545 WASHINGTON BOULEVARD JERSEY CITY, NJ 07310-1686 TEL: 1-800-444-4554 Presurvey Information Request for Communication/Dispatch Centers ISO is the principal provider of underwriting, rating, and statistical information to the insurance industry in the United States. An important part of the information ISO provides to insurers is a community s Public Protection Classification (PPC ) number. The PPC program evaluates community fire suppression delivery systems according to a uniform set of criteria, incorporating nationally recognized standards developed by the National Fire Protection Association. Because a community s investment in fire mitigation is a proven and reliable predictor of future fire losses, insurance companies rely upon ISO s PPC program to help establish fair premiums for fire insurance generally offering lower premiums in communities with better fire protection. As part of the PPC program, ISO conducts evaluations of communication/dispatch centers. This section of the review constitutes 10% of the final PPC score for the community. Following is a seven-page questionnaire. Please record as much of the information as possible on these forms. For questions that do not apply to your community, please indicate does not apply or DNA. Some questions indicate that an exhibit is necessary and imply the file name (for example, Exhibit 9B 6 Area Population ) that you should use. This nomenclature will assist ISO in its survey. Certain questions may need multiple answers. For example, question 22 asks for information about additional personnel available in the communication/dispatch center and provides the space to record the data for a single individual. To accommodate the entry of multiple individuals, Appendix A provides a form for additional information. When you need additional forms please make copies. Your cooperation in assembling this information before the ISO visit will greatly assist in expediting the survey and help to ensure that your community receives all the credit it deserves. Copyright ISO Properties, Inc. 2005 Edition 7/19/05
Presurvey Information Request for Communication/Dispatch Centers Name of Fire Agency: Date of Information: Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) Background Information First we need a little background information so we can understand who the players are and get a general picture of the PSAP. 1. Is the 911 PSAP under the same jurisdiction as the fire agency? Yes: No: a. Please identify the 911 PSAP answering point: b. Indicate the number of law-enforcement agencies in the 911 PSAP: c. Indicate the number of fire departments in the 911 PSAP: 2. What is the name and title of current person in charge of the 911 PSAP? Name: Title: E-mail: Phone: 3. What is the physical address and telephone number of the 911 PSAP? Street Address: City: Phone: Communications/Dispatch Center Background Information Now we need to know some general information about the communication/dispatch center. 4. What is the name and title of current person in charge of the fire department's communication/dispatch center? Name: E-mail: Title: Phone: 5. What is the physical address and telephone number of the fire department's communication/dispatch center? Street Address: City: Phone: 6. Indicate the current population of the area served by the communication/dispatch center: Source of population information: Provide an exhibit to document this information (Exhibit 9B 6 Area Population) Copyright ISO Properties, Inc. 2005 Page 1 of 7 Edition 7/19/2005
Telephone Lines In this section, we will be gathering information to begin the scoring. The data will allow for analysis of the publication of the telephone numbers as well as the number of telephone lines provided in the center and how you use them. 7. Indicate the total number of emergency lines that terminate at the communication/dispatch center: 911 lines: 7/10-digit lines: Total: 8. Is the primary emergency telephone number for the center: a. 911 Yes: No: i. If the system is 911, identify the type: Basic Enhanced ii. Are the 911 lines enhanced with ANI? Yes: No: iii. Are the 911 lines enhanced with ALI? Yes: No: iv. Are certain incoming phone lines reserved for fire calls? Yes: No: v. Indicate if the 911 or 7/10-digit emergency telephone number is listed in the local telephone directory in the following locations: Inside the front cover or front facing page: Yes: No: In the government blue pages: Yes: No: Under the heading Fire Dept in the white pages: Yes: No: b. 7/10 digit Yes: No: i. Identify the numbers: Provide an exhibit to document this information (Exhibit 9B 10 Telephone Directory Emergency Pages). 9. Indicate the total number of fire department/company business lines that terminate at the communication/dispatch center: Lines Are specific outgoing phone lines available for coordinating activities? Yes: No: 10. Indicate the telephone numbers of all of the fire department/company business lines: 11. Does the business number for the agency come into the communication/dispatch center or into the business offices? Communication/dispatch center: Business office: a. Are any of the fire department/company business lines at the communication/dispatch center listed in the local telephone directory? Yes: No: b. If yes, where are they listed in the directory? (under Fire, in government pages, etc.) Inside front page: Government pages: White pages under listing of Fire : Other (explain): Provide an exhibit to document this information (Exhibit 9B 13 Telephone Business Pages). Copyright ISO Properties, Inc. 2005 Page 2 of 7 Edition 7/19/2005
