded $2
million from the State 911 fund to support their purchases. In FY18, Coordinator Professional
Development contracts were cut in half, mid biennium, due to financial shortfalls in the SECO
budget created by additional vendor carryover costs in the deployment of the new ESInet. There
was no financial safety net to address this type of occurrence even though cost overruns can
naturally occur. A protected reserve account or minimum fund balance is necessary to protect
critical projects.
29 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
4.11 911 TAX RATE COMPARISONS
The following is a sample range23 of 911 fees from similar states to Washington by population or
geography for Wireline, Wireless, VoIP, and Prepaid.
State Wireline, Wireless, VoIP, Prepaid
California Three-fourths of 1% percent (.0075)
Idaho $1.00 - $1.25 (max)
Illinois $1.50
$5.00 City of Chicago
9.0% of Sale City of Chicago – Prepaid
3% of Retail Sale - Prepaid
Indiana $1.00
Michigan $0.25 State Fee
$0.00 - $3.00 by County
5% Point of Sale - Prepaid
Missouri24 2% - 15% of Base Rate (45 Counties)
1/8% - 1% of Sales Tax (51 Counties)
Unfunded– (19 Counties)
Tennessee $1.16
Washington $0.25 Statewide
$0.70 by Counties
Table 5: 911 Tax Rate Comparisons
4.12 FINANCIAL EFFICIENCIES
There are several efficiencies that would benefit the state and local 911 systems and create
cost savings. One example is the Multi-node technology. It has the capacity to serve up to 300
call taking positions where many of the current PSAPs need 10 or less positions. It would
require significant up-front implementation costs but would eventually allow the state to realize
cost savings and long-term gains.
An additional efficiency is changing the current appropriated budget fund to a non-appropriated
account. This would allow the SECO to release funds from the Office of Financial Management
(OFM). It would also allow the SECO the ability to build a protected fund balance or reserve
account to ensure funds are available for large scale projects. This would create an opportunity
for equal access to new 911 technology across the state.
23
As of September 2020
24
Missouri does not charge a 911 fee for Wireless or VoIP
30 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
4.13 FINANCIAL RECOMMENDATIONS
Create a
Shift SECO Change RCW to
sustainable
account to a
funding source collect 911 tax
non-
for all aspects from new
appropriated
of 911 and the technologies
account
PSAP
Key Recommendation: Create a sustainable funding plan for all elements of emergency
communications, including dispatch.
The greatest challenge to the PSAPs today is the need for dedicated and sustainable
funding to support their full responsibility which includes dispatching and monitoring of
emergency responders. By state statute, the current 911 excise tax is restricted to just
the call answering portion of this process which is not able to meet the needs of today
and clearly won’t be able to support the evolving technology needs and costs of
tomorrow. The critical nature of public safety call receipt and dispatching should
not be dependent upon the population base or competing interests in the various
counties, but rather should be based upon a clearly defined and supported
funding model that has equal support throughout the State of Washington. A
funding mechanism needs to be developed that can support each county’s needs for all
PSAP functions. Therefore, it is recommended the State 911 Advisory Committee (AC)
develop a task force to include 911 Coordinators, emergency service providers, 911
service providers and other key stakeholders to further explore and develop a funding
plan, to be submitted to the legislature, with options that will support the 911 system
from receipt of 911 calls to dispatching and monitoring emergency responders.
Key Recommendation: Change the E911 account to a non-appropriated account to allow the
E911 program to more easily access and utilize funds in this account for their intended purpose.
Since the E911 account requires a legislative appropriation, the E911 program does not
have a way to request additional expenditure authority in the case of unexpected
equipment failures or program emergencies. Revenues received into the E911 account
are required to be spent on the E911 program, and as those revenues increase or
decrease the program should have a more flexible way to pass surplus revenue in the
account to counties to address programmatic or equipment needs.
Recommendation: Change RCW to collect 911 tax from new technologies. Change current
RCWs to ensure new technologies that access 911 pay the current tax.
31 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
5.0 TECHNOLOGY
Over the past 20 years, Washington has led the nation in developing and implementing new
technologies. The unique partnership between the SECO, the AC and the county 911
Coordinators has allowed creativity and progressive efforts to build the best systems available.
However, counties have different needs, and each region has
unique challenges that limits its ability to deploy new
technologies. This can include terrain, infrastructure, lack of
funding, staffing issues, political agendas, delayed technology, Did you know?
or PSAPs are not ready operationally. Despite the challenges, The dispatch and
progress continues as this section outlines. monitoring of first
responders is a separate
5.1 CURRENT STATE OF 911 function from E911 call
A 911 call placed in Washington passes through several processing.
networks and systems before it is answered at a PSAP. Once
the caller initiates the call, it is captured by the local exchange
carrier, or wireless service provider, passing through their
networks to the State Emergency Services IP network (ESInet) for routing to the pre-determined
PSAP. The call is answered at the PSAP on a specialized 911 telephone system that displays
the number and approximate location of the caller, and a PST interviews the caller to verify the
location of the emergency and type of assistance required, as noted in Figure 6.
Figure 7: 911 System Responsibility - Note: The green highlight box identifies where the majority of the
State 911 Excise Tax can be used for eligible expenses.
The dispatch and monitoring of first responders are a separate function from E911 call handling
within the PSAP. However, dependent on the size and structure of the agency, both functions
can be processed by the same, different or multiple PSTs. Often the dispatching technology,
such as radio systems and infrastructure, limits the ability for 911 changes in the PSAP. Those
dispatch technology needs are not included in this report.
32 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
5.2 EVOLUTION OF 911
5.2.1 911 Changes – Migrating to E911
1992 1994 1999
State 911 funding Phase I Phase I
assistance contracts signed complete
1992 - Each county had multiple law enforcement, fire and EMS agencies, many having their
own 911 PSAP and dispatch center. In early 1992, eight25 agencies independently began the
implementation of Phase I wireless using local funds. Following those first initiations, the state
911 office, with the advice of the E911 Advisory Committee, determined it was able to provide
funding for one primary answering point in each of the 31 remaining counties. From 1992 to
1994, contractual agreements were signed with the 31 counties, providing $25k to each to
assist with the development of consolidation implementation plans and budget proposals to
deploy a single county wide primary PSAP.
1994 - The state 911 office created Implementation Contracts with all 31 counties. By December
31, 1998, all 31 counties had consolidated their PSAP operations into one. More than $25
million state 911 funds were used to support this effort.
1999 - In January 1999, all 39 counties26 in Washington were receiving E911 phone calls,
providing the wireline telephone number and billing address27 of the caller.
5.2.2 911 Changes – Migrating to NG911
The State E911 Coordination Office (SECO), with support of the AC, procured one of the first
Emergency Services Internet Protocol Networks (ESInet) in the nation. This deployment used
modern technology and set the stage for deployment of true next generation technologies in
Washington for years to come.
2001 2004 2006 2014 2020
NG911 Wireless ESInet I ESInet II NENA i3 (+) standard
concept Phase I & II concept concept statewide
2001 – The concept of NG911 was developed to move Washington’s911 system beyond E911.
This would develop and deploy current NENA i3 standards.
25
Clark, Grays Harbor, King, Kitsap, Pierce, Snohomish, Spokane and Thurston Counties
26
There were 90 PSAPs statewide, including secondary PSAPs, larger counties with more than one primary PSAP,
and additional state and federal PSAPs.
27
Known as Automatic Number Indicator (ANI) and Automatic Location Indicator (ALI)
33 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
2004 – After several years of planning, the implementation of Wireless 911 Phase I and Phase
II began. This provided PSAPs with telephone numbers of wireless (cellular) devices,
geographical location services beyond a billing address, and routing of mobile wireless phones
to the appropriate PSAP.
2006 – the concept for the first ESInet was developed to support continued migration into
NG911.
2014 – The build concept for the second ESInet design began, supporting additional NG911
components. The second generation of ESInet (ESInet II) provides current state-of-the-art
digital technologies allowing modern telephony systems to take
advantage of more advanced features and functions, such as
text and video, and allowing operational efficiencies.
The current ESInet
2020 – Completion of ESInet II, which is fully capable of
in Washington State transporting voice calls, text, data, images, video and more. This
is the first large replaces the E911 networks with more secure, modernized
deployment of its software and networks expanding the capability to provide more
kind in the United technologies such as text, photos, video, telematics and
personal data provided through third party applications. It is
States. database driven to enable an exponential increase in available
data and information sharing possibilities. It provides flexibility
and individual agency choice to determine information needs
based on predetermined business/policy rules.
5.3 EVOLUTION OF 911 – PSAP SYSTEMS & NETWORK
CONFIGURATIONS
In 2015, the FCC recognized many of the same issues the state of Washington is tackling now
and formed a Task Force on Optimal Public Safety Answering Point Architecture (TFOPA)28.
Over the next two years, TFOPA studied and reported on, among other things, optimal PSAP
system and network configuration in terms of emergency communications efficiency,
performance, and operations functionality. The report identified several models for creating
more efficient PSAP technology architecture.
Sharing infrastructure among multiple PSAPs involves the utilization of equipment and software
that take advantage of Internet Protocol (IP) technology via the ESInet transport networks.
Infrastructure sharing offers the potential for optimization in many areas such as cost,
operations, interoperability, shared services, and survivability.
PSAP optimization does not necessarily mean consolidating PSAPs. For example, in a host &
remote solution, or a shared systems environment, PSAPs can capitalize on:
• Sharing systems, networks, and staff; and
• Engaging in joint purchasing.
The decision to optimize PSAPs must consider if it makes sense operationally, financially and
politically.
28
(Federal Communications Commission, 2016)
34 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
In the following models, call handling is the common functionality. In a NG911 deployment, the
911 Call Processing Equipment (CPE) doesn't need to be of the same manufacturer or in a
static location. In larger deployments, e.g., regional or state-wide, numerous 911 CPE vendors
may be in use and in different locations. Additionally, a single system with core equipment
located in geo-diverse locations can support multiple PSAPs. An example would be a Host &
Remote solution diagramed in Figure 7 and addressed in Section 5.6 Multi-Node (Host/Remote)
Migrations.
County PSAP A
County PSAP B
Backroom
Host A
WA St ate
ES Ine t Cou nty
WAN A
County PSAP D
Backroom
Host B
Cou nty
WAN B
County PSAP C
Figure 8: Multi-Node (Host/Remote) Network
5.4 EVOLUTION OF 911 – CONSOLIDATION & REGIONALIZATION
5.4.1 Consolidation by Geographic Area
Washington counties develop progressive and efficient models of service, conserving
resources, facilities, networking, funding and staff by consolidating and regionalizing PSAPs.
The following events were consolidations by geographic area.
1976 1996 2004 2004 2018
ValleyCom Whitcom RiverCom Whitcom Sno911
consolidated consolidated regionalized regionalized consolidated
2009 2018 2021
NORCOM SEComm South Sound
consolidated regionalized 911 consolidates
1976 – Valley Communications was formed, consolidating emergency communications for
Auburn, Kent, Renton and Tukwila with the city of Federal Way joining in 2000. Today, Valley
Com serves nine law enforcement agencies, 13 fire agencies, King County Medic One and the
SCORE Correctional Entity.
1996 – Whitcom was formed, consolidating 911 call receiving and dispatch services for
Whitman County, city of Pullman, and Washington State University.
2004 –Regionalized RiverCom began providing 911 call receiving and dispatch services for law
35 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
enforcement, fire and EMS for Chelan and Douglas counties. This effort began in November
2002.
2004 –The consolidated center of WhitCom regionalized with Moscow, Idaho and Asotin
County. This regionalization incorporated law enforcement, fire and EMS dispatch for the Nez
Pearce Tribe, Asotin County, city of Moscow, city of Clarkston and the University of Idaho.
2018 –Sno911 began operations as a county wide PSAP in Snohomish County. Efforts began
in 2015 to consolidate the two remaining PSAPs (SNOCOM and SNOPAC). In 2017, the final
decision was made to move forward with Sno911, concluding 15 months later.
2009 – Northeast King County Regional Communications Center (NORCOM) consolidated
operations for five law enforcement agencies and 14 fire agencies in northeast King County and
south Snohomish counties. Discussions began in 2004 and an interlocal agreement was signed
in 2007.
2018 –Regionalized SEComm began providing 911 call receiving and dispatch services for law
enforcement, fire and EMS for Benton and Franklin counties and fire services for Walla Walla
Fire District #5. Informal discussions began prior to 2008 with formal discussions occurring in
2015. The final decision was made in 2017 and the regionalization was completed one year
later.
2021 –South Sound 911 will complete the second consolidation process in Pierce County,
relocating four separate worksites into a Public Safety Communications Center. The overall
consolidation process took more than 16 years.
Funding: all available funding sources were needed including state and local 911 excise tax, bonds,
local sales and use tax, user agency fees, and governing agency general fund
Challenges: Radio systems, consolidating employees, sharing joint equipment, funding, and
governance. Disparate policies and procedures.
Efficiencies: Reduced long term costs, reduced equipment and maintenance, reduced staff needs
Key message: Efforts to consolidate or regionalize requires strong political support, significant
funding, critical infrastructure to support changes to all aspects of emergency communications
including radio, and patience.
Advantages Disadvantages
Reduced staff needs and long-term Disparate technology can increase
equipment and maintenance costs. operational complexity and costs.
Multi-discipline approach often results in
quicker response times.
Table 6: Consolidation & Regionalization
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5.4.2 Consolidation by Discipline
The Consolidation by Discipline model separates the PSAP structure by the discipline they
serve. In King County, two of the 12 PSAPs, are consolidated by discipline. The Seattle law
enforcement PSAP is primary and answers all 911 calls in that jurisdiction first. Fire and EMS
calls are then transferred to Seattle Fire, the secondary PSAP. Both agencies provide dispatch
services for their separate discipline. This model is effective in highly populated areas and
provides for a higher level of specialization for both the primary and secondary staff. This model
is also used successfully in New York City.
Funding: Local government funds and King County E911 Program Office 911 excise tax funds.
Challenges: Employees from different union affiliations and governance structure.
Efficiencies: Discipline focused, PSAPs in separate locations providing backup facilities to each other
Key message: The City of Seattle effectively supports Police and Fire services for its community with
two PSAPs, processing more than 650,000 911 calls a year while serving more than 563,000 people.
Advantages Disadvantages
Call takers can specialize in a specific Secondary PSAP calls require a transfer,
discipline which may provide better quality of adding time to call processing.
service to the public and decrease workload
Staffing provides the ability to handle "surge There may be duplication of functions and
capacity" or large call volume increases from equipment. In addition, coming to a common
a specific geographic area surrounding a ground on standard operating procedures
single PSAP. can be a challenge.
Table 7: Consolidation by Discipline
37 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
5.5 MULTI-NODE (HOST & REMOTE)
Traditionally equipment and systems in the public safety space have been isolated and siloed,
with an emphasis on single agency use. Each PSAP buys and maintains a 911 telephone
handling system. With the rise of NG911, the expansion of host/remote, or shared systems
allow for increased capacity and increased capability.
This model can include variations wherein PSAPs maintain separate physical locations but
share common call handling, and other services such as radio, CAD or other public safety
dispatching equipment over a secure managed network. These environments are positioned to
readily move toward NG911 architectures. A typical multi-node model includes a host which
houses the system core. Depending on the size of the system, there may be multiple hosts.
The remote sites can be as many as the core system and network can support. Currently, there
are five counties in Washington which have deployed or are preparing to deploy a multi-node
platform. They will share a common PSAP enterprise network, and a secondary network
connectivity for redundancy, which may also host CAD and call processing equipment.
Additionally, radio technicians, system administrators, dispatchers and supervisors can assist
each agency due to the common technology, applications, appliances and configuration of the
hosted solutions and shared technology platforms deployed among and between the PSAPs,
however each configuration can be unique to each PSAP.
2015 2017 2021 2022
CRESA / TComm Wahkiakum County RiverCom joins King County deploys
Multi-Node joins Multi-Node Multi-Node Multi-Node
2015 – Following a failed attempt to establish a geo-diverse, multi-node system in 2012,
Thurston County (TComm) and Clark County (Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency -
CRESA) partnered with the State 911 office and developed a prototype pilot project in 2014. In
May 2015, they went live on the first multi-node (dual host/remote) solution in Washington.
2017 – In February 2017, Wahkiakum County became the first remote PSAP off the
CRESA/TComm multi-node core.
2021 – In January 2021, RiverCom is scheduled to join the CRESA/TComm multi-node as a
remote PSAP, becoming the first regionalized center and the first center on the east side of the
mountains to function on a multi-node solution.
2022 – By December 2022, the King County E911 Program anticipates completion of a multi-
node platform project serving the 12 PSAPs in King County. This system will have multiple
redundant cores and may have a geo-diverse core located outside of King County.
38 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Funding: Utilization of all local funds, state and local excise taxes.
Challenges: Requires multiple customers, vendors, and PSAPs to collaborate and address competing
interests. Additionally, aligning current equipment refresh cycles during the implementation with
the necessity to move as a single unit no matter what direction.
Efficiencies: Interoperability is increased, network and system redundancy, supporting multiple
locations without degradation of service. Cost savings include reduced capital costs and on-going
maintenance. Providing systematic maintenance, changes and adding applications is streamlined,
timely and with cross trained staff.
Key message: Diverse vendors and customers can accomplish a task of this magnitude given enough
time, support and resources. The flexibility of a multi-node allows diverse users autonomy, reduced
capital cost, use of other common platforms (CAD, audio recorders, etc.) and increased NG911
capabilities.
Advantages Disadvantages
The design can be a disaster recovery Difficult to implement and support if a
design, allowing for primary PSAP personnel common funding model is not established to
to easily move to an alternate PSAP and share implementation and on-going support
continue operations if geographically feasible. costs.
Local operational control, management and Regional 911 Authority requires additional
governance are maintained by each PSAP cooperation and trust among the agencies to
agency. manage global and agency configurations.
Table 8: Multi-Node (Host & Remote)
39 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
5.6 VIRTUAL MODELS
A virtual PSAP model29 requires shared infrastructure. The PSAP call handling equipment can
be local or reside at a data center or remote site, even from someone’s home. An ESInet
provides transport for the calls to be routed to numerous PSAPs or locations. Virtual
environments can enable the use of PSAP Shared Systems such as CAD, Automatic Call
Distribution (ACD), Management Information System (MIS), and mapping.
Kitsap 911 created a virtual call taking and dispatching system to address the needs presented
with Covid-19. This process included a proof of concept using its administrative phone system
to route and answer 911 calls. While data was sacrificed, the test was successful. Two weeks
later, Kitsap 911 was able to successfully process 911 calls remotely, entering the information in
a CAD system and dispatching the appropriate units, all outside the 911 center. This provided
an opportunity to keep staff safe and distant from each other while performing the normal
functions of a PSAP.
Funding: Utilization of all local and state excise tax, local sales and use tax.
Challenges: Loss of automatic number and location data
Efficiencies: PSAP staff can respond quickly to activity surges, support disaster recovery and balance
call volume between different sites.
Key message: Having the technology to develop an off the shelf solution is critical to address the
ever-changing needs of a PSAP, especially in such uncertain times.
Advantages Disadvantages
The design can be a disaster recovery Difficult to implement and support if a
design, allowing for primary PSAP personnel common funding model is not established to
to easily move to a sister PSAP and continue share implementation and on-going support
operations if geographically feasible. costs.
Decreased computer hardware capital, Increased cost and dependency on IP
support and maintenance costs. network.
Table 9: Virtual Model
29
Current examples also include State of Maine 9-1-1 Program and Palm Beach County, Florida.
40 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
5.7 SHARED SYSTEMS AND RESOURCES
5.7.1 Shared Systems
The technology landscape is rapidly changing to support the shift to shared systems. The rise of
cloud-based computing is making this shift both easier and more secure so that public safety
agencies can be confident the choice to move to shared technology is supportable on many
fronts. Below are some of the technologies that offer shared systems:
• 911 CPE – Shared CPE can support virtually any PSAP requirement. PSAPs can continue
to operate autonomously, while benefitting from reduced capital cost and increased NG-911
capabilities.
• Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) – The ability exists to support everything from the smallest
agency up to full state-wide deployments. Systems can be multi-disciplinary and support law
enforcement, fire and medical dispatch.
• Public Safety Radio Systems – Modern radio systems are multi-disciplinary and able to
support multiple jurisdictions.
• Map System – PSAP mapping is shifting to cloud-based technology, which enables multiple
PSAPs to share a system and allows for increased situational awareness and greater
access to additional data elements.
2015 2017 2020
Sno911 develops Sno911 develops Sno911 partners
CAD Lite CAD Lite with Valley Comm
2015 – Sno911 developed a web-hosted basic CAD system.
2017 – Sno911 began development of a proof of concept to take advantage of the power of the
ESInet and Sno911’s CAD-Lite platform. The concept allows for staff to evacuate their 911
center and the partner PSAP will receive 911 calls and enter them into CAD-Lite, while staff are
in route to their backup location. This ensures 911 calls don’t go unanswered and first
responders are able to see and self-dispatch to calls in their area until 911 staff are in place at
their back-up location.
2020 – Sno911 and Valley Comm partner to further develop the proof of concept for CAD-Lite
2021 – Planning stages should be complete allowing for simulations to begin and development
of a live exercise to reroute 10-digit non-emergency calls.
Note: Highlights, advantages or disadvantages are not yet available in this section due to the
in-progress work of this solution.
41 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
5.7.2 Shared Resources - Shared Services Center30
A Shared Service Center brings existing PSAPs together in one facility and may share
management and resources. A formal relationship is established through inter-local
agreements, setting the entry and exit of agencies and the operational environment involved
under the governing PSAP agency or authority. The public safety agencies themselves (law
enforcement, fire, EMS) could operate as a combined entity, or independent separate entities.
This model provides services for all public safety call intake and dispatching within the assigned
area. Staff may utilize common technology, as well as operational policies under a single form
of governance. One operating environment for the consolidated 911 operations can optimize the
use of CAD, radio, mobile data, audio recorders, mapping, GIS, 911 CPE, and telephony and
database systems.
2019
SREC Shared Resource
Center Change
All Spokane County 911 emergency calls are answered at the Spokane Regional Emergency
Communications Center (SREC) except for Fairchild Airforce Base.
Prior to 2019: All calls were answered and triaged by SREC staff and then transferred to
different agencies in the same building but governed by different authorities.
2019: A partial integration occurred combining call taking and dispatch for several agencies,
under one governance structure. SREC continues to be a Shared Resource Center as there
are still independent agencies working in the same facility.
Advantages Disadvantages
Provides the ability to share the benefits of joint Combining multiple agencies, which utilize
support services such as janitorial, food services, different and incompatible computer systems into
office supplies and the support infrastructure. a multi-jurisdictional, multi-disciplinary, multi-
agency, high-volume center can be challenging to
implement and support.
Takes advantage of shared electrical, heating- Maintaining numerous Service Level Agreements
ventilation-air conditioning (HVAC), and (SLAs) for specific PSAPs may be challenging.
emergency power subsystems.
Employees can be cross-trained, and the Emergency communications could be interrupted
schedules can be combined for added personnel for all the jurisdictions involved if proper attention
efficiency. is not given to redundancy and fallback planning
Creates an environment that is more flexible, and Bigger is not necessarily better if neither efficiency
amplifies the commonalities in law enforcement, in service delivery nor economies of scale would
fire and medical dispatch result from the consolidation of services
Table 10: Shared Services Center
30
Examples include Bexar Metro 9-1-1 District, Licking County Regional Communications Center, Ohio, and Bergen
County Public Safety Operations, New Jersey.
42 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
5.7.3 Shared Resources - Centralized Call Taking Center31
911 calls, which would normally be directed to individual PSAPs, are routed to a centralized call
taking facility. Call takers perform immediate analysis and triage, then transfer the call to the
appropriate law enforcement, or fire and EMS agency of the jurisdictions involved for dispatch. If
there are shared systems available as described above, the transfers would be greatly reduced
as the call data would be available at the dispatch center while the call is processed, improving
the customer service experience. The dispatch agencies can either share the same facility or be
located at other geographic locations with PSAP functions remaining the same. This model
requires a well-planned governance structure as well as coordination and sharing of resources,
which can be a challenge.
Advantages Disadvantages
A large staffing base ensures 911 calls are Coming to a common ground on standard
answered in a timely manner, potentially operating procedures can be difficult.
increasing customer service levels.
Regional call routing is simplified which Possible duplication of functions and call
results in fewer call transfers to the correct processing interview with increased call
PSAP. transfers.
Mitigates localized spikes in 911 call volume For very large call taking centers, appropriate
through improved utilization of available call geographic and tribal knowledge may not be
takers. This reduces the queueing of calls at available.
one agency while call takers are idle at a
neighboring PSAP.
Table 11: Centralized Call Taking
31
Examples include Honolulu Police Dept. and Harris County 9-1-1 District, Texas.
43 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
5.8 EFFICIENCY RECOMMENDATIONS
Enable the
Expand shared Automated Secure
technology platforms Alarm Protocol (ASAP)
between PSAPs on the Washington
State ACCESS switch.
Use the ESInet to
connect to Additional Create a statewide
Data Repositories 311
(ADRs)
Key Recommendation: Expand the use of shared technology platforms between PSAPs,
creating economies of scale.
Identify opportunities for PSAPs to share platforms such as telephony equipment and
computer aided dispatch (CAD systems). A centralized authority, as recommended in
Section 2.5.1, would assist with the consolidation of equipment across multiple PSAPs to
decrease the costs of equipment and systems.
