MEMORANDUM

TO: Pete Sprague, Assembly President

Members, Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly

THRU: Dale Bagley, Borough Mayor

FROM: Richard Campbell, General Services Director

David Gibbs, Emergency Manager

DATE: November 24, 2004

SUBJECT: Ordinance 2004-19-32 appropriating funds for a full-time Public Safety Dispatcher position for the Soldotna Communications Center

This ordinance responds to the needs of the Emergency Communications Division of the Kenai Peninsula Borough, Office of Emergency Management.

The Public Safety Communications Strategic Plan adopted by Resolution 2004-031 recommended that all dispatch centers in the Borough attempt to provide staffing levels which allow for two dispatchers to be on duty at all times. This is particularly important in centers that have implemented Emergency Medical Dispatching (EMD). The Soldotna Dispatch Center employs EMD for all emergency medical service calls.

The workload at the Soldotna Communications Center is increasing as agencies that use the center see large increases in calls for service. These include Central Emergency Services which saw call its volume increase by 8 percent in 2003, and as of November, 2004 call volume is 16 percent greater than this same period in 2003. The Alaska State Troopers have seen an increase in average monthly call volume by fourteen percent over 2003. Adding additional staff will help to resolve the problem of dispatcher burnout and aid in the retention of experienced personnel, two of the most critical issues facing the Soldotna Center today.

The State of Alaska, Department of Public Safety has agreed to transfer two positions from the recently closed Anchorage Communications Center to support a staffing increase at the Soldotna Center.

If this ordinance is approved, the staffing at the Soldotna Dispatch Center will be shared as follows:

1- Communications Center Manager- (Borough)

3- Shift Supervisors (1-Borough, 2-State)

10- Public Safety Dispatchers (5-Borough, 5-State)

Funds of $16,500 are needed for the balance of this fiscal year for the position.

I ask your support in funding this position.