MANAGEMENT PARTNERS, INC. (2005 Dispatch Analysis)

Home Browse Search

our recommendations. Our experience is that any effort that does not include a detailed action plan for implementation is destined for a long, undisturbed shelf life. As a result, whenever appropriate, we include implementation assistance in our plan of work. BACKGROUND Currently the Metro Cities Fire Authority Communications Center (Metro Net) provides the cities of Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley with fire and EMS dispatch services. This system currently serves seven cities: Anaheim, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, and Orange. The Metro Net Communications Center is located in the City of Anaheim. The City of Santa Ana provides its own fire and EMS dispatch service as a function of the Fire Department. The Fire Chiefs of Santa Ana, Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley (Project Cities) are interested in exploring options for upgrading their dispatch services for the three fire departments in a new consolidated center using available facilities in Huntington Beach. The Chiefs have identified several potential benefits from such an arrangement. 1. The City of Santa Ana has state of the art dispatch and communications infrastructure, but the actual dispatch center is very inadequate. A joint project could provide for a sharing of costs for a new facility, while maintaining the top shelf dispatch system the City is currently using. 2. The cities of Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley could potentially realize improved CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch) services as a results of being able to use the Santa Ana system. 3. The Project Cities are interested in exploring other joint services that could become part of a shared dispatch function. These would include a shared Homeland Security grant opportunity, regional emergency management and special operational programs, training, and training center functions considered part of the modern "all risk" fire department. Such partnerships could enhance services and reduce unit costs by elimination of duplication. 4. The Project Cities are all located within the Santa Ana Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) area. This is the federal grant program managed by the Department of Homeland Security. Under this program the Department of Homeland Security has defined urban areas with high population density and other risk factors for the purpose of improving response capability in geographically related areas. Orange County is divided into two UASI areas, the Santa Ana area in the south and the Anaheim area in the northern part of the county. The Project Cities believe they may be able to better utilize and leverage UASI funding in a shared fire communication environment. Management Partners has been asked to prepare a proposal to prepare an analysis of the potential for a partnership for consolidated and improved dispatch services. This analysis is to take into consideration the potential to grow to include some or all of the non -dispatch partnerships discussed above. 8