Recommendation: Enable the Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP) on the Washington
State Central Computerized Enforcement Service System (ACCESS) switch.
ASAP is a national service that allows CAD systems at the PSAP to process data
transported from alarm monitoring companies through the ACCESS switch. ASAP
reduces alarm call taking time and call taker workload. The protocol replaces 911 PSTs
44 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
from having to answer alarm lines and processing requests as the alarm information is
automatically input into the CAD system.
Recommendation: Use the ESInet to connect to Additional Data Repositories (ADRs).
Additional Data Repositories (ADRs) are third party databases that hold additional data
about a caller, a call, or a location. An example is a company which supplies PSAPs
device-based hybrid locations of cell phones when 911 is called. The state could use
this precise location information to route wireless 911 calls where the current network
technology is insufficient. Currently, this information is available to the PSAP via a web
page or through over-the-top application interfaces to the call takers at the PSAP.
Recommendation: Create a statewide 311 service32.
The addition of statewide 311 non-emergency service may effectively augment 911
efficiencies. Having telephone companies program their equipment to route 311 calls to
the ESInet is a straightforward exercise. Implementation of 311 itself is outside the
scope of this report.
32
A special telephone number service that provides access to non-emergency municipal/regional services.
45 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
6.0 RECOMMENDATIONS - SUMMARY
The following includes the key recommendations identified in the Executive Summary as well as
others presented throughout the document. There are some recommendations that overlap
between sections due to their impact in that section.
GOVERNANCE
Key Recommendation: Enhance the governance role of the State 911 Coordination Office
(SECO) to develop statewide standards for the 911 system and provide necessary support to
county and local 911 operations while maintaining local operational authority of 911 services.
Enact legislation that enhances the role of the SECO to include the authority to:
a. Facilitate the coordination of interoperable 911 service networks
statewide and to support those state-level systems;
b. Develop standards for the components of the 911 systems
including security, equipment standards and purchasing options;
c. Assist local authorities with staffing issues, recruitment, training
and certification standards; and
d. Develop statewide purchasing power.
Recommendation: Change the current 911 fee structure for wireline carriers
Change the current structure that pays wireline carriers from the 911 excise tax to
deliver 911 calls to the ESInet or an ESInet transport provider. Instead, require them to
bear the cost like wireless and VoIP providers.
OPERATIONS
Key Recommendation: Create a certification and reclassification for Public Safety
Telecommunicators.
Staffing and retention - create statewide certification for Public Safety
Telecommunicators that includes mandatory and standardized training. Reclassify PSTs
to a Public Safety First Responder instead of clerical33. Provide the professional
recognition for the professional job they do. Allow efforts to be considered for a lower
retirement age for those tenured employees who can no longer perform the functions
due to age, similar to law enforcement and fire personnel
33
https://www.apcointl.org/government-relations/topics/soc-revision/aligning-job-descriptions-with-protective-
nature-of-work
46 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
FUNDING
Key Recommendation: Develop a sustainable funding plan for all elements of emergency
communications, including dispatch.
The greatest challenge to the PSAPs today is the need for dedicated and sustainable
funding to support their full responsibility which includes dispatching and monitoring of
emergency responders. By state statute, the current 911 excise tax is restricted to just
the call answering portion of this process which is not able to meet the needs of today
and clearly won’t be able to support the evolving technology needs and costs of
tomorrow. A funding mechanism needs to be developed that can support each county’s
needs for all PSAP functions. Therefore, it is recommended the State 911 Advisory
Committee (AC) develop a task force to include 911 Coordinators, emergency service
providers, 911 service providers and other key stakeholders to further explore and
develop a funding plan, to be submitted to the legislature, with options that will support
the 911 system from receipt of 911 calls to dispatching and monitoring emergency
responders.
Key Recommendation: Change the E911 account to a non-appropriated account to
allow the E911 program to more easily access and utilize funds in this account for
intended purpose.
Since the E911 account requires a legislative appropriation, the E911 program does not
have a way to request additional expenditure authority in the case of unexpected
equipment failures or program emergencies. Revenues received into the E911 account
are required to be spent on the E911 program, and as those revenues increase or
decrease the program should have a more flexible way to pass surplus revenue in the
account to counties to address their programmatic or equipment needs.
Recommendation: Change RCW to collect 911 tax from new technologies.
Change current RCWs to ensure new technologies that access 911 pay the current tax.
TECHNOLOGY
Key Recommendation: Expand the use of shared technology platforms between PSAPs,
creating economies of scale.
Identify opportunities for PSAPs to share platforms such as telephony equipment and
CAD systems. A centralized authority, as recommended in Section 2.5.1, would assist
with the consolidation of equipment across multiple PSAPs to decrease the costs of
equipment and systems.
Recommendation: Enable the Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP) on the Washington
Central Computerized Enforcement Service System (ACCESS) switch.
ASAP is a national service that allows CAD systems at the PSAP to process data
transported from alarm monitoring companies through the ACCESS switch. ASAP
47 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
reduces alarm call taking time and call taker workload. The protocol replaces 911 call
takers from having to answer alarm lines and processing requests as the alarm
information is automatically input into the CAD system.
Recommendation: Use the ESInet to connect to Additional Data Repositories (ADRs).
Additional Data Repositories (ADRs) are third party databases that hold additional data
about a caller, a call, or a location. An example is a company which supplies PSAPs
device-based hybrid locations of cell phones when 911 is called. The state could use
this precise location information to route wireless 911 calls where the current network
technology is insufficient. Currently, this information is available to the PSAP via a web
page or through over-the-top application interfaces to the call takers at the PSAP.
Recommendation: Create a statewide 311 service34.
The addition of statewide 311 non-emergency service may effectively augment 911
efficiencies. Having telephone companies program its equipment to route 311 calls to
the ESInet is a straightforward exercise. Implementation of 311 is outside the scope of
this report.
34
A special telephone number service that provides access to non-emergency municipal/regional services.
48 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
7.0 CONCLUSION - FINAL KEY INSIGHTS
The goal of this report is to respond to the legislative proviso, but also to show a broader view of
the good work being done in the 911 industry in Washington and the continuing needs for
funding and legislative support. Washington continues to be a national leader in the
development and deployment of NG911 technologies. This comes with an expensive price tag
and with community expectations that often exceed the current technological and financial
abilities.
As described in the Preliminary Summary submitted August 31, 2020, the data and final
analysis confirmed the preliminary findings. Costs to operate and maintain 911 significantly
exceeds the dedicated 911 excise tax revenue by 70 percent. These costs include the state
ESInet, equipment associated to the receipt, delivery, processing, and recording of 911 calls,
personnel, facilities, administrative, and contractual costs. Noted throughout this report, current
funding does not include dispatch services and this needs to be addressed in future funding
models to support the full PSAP responsibility of call receipt to dispatch and monitoring of law
enforcement, fire and EMS responders.
User agency fees, sales and use tax for emergency communication systems and facilities,
grants and other local funding is used to bridge the gap between the 911 excise tax and the
actual costs of operating a 911 PSAP. These other funding mechanisms are often fragile and
subject to the whims of the economy, whereas the 911 excise tax has shown to be consistent
and stable over time. The deployment of future technology will be unattainable without
significant increases in funding.
Washington has been very progressive in creating cost-savings and efficiencies and working
within current funding limits. Dedicated and creative teams deployed ESInet II, developed pilot
projects with subsequent deployments of equipment consolidation and regionalization efforts,
introduced cloud-based systems, worked towards standardization of buying power for
equipment and services, and cultivated strong partnerships and governance models. Even as
Covid-19 forced social distancing impacts on the 911 workplace, the teams continued to create
alternative ways to safely perform their work by creating off site work processes, and
virtualization for communication, meetings, and training.
There is universal agreement that reducing inefficiencies develops cost savings. This is
specifically true with regulatory changes where updates and modifications to current RCW,
WAC and UTC rulings are needed. Wireline carrier costs need to be funded by the carriers and
not the 911 excise tax.
Focus needs to include the role of the Public Safety Telecommunicator and the toll this work
has on them individually. Technology can make their job more efficient by providing more
information. It also makes it more complex. Recognition through certification and classification
changes from clerical staff to first responder is long overdue and needs to be addressed.
The Public Safety 911 community members are responsible stewards and will continue to work
towards the highest standards of call delivery and work processes. They seek the Legislature’s
support in these noble efforts.
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8.0 GLOSSARY
3-1-1 – a special telephone number supported by many communities that provides access to
non-emergency municipal services. References in this document are 311.
9-1-1 – Nationwide emergency number used to access law enforcement, fire and EMS.
References in this document are “911”.
• Next Generation 911 (NG911) - An Internet Protocol (IP)-based system comprised of
managed Emergency Services IP networks (ESInet), functional elements (applications),
and databases that replicate traditional E911 features and functions and provides
additional capabilities. NG911 is designed to provide access to emergency services from
all connected communications sources and provide multimedia data capabilities for
PSAPs and other emergency service organizations. References in this document are
NG911.
• Enhanced 911 (E911) – A service that automatically displays the telephone number and
physical location of the 911 caller. References in this document are E911.
911 Call Processing Equipment (CPE) - Equipment concerned with the details of the
management of calls. It handles all communication from the caller. It includes the interfaces,
devices and applications utilized by the call takers to handle the call.
911 Coordinator – A county designated position responsible for handling various duties related
to the coordination of 911 services within their county.
ACCESS – A Central Computerized Enforcement Service System – used by law
enforcement to connect to various State and National databases that house vehicle, person and
property information and criminal history.
Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) – the automatic routing of 911 calls to the most appropriate
PSAP and Public Safety Telecommunicator based on appropriate availability of that resource.
Additional Data Repositories (ADR) – Third party databases that hold additional data about a
caller, a call, or a location accessible by PSAPs.
Alternate Public Safety Answering Point (APSAP), a backup location capable of receiving
911 calls and processing those calls when the primary PSAP is incapable of doing so.
Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) – Professional organization
that provides complete public safety communications expertise, professional development,
technical assistance, advocacy and outreach.
Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP)– a national service that allows CAD systems at
the PSAP to process data transported from alarm monitoring companies through the ACCESS
switch.
Call Receiver/Call Taker - see Public Safety Telecommunicator (PST).
Communications Officer/Specialist – see Public Safety Telecommunicator (PST).
Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) - computer-based system, which aids PSAP
Telecommunicators by automating selected dispatching and record-keeping activities.
Consolidation – The combining of multiple agency 911 PSAPs within a county into a single
unified center.
Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) – A telephone system capable of receiving and
processing NG911 telephony and data.
Dispatcher – see Public Safety Telecommunicator (PST)
Emergency Communications Center (ECC) - see (PSAP)
Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) – Guidelines or protocols used to triage medical calls
and to provide appropriate pre-arrival, life-saving instruction to the caller.
50 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
ESInet - Emergency Services Internet Protocol Network, a managed IP network that is used
for emergency services communications, and which can be shared by all public safety
agencies. It provides the IP transport infrastructure upon which independent application
platforms and core services can be deployed, including, but not restricted to, those necessary
for providing NG911 services. An ESInet may be constructed from a mix of dedicated and
shared facilities and may be interconnected at local, regional, state, federal, national and
international levels to form an IP-based inter-network (network of networks). The term ESInet
designates the network, not the services that ride on the network.
Fund Diversion– A partial or wholesale diversion of dedicated 911 funding used for other non-
911 purposes.
Geographical Information Systems (GIS) – A framework for gathering, managing and
analyzing geographical and location data.
GEO-Spatial Routing – 911 Call routing is a point-in-polygon intersection function. The point is
the caller location with either a physical address or coordinates, that point is located within a
polygon that defines the appropriate emergency response provider and PSAP.
Internet Protocol (IP) - the method by which data is sent from one computer to another on the
Internet or other networks.
Local Exchange Carrier - A Telecommunications Carrier (TC) under the state/local Public
Utilities Act that provides local exchange telecommunications services. Also known as:
• Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers (ILECs)
• Alternate Local Exchange Carriers (ALECs)
• Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLECs)
• Local Service Providers (LSPs)
• Certified Telecommunications Utility (CTU)
• Competitive Local Provider (CLP)
• Originating Service Providers (OSPs)
Logging Recorder - A device that records, stores, and is capable of playing back all
communication media within the domain to which it is assigned. Media can include but is not
limited to voice, radio, text and network elements involved with routing a 911 call. Logging
recorders should have the capability to simultaneously record from several sources.
Map System – The part of the 911 system that displays emergency event location and calling
device location information on a map.
MAYDAY – In fire service, a radio call indicating imminent danger and need of immediate
rescue.
National Emergency Number Association (NENA) – Professional organization solely focused
on 911 policy, technology, operations and education.
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)– International non-profit organization devoted to
eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards.
Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) - an entity responsible for receiving 911 calls and
processing those calls according to a specific operational policy. In Washington State, each
county generally has one PSAP, although counties such as King and Pierce have multiple
PSAPs.
Public Safety Radio System - Land mobile radio communication system providing voice
communication and limited data capabilities, primarily serving law enforcement, fire, and EMS
personnel in the performance of their emergency response duties.
51 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Public Safety Telecommunicator (PST) - (also identified as Call Taker, Communications
Officer, or Dispatcher) – An emergency response coordination professional trained to receive,
assess, and prioritize emergency requests for assistance, including, but not limited to:
• Determining the location of the emergency being reported
• Determining the appropriate law enforcement, fire, emergency medical, or combination
of those emergency services to respond to the emergency
• Coordinating the implementation of that emergency response to the location of the
emergency
• Monitoring and processing requests for assistance from emergency responders
QA/QI – Quality Assurance/Quality Improvement – a program to measure compliance
against necessary standards.
Radio over Internet Protocol (RoIP) – Integrates and augments two-way radio
communications technology with VoIP technology.
Records Management System (RMS) - The management of records for an organization
throughout the records-life cycle. The activities in this management include the systematic and
efficient control of the creation, maintenance, and destruction of the records along with the
business transactions associated with them. Considered a key component of operational
efficiency, record management adds more value to organization’s information assets.
Regionalization – The consolidation of multiple PSAPs from more than one county (or State)
into a single unified PSAP.
State E911 Coordination Office (SECO) – Under the Department of the Military, Emergency
Management Division, and is responsible for coordinating, facilitating the implementation and
operation of E911 emergency communications throughout the State.
Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) - A protocol specified by the IETF (RFC3261) that defines a
method for establishing multimedia sessions over the Internet. Used as the call signaling
protocol in VoIP, NENA i2 and NENA i3.
Shared Services Center – brings existing PSAPs together into a single facility while retaining
their separate autonomy.
State Assistance Contracts
• Basic Service Operating contracts consist of statewide dialing (services) that benefit all
counties and WSP Communications, basic services and capital items listed in WAC 118-
66-050 and defined in SECO policy.
• Coordinator Professional Development contracts consist of only statewide services
that benefit all counties and WSP Communications and do not require local revenue to be
expended prior to reimbursement.
Statewide Services – Those 911 services, connectivity, ESInet and 911 Coordinator expense
reimbursements that are applicable to all PSAPs and the State 911 network.
Telematics – a combination of usually vehicular data (speed, direction of travel, change in
velocity, air-bag deployment, location, etc.) made available to a PSAP in real time directly from
the vehicle. Can include other data sources, sensors and instrumentation presented directly to a
PSAP.
Utilities and Transportation Commission (Washington UTC) – The State Commission
responsible for regulating Common Carriers and Telecommunications.
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) – The transmission or transfer of both multimedia and
voice content over various internet networks.
Wireless Service Provider (WSP) - Cellular, satellite or other radio-based telephony or data
transport commercial entity.
52 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
9.0 STATUTORY CITATION/SESSION LAW FOR REQUIRED
REPORT
The Washington Military Department submits the attached report to the Legislature to
fulfill the requirements of:
Section 145, Chapter 6, Laws of 2019, Regular Session (Engrossed Substitute House
Bill 1109) to prepare a report on the 911 system by October 1, 2020 that must include:
(a) The actual cost per fiscal year for the state, including all political subdivisions, to
operate and maintain the 911 system including, but not limited to, the ESInet, call
handling equipment, personnel costs, facility costs, contractual costs, administrative
costs, and legal fees.
(b) The difference between the actual state and local costs and current state and local
911 funding.
(c) Potential cost-savings and efficiencies through the consolidation of equipment,
regionalization of services or merging of facilities, positive and negative impacts on
the public, legal or contractual restrictions, and appropriate actions to alleviate these
constraints.
53 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
10.0 APPENDICES
Appendix 1 – Governance – 911 County Coordinator List
COUNTY TITLE FIRST NAME LAST NAME EMAIL
Adams Ms. Angie Fode angief@co.adams.wa.us
Asotin Mr. Mark Janowski mjanowski@co.asotin.wa.us
Benton Ms. Kim Lettrick k.lettrick@bces.wa.gov
Chelan Ms. Misty Viebrock mviebrock@rivercom911.org
Clallam Ms. Karl Hatton khatton@cityofpa.us
Clark Mr. Dave Fuller dave.fuller@clark.wa.gov
Columbia Mr. Ashley Strickland ashley_strickland@co.columbia.wa.us
Cowlitz Ms. Deanna Wells wellsd@co.cowlitz.wa.us
Douglas Ms. Molly Elliott melliott@rivercom911.org
Ferry Ms. Terri Sebree e911coord@co.ferry.wa.us
Franklin Mr. Rick Rochleau rrochleau@co.franklin.wa.us
Garfield Ms. Tina Meier tmeier@co.garfield.wa.us
Grant Mr. DT Donaldson d.donaldson@macc911.org
Grays Harbor Ms. Brenda Cantu bcantu@gh911.org
Island Ms. Lisa Ernst lisa@icom911.org
Jefferson Mr. Ted Krysinski tedkrysinski@jcpsn.us
King Ms. Deb Flewelling deb.flewelling@kingcounty.gov
King Mr. Ben Breier bbreier@kingcounty.gov
Kitsap Mr. Richard Kirton rkirton@kitsap911.org
Kittitas Mr. George Long long@kittcom.org
Klickitat Ms. Julie Buck julieb@klickitatcounty.org
Lewis Mr. Scott Smitherman scott.smitherman@lewiscountywa.gov
Lincoln Ms. Jo Borden jborden@co.lincoln.wa.us
Mason Mr. Mike Rawlings mrawlings@macecom.org
Okanogan Mr. Mike Worden mworden@co.okanogan.wa.us
Pacific Mr. Ed Heffernan eheffernan@co.pacific.wa.us
Pend Oreille Mr. Steve West swest@pendoreille.org
Pierce Mr. Jonathan Brock jonathan.brock@piercecountywa.gov
San Juan Mr. Dave Halloran daveh@sanjuanco.com
Skagit Ms. Helen Rasmussen helend@co.skagit.wa.us
Skamania Mr. Jason Fritz jasonf@co.skamania.wa.us
Snohomish Ms. Vicki Thoroughman vicki.thoroughman@snoco.org
Spokane Ms. Kim Arredondo kim.arredondo@SREC911.org
1|Page 911 Legislative Cost Study Report- APPENDICES
Stevens Mr. Rick Anderson randerson@stevenscountywa.gov
Thurston Mr. Keith Flewelling keith.flewelling@tcomm911.org
Wahkiakum Ms. Joannie Kuhlmeyer kuhlmeyerj@co.wahkiakum.wa.us
Walla Walla Mr. Steven Ruley sruley@wallawallawa.gov
Whatcom Mr. Greg Erickson gerickson@cob.org
Whitman Ms. Wendy Berrett wberrett@whitcom.org
WSP Ms. Vanessa Barnes vanessa.barnes@wsp.wa.gov
Yakima Mr. Brad Coughenour brad.coughenour@yakimawa.gov
2|Page 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Appendix 2 - Governance – National 911 Governance Structures
This table explains the various reported “governance” structures:
Category Description Characteristics
1 State-level 911 authority that owns Washington, DC, is the only independent entity
or operates a single statewide and is counted as a “state” for the purpose of
system with a single, state-operated categorization. In New Hampshire and Rhode
PSAP Island, the 911 authority is part of another state
agency.
2 State-level 911 authority that Vermont operates independently. In Connecticut,
owns/operates a single statewide Delaware35, Maine, Massachusetts and New
system, and funds and operationally Jersey, the 911 authority is part of another state
supports PSAPs agency.
3 State-level 911 authority with There are 27 state 911 programs in this category.
statewide geographic For most states in this category, the 911 function
planning/coordination/funding is a full-fledged organizational component of
responsibility for full scope of 911 another state agency and works within the
context and authority of that agency. However, a
few state programs are simply attached to
another state agency for administrative support,
and otherwise operate independently. In some
cases, there is also a separate board or
commission that sets policy and exerts decision
authority. The states are Alaska, Alabama,
Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia,
Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland,
Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, New
Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon,
Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah
and Washington.
4 State-level 911 authority with less Texas is the only state in this category and
than statewide geographic planning/ operates as an independent state agency.
coordination/funding responsibility In those parts of Texas outside of the state
for full scope of 911 program’s geographic responsibility, regional
and/or local 911 authorities have independent
responsibility.
5 State-level agency or board with The 911 programs in this category are Iowa,
statewide responsibility for a limited Kentucky, Nebraska, South Carolina, Virginia,
aspect of 911 (generally wireless) and Wisconsin. All are part of a larger state
agency.
6 Statewide 911 focus or coordination Two states fall into this category: North Dakota
mechanism, but not part of a state and Colorado.
agency
7 No state-level 911 focus or Six states fall into this category: Louisiana,
coordination mechanism Missouri, Nevada, New York, West Virginia and
Wyoming.
35
Responsibility for 9-1-1 in Delaware is divided between an independent Board that provides oversight and
funding for locally operated PSAPs; and the Department of Information and Technology, which is responsible for
state technology procurements, including the 9-1-1 system.
3|Page 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Appendix 3 - Governance – 911 Legislative and Regulation Links
1. General 911 Legislation: http://mil.wa.gov/emergency-management-division/E911/laws-and-
regulations
2. Wireline: http://mil.wa.gov/emergency-management-division/E911/laws-and-regulations
3. Wireless: http://mil.wa.gov/emergency-management-division/E911/laws-and-regulations
4. VoIP: http://mil.wa.gov/emergency-management-division/E911/laws-and-regulations
5. Funding: http://mil.wa.gov/emergency-management-division/E911/laws-and-regulations
6. Multiline Telephone Systems (MLTS): http://mil.wa.gov/emergency-management-
division/E911/laws-and-regulations
Regulation Links
• Wireline: http://mil.wa.gov/emergency-management-division/E911/laws-and-regulations
• Wireless: http://mil.wa.gov/emergency-management-division/E911/laws-and-regulations
• VoIP: http://mil.wa.gov/emergency-management-division/E911/laws-and-regulations
• Funding: http://mil.wa.gov/emergency-management-division/E911/laws-and-regulations
• Multiline Telephone Systems (MLTS): http://mil.wa.gov/emergency-management-
division/E911/laws-and-regulations
• Emergency Medical Services System:
http://www.doh.wa.gov/hsqa/emstrauma/publications.shtml
4|Page 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Appendix 4 – Financial - RCW Language
Expenses for the following wireline service components may be eligible for reimbursement from
the state enhanced 9-1-1 account from funds generated under the state wireline/VoIP enhanced 9-
1-1 account (RCW 82.14B.030 (5) and (7)) as statewide dialing items:
Switching office enabling;
Automatic number identification (ANI);
Traffic studies between switching offices and the selective router;
ALI/DMS service;
Reverse ALI search capability.
Expenses for the following wireless components may be eligible for reimbursement from state
enhanced 9-1-1 account funds generated under the state wireless enhanced 9-1-1 excise tax (RCW
82.14B.030(6)) as statewide dialing items:
Wireless Phase I E9-1-1 service components:
Phase I automatic location identification (ALI);
Phase I address;
Service control point Phase I capabilities;
Phase I ALI database;
Phase I interface to selective router;
Phase I interface to ALI database;
Phase I testing;
Phase I implementation plans;
Phase I implementation agreements;
Pseudo-ANI (P-ANI);
MSC Phase I software capabilities;
Traffic studies between the MSC and selective router;
Phase I ALI data circuits;
Wireless E9-1-1 Phase II service components (including all Phase I components):
Location determination technology;
Phase II implementation plan;
Phase II testing;
MSC Phase II software capabilities;
Service control point Phase II capabilities; and
Mobile positioning center.
Expenses for the following components are shared with wireline/VoIP and wireless enhanced 9-1-
1 services and may be eligible for reimbursement from state enhanced 9-1-1 account funds
generated under the state wireline/VoIP enhanced 9-1-1 excise tax (RCW 82.14B.030 (5) and (7))
and from state enhanced 9-1-1 account funds generated under the statewide wireless enhanced 9-
1-1 excise tax (RCW 82.14B.030(6)):
Statewide dialing items:
Coordinator professional development;
NG9-1-1 network;
9-1-1 network equivalent (B.01/P.01 grade of service level required);
Selective routing;
Automatic location identification (ALI) database;
5|Page 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Traffic studies between selective router and PSAP;
Telecommunications service priority;
Language interpretive service;
Alternate routing and/or night service;
Customer premise equipment (CPE)/telephone system and maintenance;
TY required for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA);
ANI/ALI controllers and necessary interfaces to send data to other PSAP equipment;
ANI/ALI display equipment for primary PSAPs;
PSAP mapping and maintenance;
County 9-1-1 coordinator duties;
MSAG coordination and maintenance;
Mapping/GIS coordination and maintenance;
9-1-1 information technology services;
9-1-1 call receiver salaries and benefits;
9-1-1 public education coordination;
9-1-1 training coordination.
