Title
Joint resolution approving a commitment resources, data and $30,000 of financial support from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) towards the next phase of the Lake County Consolidated 911 effort.
Staff Summary
• The LCSO, along with various partners, participated in Lake County Emergency Telephone System Board (ETSB) 911 Consolidation Study that looked at consolidating more than a dozen independent primary and secondary Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP) in Lake County.
• The results of the study identify the potential benefits of dispatch consolidation which include enhancing coverage and data sharing; as well as realizing operation savings between agencies.
• The LCSO concurs that, once established, the Interim Policy Governance Board should recruit and select a professional project manager to provide implementation leadership for the consolidation effort. Once selected, the project manager will be the staff lead for all participating communities and public safety entities for the remaining consolidation activities.
• The LCSO is willing to commit to data collection, standardization and analysis, staff time, partial funding for hiring of the project manager and consultants (implementation team) necessary for the detailed data analysis. This commitment includes $30,000 of financial support towards the next phase of consolidation effort.
• The aforementioned commitment will enable the implementation team to calculate cost estimates for various alternatives, and will make recommendations for the most effective and economical cost alternative for consolidation of services.
• The funds have already been approved as a part of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 General Operating Expense Budget.
Body
RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Lake County and local partners studied opportunities to enhance service levels and gain efficiencies by consolidating more than a dozen independent primary and secondary Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP) in Lake County; and
WHEREAS, a Lake County and Lake County Emergency Telephone System Board (ETSB) 911 Consolidation Study including an assessment of the PSAP entities and communities in Lake County was completed in April 2017; and
WHEREAS, the Lake County and Lake County ETSB 911 Consolidation Study Report concluded that dispatch consolidation is a mutually beneficial path for public safety entities in Lake County; and
WHEREAS, potential benefits of dispatch consolidation include the following: reduced call transferring, enhanced coverage for 24/7 operations through increased staffing flexibility of well-staffed centers, more consistent and effective service delivery, greater opportunity for inter-agency response and/or back up, data sharing between agencies and responders in the field, and expanded oversight; enhanced interoperability and the ability to share information across jurisdictions; operational savings; reductions in future capital investment and duplicative technology maintenance agreements; and
WHEREAS, all of the findings and recommendations from the report have been presented and shared in numerous meetings with community and public safety representatives; and
WHEREAS, a more detailed examination by and dialogue among seriously interested public safety entities is needed to determine what service enhancements, efficiencies, and financial savings can be reached through regional consolidation of PSAP centers; and
WHEREAS, the detailed examination and dialogue will be under the direction of a formal 911 Consolidation Governance Committee comprised of representatives from committed communities; and
WHEREAS, it is recommended that the Policy Governance Board select a project manager to lead the development of an implementation plan to identify and resolve issues, weigh alternatives and collect all dispatch data to examine the costs, call activity and workloads of interested communities; and
WHEREAS, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office has expressed its commitment to:
Section 1. $30,000 in financial support towards this phase of the 911 consolidation effort. This allocation is based on an estimate and any funds not expended towards this effort will be refunded to Lake County
Section 2. Policy level and staff participation on governance boards and working groups that are tasked with data collection and analysis, policy review, financial considerations and the development of recommendations.
Section 3. As a member of the 911 Policy Governance Board, shall meet regularly, to discuss and make recommendations regarding the possible consolidation of 911 Emergency Telephone Service answering points (inclusive of dispatch services) within Lake County into one or more 911 operations and dispatch center (s) to serve all committed jurisdictions. The target delivery date for sharing the implementation report developed by this Committee is to file the written recommendations with both the County Board and the Sheriff’s Office in early 2019.
Section 4. As a member of the 911 Policy Governance Board, to identify all major implementation issues associated with 911 Dispatch consolidation, develop options and solutions for said issues, consider the operational impact of each alternative, share and document all findings, recommendations and best practices.
Section 5. As a member of the 911 Policy Governance Board, will work with the project manager and any necessary consultants to calculate cost estimates for various alternatives, and will make recommendations for the most effective and economical cost alternative for consolidation of services.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the Lake County Board hereby finds the Lake County Sheriff’s Office’s commitment to the next phase of the 911 Consolidation effort in Lake County, for all of the reasons stated above, is in the best interest of the health, safety, and general welfare of the residents of Lake County.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Lake County Board authorizes the Sheriff, on behalf of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, to take all steps necessary to implement the intent of this resolution. The County Clerk is hereby authorized to execute this Resolution and to transmit a certified copy to the Chair of the Lake County Board and to the Lake County Clerk.
DATED at Waukegan, Illinois, on February 13, 2018.