Basic service items:
Uninterruptible power supply (UPS) for PSAP enhanced 9-1-1 equipment and maintenance;
Route diversity between selective router and PSAP;
9-1-1 Coordinator training;
MSAG training;
Mapping/GIS training;
Information technology (IT) training;
Call receiver training;
E9-1-1 mapping administration;
Instant call check equipment and maintenance;
Mapping display for call answering positions that are ANI/ALI equipped;
9-1-1 Management information system;
Call detail recorder or printer and maintenance;
Headsets for 9-1-1 call receivers;
Enhanced 9-1-1 document destruction;
9-1-1 coordinator electronic mail.
Capital:
Logging recorder for 9-1-1 calls and maintenance;
Computer aided dispatch (CAD) system hardware and software and maintenance;
Auxiliary generator and generator maintenance to provide 9-1-1 eligible equipment/telephone
services backup power;
Clock synchronizer and maintenance; and
Console furniture for 9-1-1 call receiving equipment and maintenance.
Within available funds and consistent with statutory and regulatory purposes and priorities, the
state enhanced 9-1-1 coordinator (with the advice and assistance of the enhanced 9-1-1 advisory
committee) has the discretion to allocate state enhanced 9-1-1 account funds to eligible entities as
reimbursement for wireline/VoIP and wireless enhanced 9-1-1 eligible expenses.
Eligible expenses for wireline/VoIP components established in WAC 118-66-050(1) may only be
eligible for reimbursement from state enhanced 9-1-1 account funds generated under the state
wireline/VoIP enhanced 9-1-1 excise tax (RCW 82.14B.030 (5) and (7)). Such funds shall be
allocated based on statutory and regulatory purposes and priorities and WAC 118-66-020.
6|Page 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Eligible expenses for wireless components established in WAC 118-66-050(2) may only be eligible
for reimbursement from enhanced 9-1-1 account funds generated under the state wireless
enhanced 9-1-1 excise tax (RCW 82.14B.030(6)). Such funds shall be allocated based on statutory
and regulatory purposes and priorities and WAC 118-66-020.
Eligible expenses for components established in WAC 118-66-050(3) may be eligible for
reimbursement from state enhanced 9-1-1 account funds generated under the state wireline/VoIP
enhanced 9-1-1 excise tax (RCW 82.14B.030 (5) and (7)) and state enhanced 9-1-1 account funds
generated under the state wireless enhanced 9-1-1 excise tax (RCW 82.14B.030(6)). (All shared
components.) The amount allocated from each tax source will be based on an equitable distribution
determined by the state E9-1-1 coordinator with the advice and assistance of the enhanced 9-1-1
advisory committee. Such funds shall be allocated based on statutory and regulatory purposes and
priorities and WAC 118-66-020.
7|Page 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Appendix 5 – Financial – Range of 911 User Fees
Range of 911 User Fees
Exact amounts may be adjusted locally
as of September 2020
State Wireline Wireless VoIP
$1.75
Alabama $1.75 1.75
$1.75 Prepaid
Alaska $0.00 - $2.00 $0.00 - $2.00
$0.20
Arizona $0.20 $0.20
.80% of Sale - Prepaid
$0.65
Arkansas 5% - 12% of Tariff Rates $0.65
$0.65 Point of Sale -Prepaid
Three-fourths of 1% Three-fourths of
California Three-fourths of 1% percent (.0075) percent 1%
(.0075) Percent (.0075)
$0.70 - $3.00 (max)
Colorado $0.70 - $3.00 (max) $0.70 - $3.00 (max)
1.4% of Sales - Prepaid
$0.57
Connecticut $0.57 $0.57 Point of Sale - $0.57
Prepaid
Alaska $0.00 - $2.00 $0.00 - $2.00 $0.47
$0.60
Delaware $0.60 $0.60
$0.60 Prepaid
$0.76 Wireline
District of $0.76
$0.62 Centrex $0.76
Columbia 2.0% Point of Sale - Prepaid
$4.96 PBX Trunk
$0.40 - $0.44
Florida $0.40 (Max) $0.40
$0.40 Prepaid
$1.50
Georgia $1.50 $1.50
$1.50 Prepaid
Hawaii $0.27 $0.66 $0.66
$1.00 - $1.25 (max)
Idaho $1.00 - $1.25 (max) $1.00 - $1.25(max)
2.5% of Sale - Prepaid
$1.50
$1.50 $5.00 City of Chicago $1.50
Illinois $5.00 City of Chicago 9.0% of Sale City of Chicago $5.00 City of
– Prepaid Chicago
3% of Retail Sale - Prepaid
1.00
Indiana $1.00 $1.00 Point of Sale - $1.00
Prepaid
8|Page 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
$1.00
Iowa $1.00 (Max) $0.51 Point of Sale - $1.00
Prepaid
$0.53
Kansas $0.53 1.06% of Retail Sale - $0.53
Prepaid
$0.70
Kentucky $0.32 - $4.00 $0.93 Point of Sale - $0.32 - $4.00
Prepaid
$0.38 - $1.25 Residential $0.85 - $1.25
Louisiana $0.38 - $1.25
$0.99 - $6.00 Business 4% of Retail Sale - Prepaid
$0.45
Maine $0.45 $0.45 Point of Sale - $0.45
Prepaid
$1.00
Maryland $1.00 $0.60 of Retail Sale- $1.00
Prepaid
$1.00
Massachusetts $1.00 $1.00
$1.00 Prepaid
$0.25 State Fee $0.2 State Fee
$0.25 State Fee
Michigan $0.00 - $3.00 by County $0.00 - $3.00 by
$0.00 - $3.00 by County
5% Point of Sale - Prepaid County
$0.95
Minnesota $0.95 $0.95 Point of Sale - $0.95
Prepaid
$1.00
Mississippi $1.05 Res $2.05 Commercial $1.00
$1.00 Prepaid
2% - 15% of Base Rate (45 Counties)
Missouri 1/8% - 1% of Sales Tax (51 Counties) None
Unfunded– (19 Counties)
$1.00
Montana $1.00 $1.00
$1.00 Prepaid
$0.45 - $0.70
Nebraska $0.50 - $1.00
1.1% of Retail Sale -Prepaid
Varies by Jurisdiction – Property tax Must be equal to wireline
Nevada
and/or Surcharge Surcharge
$0.75
New Hampshire $0.75 $0.75 Point of Sale - $0.75
Prepaid
New Jersey $0.90 $0.90 $0.90
$0.51
1.38% of Retail Sale -
New Mexico $0.51 $0.51
Prepaid
New York $0.35 - $1.00 $1.20 - $1.50 $0.35
9|Page 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
$0.65
North Carolina $0.65 $0.65 Point of Sale - $0.65
Prepaid
$1.50 - $2.00 (max)
North Dakota $1.50 - $2.00 (max) $1.50 – 2.00 (max)
2.5% Point of Sale - Prepaid
$0.50 (Max)
$0.25
Ohio (Legally limited to a few Counties, no
0.5% Point of Sale - Prepaid
general surcharge.
$0.75 (Approx. 61 Counties)
Oklahoma 3-15% of Base Rate $0.75 Point of Sale - $0.50
Prepaid
$0.75
Oregon $0.75 $0.75 Point of Sale - $0.75
Prepaid
$1.65
Pennsylvania $1.65 $1.65 Point of Sale - $1.65
Prepaid
$1.26
Rhode Island $1.00 $1.26
2.5% Point of Sale - Prepaid
$0.62
South Carolina $0.45 - $1.00 $0.45 - $1.00
$0.62 Prepaid
$1.25
South Dakota $1.25 $1.25
2% Point of Sale - Prepaid
$1.16
Tennessee $1.16 $1.16 Point of Sale - $1.16
Prepaid
$0.50 State
$0.50 State Program $0.50 State Program
Texas Program
Fees Vary – District 2% of Sales - Prepaid
Fees Vary - District
$0.71 Local Fee plus
$0.71 Local Fee
$0.71 Local Fee plus $0.09 State Fee
Utah plus
$0.09 State Fee 1.78% Point of Sale -
$0.09 State Fee
Prepaid
Universal Service Funding
Vermont Universal Service Funding 2% Point of Sale - Prepaid
$0.75
Virginia $0.75 $0.75
$0.50 Prepaid
$0.25 Statewide
$0.25 Statewide $0.70 by Counties $0.25 Statewide
Washington
$0.70 by Counties $0.25 Statewide – Prepaid $0.70 by Counties
$0.70 by Counties - Prepaid
$3.00 $0.98 - $6.40 by
West Virginia $0.98 - $6.40 by County
6% Point of Sale - Prepaid County
Wisconsin $0.16 - $0.43 (Max) None
$0.25 - $0.75
Wyoming $0.25 - $0.75 $0.25 - $0.75
1.5% Point of Sale - Prepaid
10 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Appendix 6 – Financial – Local State 911 Excise Tax Revenue
LOCAL REVENUE REPORTED
FY18
Cost Prepaid
Wireline VoIP Wireless Total
Analysis Wireless
Adams $27,647.92 $1,851.69 $94,336.02 $30,897.40 $154,733.03
Asotin $22,611.89 $14,737.35 $105,904.25 $40,332.59 $183,586.08
Benton $175,322.15 $240,691.09 $1,122,392.51 $230,367.15 $1,768,772.90
Chelan $132,234.02 $61,946.57 $437,572.68 $143,529.60 $775,282.87
Clallam $130,181.17 $76,278.51 $375,713.42 $99,281.32 $681,454.42
Clark $412,642.21 $1,146,422.98 $2,302,347.70 $538,410.06 $4,399,822.95
Columbia $9,941.77 $586.96 $21,160.05 $4,900.21 $36,588.99
Cowlitz $123,086.61 $117,186.32 $580,352.14 $160,131.51 $980,756.58
Douglas $38,563.35 $50,994.41 $202,493.19 $57,577.34 $349,628.29
Ferry $22,516.27 $620.92 $25,182.23 $9,446.29 $57,765.71
Franklin $60,327.42 $63,371.39 $427,985.70 $173,602.75 $725,287.26
Garfield $6,646.55 $357.59 $11,571.70 $1,170.48 $19,746.32
Grant $110,670.49 $30,365.85 $483,815.18 $166,792.83 $791,644.35
Grays Harbor $87,380.00 $92,530.69 $357,625.05 $111,164.03 $648,699.77
Island $130,317.46 $103,396.99 $503,144.35 $66,308.60 $803,167.40
Jefferson $64,528.62 $33,622.96 $180,195.97 $48,778.24 $327,125.79
King $2,896,019.50 $3,392,296.22 $15,806,913.70 $1,999,534.98 $24,094,764.40
Kitsap $281,461.22 $347,865.90 $1,613,706.77 $288,027.40 $2,531,061.29
Kittitas $83,261.85 $17,391.52 $229,039.96 $37,066.49 $366,759.82
Klickitat $49,719.28 $11,227.98 $117,218.87 $14,316.68 $192,482.81
Lewis $147,990.07 $58,406.73 $413,511.01 $120,373.42 $740,281.23
Lincoln $34,877.95 $767.86 $63,081.22 $7,535.69 $106,262.72
Mason $106,698.33 $50,323.59 $312,093.95 $88,382.47 $557,498.34
Okanogan $85,890.40 $14,568.24 $176,263.16 $88,110.13 $364,831.93
Pacific $54,203.68 $21,823.96 $111,658.24 $20,385.98 $208,071.86
Pend Oreille $27,293.10 $2,868.32 $66,272.97 $8,843.57 $105,277.96
Pierce $708,364.04 $1,172,624.59 $5,366,922.65 $990,294.70 $8,238,205.98
San Juan $81,150.43 $10,670.05 $102,354.97 $10,884.17 $205,059.62
Skagit $169,335.63 $164,184.85 $756,973.61 $154,929.91 $1,245,424.00
Skamania $30,021.45 $1,558.55 $56,462.86 $7,780.82 $95,823.68
1|Page 911 Legislative Cost Study Report- APPENDICES
FY18 LOCAL REVENUE REPORTED
Cost Prepaid
Analysis Wireline VoIP Wireless
Wireless
Total
Snohomish $859,092.58 $1,023,716.24 $5,293,544.27 $688,475.72 $7,864,828.81
Spokane $553,006.31 $608,377.08 $2,898,372.07 $654,367.32 $4,714,122.78
Stevens $92,303.65 $14,354.82 $223,881.27 $62,042.93 $392,582.67
Thurston $288,891.47 $421,538.02 $1,785,203.24 $302,970.00 $2,798,602.73
Wahkiakum $12,866.93 $442.80 $22,659.42 $3,075.53 $39,044.68
Walla Walla $59,238.78 $67,011.70 $295,815.39 $86,610.45 $508,676.32
Whatcom $230,945.79 $317,551.01 $1,241,856.30 $227,709.41 $2,018,062.51
Whitman $66,753.90 $19,485.78 $199,950.59 $33,625.75 $319,816.02
Yakima $336,559.86 $209,426.90 $1,187,124.60 $526,378.52 $2,259,489.88
WSP
TOTALS $ 8,810,564.10 $ 9,983,444.98 $ 45,572,673.23 $ 8,304,412.44 $ 72,671,094.75
BSO36 Contracts
Received OPS37 &
CPD38 funding
Received CPD
funding only
36
BSO - Basic Service Operations
37
OPS – Operations
38
CPD – Coordinator Professional Development
2|Page 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Appendix 7 – Financial – State Contract Information
FY18 STATE CONTRACT INFORMATION
Cost CPD FUNDING OPERATIONAL FUNDING TOTAL CONTRACT INFO TOTAL Network TOTAL STATE
REIMBURSEMENT
Analysis CPD $
Contract CPD Paid
OPS $
Contract OPS Paid
Total
Contract Total Paid
& Database
for FY18
(contract & statewide
services)
Adams $19,200.00 $19,200.00 $396,364.00 $396,364.00 $415,564.00 $415,564.00 $63,384.42 $478,948.42
Asotin $17,500.00 $16,421.58 $ - $ - $17,500.00 $16,421.58 $0 $16,421.58
Benton $27,450.00 $27,450.00 $ - $ - $27,450.00 $27,450.00 $219,978.47 $247,428.47
Chelan $30,750.00 $30,750.00 $204,733.00 $204,733.00 $235,483.00 $235,483.00 $178,421.38 $413,904.38
Clallam $23,775.00 $23,775.00 $ - $ - $23,775.00 $23,775.00 $94,356.65 $118,131.65
Clark $34,252.00 $34,252.00 $ - $ - $34,252.00 $34,252.00 $467,242.14 $501,494.14
Columbia $20,638.00 $20,637.70 $508,077.00 $508,077.00 $528,715.00 $528,714.70 $49,255.76 $577,970.46
Cowlitz $24,219.00 $24,219.00 $ - $ - $24,219.00 $24,219.00 $128,869.58 $153,088.58
Douglas $18,250.00 $18,250.00 $ - $ - $18,250.00 $18,250.00 $69,454.14 $87,704.14
Ferry $19,000.00 $19,000.00 $534,054.00 $534,054.00 $553,054.00 $553,054.00 $68,916.68 $621,970.68
Franklin $22,650.00 $22,150.00 $ - $ - $22,650.00 $22,150.00 $122,079.12 $144,229.12
Garfield $20,500.00 $20,500.00 $540,513.00 $540,513.00 $561,013.00 $561,013.00 $29,061.64 $590,074.64
Grant $23,000.00 $23,000.00 $ - $ - $23,000.00 $23,000.00 $123,096.96 $146,096.96
Grays
Harbor $25,900.00 $25,900.00 $4,999.00 $4,999.00 $30,899.00 $30,899.00 $141,588.12 $172,487.12
Island $24,705.00 $24,705.00 $ - $ - $24,705.00 $24,705.00 $180,217.24 $204,922.24
Jefferson $18,275.00 $18,275.00 $293,777.00 $293,777.00 $312,052.00 $312,052.00 $90,279.92 $402,331.92
King $52,750.00 $52,749.96 $ - $ - $52,750.00 $52,749.96 $4,384,731.92 $4,437,481.88
Kitsap $24,500.00 $24,500.00 $ - $ - $24,500.00 $24,500.00 $391,470.95 $415,970.95
Kittitas $21,470.00 $21,470.00 $222,454.00 $222,454.00 $243,924.00 $243,924.00 $111,886.23 $355,810.23
Klickitat $17,325.00 $17,325.00 $432,256.00 $432,256.00 $449,581.00 $449,581.00 $72,815.67 $522,396.67
1|Page 911 Legislative Cost Study Report- APPENDICES
FY18 STATE CONTRACT INFORMATION
Cost CPD FUNDING OPERATIONAL FUNDING TOTAL CONTRACT INFO TOTAL Network TOTAL STATE
REIMBURSEMENT
CPD $ OPS $ Total & Database for
Analysis Contract CPD Paid Contract OPS Paid Contract Total Paid FY18
(contract & statewide
services)
Lewis $22,100.00 $22,100.00 $ - $ - $22,100.00 $22,100.00 $233,804.12 $255,904.12
Lincoln $14,500.00 $14,500.00 $461,350.00 $461,350.00 $475,850.00 $475,850.00 $37,580.28 $513,430.28
Mason $24,500.00 $24,500.00 $73,798.00 $73,798.00 $98,298.00 $98,298.00 $114,176.13 $212,474.13
Okanogan $19,850.00 $19,850.00 $220,792.00 $220,792.00 $240,642.00 $240,642.00 $128,612.51 $369,254.51
Pacific $18,280.00 $18,280.00 $383,971.00 $383,971.00 $402,251.00 $402,251.00 $82,835.50 $485,086.50
Pend Oreille $19,005.00 $19,005.00 $486,603.00 $486,603.00 $505,608.00 $505,608.00 $102,656.82 $608,264.82
Pierce $29,000.00 $29,000.00 $ - $ - $29,000.00 $29,000.00 $1,791,060.43 $1,820,060.43
San Juan $15,460.00 $15,460.00 $366,958.00 $366,958.00 $382,418.00 $382,418.00 $56,443.49 $438,861.49
Skagit $26,773.00 $26,773.00 $ - $ - $26,773.00 $26,773.00 $479,970.23 $506,743.23
Skamania $21,400.00 $21,400.00 $456,784.00 $456,784.00 $478,184.00 $478,184.00 $65,853.42 $544,037.42
Snohomish $28,250.00 $28,250.00 $ - $ - $28,250.00 $28,250.00 $1,132,241.28 $1,160,491.28
Spokane $30,509.00 $30,455.27 $ - $ - $30,509.00 $30,455.27 $681,318.19 $711,773.46
Stevens $21,550.00 $14,464.32 $202,261.00 $202,261.00 $223,811.00 $216,725.32 $70,080.70 $286,806.02
Thurston $40,850.00 $40,840.26 $ - $ - $40,850.00 $40,840.26 $370,918.68 $411,758.94
Wahkiakum $50,011.00 $50,011.00 $526,830.00 $526,830.00 $576,841.00 $576,841.00 $29,653.00 $606,494.00
Walla Walla $19,900.00 $19,900.00 $130,557.00 $130,557.00 $150,457.00 $150,457.00 $81,627.09 $232,084.09
Whatcom $22,550.00 $22,550.00 $ - $ - $22,550.00 $22,550.00 $480,052.55 $502,602.55
Whitman39 $23,045.00 $23,045.00 $636,042.00 $636,042.00 $659,087.00 $659,087.00 $243,708.99 $902,795.99
Yakima $23,250.00 $23,250.00 $ - $ - $23,250.00 $23,250.00 $329,848.19 $353,098.19
WSP $22,350.00 $22,348.26 $279,407.00 $279,407.00 $301,757.00 $301,755.26 $485,771.49 $787,526.75
TOTALS $979,242.00 $970,512.35 $7,362,580.00 $7,362,580.00 $8,341,822.00 $ 8,333,092.35 $13,985,320.06 $22,318,412.41
The Totals on this page do not include the SECO administrative costs of $1,196,680.55
39
Includes costs for Asotin County
2|Page 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Appendix 8 – Financial – FY18 Call Volume
FY18 CALL VOLUMES FY18
2018 State WAC Eligible
Funding per
State
Funding per
Cost County
Estimated
Funding per
Call (State Call (local Person (State
Wireline Wireless VoIP Text Total revenue + state Assist/
Analysis Population Assist/# of calls)
asst/# of calls) Population)
Adams 845 11,300 127 0 12,272 20,020 $39.03 $51.64 $23.92
Asotin Asotin numbers merged with Whitman County 22,420 $0 $0 $0.73
Benton 12,607 83,303 956 0 96,866 197,420 $2.55 $20.81 $1.25
Chelan 5,011 36,883 316 0 42,210 77,800 $9.81 $28.17 $5.32
Clallam 8,144 26,256 3,552 62 38,014 75,130 $3.11 $21.03 $1.57
Clark 30,411 195,994 21,512 484 248,401 479,500 $2.02 $19.73 $1.05
Columbia 382 1,128 20 0 1,530 4,150 $377.76 $401.67 $139.27
Cowlitz 8,268 55,020 4,980 0 68,268 107,310 $2.24 $16.61 $1.43
Douglas 1,783 8,886 86 0 10,755 42,120 $8.15 $40.66 $2.08
Ferry 958 2,033 66 0 3,057 7,780 $203.46 $222.35 $79.94
Franklin 4,109 41,765 1,111 0 46,985 92,540 $3.07 $18.51 $1.56
Garfield 588 1,084 26 0 1,698 2,210 $347.51 $359.14 $267.00
Grant 3,601 42,546 1,044 174 47,365 97,350 $3.08 $19.80 $1.50
Grays Harbor 6,691 40,221 5,894 0 52,806 73,610 $3.27 $15.55 $2.34
Island 5,458 24,241 2,969 0 32,668 83,860 $6.27 $30.86 $2.44
Jefferson 2,800 15,707 1,309 0 19,816 31,590 $20.30 $36.81 $12.74
King 277,314 1,514,603 130,512 0 1,922,429 2,190,200 $2.31 $14.84 $2.03
Kitsap 25,379 582,539 22,754 0 630,672 267,120 $0.66 $4.67 $1.56
Kittitas 4,428 27,200 213 4 31,845 45,600 $11.17 $22.69 $7.80
Klickitat 1,322 10,805 88 0 12,215 21,980 $42.77 $58.52 $23.77
3|Page 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
FY18 CALL VOLUMES FY18 2018
State WAC Eligible State
Cost County
Estimated
Funding per
Call
Funding per
Call
Funding per
Person
Wireline Wireless VoIP Text Total
Analysis Population
Lewis 15,394 102,754 4,539 0 122,687 78,380 $2.09 $8.12 $3.26
Lincoln 618 3,499 140 0 4,257 10,810 $120.61 $145.57 $47.50
Mason 7,415 27,490 2,675 0 37,580 64,020 $5.65 $20.49 $3.32
Okanogan 3,921 17,931 484 0 22,336 42,490 $16.53 $32.87 $8.69
Pacific 3,107 9,669 658 23 13,457 21,420 $36.05 $51.51 $22.65
Pend Oreille 1,061 5,834 156 0 7,051 13,540 $86.27 $101.20 $44.92
Pierce 94,287 1,274,003 71,740 0 1,440,030 872,220 $1.26 $6.98 $2.09
San Juan 2,291 6,575 263 0 9,129 16,810 $48.07 $70.54 $26.11
Skagit 26,676 70,837 7,690 0 105,203 126,520 $4.82 $16.66 $4.01
Skamania 1,451 8,527 157 0 10,135 11,890 $53.68 $63.13 $45.76
Snohomish 61,258 421,193 44,067 1,359 527,877 805,120 $2.20 $17.10 $1.44
Spokane 29,063 229,812 19,726 562 279,163 507,950 $2.55 $19.44 $1.40
Stevens 4,111 13,058 244 0 17,413 45,030 $16.47 $39.02 $6.37
Thurston 19,140 115,880 13,274 143 148,437 281,700 $2.77 $21.63 $1.46
Wahkiakum 756 743 175 4 1,678 4,100 $361.44 $384.71 $147.93
Walla Walla 3,973 17,754 396 0 22,123 61,800 $10.49 $33.48 $3.76
Whatcom 15,819 106,141 16,108 0 138,068 220,350 $3.64 $18.26 $2.28
Whitman 4,783 21,555 2,154 0 28,492 49,210 $31.69 $42.91 $18.35
Yakima 23,750 163,203 1,963 171 189,087 254,500 $1.87 $13.82 $1.39
WSP Blank 487,026 Blank Blank 487,026 7,427,570 $1.62 $1.62 $0.11
TOTALS 718,973 5,824,998 384,144 2,986 6,931,101 7,427,570 Avg: $3.22 Avg: $13.70 Avg: $3.00
(Total State (Total Rev + State (Total State
Assist/Total Calls) Asst / Total Calls) Assist/Total Pop)
4|Page 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Appendix 9 – Financial – County Survey Results
Due to the size and complexity of the results, the county survey detail is available upon
request.
5|Page 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Appendix 10 – Operations – Additional Public Safety Telecommunicator Duties
• Agency specific additional duties include:
o Answer non-emergency lines to support user agencies after-hours
o Monitor home/business alarm systems
o Monitor security camera and Closed-Circuit TV feeds
o Monitor inmates and assist jailers with correctional duties
o Record keeping, warrant management
o Update social media
o Public facing in-person front desk contacts
o Fingerprinting
o Preparing audio recordings for court, officers, attorneys or the public
o Processing and maintaining Protection Orders and Warrants
o Entering persons, vehicles and property into various databases: stolen, missing,
runaway, endangered, impound, and recovered property, AMBER ALERTS/SILVER
ALERTS
o Emergency broadcast and reverse 9-1-1 notifications
o Maintaining databases: GIS/mapping, impending home deaths, business files,
rotational logs for towing, coroner and chaplain response, etc.
Supervisors: Highly skilled Public Safety Telecommunicators who oversee operations of the center.
o Provide first-level supervision, coaching/counseling/discipline and quality assurance
o Often work split time between console (call taking/dispatching) and supervising
o Often assigned public records functions, training manager, public relations, public
information, social media management and other duties.
Training Officers: Highly skilled Public Safety Telecommunicators who provide training and guidance
for new employees.
• Provide a mix of classroom and console training for new employees
• Maintain Training/Certification Records
• Identify and recommend training programs
• Staff development
• Maintain Public Safety Telecommunicator skills and often function duties.
Technical Support:
A PSAP requires individuals through direct employment, contract services or services from a
host agency to perform:
• Computer, network, network security, GIS/Mapping function
• Radio network support (a mix of IT network, radio frequency, radio-tower and radio
maintenance).
• Phones – both 911 and business phone application
• Project management, research and acquisition of supporting systems
• Ability to install, maintain, upgrade and manage a wide variety of complex computer,
radio and networking equipment.
Administration:
Each PSAP requires individuals through direct employment, contract services or services
from a host agency to perform:
6|Page 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
o Human Resources
o Finance (Accounts Receivable, Purchasing, Budgeting)
o Management/Administration (oversight of funding, payroll, policy/procedures
development, bargaining, contracting, hiring and employee development).
o Project management
o Clerical
o Public Records
o Public Information and social media management
o Legal
7|Page 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Appendix 11 – Technology – Technology systems currently in use
The public safety technology currently in use.
Telephone Systems Telephone System Number of Integrated Call IGN40
and integrated map Taking Positions Connected
Intrado Viper 10 Yes 15 Radio and Telephone 224.5 Yes 22
Combix 911 1 No 14 Radio only 0 No 4
Comtech XT911 3 Telephone only 37 Unknown 3
Intrado Power 911 2 Radio over IP in use Training consoles 19
SolaCom Guardian 4 ESChat 6 Unknown 29
Motorola ECW41 9 Wave 2
PBX systems in use for 10 digit emergency and Rapid SOS integration
administrative lines
None 3 Shortel 3 Integrated 14 Not integrated 11
Cisco 4 Zetron 1 Integration in process 1
Motorola ECW 3 Avaya 6
Jive Communications 1 Free PBX 1 Rapid SOS Integrator
Intrado Power 911 1 Mitel 1 Motorola ECW 5 Rapid Lite 4
Combix Integrated 1 Nortel 1 Smart 911 2 Solacom 1
Comtech 2 Intrado Viper 1 Zetron 1
PSAPs readiness for Text to 911 PSAPs state of readiness for Video calls to 911
Implemented more than 12 months ago 9 Investigating Options 10
Implementation in next 12 months 7 Interested in via ESInet when available 11
Implemented in last 12 months 4 Not interested 7
Actively investigating implementation 9 Never heard of it 1
PSAPs readiness to accept digit42 files into 911 PSAPs readiness to initiate text to a caller
Interested via ESInet when available 13 Interested via ESInet when available 16
Investigating options 9 Investigating options 7
Not interested 6 Implementing or already implemented 2
Not interested 4
ECNS43 systems in use Additional applications
Everbridge 8 Active 911 12 Additional applications in use
Code Red 5 PulsePoint 6 ActivE911 12
Alert Sense 4 ISpy 5 PulsePoint 6
Hyper Reach 3 IamResponding 4 ISpy 5
Rave 2 Smart911 3 IamResponding 4
Reverse 911 1 Hiplink 2 Smart911 3
Unknown or none 5 Hiplink 2
40
Inter-governmental network
41
Motorola Emergency Call Works
42
Images, pictures, video
43
Emergency Community Notification System
8|Page 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Appendix 12 – County Stories
Washington State covers a vast range of geography and population diversity. Our culture of
creativity and collaboration has resulted in one of the most advanced 911 systems in the
nation. However, we also recognize that each of the 39 counties and Washington State
Patrol Communications have a unique story to tell. The following pages allow each county to
introduce their special place within Washington and express some of the challenges they
face, success they enjoy, and efficiencies they are already employing.
9|Page 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Adams County
Adams County
Communications Center County Facts:
Area:
1,925 Square Miles
Adams County Washington Population:
19,759
The Adams County Communications Center is located inside the Population Ethnicity:
Sheriff’s Office in Ritzville, the county seat of Adams County. The 64.3% Hispanic
county is very rural, with a low population density and relies 33.1% White
heavily on the agricultural industry. The eastern part of the 2% Other
county primarily raises such dryland crops as wheat, barley, and Median Income (2014-2018):
canola. The western part of the county, specifically the $49,142 per household
“panhandle” area, is in the East Columbia Irrigation District and Communications
raises potatoes, wheat, corn, fruits, and other crops that require
Center Facts:
more water than the annual rainfall. Cattle ranching and raising
hay remain part of the agricultural heritage of the county. There Employees:
is an egg production facility and also food processing plants 7 Telecommunicators
which play a role in getting many of the products to market. In 1 Supervisor
the last couple of years a solar farm has been built and there are 2019 Total 911 Calls:
two wind farms in the process of being built. 10,443
2019 Calls for Service:
The largest community is Othello, which is located in the 9,844 Law
“panhandle” part of the county and Ritzville, located in the 533 Fire
eastern part, is the second largest. Other communities within 1,258 EMS
the county include Lind, Washtucna, Benge, and Hatton. 11,634 Total
There are several major highways running through the county, Annual Budget:
including Interstate 90, Highway 395, Highway 26, and other $686,948.23
lesser traveled state highways. A large number of travelers pass
through the county on a daily basis taking advantage of our gas Revenue Sources:
stations, restaurants, recreational areas and facilities, and our State Grant
hospitality industry. 1/10th of 1% Sales Tax
Phone Excise Tax
People can participate in recreational activities such as hunting User Fees
and fishing as well as the local festivals each of the communities County General Fund
have, plus 1 county fair and 1 community fair.
The five fire and three EMS districts rely on dedicated volunteers to respond to any emergency that
may arise. Radio communications are handled by the Adams County Communications Center with the
exception of one fire and 1 EMS district which are dispatched through the Othello Police Department.
10 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Adams County Sheriff Deputies and Ritzville Police Department Officers are dispatched through the
Adams County Communications Center and the Othello Police Department is dispatched through their
department’s Communications Center. There is also a WSP detachment located in Ritzville, which is
dispatched out of the Spokane WSP District.
Successes:
Within the past year:
*Upgraded radio consoles in the communications center
*Upgraded the logging recorder
*Installed a new CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch) server
*Newly formed association successfully negotiated a new contract with the county giving
telecommunicators a significant wage and benefits increase. Something they haven’t had in 10
years
Over the last five years:
*Installation of a new 911 phone system
*The buildup of the 1/10 of 1% sales tax revenue so upgrades to communications systems can
be done
* Realignment of the center and new furniture for better communications between
telecommunicators
Challenges:
*Continuously defending the role and the value of a small communications center
*Currently, keeping fully staffed
*Keeping all equipment updated and maintained
*Staying current with new technology
*Staying within a tight budget but still making sure we are providing the best possible service.
Efficiencies:
*One communications center serving the majority of the county
*Staffing flexibility which limits the amount of overtime paid out
*All communications equipment in one secure room
*All telecommunicators cross-trained except for record dissemination/retention and
MSAG/GIS
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Asotin County
ASOTIN COUNTY
Population: 22,582
Area: 641 Square Miles
Asotin County is a dynamic community with diverse recreational
opportunities and natural beauty, uniquely situated along the Contract for 911 & Dispatch
Snake River adjoining the States of Idaho and Oregon. The 7 Fire/EMS/Law agencies
Lewis-Clark Valley is the lowest elevation point in the region at
only 738 feet above sea level. We are also the gateway to the 2019
Hells Canyon which is the deepest gorge in North America. We Call for service: 23,859
are the Jet Boat Capital of the World and offer water sports,
hunting, hiking, mountain biking, bird watching, and walking the 911 Budget: $687,646
levee pathway along the Snake River. Asotin County offers year
Revenue: mix of phone
round golfing, guided fishing trips, white water rafting, camping,
excise tax, user fees and
ATV and horseback riding. Wild huckleberry and Mushroom
pass through grant funds
picking are only 30 minutes south of Asotin. Field Springs State
Park offers Snow Shoeing, Cross Country Skiing and a Tubing
Hill.
Cruise ships arrive and depart from spring to fall in Clarkston’s
port district. Passengers can experience all the area has to offer
from wine tasting to awe-inspiring Hells Canyon jet boat
excursions.
Asotin County is an angler’s paradise. Few places offer the
variety and accessibility of outdoor diversions that are found right
in our backyard. The spring and summer month’s offer Bass,
Trout and spring Chinook and during the fall it is Steelhead, fall
Chinook and Coho. The canyon has a healthy number of North
America’s largest fresh water fish, the great White Sturgeon,
which can reach lengths up to 8 feet.
In 2004, Asotin County entered into a contract agreement with WHITCOM 911 to provide E911
and dispatch services. WHITCOM 911 is the Regional Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP)
located in Pullman Washington and provides 911 and dispatch services for Whitman County, WA
and Moscow, Idaho. WHITCOM provides 911 and dispatch services for all first responder
agencies in Asotin County including the Sheriff’s office, two city Police Departments, two city Fire
Departments and two Fire Districts.
Asotin County agencies operate under an Inter-local governmental agreement between the
County, City of Asotin, City of Clarkston and the Asotin County Fire District #1. An Advisory
Committee was formed to facilitate regular open communications and corporation between the
Asotin County entities serviced by WHITCOM. The advisory committee is responsible for all
aspects of the communications system including developing and maintaining a funding model to
pay for WHITCOM services. The Advisory Committee is also responsible for the operation,
12 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
maintenance and funding the emergency communications radio infrastructure which is remotely
controlled by WHITCOM.
Successes:
• Asotin County has successfully maintained a good working partnership with Whitcom for
16 years.
• By regionalizing PSAP’s with Whitman County, Asotin County has saved tax payers an
immeasurable amount of money and resources by not having to duplicate equipment and
personnel.
Challenges:
• Finding dedicated funding to help reduce the “out of pocket” expenses user agencies
have to pay for contract services. The increase costs of paying for a regional PSAP is
getting harder to justify not having a county owned and operated PSAP.
• A non-host county of a regional PSAP loses out of funding that it previously had for
maintaining GIS and MSAG that the host county receives funding for. Each county is
required to maintain accurate GIS and MSAG data but only the host county gets salary
and training funds at the normal rate. They do not get extra funding to maintain both
counties GIS and MSAG data. The same can be said for Public Education salary funding.
• Finding common ground with agencies in other counties on dispatch protocols and
procedures. All agencies using a regional PSAP must do things the same since they are
sharing a common CAD system. Having each agency attempt to do things differently
makes it very difficult to train and maintain new dispatchers due to the work overload.
• In addition to the direct expenses of dispatch services, the county still has to find money
to pay for radio infrastructure and connectivity to the PSAP, individual user agency CAD
maintenance and the dedicated networks to keep agencies connected to the PSAP.
Efficiencies:
• A regional PSAP has reduced the duplication of purchasing expensive equipment and
maintenance required by a 911 center. You no longer need two CAD systems, logging
recording systems, GIS and Mapping System and everything else an Operational
Contract PSAP is eligible for (furniture, generators, chairs etc.)
• A single merged CAD platform allows all the agencies to share call data, records data,
mapping and field data
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Benton County
Benton County was created March 1905 and is in south-central Washington. The city of
Prosser is home to the County seat. Benton County operates under a plural executive form
of government with three commissioners.
There are five cities within Benton County – Kennewick, 2019 County Statistics
Richland, West Richland, Benton City and Prosser. Kennewick
and Richland are the largest cities within Benton County and Area
Benton County: 1,700 sq. mi.
are often referred to as part of the “Tri-Cities” which include the Franklin County: 1,242 sq. mi.
City of Pasco in Franklin County. The “Tri- Cities border one
another at the confluence of the Yakima, Columbia, and Snake Population
Rivers. All three cities border each other, appearing to be one Benton County: 204,390
Franklin County: 95,222
medium sized city.
Employees
The Hanford Site which covers 586 square miles of Benton 42 Telecommunicators
County, is a decommissioned nuclear production complex 4 Telecommunicator Leads
operated by the United States federal government. 4 Communications Supervisors
1 Communications Manager
Benton County is in a semi- 3 IT Staff
3 Support Staff
arid climate, that enjoys 225
clear days every year with 5-7 911 Calls: 133,489
inches of precipitation on Non-Emergency Calls: 167,318
average, this allows for many
Calls for Service
forms of outdoor recreation Law: 163,291
which can result in use of 911. Fire/EMS: 31,683
Total: 194,974
Employment within Benton
County is diverse as there are Budget
several scientific employers, SECOMM: $6,951,467
800Mhz/Microwave: $1,036,556
general business, retail, and
large areas dedicated to
agriculture including the wine
industry.
Southeast Communications Center (SECOMM) is created
through an interlocal agreement between Benton County,
Franklin County, and the cities of Kennewick, Richland, and Pasco.
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SECOMM provides 911 and non- emergency call taking for both Benton and Franklin
counties along with dispatch of all public safety agencies within both counties. Additionally,
SECOMM provides dispatch service to Walla Walla Fire District #5.
Challenges:
• Staffing – Recruiting, hiring, training, and retaining skilled telecommunicators remains
an industry challenge and one SECOMM struggles with as well.
• Funding – Currently SECOMM relies on 911 tax revenue along with customer and
owner agencies fees.
• Reclassification – Telecommunicators are currently classified as “Office and
Administrative Support Occupations”. Reclassification within Washington State and
on a federal level would support appropriate pay and benefits, thus supporting our
number one challenge of staffing.
• Law Enforcement Radio Coverage – 800 MHz radio system used for law enforcement
dispatching and communication was designed to cover Benton County. Due to
topography the system allows for communication within the City of Pasco and North to
the midpoint of Franklin County. Communications must be patched with an aging
VHF radio system that is predominantly used for Fire/EMS responders.
• Use of Two Disparate Radio Systems – 800 MHz and VHF.
• Technology Costs – Increased reliance on technology requires costly maintenance
and upgrades.
Successes and Efficiencies:
• 2018 Franklin County joined SECOMM for 911 and dispatch service. Eliminating the
costs associated with an additional PSAP.
• Geographic Information Systems – SECOMM employs a GIS professional who
receives data from all GIS agencies within Benton and Franklin counties and uses this
data to maintain a “Public Safety” map specific to dispatch needs.
• Partnerships with public utility agencies to maintain an 800 MHz radio system.
• Partnering with local municipalities to efficiently provide back up locations in the event
of a need to evacuate our primary location.
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Chelan County
Much vision, planning and hard work culminated with joining the separate
communications centers of Chelan and Douglas
Counties with the cities of East Wenatchee and
Wenatchee into forming RiverCom 911 as 2019
Washington State’s first two-county consolidated
Calls For Service:
communications center in 2004. RiverCom 911 is
governed by the RiverCom Administrative Board Law: 46,703
consisting of a Commissioner from each county, an
elected official from the City of Wenatchee and the Fire/EMS: 11,652
City of East Wenatchee and one representative of Phone Calls Received:
the Ex-Officio community of responders and smaller
cities. We operate within the guidelines of our Interlocal Agreements with each 911: 48,385
of our 4 Law Enforcement, 14 Fire Departments, 7 EMS Agencies with two Business: 91,130
private ambulance companies within three hospital districts.
Annual Budget: $10.1 million
RiverCom 911 has varied funding sources including Agency Assessment Fees,
Revenue Sources:
1/10th of 1% Local Communications Tax, local E911 Phone Excise Tax, State E911
Contract Program and Radio Site Lease Fees. Agency Assessment Fees
1/10th of 1% Sales Tax
RiverCom 911 takes care of the 121,000 citizens of Chelan and Douglas Counties
as well as our responders and visitors from the rugged Cascade Mountain range E911 Phone Excise Tax
to the west to the high plains and open fields to the east and all points in
State E911 Contract Program
between. In 2019, we processed nearly 150,000 telephone calls including 9-1-
1, other emergent/alarm and business line calls. Radio Site Lease Fees
The mighty Columbia River separates our two counties that are located in the
middle of Washington State. With 2994 square miles in Chelan County and 1849 in Douglas County, our counties
are popular recreation destination from snowmobiling, skiing and snowshoeing in the winter to birdwatching,
hiking, mountain climbing, boating, kayaking, fishing and hunting from early
User Agencies:
4 Law Enforcement
Agencies
14 Fire Departments
7 EMS Agencies
RiverCom 911 Staff:
30 Telecommunicators
spring through fall. In addition, many of our cities host numerous festivals and 3 Supervisors
celebrations throughout the year. Two of our major industries are tourism and
agriculture. 10 Admin/IT/Support
16 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
RiverCom is responsible for the mission-critical responsibility of maintaining regional 911 communications
systems that cover a wide range of geographical features and terrain. RiverCom operates and maintains a two-
county public safety radio system comprised of nineteen (19) radio sites throughout Chelan and Douglas
counties. Compared to any other 911 agency operating in the state, RiverCom’s two-county radio system
provides the largest expanse of coverage in the state of Washington.
Challenges:
• We have outgrown our communications center space and are working to find a future prime RiverCom
911 site.
• RiverCom 911 struggles with recruitment, hiring and successful retention of new Public Safety
Telecommunicators. The turnover results in unsustainable overtime and additional stress on current
employees.
• Radio and cell phone coverage is a significant operational challenge due to the terrain of our counties.
• For remote locations in our area, lengthy emergency response times to calls sometimes require
Telecommunicators to stay on the line with callers for extended periods of time.
• RiverCom 911 is receiving and training on new radio consoles and a new phone system within two
months of each other.
• With four law enforcement agencies, RiverCom 911 has difficulty maintaining streamlined processes
and reducing the complexity of our Telecommunicator job functions.
Successes:
• RiverCom 911 was successful in receiving voter approval for 1/10th of 1% sales and use tax to help
support 9-1-1 in our communities.
• All RiverCom 911 Telecommunicators are Call Receivers as well as cross-trained in Law and Fire/EMS
dispatching.
• RiverCom 911 has worked closely with Okanogan County to have a CAD to CAD call sharing platform.
• With the support of our local Medical Control, RiverCom 911 has had high success rates in the
implementation of highly efficient CPR and rapid coordinated dispatching of critical responders which
has resulted in a significant increase to witnessed cardiac arrest survival rates in Chelan and Douglas
Counties.
• RiverCom 911 joined the host-remote phone consortium with four other agencies to consolidate 9-1-1
call delivery, reduce technology and equipment costs to the State E911 Program.
• RiverCom 911 maintains and operates a two-county radio system providing the largest expanse of
coverage in the state of Washington.
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Clallam County
CLALLAM COUNTY
Population: 75,474
Pencom 9-1-1 is located in Port Angeles, the largest city in a very rural, Area: 2671 Square Miles
low-population-density County with rugged mountainous terrain along an
equally rugged coastline. There are three incorporated cities in the 1 PSAP
County; Port Angeles, Sequim and Forks. The City of Port Angeles is the
17 Fire/EMS/Law agencies
gateway to the Olympics and hosts a ferry terminal that services
international traffic to Victoria, B.C. In 1890 Port Angeles was dubbed the 16 Telecommunicators
“Second National City”, second to Washington D.C. Clallam County has a
4 Supervisors
rich Native American history and has four distinct surviving tribes that add
significant cultural diversity to the county and provide ongoing support to 4 Admin/IT/Support
the greater community.
2019
Clallam County hosts several renowned festivals and events each year to
include the Juan De Fuca Festival of the Arts, Crabfest, Arts and Draughts, Call for service: 92,379
the Discovery Marathon, the Lavender Festival and Irrigation Festival in 911’s received: 36,657
Sequim. These events bring in 10’s of thousands of visitors each year.
Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic National Park is also a major destination Business calls: 118,080
especially during the summer months. The National Park estimates some Budget: $2.7 million
three million visitors to the park each summer.
Revenue: mix of phone
The Port of Port Angeles is the first full-service port available to ships excise tax, 1/10th of 1%
coming into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, en-route to the Puget Sound and sales/use tax, user fees, and
points north. Three deep-water marine terminals can accommodate a State Grant.
variety of vessel types and can handle and store forest products,
containers and heavy-lift project cargo. The Port also owns terminals used
for ferry service and other marine-related activities. There are two USCG
air bases supporting the community and a large border patrol presence in
county.
There are approximately 200 miles of coastline with the Pacific Ocean bordering the west end of the county
and the Strait of Juan De Fuca bordering on the north. Much of the county is comprised of the National Park,
National Forest and DNR lands.
Pencom 9-1-1 is a department within the City of Port Angeles under the Port Angeles Police Department. An
Advisory Committee made up of members of the seventeen agencies served provides guidance and direction
for the agency. Each agency is responsible for their own radio infrastructure and for providing signal into the
9-1-1 center. Pencom manages their mobile data and dispatching services. Revenues come from a 1/10th of
1% sales and use tax, phone excise tax and user agency contributions.
18 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Successes:
• Clallam County successfully passed the 1/10th of 1% sales and use tax to help support 9-1-1 in our
community.
• Pencom is a consolidated 9-1-1 center that combined the original four 9-1-1 centers in the City of Port
Angeles, Clallam County, Sequim and Forks.
Challenges:
• Finding dedicated funding to help reduce the need for State funds and user agency fees.
• Pencom struggles with recruitment, hiring and successful retention of new Public Safety
Telecommunicators and turnover often results in unsustainable overtime and additional stress on
current employees.
• Due to a large Federal and State presence, property tax revenue is applied to only a small percentage
of land.
• Radio and cell phone coverage is a significant operational challenge as well as lengthy emergency
response times to calls, requiring call takers, when available, to stay on the line with callers.
Efficiencies:
• Clallam and Jefferson currently cross train and share IT support between the two centers.
• A single merged CAD platform is being updated that will allow both counties to share call data,
mapping and field data between both counties.
• Creating redundant CAD, radio and telephony has allowed both counties to eliminate costly back-up
centers and rely on each other for functional back-up capacity.
• Jefferson County has cross-trained staff that can work in Clallam County in times of critical need.
19 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Clark County
710 W. 13th Street
CLARK REGIONAL Vancouver, WA 98660
EMERGENCY SERVICES AGENCY (360) 737 - 1911
Always here, always ready. cresa911.org
Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency (CRESA) is located in Clark
County. The agency serves an estimated population of 488,241 over
656 square miles. The county has an urban center in the southwest
CLARK COUNTY
and moves into a suburban to rural area towards the northeast. The
largest city is Vancouver with an estimated population of 184,000.
The County is surrounded by rivers on three sides, including the Population: 488,241
Columbia River to the South and West; and on the north by the North
Fork of the Lewis River. The landscape and climate of Clark County are Area: 656 Sq. Mi.
determined by its placement between the Pacific Coast and Cascade
mountain ranges where glaciation helped form a U-shaped valley PSAP: 1
which meets the Columbia River as it leaves the Columbia River Gorge Fire/EMS/Law Agencies: 26
to the east.
CRESA is created as separate legal entity under the agency’s Interlocal Staff:
Agreement (ILA); and is formed as a governmental administrative
Telecommunicators 45
agency pursuant to RCW 39.34.030(3). CRESA is governed by an
Administrative Board comprised of nine members including the Clark Supervisors 6
County Administrator or designee, Vancouver City Manager or Admin/IT/Support 17
designee, Clark County Sheriff or designee, Small Cities Representative
appointed by the small city mayors, Police Representative appointed 2019 Calls for Service:
by the Law Enforcement Council, Vancouver Fire Department
911 Calls 243,308
Representative, Fire Chief Representative appointed by the Clark
County Fire Chiefs Association, Public EMS Provider Representative, 311/Non-Emrg. Calls 151,749
and a Citizen Representative employed in the field of finance. Out-going Calls 125,338
CRESA is divided into four main Divisions each administered by a
Division Manager who reports to the agency’s Director. These Divisions 2019 Budget: $12.6 million
include: 9-1-1 Operations, Technical Services, Finance, and Emergency
Management. The Director is appointed by and reports to the CRESA Revenue: mix of phone excise
Administrative Board. The Director’s key responsibilities include: tax, user fees, tower leases and
overseeing and administering the Agency programs and policies; Grants.
preparing a proposed annual work plan and annual budget for
consideration and adoption by the CRESA Administrative Board, and
negotiating and executing any contracts for services.
Based on the ILA, all equipment acquired for the support and operations
of CRESA shall be under the ownership of CRESA upon full payment of any outstanding debt related to such
facilities, equipment and property. This includes, but is not limited to the radio infrastructure in the county
including towers, base stations, repeaters, and network and radio consoles in the PSAP, with the exception of
the building located at 710 West 13th Street, Vancouver, Washington and the antennae tower sites property
located in Washougal and Livingston Mountain.
Successes:
• Maintained continuous accreditation as a Medical Accredited Center of Excellence since 1993;
• Maintained continuous CALEA Public Safety Communications Accreditation since 2002;
• Maintained continuous APCO Project 33 Training Program Certification since 2013;
• Installation on NG911 System in 2015;
20 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
• Implemented Text-to-911 in 2016; Implemented Smart 911 in 2016;
• Completed P25 Radio System with a redundant dynamic system resiliency master site in 2017;
• Implemented WAVE unified communication between devices and networks as an alternate or adjunct
to radios in 2018; Implemented Mobile Responder for use on smart devices in 2018;
• Established ESINet cut over to the State's Emergency Service Internet Protocol Network in 2019.
Challenges:
• Increased Demand for Services - In 2017, staff completed an Environmental Scan. This Scan estimates an
increase in the demand for services to just over one percent annually. Yet, this estimate is most likely on
the conservative side, since it does not take into account an aging population that has a higher need for
emergency medical response. In addition, this estimate also does not factor in the potential for increased
law enforcement response due to a potential for a slower rate of growth in the median household
income, a growing homeless population and the lack of local case management and mental health
services. The impacts from these demographics will need to be closely monitored to more accurately
determine actual demand for service in the future.
• Increased Technologies - Increased technology, both within the agency and community, will require
CRESA to develop a funding model that accounts for unplanned failures and scheduled replacements.
CRESA will also need to plan for the vulnerabilities from a growing technology dependent infrastructure.
Finally, expanding technology will also increase a dispatcher’s need for training and time on task due to
text and video to 9-1-1. There is also the potential for increased staff turnover as the type of person who
does well in a technologically sophisticated work environment is different than the workforce of the past.
• Budget and Fiscal Management - Like much of the nation, the local economy has been negatively
impacted by COVID-19. Close to 50% of CRESA funding comes from agencies that rely on sales and
property taxes. While actuals to-date are not as bad as initial revenue models predicted, CRESA has left
vacant positions in the Administrative and Technical Services Division unfilled to minimize the fees
charged to these agencies. Further budget cuts will be dependent on the local economy's recovery from
COVID-19.
Efficiencies:
• CRESA has been a regional provider of consolidated 9-1-1, emergency communications and emergency
management services since 1976.
• In 2013, CRESA began work with others PSAPs on the “NG9-1-1 Host/Remote Upgrade Project” and
went live in 2015. This project provides the necessary update to the NG911 software and hardware in
order to maintain the geographically diverse IP-based call handling System whose goals include: 1)
merging and sharing IP network technologies and interconnection between existing networks; 2)
lowering costs by reducing equipment duplication, maintenance and services; and 3) promoting
resiliency, survivability and disaster recovery. These agencies include: Thurston 9-1-1
Communications (TCOMM); CRESA; Wahkiakum 9-1-1 with back-up locations at Lacey Fire
Department in Thurston County; and Washington State Patrol in Clark County. This system is being
updated and expanded in 2020 and will include Rivercom 911 serving Chelan and Douglas counties.
• In 2020, CRESA consolidate Technical Services support and CAD systems with Cowlitz 9-1-1 to lower costs
by reducing equipment duplication, maintenance and services.
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Columbia County
Columbia County Public Safety Communications
Director
Ashley Strickland
STATISTICS
Population: 4,064
In southeastern Washington, Columbia County has a population of 4,064
Area: 868.8 Square Miles
(in 2000), making it one of the more sparsely populated of Washington's 39 1 PSAP
counties. At 868.8 square miles, it is the ninth-smallest county in the state. 8 Fire/EMS/Law
It is bordered by Whitman County and the Snake River to the north, Walla agencies/Fish and
Walla County to the west, Garfield County to the east, and the Oregon Wildlife/Forest Service/
state line to the south. The mainly agricultural county was carved out of WSP
Walla Walla County in 1875. It is known for asparagus, green peas, and 8 Telecommunicators
especially wheat, with ranching and logging also playing a significant role. 2 Supervisors
Agriculture and food processing still dominate the economy, with 1 Director
manufacturing and government representing the majority of the county's 1 Admin/IT/Support
nonagricultural employment. Dayton, the largest town and county seat,
recorded a population of 2,655 in the 2000 Census. Dayton is well known
for the historic preservation of its downtown. 2019
Northern Columbia County has rolling hills and valleys, with its lowest Call for service: 8360
elevation of 504 feet on the Snake River on its northern border. Farther 911’s received: 819
south, the terrain becomes rugged and forested, with the Blue Mountains Business calls: 7541
rising to 6,401 feet at Oregon Butte in the county's southern part. Total Calls 16,720
Budget: $975,000
Columbia County offers a wide variety of tourist attractions, including Revenue: mix of phone
boating on the Snake River, hiking during the summer or hitting the slopes excise tax, 1/10th of 1%
at Bluewood Ski Resort during the winter, fishing, wine tasting or visiting sales/use tax, user fees, and
the Depot, which is the oldest surviving railroad station in Washington. State Contract.
Columbia County is also home to the oldest working courthouse in
Washington and the country's oldest continuously operating jail. Built-in 1887, it is on the National Register of
Historic Places. The majestic courthouse also accommodates the county's Sheriff's Office, Jail, Emergency
Management, and Dispatch among county courtroom and business offices.
Successes, challenges, efficiencies pending.
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Cowlitz County
Hall of Justice-Basement
312 SW 1ST Avenue
Kelso, Washington 98626
www.Cowlitz911.org
Cowlitz 911 Public Authority is located in Kelso, WA, and serves the Lower Columbia region and one of the Northwest's
best out-door playgrounds which offers fishing, hunting, hiking, camping, boating, mountain climbing, and skiing.
Conveniently located between Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington on the I-5 corridor, Cowlitz County is the 13th
largest out of the 40 counties in Washington State and is home to approximately 108,950 residents. The county covers
1,166 square miles within Washington’s south- western region, and offers residents a comfortable, small-city lifestyle while
having access to big city recreational and cultural opportunities. Within an hour’s drive of the Pacific Coast and home to
some of the most prominent mountains in the Cascade Range, residents can enjoy a wide variety of outdoor activities year-
round including kayaking, boating, water sports, and swimming, as well as golfing, hiking, camping, hunting, snowmobiling,
and cross-country skiing. Only an hour drive south, the City of Portland offers an international airport, chain and boutique
hotels, exceptional food options, and plenty of shopping.
The City of Kelso, the Cowlitz County seat, offers a number of attractions, including the Three Rivers Mall, lodging, dining,
and the Three Rivers Golf Course, which is the only 18 hole golf course constructed on volcanic ash from Mount St.
Helens. The Mount St. Helens Volcano and Information Center, located at the Kelso Chamber of Commerce, provides
visitors with many displays and exhibits of the mountain for their enjoyment.
The County’s largest city, Longview, has a population of approximately 38,100 and has a small-town atmosphere that is
very appealing to residents and visitors alike, offering a safe, comfortable and inviting gathering place with shopping,
restaurants, theatre, galleries and beautiful streetscapes. Longview is the major retail center in Cowlitz County and for the
cities of St Helens. Rainier, and Clatskanie, Oregon along the Highway 30 corridor bordering the Columbia River.
To the south, the City of Kalama is famous for its Chinook, steelhead, and sturgeon fishing. Along the eastern border of the
County lies Mount St. Helens which famously erupted in 1980. Today, Mount St. Helens offers unmatched views, camping
and hiking opportunities of all difficulties.
THE ORGANIZATION
Cowlitz 911 is a Public Authority governed by an Executive Board consisting of 9 members from the public safety
community and local government agencies to include, Police Chiefs, Sheriff, City Managers, Fire Commissioners, Fire
Chiefs, and County Commissioner. Cowlitz 911 is funded through a State E911 phone excise tax, E911 State Office
professional development contract, a county 1/10th of 1% sales tax, and police and fire user fees with an annual budget
of approximately 5 million.
Cowlitz 911 owns the public safety radio system infrastructure. Responsibilities include radio operations management,
maintenance, repairs, and improvements at 10 radio sites throughout Cowlitz County and Columbia County Oregon.
The Cowlitz 911 Center serves as the primary Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) and 911 emergency dispatch center
for thirteen (13) law enforcement, fire and medical response agencies in Cowlitz County. The organization covers over 1200
square miles and serves a population of 108,950 citizens. The organization answer an average of 210 emergency 911 calls
and 400 business calls per day.
The 2020 Operations budget for Cowlitz 911 is $4.2 million. The organization budgets for 23 FTE call-taker/dispatchers, and
6 administrative personnel including an Executive Director, a Human Resource Generalist, an Information Technology Vendor
Technical Manager, a Floor Supervisor, a Finance/Admin Specialist, and a Public Disclosure Coordinator Administrative
Assistant.
23 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES
Recruitment/Retention: While this is not unique to Cowlitz 911 recruiting and retaining qualified candidates continues
to be a challenge industry wide.
Funding and Evolving Technologies: The volume and complexity of rapidly evolving technologies and services, in
addition to the expectations of consumers, wireless communications industry, NG911 nationwide services, digital
services, 3rd party vendors, replacement of obsolete and unserviceable technology, NG911 implementation,
maintenance, security and operations of a variety of systems now requires a dedicated funding stream and the resources,
training, and knowledge to support such systems. This is an enormous fiscal challenge for small and moderately sized
community.
Public Disclosure/Unfunded Mandates: Over the past several years demands for public records has increased
substantially, this has created another fulltime position in our communication center.
With the implementation of unfunded legislative mandates related to call receiver training requirements, a variety of
digital location identification improved accuracy, wireless location Identification, ability to process data through IP and
broadband systems, network redesign, has fiscally and technically become an increased burden on PSAP’s.
Construction of New Facility: Cowlitz 911 is currently located in the basement of the HOJ in Kelso, the facility is below
the flood plain and adjacent to the Cowlitz River. The 911 facility was previously a basement garage parking area and
firing range, and over 30 years ago was converted into a County wide combined 911 Center and EOC. Cowlitz 911 is
in the process of building a new 911 Communications Center/ Planning and design for the new facility is complete, and
construction is scheduled to begin in January 2021. Financing of the project will be accomplished with the sale of general
obligation bonds with debt service commitment from the .01 sales tax revenues approved in 2016.
Radio System Improvements: Cowlitz 911 is in the process of a Motorola VHF simulcast radio system upgrade multiple
established sites, and planning construction of 2 new radio sites. Over the past five years, Cowlitz 911 has invested over 1.7
million in replacement of legacy radio equipment, and will currently invest another 1.2 million to complete additional
improvements and replacements, while expanding Cowlitz 911’s radio coverage footprint. Over the next 5 years Cowlitz will
invest an additional 3 million as we continue to replace critical legacy public safety radio equipment at our 10 radio sites.
A Motorola MCC 7500 Radio Console replacement was also completed in 2020. Additionally, the ECW 911 phone system-
Motorola product is due for a CPE replacement or upgrade in the next 12-18 months.
CAD implementation: Cowlitz 911 has begun the first phase of a CAD, (computer aided dispatch), replacement. The
organization is transitioning from a legacy Intergraph CAD to a state of the art Spillman FLEX CAD. The project is
underway and expected to be completed in March of 2022.
New Facility Hiring/Contracting: With the 911 operations relocating from a County owned and maintained facility to a
new standalone facility, creates some gaps in facility maintenance and technical support.
Cowlitz 911 will need to either employ or contract with a network specialist to manage the new public safety network at the
new site, business phone system, CAD administrator, and NG911 technologies, and will need to either employ or contract
for services including building and grounds maintenance and janitorial services at the new facility.
24 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Ferry County
Terri Sebree
E911 Coordinator
175 N. Jefferson
P.O. Box 1094
Republic, WA 99166
FERRY COUNTY
(509) 775-3136
(509) 775-1076 FAX Population: 7649
Email: e911coord@co.ferry.wa.us
Area: 2257 Square Miles
Ferry County 1 PSAP
Ferry County 9-1-1 is located in northcentral WA, a very rural, low- 7 Fire/EMS/Law agencies
population-density County. The single incorporated city, Republic, is an
7 Telecommunicators
historical mining, ranching and logging community. Curlew Lake State
park attracts many guests during the summer months. The Columbia 1 Supervisors
River along with the National Forests and DNR land brings outside
2 Admin/IT/Support
enthusiast looking for hunting, fishing, camping and hiking.
2019
Ferry County 911 has user agreements between 3 Fire, 1 Law, 3 EMS and
2 other departments, as well as responding to all administration calls Call for service: 5502
that come into the Sheriff’s Office. This requires 911 fund assistance,
911’s received:1141
user fees and phone excise tax. Our Telecommunicators are cross
trained for call taking, dispatching and records management. Business calls: 34794
Approximately 50% of Ferry County’s 2257 square miles is part of the Budget: $787,788
Colville Confederated Tribes. Of the remaining 50% 20 plus percent is
Revenue: mix of phone
federal or state land. There is approximately 18% that is potentially
taxable land to support the required services.
Challenges:
• Radio and cell phone coverage is a significant operational
challenge
• Lengthy response time for emergency services require callers to
remain on the line with
dispatchers when available.
• Ferry County struggles
with recruitment, hiring and
successful retention of Public
Safety Telecommunicators, the turn over often results in
excessive overtime and additional stress on current
employees.
25 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Franklin County
Franklin County
The largest city in Franklin County is Pasco with an
estimated population of 75,432. The City of Pasco is where
the Franklin County was formed in 1883 and is named after
Benjamin Franklin. It is located in Eastern Washington and
consists of 1,242 square miles, or 795,000 acres. In 2014
the population of Franklin County was 87,809 - a 78%
increase since 2000, and in 2019 the population estimate
was 95,222 making Franklin County one of the fastest
growing counties in the nation.
historical courthouse and seat of the county government is Franklin County Courthouse
located for Franklin County. The other incorporated cities in
Franklin County are Connell, Mesa, and Kahlotus. The City of Pasco, along with the City of
Kennewick and the City of Richland located in Benton County, are collectively referred to as the Tri-
Cities. Franklin County is bordered on the west by the Columbia River and much of its eastern border
is along the Snake River and the Palouse River.
Franklin County is primarily an agricultural community and much of the industry involves growing and
processing food. There is also a Washington State prison, Coyote Ridge Correctional Center, located
within the city limits of the City of Connell in the north end of the county.
Residents, and visitors, have a variety of outdoor recreational opportunities with the rivers, lakes,
campgrounds, and the Juniper Dunes Wilderness area operated by the Bureau of Land
Management. Franklin County is also home to Palouse Falls, the official Washington State waterfall.
Prior to 2018, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office operated a dispatch center at the Franklin County
Courthouse that provided services for all law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical in the
county. In August 2018, after several years of negotiation and planning, Franklin County and Benton
County merged their respective PSAPs under one roof. The Franklin County Dispatch Center was
closed and all calls started going to the Southeast Communications Center (SECOMM) at their
Benton County site.
Much of the equipment, as well as the CAD software, in the Franklin County Dispatch Center was
outdated so it made financial sense to consolidate at that time. All the Franklin County employees
who wanted to do so, were transferred to SECOMM.
The consolidation required some adjustment for the agencies in Franklin County, but two years later
things are going well and everyone has adapted to the changes in procedures. The fire departments
in the two counties have always assisted each other on calls and the law enforcement agencies also
work closely together. Being dispatched through the same dispatch center just improves the process.
The citizens of Franklin County living in the rural areas should not be able to see any impact to their
services, but some of those people living in the Tri-Cities area benefit from the change because their
911 calls (when using cell phones) are no longer misdirected to the wrong PSAP as was often the
case before the consolidation. The people in Benton and Franklin Counties are also used to seeing
the two county governments work together to provide services for the benefit of the community and
public safety.
26 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Successes and Efficiencies:
In August of 2018, Franklin County consolidated 911 call receiving and dispatch services with
SECOMM in Benton County. This action increased the communication between the agencies in the
two counties and also addressed the problem of 911 calls made on cellphones going to the wrong
PSAP.
Although the VHF radio system in both Benton and Franklin County are in need of update, they have
been connected to allow better coverage and interoperability.
Challenges:
The VHF radio system in Franklin County is owned by the County and used for law enforcement, fire,
and emergency medical communications. This system is aging and needs to be replaced. Finding the
funding is a challenge.
Law enforcement in Benton County operates on an 800 MHz radio system that is maintained by
SECOMM. To connect the law enforcement agencies in the two counties, the system relies on a
patch. The proper solution would be to build out the 800 MHz system in Franklin County, but funds
are not currently available.
With law enforcement and fire on two separate systems, communications between the groups can be
challenging.
Palouse Falls
27 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Garfield County 911 is located in Pomeroy, a rural agricultural
community located in the southeastern portion of Washington State.
It borders Columbia County on the west, Whitman County on the
north, Asotin County on the east, and Wallowa County, Oregon on
the south. Garfield County is 718 square miles with 7.5 square miles
being water and 149 square miles being part of the Umatilla National
Forest.
Garfield County is unique in many ways, one of which is that it is the only county in Washington State to have
had its county seat declared by an act of the United States Congress.
Present day Garfield County has the distinction of being home to a portion of the Nez Perce Trail as well as a
camp site for the Lewis and Clark expedition on May 3, 1806. The Lewis and Clark Trail-Travois Road was
added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
The Garfield County Courthouse, where the Sheriff’s Office/911 Communications Center is located, is also on
the National Register of Historic Places.
28 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Grays Harbor County
Grays Harbor Communications Center
Grays Harbor Communications Center GRAYS HARBOR
(GHCC) is located in Grays Harbor
County. Grays Harbor County is
located on the Southwest corner of the Population: 75,061
Olympic Peninsula along the Pacific Ocean.
Area: 2,224 square miles
As Grays Harbor tourism states, “In no other county can you stick your 1 PSAP
toe in the Pacific Ocean one hour, and the next hour, be in the lush rain
forest.” The cities of Aberdeen, Hoquiam and Cosmopolis are 11 Law Agencies
considered the economic hub and where half of the county’s population 19 Fire/EMS Agencies
lives. Grays Harbor hosts 50 miles of beaches and tourists enjoy the
cities of Ocean Shores, Westport, Ocean City and Seabrook. Grays 16 Telecommunicators
Harbor heritage is rich in timber and sea history. Hoquiam hosts the 7th
4 Supervisors
Street Theater, which is an historic, atmospheric theater that seats
more than 1,100 people for the enjoyment of amateur and professional 5.5 Admin/IT
concerts and plays. The East County hosts the cities of Elma,
Montesano, McCleary and Oakville. Montesano is the county seat of
Grays Harbor County. If you love the outdoors, Grays Harbor is a 2019
destination for hiking, hunting, fishing, being on the beach, plus
Call for Service: 138,710
camping.
Grays Harbor economic struggles stem from the loss of their main 911 Calls Received: 69,079
industry which was timber. Grays Harbor port, once the largest export
port for U.S. grown timber, now leads the U.S. in exports of American Business Calls: 70,571
grown soybean meal and is the number one seafood landing point in Budget: 3,524,160
Washington State.
GHCC is an Inter-Local Governmental agency with agreements between Revenue:
11 Law agencies and 19 Fire agencies. In addition to providing 911 and
dispatch services, GHCC maintains the radio infrastructure in the 1/10th of 1% sales/use tax,
county. While the tower sites are leased, the equipment is owned by user fees, excise tax, State
GHCC. E911 funding
Successes:
• GHCC successfully passed 2/10th of 1% sales and use tax to help support 911 and the radio
infrastructure.
• Unified CAD system with user agencies which allows seamless transition from CAD to reporting
system.
• Consistently provide outstanding service to our citizens and user agencies
• Successful EMD program
• Implemented Text – to- 911
• Ability to deal with the challenges of COVID; such as board meetings via video conference, training,
working remote as necessary
29 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Challenges:
• Dedicated funding to properly maintain and improve infrastructures
• GHCC struggles with recruitment, hiring and successful retention of new Telecommunicators which
leads to high rate of overtime and additional stress on employees
• Aging facility with poor location
• Limited Administrative staff to handle Public Disclosure Records, IT maintenance and QA program
• Supervisors are working consoles full time
Efficiencies:
• Telecommunicators are cross trained for all positions.
• Integration of CAD, Phone and Map systems
• With limited staff, GHCC is very efficient
• Ability to handle neighboring PSAPs phones during emergencies
30 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Jefferson County
JEFFERSON COUNTY
Population: 31,234
Area: 2183 Square Miles
Jeffcom 9-1-1 is located in Jefferson County, a very rural, low-population-
density County with rugged mountainous terrain along an equally rugged 1 PSAP
coastline. The single incorporated city, Port Townsend, is an historical 7 Fire/EMS/Law agencies
maritime community with many historical structures, supporting a
beautiful community dedicated to the arts. Fort Worden Historical State 10 Telecommunicators
Park, hosts many festivals and events drawing tens of thousands of guests
2 Supervisors
to visit Port Townsend each spring, summer and fall. With limited
accessibility to Port Townsend, the Washington State ferry terminal 5 Admin/IT/Support
connects the peninsula with Whidbey Island.
2019
Indian Island, just south of Port Townsend, is a major ammunitions depot
Call for service: 35,121
for naval and coastguard ships in the Pacific Northwest. The PSAP
partners with the facility for responses on and off the base. 911’s received: 22,278
Mountain search and rescue and water rescue are frequent calls in an Business calls: 29,542
area famous for outdoor recreation. The Olympic National Park and
Olympic National Forest occupies 60% of the county and hosts over 3 Budget: $2.1 million
million guests a year creating a high call volume from cell phone users Revenue: mix of phone
who often don’t know their location or are non-English speaking visitors. excise tax, 1/10th of 1%
Jeffcom 9-1-1 is an Inter-local governmental agency with agreements sales/use tax, user fees,
between five fire and two law user agencies and has limited local funding. tower lease and State
This requires State 911 fund assistance, significant user fees and revenue Grant.
from leased radio tower space.
In addition to providing 911 and dispatch services, Jeffcom 9-1-1 owns
and maintains the complete radio infrastructure in the county including
towers, base stations, repeaters, and network and radio consoles in the PSAP.
Successes:
• Jefferson County successfully passed the 1/10th of 1% sales and use tax to help support 9-1-1 in our
community.
• Jeffcom 9-1-1 has taken over emergency radio network and tower ownership, and maintenance for its
user agencies.
• Jeffcom 9-1-1 successfully became a stand-alone 9-1-1 center representing all of its user agencies with
a governance model that has sustained it.
Challenges:
• Finding dedicated funding to help reduce the need for State funds and user agency fees.
31 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
• Jeffcom 9-1-1 struggles with recruitment, hiring and successful retention of new Public Safety
Telecommunicators and turnover often results in unsustainable overtime and additional stress on
current employees.
• Due to a large Federal and State presence, property tax revenue is applied to less than 5% of the
county.
• Radio and cell phone coverage is a significant operational challenge as well as lengthy emergency
response times to calls, requiring call takers, when available, to stay on the line with callers.
Efficiencies:
• Clallam and Jefferson currently have a single administrative team supporting both counties.
• A single merged CAD platform is being updated that will allow both counties to share call data,
mapping and field data between both counties.
• Creating redundant CAD, radio and telephony has allowed both counties to eliminate costly back-up
centers and rely on each other for functional back-up capacity.
• Clallam and Jefferson currently have a single administrative team supporting both counties.
• Jefferson County has cross-trained staff that can work in Clallam County in times of critical need.
32 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
King County
King County is the largest county in
Washington state and 12th largest in the
United States. It has a diverse population of KING COUNTY
approximate 2,252,782 (2019). Puget Sound
and the Cascade Mountains border to the
east and west. Urban and rural communities Population: 2,252,782 (2019)
support many activities that bring over 40
million visitors to the area, including Seattle as the largest city in King Area: 2,132 Square Miles
County with a population of 753,675 (2019). 1 Program Office
Population: 2,252,782 (2019)
There are twelve (12) 911 centers called Public Safety Answering 12 PSAPs
Points (PSAPs) or Emergency Call Centers (ECC). The centers work
either for a local governmental agency or under an Inter- 80 Fire/EMS/Law agencies
Governmental Agreement serving multiple agencies. Three (3) PSAPs
500 Telecommunicators
answer calls and dispatch for law, fire, and emergency medical
services (EMS) while the remaining nine (9) perform those functions 2019
for only fire/EMS or law enforcement. Washington State Patrol
provides dispatch service to state and federal law enforcement Call for service: ??
agencies.
911’s received: 1,881,211
Over 500 Telecommunicators answer more than 1.8 million 911 calls
each year. All PSAPs answer wireline & VoIP 911 calls for their Business calls: ??
jurisdictions. Four (4) PSAPs answer all wireless (cellular) calls, which
are then transferred to the appropriate PSAP. 2018 Revenue: $99,868 Mil
2018 Expenditures: $106,247
King County E911 Program Office supports the PSAPs with Mil
networking, equipment, and service delivery of the 911 calls. It funds
the 911 system and provides funding to the PSAPs for WAC eligible, Revenue: mix of phone excise
911 related costs. The 911 excise tax does not fund the dispatching tax, user fees, municipality
process, which includes radio infrastructure and dispatch support general fund, grants, etc.
services. PSAPs are reliant on other funding sources either within their
own governmental structure or from charging users fees for service.
33 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Successes:
• King County maintains a Test PSAP which allows for software application testing before
deploying in a live environment both in King County PSAPs and other PSAPs statewide.
• Deployment of security for Text to 911 set a new national security standard.
• A comprehensive and collaborative strategic plan was developed by many stakeholders in King
County and approved by the King County Council in January 2018 identifying:
o an advisory governance structure supporting the E911 Program Office
o development of funding options to address financial needs
o technical direction to develop a single platform architecture, creating greater
efficiencies and interoperability in the delivery of 911 calls
• Development of public education and training strategic objectives to support outreach in
multiple languages impacting people of all age groups, ethnicity and of different cultures.
• The E911 Program Office and Regional Advisory Governing Board (RAGB), comprised of
representatives from each PSAP, share a strong, supportive relationship with each other. They
work closely on all issues relating to 9-1-1, including technical and financial issues and concerns.
This ensures a resilient and reliable system is available to serve their communities.
• There are redundant back up facilities for each PSAP located at other PSAP’s within King County.
Challenges:
• Increasing needs of technology, support staff and costs of each with limited funding has created
a fiscal cliff for the 911 program. PSAPs are required to use other government funds or charge
user fees to support their services. Dedicated funding is needed to support all aspects of
emergency communications, from the call maker to the field unit response.
• Recognizing Telecommunicators as first responders instead of clerical staff is a step to help with
recruitment, hiring and successful retention of Public Safety Telecommunicators. Consistent
staff turnover results in unsustainable overtime and additional stress on current employees.
• Multiple single discipline agencies require transferring caller’s one or more times for the
appropriate assistance. Current platform has not allowed for cellular calls to be properly routed
to individual PSAPs resulting in increased number of transfers and increased cell volume to the 4
agencies who are receiving those initial calls.
Efficiencies:
• Several agencies have similar Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) systems providing opportunities
for redundancy and data sharing between agencies.
• Real-time Agency Activity Display and Reporting (RAADAR), developed by one PSAP and shared
with others, allows for greater situational awareness of incidents and unit status in the county.
This reduces workload on PSAP staff and reduces radio traffic among the public safety agencies.
• Technical teams and staff work together to develop and deploy new technologies.
• Training opportunities are provided for Telecommunicators around Washington State.
• PSAP staff from multiple agencies support and engage in outreach to teach their communities
about 9-1-1.
• The E911 Program Office moved into the King County IT division bringing more technology
expertise to the team.
34 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Kitsap County
Kitsap County is located on the northern
end of the Kitsap Peninsula, nestled in the KITSAP COUNTY
Puget Sound between Hood Canal and
Admiralty Strait. It is positioned between Population: 271,473
the Olympic Peninsula to the west and King
County to the east. Water transportation is Area: 566 Square Miles
dominant in the culture and economy of the
county. 3 PSAPS
Kitsap 911
Kitsap County is one of the smallest
counties in the state in terms of land area, 14 Fire/EMS/Law agencies
at about 395 square miles (566 square miles
total area). However, it ranks third in the state in terms of population 61 Operations Employees
density, with 636 people per square mile. Kitsap County has over 250 (Public Safety
miles of saltwater shoreline and is home to Naval Base Kitsap. NBK is Telecommunicators &
host command for the Navy’s fleet throughout West Puget Sound with Supervisors)
four geographically separated locations (Bangor, Bremerton/Puget
Sound Naval Shipyard, NUWC Keyport and Manchester Fuel Depot). 6 Admin/Management
Kitsap 911 is the County’s primary PSAP, but the Navy’s Regional 10 Technical Services
Dispatch Center (RDC) and Washington State Patrol’s Bremerton
Communications Center are also located here. 2019
Kitsap 911 (CENCOM) was founded in 1973, to improve emergency Call for service: 269,866
medical dispatching within Kitsap County and was reorganized as a 911’s received: 176,736
Public Authority (RCW 25.21.730) in 2015. Since our founding, Kitsap
911 has continued to develop a culture of innovation and adaptability. Business calls: 122,996
In 1976 CENCOM went live as the first consolidated police, fire, and
EMS dispatch center in Washington State. In 1983 CENCOM became Budget: $10.3 million
the second dispatch center in Washington State to deploy “enhanced Revenue: Sales Tax (48%),
911.” In 2015 we were the first in Washington to havetext-to-911
Telephone Excise Tax (23%),
capability. In 2020 we were one of the first 911 centers in the nation
Customer Agency Fees
to begin taking and dispatching 911 calls remotely, the latter being an
effort to safeguard our essential workers and critical 911 system in the (24%), other miscellaneous
face of COVID-19. revenue sources (5%)
During the past 45 years, Kitsap 911 has pursued opportunities for
growth and development which have enabled us to push for greater across all departments. Our goal is to
provide seamless operations, cutting-edge technology, superb customer service, comprehensive coverage,
and top training and staffing for the benefit of every family, visitor, business and community who comprise
Kitsap County.
Technology is an ever-changing element of our organization. Our technology group consistently managed a
heavy workload throughout 2019, accomplishing goals of data security, system upgrades, and new
technology rollouts. So far in 2020, we’ve implemented remote 911 (giving our Public Safety
Telecommunicators the ability to accomplish core call taking and dispatching functions from home),
completed deployment of location based (GPS) Fire and EMS dispatching (sending the closest unit to high
35 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
priority events regardless of jurisdictional boundaries), begun deployment of a countywide digital fire
station alerting system, and many other technology improvements, while primarily working remotely due
to COVID.
Operations employees repeatedly amaze us with their ability to learn and then re-learn numerous policies,
systems, and programs necessary to perform their jobs successfully. Change is not easy, but it is a huge
element of working in a 911 environment.
Our Training group stepped up once again over the past year and made incredible things happen.
Emphasizing Kitsap 911’s out-of-the-box solution for demands throughout the year, they delivered with
new staffing configurations and flexible programs, including accomplishing continuing education training
virtually without sacrificing quality or reducing the total number of CE hours offered.
All of these initiatives have contributed to Kitsap 911 being a stronger and faster 911 center that is more
prepared for all the future holds. That does not mean we have not faced challenges. One challenge being
Operations staffing demands like high overtime in order to backfill vacancies as well as covering training
time. We continue to evaluate and re-evaluate our processes to combat these on-going concerns.
We find ourselves at a critical crossroads in terms of the ever-growing world of 911. Our current VHF radio
system is far past its prime and no longer fulfills our needs. We have pushed this system as far as it can go
and now must now deal with how we finance a digital radio system capable of accomplishing the needs of
Kitsap 911, local law and fire agencies, as well as provide interoperability with our neighboring counties.
Implementation requires a $30 million-plus investment. How do we finance such an improvement in
Operations and Technology? Go out for bonds? Implement a new tax? And what about competing
interests?
Innovation, inspiration, and integrity make us a vital contributor to the county. But in the years ahead, we
expect to encounter and must resolve many challenges in order to continue providing the exceptional level
of service for which Kitsap 911 has become known.
For more information about Kitsap 911 see our annual reports at www.kitsap911.org/reports-statistics/
Successes:
• Public Safety Communications Center accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for
Law Enforcement Agencies.
• Our employees have won 24 statewide and national awards over the past 8 years.
• First 911 center in Washington to implement text-to-911 and one of the first in the nation to
deploy technologies that allow our public safety telecommunicators to work from home.
Challenges:
• Recruiting and retaining qualified employees.
• High overtime levels.
• Insufficient funding.
• Obsolete radio system.
Efficiencies:
• Resource sharing agreements with other local agencies to reduce costs overall.
• Leased space on Kitsap 911 owned towers and reciprocal agreements with neighboring agencies
to offset maintenance costs.
• Core support services brought in house to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and increase
responsiveness.
• Kitsap 911 serves as the host agency for multiple countywide/ multi-agency solutions.
36 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Kittitas County
KITTITAS COUNTY
KITTCOM is a
civilian staffed 9-1-
Population: 44,866
1 center that
serves 17 public Area: 2,315 Square Miles
safety agencies in
1 PSAP
Kittitas County,
Washington. 18 Fire/EMS/Law agencies
Kittitas County is in 14 Telecommunicators
the center of Washington State. The county stretches east from
2 Supervisors
Snoqualmie Pass to the Columbia River and south from Blewett Pass to
just north of the Yakima/Selah area. The area is renowned for its 8 Admin/IT/Support
recreational opportunities, including river rafting, fishing, hunting,
hiking, skiing and snowmobiling. 2019
KITTCOM is an Inter-local governmental agency with agreements Call for service: 46,380
between ten fire, two EMS and six law user agencies. Funding 911’s received: 30,291
requirements are handled in large part via State 911 fund assistance,
user fees and grants. Business calls: 58,331
In addition to providing 911 and dispatch services, KITTCOM owns and Budget: $2.2 million
maintains the complete radio infrastructure in the county and network Revenue: mix of phone
and radio consoles in the PSAP. excise tax, user fees, tower
lease and State Grant.
Successes:
• KITTCOM took the lead on modifying fire response plans during fire season which now allows
more efficient dispatch of emergency resources and ensures enough resources are on scene to
stop fire spread into the community.
• Hired staffing back to within two FTE of full staffing.
Challenges:
• KITTCOM struggles with recruitment, hiring and successful retention of new Public Safety
Telecommunicators and turnover often results in unsustainable overtime and additional stress on
current employees.
• Secure funding in the wake of COVID-19 and increasing personnel costs.
Efficiencies:
• GIS analysist position is now shared with the County to allow for better collaboration and cost
savings.
37 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Klickitat County
KLICKITAT COUNTY
Population: 23,227 (2018)
Area: 1,904 Square Miles
1 PSAP
22 Fire/EMS/Law Agencies
Klickitat County 9-1-1 is located in the county seat of Goldendale. 9 Communications Officers
Klickitat County is a very rural, low-population density County with 1 Lead Communications Officer
both rugged mountainous terrain and low-lying prairie lands.
Klickitat County is 1 Administrative Assistant
ranked 30th in square
miles among
1 Chief of Operations
Washington’s 39 1 Department Director
counties and is located
in the south-central 2019
part of the state. The
area was once home to Calls for service: 29,320
the Klickitat and 9-1-1’s received: 12,389
Wishram tribes, both of
which ceded the land to Non-Emergency calls: 83,966
the U.S. government in 1855. There are three incorporated cities
within Klickitat County, Goldendale is the largest followed by White Budget: $1.5 million
Salmon and Bingen. There are several smaller unincorporated Revenue: Mix of phone excise tax,
communities located within the county. The Columbia River Gorge user fees, tower lease, county
defines Klickitat County's southern border and is the state border
general fund and State Grant.
between Washington and Oregon. Klickitat County is known for its
great fishing, wind-surfing, as well as its excellent hiking trails and
other outdoor recreation activities.
Klickitat County Department of Emergency Management (which
manages 9-1-1 Dispatch), is a county department with inter-
local agreements with 2 Law agencies, 18 Fire districts and 1
EMS district. We also serve the sheriff’s office (county office).
Its budget revenue is made up from a mix of phone excise tax,
user fees, tower lease fees, State 9-1-1 Grant and money from
the county’s general fund.
In addition to providing 9-1-1 and dispatch services to the entire
county, the Department of Emergency Management operates
38 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
and maintains the County Public Safety Radio System, including 11 wireless communications sites across
the county and 2 sites in Oregon linked by microwave and the radio dispatch system in the PSAP.
Successes:
• In 2012, the Klickitat County 9-1-1 Dispatch center was separated from
the Sheriff’s Office management and moved under the purview of the
Emergency Management Department. It is managed by a Department
Director and a Chief of Operations who is in-charge of the daily
operations of the 9-1-1 center.
• Klickitat County 9-1-1 Dispatch works in harmony with the 3 law agencies
in the county and has a local users group that works together for the
common goal of providing for public safety.
• Klickitat County 9-1-1 Dispatch moved into a newly constructed building
with state of the art technology in 2014.
• For 2019 and the majority of 2020, Klickitat County 9-1-1 Dispatch was
fully staffed with fully trained personnel.
Challenges:
• Finding dedicated funding to help reduce the need for State funds and user agency fees.
• Klickitat County 9-1-1 Dispatch at times struggles with recruitment, hiring and successful retention
of new Communications Officers. This is partially due to the low population of the county and the
surrounding rural areas as well as the finding of quality applicants within that population.
• Currently is staffed with 3 employees with over sixteen years of local experience, 2 with five years
leaving 5 employees with less than four years’ experience. This causes a gap in local knowledge
and experience within the communications center.
• Radio and cell phone coverage is a significant operational challenge as well as lengthy emergency
response times to calls, requiring the communications officers, when feasible, to stay on the line
with callers for extended periods. Also because of the cell phone tower locations, Klickitat County
9-1-1 Dispatch receives an abundance of calls from callers reporting incidents on the I-84 corridor
in Oregon, which requires cooperation with Hood River, Wasco and Sherman counties for the
transferring of those calls.
• Required knowledge of the surrounding area.
Future Outlook:
• Text to 9-1-1 Implementation by last quarter of 2021.
• Continued upkeep of the county’s radio system – 40 year cost projection in place.
• Looking for funding to increase staffing levels that have gone unchanged since 2012 even though
workload has increased steadily over the last 8 years.
• Maintaining continuing education requirements for all personnel.
39 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Lewis County
LEWIS COUNTY
Population: 79,604
Area: 2436 Square Miles
Lewis County 9-1-1 Communications is located in Chehalis WA on the
west side of Lewis County. Lewis County was the first county and is the 1 PSAP
sixth largest in Washington State. Lewis County has unique geography
7 Fire/EMS/Law agencies
in that it is bordered by 8 counties and is much more populated on its
West side than its East side. The population on the West side largely 10 Telecommunicators
surrounds the Interstate 5 corridor, which sees an average of 40,000-
80,000 vehicles daily. The Cascade Mountain Range borders the East 5 Trainees
side. 3 Supervisors
There are eight incorporated cities and one town within Lewis County. 3 Administrative staff
Centralia and Chehalis hold the highest populations. Centralia having a
population of over 17,000 and Chehalis over 7,000 residents. Centralia IT/GIS support from County
and Chehalis, often referred to as “The Twin Cities”, are situated 2019
midway between Seattle and Portland. Centralia is home to a large
number of antique, art and specialty stores as well as the first factory Call for service: 73,143
outlet center in the Northwest. These features make it a popular
911’s received: 44,300
tourist-shopping destination. Centralia is home to Centralia
Community College, which is the oldest continuously operating junior Business calls: 99,266
college in the state of Washington and now offers both two and four
Budget: $ 3.1 million
year degrees as well as certifications in a variety of technical trades.
Revenue: mix of phone
The region offers many recreational opportunities including camping,
excise tax, user fees, and
hiking and boating. Some popular recreation destinations include
State Grant.
Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Mount Rainier National Park, Pacific
Crest Trail and access to Mount St. Helens National Volcanic
Monument. Mount St. Helens is one of the most popular tourist
destinations in the State and Lewis County serves as the gateway to
the mountain’s North, East and South sides. Mountain search and rescue calls are frequent with callers
often unsure of their location and having poor cell phone reception.
Lewis County 9-1-1 is an Inter-local governmental agency
with agreements between 19 fire and 10 law user agencies
and has limited local funding. This requires State 911 fund
assistance and significant user fees.
Successes:
40 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
• Standing up of Emergency Back-Up Communication Center.
• Installation of Rapid SOS and ESChat.
• Completion of all policy re-format to CALEA standards.
• Spillman server replacement/upgrades
• Completion of dedicated training room
Challenges:
• Finding dedicated funding to help reduce the need for State funds and user agency fees.
• Recruitment, hiring and successful retention of new Public Safety Telecommunicators and turnover
often results in unsustainable overtime and additional stress on current employees.
• Obtaining support to obtain additional tax revenue.
• Communications Center location is not ideal, currently located on the third floor of the Counties
Historic Courthouse.
41 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Lincoln County
Office of The 404 Sinclair
P.O. Box 367
Lincoln County Sheriff Davenport, WA
99122-0367
Wade W. Magers, Sheriff
509-725-3501
FAX: 509-725-3533
Undersheriff
Kelly Watkins Lincoln County is a rural county of 2400 square miles and has a population of nearly
11,000. Lincoln County’s economy is dominated by wheat production and is the second
Chief Criminal Deputy largest wheat producing county in the nation. Livestock production is also an important
Brian Telford component of Lincoln County agriculture income.
Lincoln County is bordered by Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area on the north.
911 Coordinator This border creates a unique opportunity for many outdoor recreational opportunities
Jo Borden including boating, fishing and camping. Lincoln County, with its four seasons and rural
setting offers something for every outdoor sportsman including hunting, hiking,
Chief Civil Deputy snowmobiling and cross country skiing.
Denise Liebing
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office has a staff of 30 who serve the citizens of Lincoln
County and provides Law Enforcement for the county and contracted law enforcement
Jail Superintendent services for 6 of its 8 towns. A staff of 10 dispatch/corrections deputies are crossed
Lyle Hendrickson trained and work in the communication center and also operate the county’s 24 bed jail.
These cross-trained deputies are responsible for answering 9-1-1 calls, admin calls, take
calls for service, dispatch, provide pre-arrival medical and law instructions, data entry,
book and release inmates, and provide for the daily care and custody of the inmates
among many other tasks and duties. There are a minimum of 2 dispatch/corrections
deputies on per shift and they work 12 hour shifts.
Successes:
• In 2018, with the help of Lincoln County Commissioners and 13th Legislative District
Senator Judy Warnick and Representative Tom Dent, Lincoln County received
$485,000 from a State Grant through Department of Commerce to replace a 14
year old CAD system. The new CAD system went live April of 2019
• The Lincoln County Jail is able to generate on average $180,000 in revenue each
year that goes directly to the general fund to help offset revenue shortfalls. This is
due to contracting with outside agencies such as Department of Corrections,
Fairchild Airforce Base, USMS and Stevens County Jail to provide housing for their
inmates.
Challenges:
• Because Lincoln County’s primary economy is wheat farming and agriculture, the
highest revenue source for the county is property tax. There is little to no industry in
Lincoln County so very little sales tax revenue is generated. With the property tax
capped at 1% increase per year and the cost of living and other county expenses
42 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
raising at approx. 5% per year, the county addresses a deficit each year. Lincoln
County lacks the diversity of multiple revenue streams that most other counties rely
on.
• Cross trained dispatch/corrections staff produces a unique problem for Lincoln
County Sheriff’s Office. There is a physical fitness prerequisite as part of the hiring
process. The test requires successful completion of a 1.5 mile run, push-ups and
sit-ups. Once hired, applicants will have to perform this test a second time as part
of the entry process to a 4 week, off site Corrections Officer Academy. Living in a
rural area results in a limited number of people applying for the job of
dispatch/corrections and when you add the physical requirements, it greatly limits
the applicant pool. We are rarely fully staffed due to the stressful nature and high
demands of the dual commissioned role of our dispatch/corrections staff. On
positive note, many of our employees have decided that this is the career for them
and most of our incumbent deputies have a longevity of 10 years or more.
• We are heavily reliant on the State 911 funds to help fund and operate the
communication center. These funds are used to assist with salary, equipment
maintenance, IT staff, mapping, training and public education. Lincoln County
struggles to replace critical equipment, including 9-1-1 phone systems and CAD.
The county does not have the funds, and the State funding typically just covers
basic services.
Efficiencies:
• Cross trained dispatch/corrections staff reduces the number of staff, however is also
listed as a struggle with hiring and retention.
• Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office serves and dispatches for the entire unincorporated
county, 6 contract towns, 2 police departments, National Parks Service, and 7
volunteer Lincoln County Fire/EMS Districts.
43 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Mason County
MASON COUNTY
Mason County is located
near the foothills of the
Population: 60,699
Olympic Mountains and
Area: 961 Square Miles
the Olympic National
Forest. It is 961 square 1 PSAP
miles in area with 4 Law enforcement agencies
approximately 300 miles
11 Fire Agencies
of salt water front on South
14 Telecommunicators
Puget Sound and Hood
Canal. There are 200 fresh water lakes. The County 4 Supervisors
Seat, Shelton, is 22 miles northwest of Olympia, the 3 Admin/IT/Support
State Capitol. Mason County is a close neighbor to the 2019
cities of Olympia and Bremerton. Mason County offers
911 Calls: 37,386
a rich variety of social, cultural, and recreational
opportunities for people of all ages. The Olympic Calls for service: 52,631
National Park, Pacific Ocean Beaches, and the Olympic
Mountains are within an hour’s drive from Shelton. Revenue: Mix of phone excise
tax, Current Expense Dollars,
The federally recognized Squaxin Island Reservation
two Contracts and State Grant.
of Indians is located in Mason County. The Squaxin
Island Tribe was one of the first Native American
tribes in the U.S. to enter into the Self Governance Demonstration Project with the federal
government.
44 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Successes:
• In 2018 MACECOM hired a fulltime radio tech.
Challenges:
• MACECOM 911 struggles with recruitment, hiring and successful retention of new Public
Safety Telecommunicators. The turnover results in unsustainable overtime and additional
stress on current employees and their families.
• Radio and cell phone coverage is a significant operational challenge due to the terrain of
our county.
• Due to the size of the county and remote locations, lengthy emergency response times to
calls sometimes require Telecommunicators to stay on the line with callers for extended
period of times.
Efficiencies:
• One communications center serving the whole county.
• All MACECOM telecommunicators are cross-trained to be Call Receivers, Law dispatchers,
and Fire/EMS dispatchers.
45 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Okanogan County
Okanogan County is located in north central Washington along the Canadian border. Okanogan
County is a very rural county with 13 small towns and cities with populations between 500 to 5000
and a combined county population of 42,730. Okanogan is the geographically largest county in
Washington at over 5300 square miles. The county is a combination of mountainous forests,
range highlands and lowland river valleys where orchards, vineyards and cites are found. The
Colville Confederated Tribal Reservation occupies the southeast portion of the county.
Recreation opportunities are endless in the Methow Valley, Pasayten Wilderness, state and
federal lands, lakes, rivers and numerous trails for hiking, biking, skiing, snowmobiles and ATV’s.
The year-round recreation makes search and rescue operations a routine activity.
In the county state highways cross four mountain passes over 3200-foot elevation where
Okanogan County emergency services and radio coverage must be provided on both sides of
three of these passes. This difficult geography creates a particular challenge to delivering radio
coverage to first responders. The many long deep valleys are a continuation of the same
challenge.
The Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office operates the 911 Dispatch center and primary PSAP for the
county serving 34 law enforcement, fire protection and Emergency Medical Service providers.
The Colville Confederated Tribes operates secondary PSAP for the tribal police, fire and EMS
services on the reservation. The county’s primary PSAP and the CCT’s secondary PSAP
coordinate emergency responses on a daily basis.
Okanogan County has a long history with wildfire. Most recently the 2014 Carlton Complex fire
(250,000+ acres) and the 2015 Okanogan Complex fire (500,000+ acres) were the largest in state
history in consecutive years and again in 2020 the Cold Springs Fire (170,000 acres) raced across
the Colville Reservation and into neighboring counties. During “normal” wildfires and extreme
events the existing emergency service agencies and radio infrastructure are overwhelmed with the
increased activity.
Successes include the 2020 implementation of the .2% Emergency Communications sales tax.
The new revenue will be applied to a major radio infrastructure overhaul for increased talk
capacity, effectiveness and communications efficiency. The new revenue will offset much of the
dispatch agency user fees as a new financial structure is implemented such that all user agencies
pay a volume-based fee rather than a select few agencies. With these major changes a Dispatch
Advisory Board has been established to provide improved transparency and opportunity for
collaborative input from user agencies.
46 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
The greatest challenges are radio communications infrastructure and dispatch space. The county
is very large with population scattered throughout the county. Calls for service occur in population
areas as well as on public lands where recreation occurs. Response times are long and require a
great deal of radio communications infrastructure to provide coverage throughout the county filled
with very challenging terrain. Improvements to radio communications infrastructure will likely
exceed available dispatch space requiring a new dispatch facility.
Data connectivity and the digital divide is a growing challenge. First Responder agencies have an
increasing demand for data connectivity but routinely respond outside of cellular coverage with no
alternatives for connectivity.
Delivering services and systems to county residents and agencies is a challenge as demand is
increasing for services and for quality of service but the paying population is small and economic
base is limited as 75% of the county’s landmass is publicly owned and tax exempt.
47 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Pend Oreille County
Pend Oreille County is located in the Northeast corner of Washington
State with 18 miles of International Border with Canada. The County
population is 13,602. The County seat
and largest city, which borders Idaho,
is Newport, with a population of 2,215. PEND OREILLE COUNTY
Other incorporated towns are Cusick,
Ione, Metaline and Metaline Falls. The
County was created out of Stevens Population: 13,602
County on March 1, 1911. Pend Oreille Area: 1,425 Square Miles
is the most recently formed of the
1 PSAP
State’s 39 Counties.
32 Fire/EMS/Law agencies
The federally recognized Kalispel Tribe of Indians is located in mid-
Pend Oreille County and covers approximately 252 acres. Pend 8 Telecommunicators
Oreille County provides 9-1-1 call taking and dispatching services for 2 Supervisors
the Kalispel Tribe of Indians. Boundary Dam, which provides
upwards of 46% of the power generated by Seattle City Light, is also 4 Admin/IT/Support
located in Pend Oreille County. 2019
Pend Oreille County, where you will find a unique blend of pioneer Calls for service: 21,320
spirit, visitor’s amenities, and small-town hospitality, serves as a
9-1-1 Calls received: 6,527
gateway with bordering Idaho and Canada to some of the Pacific
Northwest’s most enchanting landscapes and finest wilderness and Non-Emergency calls: 31,789
outdoor recreation areas. Whether your passion is hunting, game Budget: $1,041,330 million
fishing, wildlife viewing, golf, winter sports or water sports, you will
find much offered here. It is also a place rich in culture and history Revenue: Mix of phone excise
with historical museums and where places of interest abound. It is tax, Current Expense Dollars,
two Contracts and State Grant.
named after the Pend d’Oreille Tribes who in turn were ostensibly
named for large shell earrings that members wore. While awkward
in French, Pend Oreille can be translated as “hang from the ear”.
During the summer, the mountain
areas have moderate daytime
temperatures and cool nights, with
freezing temperatures lasting at
times into the month of June and
beginning again as early as August.
The winters are often accompanied
by subzero nighttime temperatures
with a significant amount of snow accumulation that can last until June in areas of the County. The
48 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
elevation ranges from approximately 1,800 feet to 7,000 feet. Pend Oreille County has a history of
significant flooding, wildfires and extreme weather conditions.
In 1998 Pend Oreille County, with the assistance of state funding and the passage of the 9-1-1 tax,
was able to consolidate into one PSAP located in Newport to incorporate the North Counties system
where 9-1-1 calls were answered in volunteer call-takers homes. During that time the County was
also, with State funding assistance, able to install a new county-wide microwave radio system and
also remodel the existing dispatch center into an Enhanced 9-1-1 Center.
Pend Oreille County 9-1-1 is a division of the Pend Oreille County Sheriff’s Office and serves 6 Law
Enforcement Agencies, 14 Fire Agencies, 9 EMS Agencies and 3 additional agencies. 9-1-1 is funded
by County current expense dollars, telephone taxes, two user agency contracts and State 9-1-1
funding. In addition to providing 9-1-1 and dispatch services, Pend Oreille County owns and
maintains the complete emergency response radio infrastructure in the county, including towers,
base stations, repeaters, network, and radio consoles.
Successes:
Pend Oreille County recently installed a new Motorola P25 K Core radio system in the 9-1-1 Center,
has installed all new Motorola P25 mountain top repeaters and is in the process of installing a new
county-wide Radio Microwave System that will be completed in 2021.
Success has also been seen in telecommunicator recruitment as currently all positions are filled,
and the retention period of current employees continues to increase.
The backup 9-1-1 Center was recently moved to a dedicated facility with all new equipment,
including furniture, computers and radios.
Challenges:
One of the biggest issues is the replacement of equipment, especially as the State 9-1-1 fund has
had an equipment purchasing freeze in place for the last several years.
If the 2/10 of 1% sales tax RCW were to be changed to allow local authorities to implement the tax
without going out for a vote (as was done with the mental health tax), it would allow for more
counties to implement the tax and increase 9-1-1 funding statewide, which would reduce the need
to raise the statewide monthly 9-1-1 telephone tax.
Efficiencies:
By 2021 the County, through Federal, State and local funding, has been able to find funding sources
to replace our antiquated Microwave System, Radio Consoles, and Mountain top Repeaters.
Pend Oreille is working with our user agencies county-wide to establish an equipment replacement
fund which has been well received by user agencies.
49 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Pierce County
PIERCE COUNTY
Pierce County is one of the
Population: 888,300
most diverse in Washington, with elevations ranging from Sea
Level to 14,411 feet (Mt. Rainier). The county’s demographics Area: 1,806 Square Miles
range from dense Tacoma’s dense urban areas to the rural eastside PSAPs
communities and remote wilderness.
3 Primary
Pierce County is served by three primary PSAPs; Joint Base Lewis-
1 Secondary
McChord, South Sound 911, and Washington State Patrol District
144. There is also one secondary PSAP; Tacoma Fire 23 Law agencies
Communications. The County Department of Emergency 17 Fire/EMS agencies
Management hosts the 911 Program Office, which has overall
coordinating responsibility for networks, systems, and 140+ Telecommunicators
technologies implemented between the caller and the 911 call- 100+ Other staff/support
taker.
2019 Statistics
th
In 2011, Pierce County voters authorized the 1/10 of 1% sales and
Incidents Dispatched:
use tax for public safety communications. This funding mechanism SS-911: 775,509
created South Sound 911, allowed for significant upgrades to the
JBLM: 32,848
public safety radio system, and improved end-user equipment for
first responders. 911 Calls: 524,218
Admin/Other calls: 387,767
The 911 community in Pierce County is also unique inasmuch as it
Budget: 52.4 million
includes local, state, and federal stakeholders working
cooperatively toward seamless delivery of services. These three Revenue: mix of phone
partners together serve dozens of public safety agencies, excise tax, 1/10th of 1%
specifically: sales/use tax, user fees
Joint Base Lewis-McChord: Military Police and JBLM fire
South Sound 911: 20 law enforcement and 17 fire agencies
Washington State Patrol (District 1): WSP plus multiple other state agencies with response
obligations.
44
WSP operations are summarized elsewhere in this report and not included in the statistical representations.
50 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Successes:
• Voter approval of 1/10th of 1% sales and
use tax initiative to help support 911 and
radio communications in Pierce County,
establish South Sound 911 and fund a
modern, redundant 911 Communications
Center.
• Consolidation of multiple primary and
secondary PSAPs into the South Sound
911 organization.
• Creating an independent South Sound 911
agency with a governing board of elected officials from across the county.
• Establishing a common dispatching platform, serving both Fire/EMS and Law Enforcement
that will be shared between South Sound 911 and Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
• South Sound 911, City of Tacoma and the Combined Communications Network partner to
deliver highly reliable public safety radio communications to all Pierce County first
responders.
• Partnership between Washington State Patrol District 1 Communications and the County
911 Program office to pilot cybersecurity practices.
Challenges:
• Consolidation of employees and labor contracts from prior PSAPs into one organization.
• Future funding for 911 and radio communications
• Developing common/shared policies and procedures that address handling of 911 calls
and next generation 911 media types.
• Determining the PSAPs role in community issues such as mental health and social justice.
• Planning for a common platform capable of processing all next generation 911 media
types to serve all PSAPs within the County.
• Integration of new technologies across multiple public safety networks (911 IP network,
FirstNET, other Public Safety broadband networks)
• Planning for and implementing holistic cybersecurity systems and processes to ensure the
safety and reliability of 911 and public safety communications.
Efficiencies:
• Consolidated five primary PSAPs and one secondary PSAP into a single, new organization
in South Sound 911
• Equipment consolidations along with support and administrative staff.
• Reduced 911 call transfers and delays between multiple PSAPs.
• Migrated to a single Computer Aided Dispatching system for both law enforcement and
fire/EMS.
51 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
San Juan County
San Juan County is the smallest in area and has the
fourth smallest population in Washington State.
Made up entirely of islands, there is no bridge to the mainland, and it is
accessed only by air or boat. It is bounded by Whatcom and Skagit SAN JUAN COUNTY
counties to the east, Island, Jefferson and Clallam counties to the south
and 43 miles of international border with Canada.
There are 172 named islands in the county, 15 of which have year-round Population: 17,582 (2019
residents. The four largest islands, Orcas, San Juan, Lopez and Shaw are est.)
served by the WA State Ferry system which provides service to the Area: 621 Square Miles (174
mainland at Anacortes and between the islands. The other inhabited land, 447 water)
islands must be accessed by air or private vessel.
Islands: 15 inhabited, 172
San Juan County is home to the San Juan Islands National Monument, named
along with state and county parks and other land preserves. The
1 PSAP
landscape in the county consists largely of farmland mixed with steep,
heavily forested hills, punctuated by high promontories, most notably 6 Fire/EMS/Law agencies
Mt Constitution in Moran state park topping out at 2408'. The islands
9 Telecommunicators
are surrounded by close to 478 miles of rocky shoreline with beaches,
coves, and bays. 1 Supervisor
The islands host many festivals throughout the year, and the natural 2 Admin/IT/GIS
beauty, hiking, camping and other recreational opportunities have made 2019
the islands a popular destination for tourists and vacationers.
911 calls received: 7,418
Residents of the county are typically older than those of other
Business calls received:
Washington counties and many are retirees. The economy is heavily
24,847
dependent on tourism, with Accommodations & Food Services being the
sector with the largest number of employees. Outgoing calls: 13,080
The Town of Friday Harbor on San Juan Island is the only incorporated Budget: $1.2 million
community, and is home to the county seat and the offices of the county Revenue: County Current
government. The PSAP is operated by the Sheriff's Office and is located Expense Fund, phone excise
at the courthouse in Friday Harbor. The PSAP is funded with county tax, State Basic Service
Current Expense funds, telephone excise taxes, State Basic Service Operating Contract, user
Operating Contract and user fees. The PSAP staffs three workstations for fees
the telecommunicators and receives and dispatches 911 calls for the
Sheriff's Office and the five, mostly volunteer, Fire/EMS districts in the
county. Other than the largest of the islands, most of these are not included in the Fire/EMS districts.
Emergency response to these "unprotected” islands is generally provided by Sheriff's Office patrol boats or
a shared emergency services vessel operated by the Sheriff's Office and San Juan Fire Protection District 3.
52 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Most of these unprotected islands do not have established road names or 911 addresses, which creates
additional challenges for emergency response.
Each response agency or district in the county has maintained separate, conventional, legacy radio
systems, and the nature of the terrain has presented challenges to clear radio communications for years.
In February of 2020 the voters of the county passed an "Emergency Communications Sales Tax" to fund a
proposed, modern county wide emergency communications radio system. After five years the tax will be
reduced from the initial rate to fund ongoing maintenance of the system.
Successes:
• Voters passed the Emergency Communications sales tax in February 2020.
• PSAP IT support was moved from an outside contractor to County IT department.
• Migration to Comtech ESINET II completed.
• Achieved 98%+ accuracy with NG911 addressing transition.
• Recognition by WA chapter of APCO/NENA of dispatch team with award for performance on a
critical incident.
Challenges:
• Finding dedicated funding to help reduce the need for State funds and user agency fees. 911
"competes" with other county departments for the local funding needed each budget cycle.
• Funding expensive system replacements which have relatively short upgrade cycles.
• The county struggles with recruitment, hiring and successful retention of new Public Safety
Telecommunicators due to geographic isolation, housing costs and cost of living. Consequent turn
over results in higher costs to the county.
• Radio system coverage is a significant operational challenge. Cellular coverage is limited in parts of
the county.
• Some inhabited islands have no road names or addresses.
• Small number of staff and limited available staff time is a challenge to participation in the sub-
committees of the 911 Advisory Committee.
Efficiencies:
• Having IT support available 24/7 with County IT staff.
• Having dedicated GIS support from the County GIS staff.
53 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Skagit County
SKAGIT COUNTY
Population: 129,205
Area: 1920 Square Miles
County Seat: Mount Vernon
1 PSAP
35 Fire/EMS/Law agencies
32 Telecommunicators
5 Supervisors
9 Admin/IT/Support
2019 Statistics:
Established in 1998, Skagit 911 serves the community in picturesque Calls for service: 228,900
Skagit County, Washington. Located in the Pacific Northwest, about 33 Emergency Calls: 103,242
miles south of the Canadian border, the County boasts some of the
richest farmland in the world, with 80 different types of crops grown. Business calls: 125,658
Additionally, the annual Skagit Valley Tulip Festival draws thousands of Budget: $6.8 million
visitors to the area each spring.
Revenue: A combination of
Known as a gateway to the San Juan Islands, Skagit County offers historic User Fees, 911 Phone Taxes
waterfront communities, as well as a scenic highway that leads to the and Sales Tax revenue
towering mountains and exceedingly clear lakes of the North Cascades
National Park. The countless opportunities for outdoor recreation make
the County an ideal place to live for hikers, bikers, kayakers and other adventure seekers. The professional
employees at Skagit 911 are trained and ready to assist citizens
with all types of emergencies... including mishaps that
sometimes occur while enjoying the County’s rustic natural
beauty.
Skagit 911 is a non-profit inter-local agency governed by a Board
of Directors. The Board consists of three County Commissioners
and six Mayors representing the cities and towns within Skagit
County. With the support of their Board, Skagit 911 has made
important inroads to enhance financial growth and stability and provide excellent service to their citizens
and public safety responders.
Over the last 5 years, Skagit 911 has celebrated many successes and improved efficiency in several ways
including, but not limited to the following:
54 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
• Skagit 911 created a new funding model that properly funds the Operations and Technical Services
Departments. This change required a significant raise in user agency fees for operational
expenses, with each user agency paying fees based on usage of services. The current 1/10th of 1%
sales tax funds the entire Technical Services budget.
• An Equipment Reserve and Replacement Schedule was created,
and fiscal resources allocated, from the 1/10th of 1% sales tax
with a schedule to internally fund technology upgrades and
replacements 30 years into the future. This reduces dependence
on state E911 funding and emergency legislative funds.
• Skagit 911 completed a major renovation to the existing dispatch
floor. Improvements include all new wiring to reduce radio
interference and provide for future technologies; and the Center
was able to increase the number of dispatch consoles by 25% utilizing new sound suppression
technology.
• Skagit 911 commissioned APCO (Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials) to perform
a thorough and comprehensive functional study of the 911 Center. Their findings and
recommendations act as a baseline for meeting APCO/NENA standards and for strategic planning.
Various user agencies, board members and employees provided input for the study.
• Improvements in the hiring and training processes, as well as a leap to competitive wages and
benefits, have enabled Skagit 911 to move along the road to recovery from a period of significant
staffing deficiencies and turn over.
Skagit 911 also faces challenges in the coming years:
• Skagit 911 strives to meet the needs and expectations of the community by anticipating changing
demographics, to staying on the cutting edge of advances in technologies. Intrinsic to these
changes come the difficulties in creating and maintaining a highly skilled workforce that is largely
underappreciated for the critical, often lifesaving, work that they do in an ever changing and
highly stressful environment.
• Classified as a medium sized county in Washington State, Skagit 911 is ineligible for equipment and
operational funding through the State E911 office and must depend on high user-agency fees and
the initial 1/10th of 1% sales tax. Voter approval of the 2nd 1/10th of 1% may not be realistic at this
time.
• Skagit 911 has outgrown its facility and must move forward with plans for a larger 911 facility.
Details regarding the funding of the project are complicated and yet to be determined.
55 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Skamania County
Skamania County
Skamania County is located just 45 minutes
east of Vancouver in the heart of the Population: 12,071
Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.
It is bordered by the Washougal River to the Area: 1683 Square Miles
west, the White Salmon River to the east, the Columbia River to the 1 PSAP
south and the Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument to the
north. The Gifford Pinchot National Forest occupies 80% of the 16 Fire/EMS/Law
county’s land mass. The low-density population centers are located agencies
near the Columbia River in the cities of Stevenson and North
10 Telecommunicators
Bonneville as well as the unincorporated area of Carson, Washington.
Though very rural, Skamania County hosts more than 2,000,000 2 Supervisors
visitors a year. It is well known for its outdoor recreational
1 Admin/IT/Support
opportunities, summer festivals, one of the largest monoliths in the
world and an active volcano. It is host to Skamania Lodge, an
international destination resort located in Stevenson, which sees 2019
more than 30,000 visitors come through its doors annually. The Call for service: 11,570
county’s proximity to the Vancouver-Portland Metropolitan area
make it an ideal destination for day trips from those populaces. 911’s received: 9,962
The Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument and the Gifford Business calls: 19,851
Pinchot National Forest are international tourist destinations. Both
Budget: $700,000.00
known for their rugged terrain, world class hiking and biking, and
scenic views, the areas see an increase in tourism during the peak Revenue: County 911
season of over 1.5 million. With the influx of tourists comes an excise tax, user fee’s and
increased call volume in the county’s 911 center. Calls for service state grant
ranging from recreational accidents, search and rescues, over-due
climbers and hikers are on the rise in the county during the May through September tourist season. Due
to the county’s proximity to the metropolitan areas, the area also see’s an increase in calls of a criminal
nature ranging from missing persons under suspicious circumstances, assault and even homicide. Both
areas are under the management of the United States Forest Service who rely on the PSAP for responses
to those areas.
Skamania County 911 is a division of the Skamania County Sheriffs Office. It provides 911 call handling and
dispatch services for 16 agencies, and answers all calls for the sheriff’s office. Call receivers and
dispatchers are also cross trained in corrections and provide support to the county jail staff by monitoring
the inmate population and movement, as well as door security. The county has limited funding for 911
services due to a large federal land presence in the county with which there is no commercial
infrastructure, creating a low business footprint availability. That, combined with a low population, makes
for a nominal 911 tax collection. The 911 dispatch center relies heavily on State 911 funding which
56 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
accounts for more than half of the budgeted revenue. Other revenue sources are the county’s 911 excise
tax, which accounts for only 1/10th of the revenue needed to fund 911 annually and user fees charged to
first responder agencies which are even less than that, accounting for around 5% of the budget. Skamania
County has Inter-Local Agreements with a couple of our law enforcement user agencies which allow the
county to utilize their radio tower infrastructure to improve communication abilities in very remote areas
of the county. In exchange for this, Skamania County provides call taking and dispatch services to those
agencies. While this is a creative way of gaining a needed resource, it does not bring any additional
revenue to the 911 center. The county has had to come up with several creative ways like this in order to
fund 911 in the county.
Challenges:
• Finding support for additional funding sources to help reduce the need for State funds.
• Skamania County struggles with recruitment, hiring and successful retention of new Public Safety
Telecommunicators as they are also required to be cross trained in corrections which is an entirely
different set of skills. Finding employee’s that want to, and can do, both jobs is difficult.
• Due to a large Federal presence, property tax revenue is applied to less than 2% of the county.
• Radio and cell phone coverage is a significant operational challenge resulting in extended call times
and additional resources if available.
• The 911 communications and corrections division really should be separated in to two
departments. However, this would require additional employee’s in order to maintain both
departments at acceptable staffing levels which would increase overall costs.
Efficiencies:
• Skamania County staff are cross trained as both 911 call receivers and dispatchers as well as fully
commissioned corrections officers. This enables the division to keep the staffing levels down yet
still acceptable while also having the ability to fill vacant call receiver positions with corrections
staff if, and when, needed.
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Snohomish County
Snohomish County 911, or SNO911, is in
Snohomish County on the Puget Sound, SNOHOMISH COUNTY
between Skagit County to the north and
King County to the south. Covering 2,090
square miles, it is the 13th largest county Population: 757,600
in total land area in Washington.
Area: 2090 Square Miles
Snohomish County’s varied topography
ranges from saltwater beaches, rolling 1 PSAP (Consolidated
hills and rich river bottom farmlands in 1/1/2018)
the west to dense forest and alpine
44 Fire/EMS/Law agencies
wilderness in the mountainous east. Glacier Peak, at 10,541 feet, is
the highest point in Snohomish County and one of the highest in 103 Telecommunicators
Washington State. Sixty-eight percent of the county land area is
16 Supervisors
forest land which equates to almost 663,000 acres of forest land
within the National Forest and 254,577 acres of forest land within 41 Admin/IT/Support
the county jurisdiction. 18% of the county is rural, 9% is urban/city
and 5% is agricultural. 2019
In addition to our diverse topography and mix of urban and rural Calls for service: 534,914
areas, Snohomish County is also home to Naval Station Everett, 911 Calls: 468,563
Boeing’s Everett Site, the Port of Everett, and Paine Field, which
began commercial air service in early 2019. Emergent/Alarm: 66,351
There are three federally recognized Indian Tribes in Snohomish Non-Emergency: 138,434
County: the Sauk-Suiattle Tribe, the Stillaguamish Tribe, and the Texts/Other: 27,533
Tulalip Tribes. Snohomish County values its partnership with each
Tribe and is committed to supporting tribal efforts to build ever Outgoing calls: 169,940
more resilient and connected communities.
Budget: $24 million
Snohomish County 911 is a municipal instrumentality of its
Revenue: mix of phone excise
members, jointly organized by such members as a nonprofit
tax, user fees and contracts.
corporation under chapter 24.06 RCW. This is like an Interlocal
Emergency radio services
Agreement (ILA), but organized as a nonprofit corporation.
upgrade via 1/10th of 1% tax.
Snohomish County has consolidated all public safety
communications into a single, countywide agency – Snohomish
County 911. This includes the consolidation of two PSAPs - SNOCOM and SNOPAC, effective January 1,
2018; as well as the integration with Snohomish County Emergency Radio Systems (SERS), which was
completed the following year, effective January 1, 2019. These consolidation efforts have increased
efficiencies in both operations and budget. The Agency has reduced cumulative member agency fees by
$4.2M, including FY 2019-2021. These reductions were possible due to staffing and technical efficiencies.
The Agency continues to maintain two physical buildings, one as the primary PSAP and the second as a
warm standby site. Technical systems have been configured to allow dispatchers to seamlessly work as a
single operation from both sites simultaneously. The warm standby site has also been offered as a regional
backup facility for neighboring PSAPs.
58 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Successes:
• Consolidated all public safety
communications into a single,
countywide agency. This
includes two PSAPs and the
emergency radio system.
• Snohomish County
successfully passed the 1/10th
of 1% sales and use tax to
support a radio
replacement/upgrade project
Snohomish County
that is currently in process.
• Snohomish County 911 has made significant strides in the hiring and recruitment process with the
anticipation of fulfilling all authorized positions by summer 2020 and given normal attrition,
believes they should be able keep up the pace.
• SNO911 is also making strides to improve employee wellness and resiliency.
Challenges:
• Retention. The job is rapidly becoming too complex with too many tasks and not enough
downtime between actions. SNO911 believes this will create burnout/stress and will impact
retention.
• Multi-generational workforce. Newer generations are only staying 5-7 years and have a completely
different understanding of employer/employee relationship.
• The number of public records requests increases each year, outpacing the staffing available to
respond in a timely fashion.
• Keeping up with technological changes and continuing to set public expectations in-light of real
technological advances versus unreal expectations from TV, movies, etc.
Efficiencies:
• In addition to the operational and financial impact noted above, SNO911 has become a natural
home for regional technologies, outside of the needs for the PSAP. A couple of examples include
the hosting of the countywide Tyler System which includes; corrections, law RMS (records
management system) and mobile applications. Bringing this under one technology umbrella has
significantly reduced the number of disparate, stand-alone systems used in the County.
• The second example is that SNO911 offers a leased laptop program which essentially provides a
standardized laptop for police and fire vehicles to connect. In these cases, SNO911 manages the
entire communication path, including hardware, connectivity, software, etc.
59 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Spokane County
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61 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Stevens County
Stevens County is located in northeast
Washington State with 38 miles of STEVENS COUNTY
International Border with Canada.
The western boundary of the county
Population: 45,260
is along Lake Roosevelt National
Recreation Area (LARO) on the Area: 2,541 Square Miles
Columbia River, with access into Ferry
1 PSAP
County by only a single ferry and two bridges over 85 miles.
30 Fire/EMS/Law agencies
Rich in history, the original Stevens Territory represented what are
now 13 counties in eastern Washington, all of northern Idaho and 8 Additional agencies
much of western Montana. Prior to settlement, the Kettle Falls on the
Columbia River was a gathering place for 14 tribes that fished there for 12 Telecommunicators
salmon. In 1811, explorers embarked downriver from Kettle Falls to 1 Supervisor
what became the Fort Colville trading post. It was the principal
outpost for Hudson's Bay Company operations stretching from the 0 ( IT: County Based)
Mississippi River to the Cascade Mountains. 2019
Colville is the county seat of Stevens County, with a population of Call for service: 30,660
4,673 people. Other incorporated towns are Springdale, Chewelah,
Kettle Falls, Marcus and Northport. Main industries for the county are 911’s received: 16,505
timber, agriculture, tourism and manufacturing. Stevens County has a
Business calls: 62,340
large federal presence with Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area
(LARO), Colville National Forest, Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Budget: $1.68 million
Area, and the Kiniksu National Forest. LARO attracts 1.36 million
Revenue: mix of Phone
visitors, of which 585,000 specifically visit Stevens County. Stevens
excise tax / 22%, State E11
County has a history of significant wildfires potential. In 2015, three
funding / 15%, User fees /
major wildfires broke out, resulting with approximately 80,000 acres
%8%, and Miscellaneous
burned, along with multiple residences, outbuilding and one civilian
revenue / 5%.
casualty.
The Spokane Tribe of Indians Reservation is located in the southwest
corner of the county and cover 237 square miles. Stevens County 911 provides initial call taking for the
Tribe.
Stevens County 9-1-1 is a division of the Stevens County Sheriff’s Office with agreements with 16 fire, 11
law, 3 EMS and 8 other agencies. Maintaining the existing operations requires State 911 fund assistance,
significant user fees and revenue from leased microwave circuits. There are NO direct current expense
funds allocated from Stevens County. In addition, Stevens County 911 dispatched for Fire and EMS in
eastern Ferry County. Terrain plays an important role in emergency response within the county. With the
large volumes of waterways, lakes and mountain ranges, coupled with limited cellular towers, location
becomes a challenge for the 75% of our calls that are cell based.
62 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
In addition to providing 911 and dispatch services, Stevens County 9-1-1 owns and maintains the entire
radio infrastructure in the county including towers, base stations, repeaters, microwave network and radio
consoles in the PSAP.
Successes:
• Stevens County 911 expand its original single radio frequency,
that was shared with Pend Oreille County, to four separate
frequencies to serve a) north fire agencies, b) south fire agencies
and c) two law enforcement frequencies. All of these
frequencies are served by mountain top repeaters.
• Stevens County 911 has developed and implemented a funding
model in which all agencies are equally assessed for use of the
dispatch and radio system.
• Stevens County has successfully leveraged a FEMA Assistance to
Fire Fighter grant for an eight (8) hop microwave
communications system.
• Stevens County 9-1-1 has leveraged other outside funding
sources, combined with inter-county loan opportunities to
upgrade the radio consoles, mountain top repeaters and in the
summer of 2020, a full simulcast for all four frequencies.
Challenges:
• Stevens County struggles with finding dedicated funding to help reduce the need for State funds
and significant agency user fees. Currently the use of the 1/10th or 2/10th of 1% tax is not feasible
due to significant unresolved issues with the County jail. It is currently running 150% of capacity
with a large number of prisoners being housed out of county.
• As a part of the dedicated funding issue, Stevens County 911 is currently facing the immediate
need to upgrade/replace its 911 phone system without any identified funding source.
• Stevens County 9-1-1 struggles with finding candidate to even apply for the arduous hiring process.
• Stevens County radio and cell phone coverage is a significant operational challenge as well as
lengthy emergency response times to calls, requiring call takers, when available, to stay on the line
with callers.
Efficiencies:
• Stevens County 911 has leveraged numerous federal, state and local funding sources to upgrade
our radio communications. Currently, all radio consoles, mountain top repeaters and 48v power
plants are state of the art.
• Stevens County 911 provides management and oversight for all emergency communications with
contracted agencies, providing consistency and efficiencies over all.
• A single Computer Aided Dispatch platform is being used for all law, fire and EMS agencies within
the county, providing information sharing across the disciplines.
63 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Thurston County
THURSTON COUNTY
Population: 290,536
Since 1970, TCOMM911 has been the single-source 911 call and dispatch
center in Thurston County. Thurston 911 Communications (TCOMM911) Area: 721 Square Miles
provides three vital public service functions in Thurston County. First, 1 - PSAP
TCOMM911 receives and processes all 911 emergency calls for help from
within the County. The second vital function is dispatching the appropriate 8 - Law Enforcement Agencies
public safety responders to the emergency – TCOMM911 provides
12 - Fire/EMS Agencies
dispatch services to all law enforcement (except Washington State Patrol),
Fire Districts and Departments, and Medic One in the County. Third, 47 - Telecommunicators
TCOMM911 owns, operates and manages the Thurston County Emergency
8 - Supervisors
Radio Network (TCERN).
TCOMM is an independent, non-profit governmental agency. Established by 10 - Admin/IT/Support
an intergovernmental agreement following RCW 39.34 and incorporated as 2019
a 501(c)3 charitable organization. The agency is governed by an eight-
Calls for Service: 249,000
member Administration Board of Directors with a ten-member advisory
Operations Board established by the intergovernmental agreement. Total Telephone Activity:
400,436
The County’s largest city, Olympia, is host to the Washington State Capitol.
Positioned south of Pierce County on the shores of the southern Puget 911 Calls Received: 150,802
Sound and straddling Interstate Highway 5, TCOMM911 receives and Budget: $8.2 million
processes emergency and non-emergency calls from a wide variety of
population – ranging from State legislators to interstate transportation Revenue: $9.8 million
providers. These calls are processed according to the appropriate level of • Emergency
public safety response based on protocols determined in conjunction with Communications
law enforcement, fire service and Medic One. TCOMM911 also works Sales/Use Tax – 62%
closely with Washington State Patrol on state highway and I-5 responses as • 911 Excise Tax – 29%
well as responses to the Capitol campus. • Grants, Leases, etc. – 8%
The agency is self-sufficient – funded by three revenue sources: a Thurston
County emergency communications
sales/use tax, an excise tax on devices capable of accessing 911, and grants,
leases, and non-member fees.
64 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Successes:
• Previously TCOMM911 was a Thurston County department known as CAPCOMM, Thurston 911
Communications (TCOMM911) was established as an
independent agency in 2010.
• Thurston County successfully passed the 1/10th of 1% emergency
communications sales and use tax in 2002 and an additional
1/10th in 2019.
• The additional emergency communications sales/use tax will fund
the replacement of the emergency radio network and contribute
the operations of the emergency communications network.
• Staffing is often a huge challenge for 911 agencies; TCOMM911
has enjoyed full or near full employment since its inception.
• The TCOMM911 team maintains high quality standards in the
delivery of a vital public safety service.
Challenges:
• Although TCOMM911 maintains good staffing levels recruitment, hiring and successful retention of new
Public Safety Telecommunicators is a challenge. The agency typically conducts two recruitments a year just
to maintain staffing levels.
• Because of the frequent recruiting and hiring processes, the agency is constantly in training mode. New
employees take up to 18 months to become fully competent with call intake, fire and law dispatch.
• Negative employment turnover usually occurs within the first 18 months of hiring. 911
telecommunications is a very difficult profession…one that some candidates are unable to master.
Efficiencies:
• 2010, TCOMM911 became independent realizing substantial savings.
• 2014, TCOMM911 entered into a consortium with Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency (CRESA) and
Wahkiakum County 911 for the purpose of sharing a single geographically diverse telephone system for
handling 911 emergency and non-emergency calls.
• 2016, Administration staff was reorganized enabling the addition of previously frozen positions following
the great recession.
• 2019, TCOMM911, CRESA, and Wahkiakum renewed the consortium when upgrading the phone system
and added a new partner from Chelan and Douglas Counties – RiverCom 911. Sharing telephone
equipment in a host and remote configuration saves funds on the capital purchases and with on-going
support and maintenance. The consortium is actively seeking new partners to realize the efficiencies on a
greater scale.
65 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Wahkiakum County
Wahkiakum County Sheriff’s Office
Sheriff Mark C. Howie
P. O. Box 65/64 Main Street ,Cathlamet, WA 98612 360-795-3242 or 360-465-2202 Fax: 360-795-3145
Chief Civil Deputy Joannie Kuhlmeyer Undersheriff Gary Howell
Population: 4426
Square miles: 263
12 Law/Fire/EMS/Other agencies served (Fire/EMS all volunteer agencies)
Personnel:
1 Director (also Jail Commander, Accounts Payable, Chief Civil Deputy)
8 Call takers (cross trained Corrections)
1 Supervisor (Call taker also)
1 Admin (does Call taking a %
1 GIS Technician (shared with County
IT Support (.3 FTE- is also the DEM for the county
2019:
911 calls- 1,849
Admin calls- 12,690
Calls for Service- 4,396
Total Budget- $816,897
Revenue Source- Phone excise tax and State 911 Operations Contract
Text to 911- 2016
Wahkiakum County (wuh-Ki-uh-kuhm), the 2nd smallest county in Washington based on population, was
created by the territorial legislature in 1854. The name comes from a Kathlamet Indian village located on
the north bank of the Columbia River near the present town of Cathlamet. Chief Wakaiyakam, whose
name the village took, is buried in Pioneer Cemetery in Cathlamet. Wahkiakum means “tall timber” in
Chinook.
66 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Cathlamet, county seat of Wahkiakum County, got its name from the Kathlamet Indians, a Chinook tribe.
The tribal name comes from the Chinook word "calamet," meaning "stone" and was given to the tribe
because they lived along a stretch of rocky river bed. Cathlamet was sighted in 1792 by Lt. W.R. Broughton,
while verifying Capt. Robert Gray’s reported discovery of the Columbia River. In 1805, the Lewis & Clark
Expedition found the Kathlamet and Wahkiakum tribes living here during their Northwest Expedition and
they camped at the present-day Vista Park in Skamokawa where they traded with the Indians. James Birnie
of Hudson Bay Company settled here in 1846 and named the area Birnie’s Retreat. The name was later
changed to Cathlamet in 1851. Other communities in Wahkiakum County include Puget Island,
Skamokawa, Grays River, Rosburg, and Deep River.
Wahkiakum County has a sole PSAP that is housed with the Sheriff’s Office and county jail. All call takers
are cross trained Corrections Officers. One of our challenges is hiring staff that are capable of doing both
jobs- one more physically demanding and the other needing multi-tasking skills, and both requiring great
verbal and social skills.
Due to our rural location, radio and cell phone coverage is always a challenge. We currently have a
working group to work on funding for an upgrade to our radio infrastructure.
Wahkiakum was an early adopter of Text to 911. Our plan was to be one of the first few in the state,
however, we did not have the cell companies needed to accomplish that. After a new provider located a
tower in our county, we were able to connect the service in 2016. We have the capability to transfer text
sessions back and forth with our neighbors in Oregon, who we regularly transfer voice calls to.
Wahkiakum County is part of a host/remote phone solution. We are part of a consortium that includes
TCOMM, CRESA, and RiverCom. This has enabled funding efficiencies in equipment centralization, as well
as providing geo-diversity in call routing to mitigate failures due to unforeseen hazards. This partnership
has afforded us backup and support by larger PSAP’s for IT maintenance, training, technical knowledge,
etc. This is a model that the SECO is embracing and promoting to get other PSAP’s working toward similar
efficiencies in this next generation of 911.
67 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Walla Walla County
Walla Walla Emergency Services Communications (WESCOM) is the
designated Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for Walla Walla County, Population: 60,922
located in southeastern Washington. Area: 1,299 Square
Walla Walla County is primarily an agricultural region, known historically Miles
for the famous Walla Walla Sweet Onions, and now recognized as an 1 PSAP
international Wine destination. Small town charm blends with more
14 Fire/EMS/Law Agencies
than 120 world class wineries, award-winning restaurants, history, arts
12 Telecommunicators
and culture, to create increasing popularity as a tourist destination.
3 Supervisors
The City of Walla Walla is home to both Whitman College and Walla 2 Admin/Support
Walla Community College, and Walla Walla University is located nearby 2019
in College Place, Washington. The Washington State Penitentiary is also • Calls for service: 85,681
located in Walla Walla, providing correctional services to the state since
• 911’s received: 22,633
1886, a few years before Washington gained statehood. It is the second
largest correctional facility in the state. In addition to Providence St.
• Business calls:
Mary Medical Center, Walla Walla is also home to a large United States 63,048
Veteran’s Administration Hospital. Budget: $2.2
While the area is rich with the natural beauty of the Blue Mountains and million
many rivers, creeks and streams, it is also subject to its share of hazards. Revenue: mix of phone excise
Within the last 25 years, Walla Walla County has faced two major
tax, State Grant and user fees.
flooding events with widespread property destruction. In this current
year, we are still recovering from a significant flood event in February
with damages approaching $20 million and impacting the City of Walla Walla, City of Waitsburg, and Walla
Walla County as a whole. Personal property loss alone exceeded $3.4 million, with structural losses in excess
of $4.5 million. Damage to government infrastructure totaled more than $8 million.
In addition to flood hazards, Walla Walla County is also subject to wildfires, severe storms, and is at a high-
risk rating for earthquake.
Walla Walla Emergency Services Communications (WESCOM) is a division of the Walla Walla Police
Department, which serves as the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for 911 calls and provides, through a
multi-agency user’s agreement, dispatch services for the City of Walla Walla Police, Walla Walla County
Sheriff’s Office, and College Place Police Department. We also provide minimal dispatch services to the USVA
Police.
Fire and Emergency Medical Services dispatch is provided for the cities of Walla Walla and College Place, and
for rural fire districts 1,3,4,6,7 and 8.
Walla Walla County owns both the 911 phone and radio dispatch infrastructure including towers, base
stations, repeaters, microwave system, and PSAP consoles. And, while the system is owned by Walla Walla
County, it is managed entirely by the City of Walla Walla.
One of the unique features of WESCOM is our unusually low rate of personnel turnover. While many centers
face continual turnover of dispatch personnel, our center is staffed with a majority of dispatchers that have
made this service their career choice, many with decades of service provided to our citizens and first
responders.
68 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Successes:
WESCOM has successfully transitioned to the new statewide ESINET II NG911 system and is preparing to
implement both Text to 911 service, and RAPIDSOS services during calendar year 2020.
WESCOM now operates on a joint CAD and Records Management System which is shared with Columbia
County. Additionally, the CAD system is also shared with the City of Milton-Freewater, Oregon.
WESCOM was successful in receiving a USDA Small Communities grant which funded a significant portion of
the installation of a needed remote radio site to provide enhanced radio coverage in a sparsely populated
portion of Walla Walla County.
Challenges:
1. Finding dedicated funding to help reduce the need for State funds and escalating user agency fees.
Finding sufficient funding to cover costs associated with the dispatch side of 911 calls for service. While 911
taxes cover a portion of the costs associated with the receipt of 911 calls, these taxes do not cover costs
associated with dispatching the needed Law Enforcement/Fire/EMS services to the reported emergencies.
Evolving radio technologies and interoperability solutions are expensive, and electronic equipment has
limited service lives. While 911 is critically important to public safety, there is a huge gap in meeting the need
for funding of the costs related to maintaining effective dispatch communications systems.
2. Finding funding for the relocation of the existing PSAP.
WESCOM is currently located in downtown Walla Walla, at the intersection of 2nd & Rose Streets. This
current location is directly across the street from the tallest building in Walla
Walla, which is the historic Marcus Whitman Hotel. WESCOM is co-located with the Emergency Operations
Center and Walla Walla County Emergency Management. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mill Creek flood
control project channel runs directly under the parking lot and building adjacent to the PSAP.
Unfortunately, due to decaying infrastructure, a significant area of the parking lot has been determined to
be unsafe and is physically barricaded to prevent people from parking there. There is an identified collapse
hazard which could result in the parking area falling into the river flood control channel below street level.
This loss of available parking is particularly evident during any activation of the Emergency Operations
Center as there is insufficient parking for those that need to be functioning within this facility.
Because of an identified earthquake hazard in Walla Walla County, as well as a history of significant flooding
and high water flow in the Mill Creek channel, the current location presents dangers of building compromise
from falling debris from the towering hotel structure, plus the hazard of potential collapse of the area to
the west of the WESCOM building.
Efficiencies:
Walla Walla Emergency Services Communications (WESCOM) and Columbia County 911 share a CAD System
(Tyler Technology/New World), along with the Milton-Freewater Police Department in Oregon. This multi-
agency sharing of a single CAD platform has reduced costs for each agency and allows all regional agencies
to view and have situational awareness of calls in their bordering jurisdictions. This sharing also allows for
more efficient transferring of call information between jurisdictions, and redundancy allows for one PSAP to
handle calls for another.
69 | P a g e 911 Legislative Cost Study Report
Whatcom County
Whatcom County
Population: 225,300
Area: 2,503 Square Miles
What-Comm 911 is located in the City of Bellingham in Whatcom 1 PSAP
County. Bellingham is the largest city in Whatcom County with a
population of 90,000. Bellingham is a waterfront town that attracts 9 Law Enforcement Agencies
many visitors, especially in the summer. We have a large college 25 Telecommunicators
population and being so close to the Canadian border we have a
large transitory population of Canadian shoppers and visitors. 4 Supervisors
Canada borders Whatcom County to the north. There are 4 border 5 Admin/IT/Support
crossings in our county. The Cascade mountains are found on our
2019
eastern border separating Whatcom County from Okanogan
County. Skagit County is at our southern border and several bays Calls processed: 289,712
separate Whatcom County from San Juan County to the west.
911 calls received: 138,598
Whatcom County enjoys a diverse landscape featuring Mt. Baker,
numerous lakes, as well as several bays and beaches. Search Other emergency lines: 43,354
and rescue calls are common during the winter ski season as well Non-emergency calls: 32,421
as the summer recreation season. Our diverse landscape creates
challenges for radio communication as well as access to some Outgoing calls: 75,339
areas of our county. The Newhalem and Diablo lake areas are
Budget: $5.3 million
within in our county, but one must travel through Skagit County to
access the area. Pt. Roberts is another remote area and it is Revenue: 911 phone tax, user
accessed through Canada. And Lummi Island must be accessed fees, and state grant.
via ferry.
What-Comm 911 is the primary PSAP for
Whatcom County and operates under an
interlocal agreement with 9 law enforcement
agencies. While What-Comm receives all 911
calls for Whatcom County, Fire and EMS calls
are transferred to a secondary fire dispatch
center that also serves as our back-up center.
What-Comm relies on 911 tax revenue and user
fees for funding.
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Successes:
• What-Comm has improved our hiring and training process resulting in a low turnover rate
of 8% and longer retention. 20% of our dispatchers have 20 or more years experience and
50% of our staff have 10 or more years experience.
• In the past 4 years What-Comm has purchased a new 911 phone system and a new CAD
system.
• In spite of a small and aging facility, in the past 2 years we have maximized space and
efficiency by remodeling our console room and training room.
• What-Comm moved to a civilian administration in 2014 and added Dispatch Supervisors in
2017. Opportunities for advancement and involvement have greatly increased for
dispatchers.
• In the past 2 years What-Comm has added 3 border towns as user agencies. These
municipalities were previously dispatched by the US Border Patrol. Having all Whatcom
County law enforcement agencies dispatched from What-Comm has improved
interoperability between agencies and has improved the level of service for those 3 border
towns.
Challenges:
• Funding is a significant challenge. What-Comm relies on 911 tax revenue and user fees to
support our facility and operations. Tax revenue covers roughly 40% of our expenses
leaving our user agencies to bear the remaining burden. Our user agencies have their
own economic struggles and are facing larger increases in user fees every year as our
cost of doing business; in particular the cost of keeping up with and maintaining
technology, continues to increase.
• What-Comm has not sought any portion of the .2% emergency communication sales tax.
Our county has a high sales tax rate and is considering sales tax increases to cover the
cost of a new jail as well as to address our aging radio infrastructure.
• Whatcom County radio infrastructure is aging and overdue for a significant upgrade.
• Due to the diverse geography of Whatcom County, there are areas where radio coverage
and cell phone coverage is deficient. This can lead to difficulty in locating callers as well
as difficulty in communication with callers and responders.
Efficiencies:
• What-Comm and our secondary PSAP, Prospect (fire dispatch) serve as each other’s
back-up facility.
• What-Comm and Prospect share a CAD system (including AVL and mapping), enabling
each center to see and add information as needed to each other’s incidents.
• What-Comm and Prospect share a host-remote 911 phone system with What-Comm
hosting the system. This enables us to easily transfer calls between centers and to
conference calls between centers as necessary.
• What-Comm created a Tactical Dispatch program. Trained Tactical Dispatchers respond
to the command post of major incidents when requested and manage that incident
separately from our normal dispatch operations.
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Whitman County
WHITMAN COUNTY
Population: 50,104
Area: 2178 Square Miles
1 PSAP
Whitcom 911 is located in Pullman, along the rolling hills of the 2 States (Washington &
Palouse region of southeastern Washington. Whitcom is the Idaho)
Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for the region and 2 Universities
dispatches all police, fire and EMS for Whitman County, Asotin
County, Moscow, ID, and the Nez Perce Tribe, to include 1 Sovereign Nation (in 5
counties in Idaho)
Washington State University and the University of Idaho. Our
dispatch team receives and processes 9-1-1 and non-emergency 2 Washington Counties
telephone calls, and coordinates responses for Law, Fire, and
70 Fire/EMS/Law/Public
EMS services. Works agencies
The Palouse is close to mountain ranges, scenic lakes and rivers 18 Telecommunicators
that offer an abundance of diverse recreational options for
outdoor enthusiasts. Although the area is generally rural, there 2 Supervisors
are many options for local cultural and community events 6 Admin/IT/Support
throughout the year including PAC-12 sports, arts, and
2019
entertainment.
Call for service: 124,721
Whitcom 911 is governed by an Executive Board of Directors
made up of participating interlocal partners, Whitman County, 911’s received: 34,143
WSU, and the City of Pullman. The eight-member Executive Business calls: 90,578
Board is composed of two voting members from each interlocal
partner, and one voting member each from Asotin County and Budget: $3.2 million
the City of Moscow. Revenue: Interlocal
member user fees, Grants,
Taxes and Contracts.
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Successes:
• In 2004, Whitcom regionalized with Moscow, Idaho and Asotin County. In 2015, Whitcom
began dispatching for the Nez Perce Tribal Police.
• Whitcom has maintained a good working partnership with our agencies and saved
taxpayers a significant amount of money, with not having to operate two or three
additional 911 dispatch centers.
• Because of the geographical footprint Whitcom covers, dispatchers are able to get
emergency information broadcast across multiple jurisdictions quickly and have played a
significant role in timely crime solving for many in progress incidents.
Challenges:
• Finding dedicated funding to help reduce the need for State funds and user agency fees.
• Whitcom struggles with successful retention of new Dispatchers, and turnover often
results in unsustainable overtime and additional stress on current employees.
• Radio and cell phone coverage is a significant operational challenge as well as lengthy
emergency response times to calls, requiring call takers, when available, to stay on the line
with callers.
Efficiencies:
• Having a regional PSAP has reduced the duplication of multiple agencies having to
purchase expensive dispatch equipment.
• A single merged CAD platform is utilized which allows all agencies to share call data,
mapping and field data.
• All Whitcom Dispatchers are cross trained as call takers and dispatchers for all agencies.
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Washington State Patrol
The
Washington
State Patrol Communications Division serves the motoring public,
state troopers, commercial vehicle enforcement officers and
contracted state and federal agencies by answering business and
911 calls and providing dispatch services, completing data and
record requests and other support services as
requested. Contracted state and federal agencies include the
Army Corp of Engineers, Bureau of Land Management, Gambling
Commission, Homeland Security, Liquor & Cannabis Board,
Washington State Parks, Washington Department of Fish and
Wildlife, U.S. Fish & Game, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Marshals and
more. Services are provided via WSP’s eight Communications
Centers located throughout Washington State.
Successes
o The WSP Communications Training Program received the
internationally recognized certification from the Association of
Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International in
January, 2020.
o Aged dispatch consoles were replaced in three of the eight
WSP Communications Centers.
o Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) software and hardware
were refreshed in 2020.
Efficiencies
o A single merged CAD platform allows all WSP
Communications Centers to share data and transfer incidents as a
call moves through jurisdictional and geographical boundaries.
o Proper redundancy with CAD, radio and telephony allows
WSP Communications Centers to back-up one another, allowing
for a fully self-sufficient Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP).
o WSP Communications Centers operate with very lean
staffing levels, however staff are trained so that they can support
any WSP center with the same professionalism and focus on
public and officer safety regardless of the location.
o The Communications Division improved and strengthened
policies and procedures in our efforts to gain our APCO Training
Certification and the Commission on Accreditation for Law
Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) Communications and law
enforcement accreditations.
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Challenges
o Reduced funding and budget cuts due to Washington State
revenue shortfall from the COVID-19 Pandemic.
o Staffing retention, recruitment and hiring challenges continue to
occur in three of the eight communications centers.
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Yakima County
SunComm Communications is the primary PSAP in Yakima County. Yakima County is the second
largest county in Washington State, with 4300 square miles and more than 250,000 residents,
who represent diverse communities, terrain and economics. The primary base of economics are
commercial agricultural and manufacturing.
The Yakama Tribe and the U.S. Army Firing Center are also located in Yakima County and are
part of Yakima County’s strategic emergency response plan. Included in SunComm’s Public
Safety Communications network are the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch, Lower Valley
District #5 Fire Dispatch, Grandview PD Dispatch, Toppenish PD Dispatch, US Army Firing
Center, and the Yakama Tribal Dispatch.
The county geography is often referred to as the Upper Valley, which is considered north of the
natural “Gap” located on US 97 between the City of Union Gap and the Lower Valley, When
referring to the Lower Valley, it is considered to be all geographic areas of the county south of the
“Gap”. The City of Yakima is the largest city within the county and is the county seat and supports
a population of 97,000 residents.
SunComm is a Division of the City of Yakima’s Fire Department. SunComm 911 is governed by
two Inter-Local Agreements (ILA). The first is an ILA between the county and cities that
consolidates 911 within the county and establishes the bylaws. The second is an ILA between the
county and city, establishing the responsibly of daily management of 911 services. The operation
of 911 has oversight provided by two boards. First, is an Administrative Board, comprised of
elected officials and the second is an Operational Board, comprised of Chiefs from agencies
across the county. Dispatch operations are under the direction of the City of Yakima Fire Chief,
with input from the user agencies.
SunComm’s primary location is currently equipped with 12 total 911 consoles. Seven of these
consoles are considered dual position consoles, which support both dispatch and 911
simultaneously. In addition, SunComm has a stand-alone back-up center with five dual position
consoles and a separate CPE system.
Accomplishments:
The entire county consolidated to a single CAD application in 2010, which assisted in continuity of
operations. Even though radio communications are still a challenge, law, fire, and EMS can view
one another’s CAD calls, including updates, locations and status, thus making it possible to use a
silent dispatch procedure in emergent cases.
Additionally, the county and the City of Yakima joined together in 2014 and repurposed a partially
vacant county facility to house the Office of Emergency Medical Services and SunComm 911.
The county installed and supports a robust data network, which has the capability to run north into
Kittitas County and south into Benton County. This provides a strategic gateway to leverage public
safety assets throughout the valley.
Challenges:
SunComm’s first and foremost challenge, like many PSAPs, is the ability to attract, hire, and retain
staff. SunComm’s retention rate after 2 years of service is very good. Less than 2 years many of
the new employees, especially at the less than 6 month time of service, decide the career is not
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for them and their families and resign. Benefits and pay do not seem to be a contributing factor in
retention or recruiting.
The second challenge for public safety communications in the Yakima Valley is the ability to build
continuity between agencies to adopt one public safety radio infrastructure, compatible with a P25
platform, in order to provide first responders an expanded radio coverage network and the ability
to sustain multiple incidents. The underlying issue is the ability to fund such a system without an
additional tax burden on the residents. At this time, Yakima County has not considered adopting
the communications tax as a resource to resolve this issue. Emplacing such a radio system would
reduce the multiple, incompatible radio systems, consolidate infrastructure, maintenance, support
and upgrade critical systems that are supported under the manufacturer. In addition, these new
systems would provide the recommended number of radio channels necessary to support all
emergency services in Yakima County.
Lastly, as public safety support companies are forced to minimize their staff, the response times
for CPE troubleshooting and repair continues to increase. SunComm’s primary 9-1-1 customer
premise equipment (CPE) phone tech position was eliminated by their company May 1, 2020. We
are now forced to rely on a tech from 80 miles away who also serves as support to other PSAPs
throughout Eastern Washington State.
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