12. Do the 911 or 7/10-digit emergency telephone lines roll over (progress) to any business telephone lines if all of the emergency lines are being used? Yes: No: If the answer to the above question is yes, please indicate the seven digit phone number they roll over to: 13. Do private fire-detection systems use automatic telephone dialing equipment with recorded messages to report emergencies to the communication/dispatch center? Yes: No: If the answer to the above question is yes, is there an unlisted telephone line to receive these calls? Yes: No: If yes, indicate the phone number: Policies & Procedures A PSAP will often screen emergency calls and route them to the appropriate emergency service. We need to understand how you accomplish this. For instance, the PSAP may interrogate the caller and then transfer the call to the appropriate emergency service, or it may take the information and pass the information on to the appropriate service. It would be preferable to have the PSAP transfer the call rather than transfer the information. 14. Does the agency retransmit emergency calls to other entities? Yes: No: Are there written procedures in place for this process? Yes: No: Provide an exhibit to document this information (Exhibit 9B 16 Retransmit SOPs). Recording Devices 15. Is there a recording device that records: a. All incoming emergency telephone calls? Yes: No: b. All emergency radio dispatch traffic? Yes: No: 16. Is an immediate playback of 911/emergency calls available? Yes: No: If the answer to the above question is yes, where can this playback message be accessed? Telecommunicators At this point in the questionnaire we are ready to find out information about the telecommunications staff. The information provided will help us assess the number of telecommunicators you have relative to the number you need. 17. Indicate the number of police, EMS, fire, and other emergency calls received during the past year or 12- month period by the communication/dispatch center: Emergency calls: Year or dates of the 12-month period: Provide an exhibit to document this information (Exhibit 9B 20 Number of Calls) 18. Indicate the number of telecommunicators on duty per shift and the shift arrangements: Number of telecommunicators: Shift: Number of telecommunicators: Shift: Number of telecommunicators: Shift: Number of telecommunicators: Shift: Provide an exhibit to document this information (Exhibit 9B 21 Shift Roster) Copyright ISO Properties, Inc. 2005 Page 3 of 7 Edition 7/19/2005
19. Do telecommunicators provide EMD protocols? Yes: No: 20. Are telecommunicators allowed to sleep while on duty? Yes: No: If yes, please identify the periods when they are allowed to sleep and how many telecommunicators are allowed to sleep: 21. Is a supervisor always on duty with the telecommunicators? Yes: No: If yes, where is the supervisor located? If no, please indicate the days of the week and times when there is no supervisor on duty: 22. Are any other personnel (director, administrative staff, etc.) available in the communication/dispatch center and trained as telecommunicators so they can assist if needed as call takers or dispatchers? Yes: No: If yes, please indicate the following for each person: a. Position title: b. Normal location in the communication/dispatch center: c. Hours per week they are normally available: Note: For additional personnel, please provide the above information on an attached page (see Appendix A). Call Detail Reporting Some communication/dispatch centers can take advantage of reporting software that can be an invaluable aid to learning the details of the workload and subsequent performance capabilities. Where you can glean the information from these reporting systems, please complete the following: 23. Is call-detail reporting (CDR) or other reporting software available to document the time the emergency call is answered and the time it takes to dispatch the fire department/companies? Yes: No: If yes, please provide this data for the last full year showing the following: a. What percentage of 911/emergency calls are answered within 15 seconds? % b. What percentage of 911/emergency calls are answered within 40 seconds? % c. What percentage of emergency fire calls are dispatched to the appropriate fire department/companies within 60 seconds after the completed receipt of a 911 or 7/10-digit emergency call? % d. Average daily number of calls received at communication/dispatch center: e. Average monthly number of calls received at communication/dispatch center: f. Annual number of calls received at communication/dispatch center: Copyright ISO Properties, Inc. 2005 Page 4 of 7 Edition 7/19/2005
g. Annual number of calls received at communication/dispatch center related to: 1. Law enforcement 2. Fire 3. EMS 4. Fire department emergency but not fire/ems Provide an exhibit to document this information (Exhibit 9B 27 Call Detail Report). Dispatch Method 24. Please indicate what methods are available to dispatch the fire department/companies (radio with pagers, hard-wired voice amplification or CAD to fire stations, etc.): Voice or alphanumeric receivers: Hard-wired voice amplification: CAD to fire stations: Pagers: Outside coded sounding device: Other: Transmission of Dispatch Now it is time to understand how the emergency calls received at the communication/dispatch center are transmitted to the emergency response. 25. For each fire department that the communication/dispatch center dispatches for, please describe the procedure and the route that the dispatch signal goes through from the console to the pager, siren, CAD printer, etc.: 26. Please provide the frequency(ies) used for dispatching radio-dispatch systems: Transmit: MHz MHz MHz MHz MHz Receive: MHz MHz MHz MHz MHz Note: To record additional frequencies, please provide the above information on an attached page. (See Appendix A.) 27. Please provide the location of all remote transmitter/antenna sites used for dispatching fire departments/companies: a. Number of sites: b. Name & location of site: c. Please identify the fire departments or fire companies that can receive a signal from this site: Copyright ISO Properties, Inc. 2005 Page 5 of 7 Edition 7/19/2005
d. Please describe how the signal from the communication/dispatch center reaches the antenna: e. Is emergency power provided at the transmitter/antenna site? Yes: No: If the answer to the above question is yes, please provide the following information: i. Identify the type of emergency power (batteries, generator, etc.): ii. In the event of a power failure, does the emergency power start automatically? iii. How often is the emergency power tested? iv. How long is the emergency power test conducted for? v. Who conducts the emergency power test? Minutes Yes: No: vi. Is the emergency power testing done under conditions that would simulate a power failure while carrying the load of the equipment)? Yes: No: Note: For additional remote transmitter/antenna sites, please provide the above information on an attached page (see Appendix A). Provide an exhibit to document the test information (Exhibit 9B 33 Transmitter/Antenna Tests). Emergency Power Most communication/dispatch centers have provisions for emergency power, but the types of systems vary as do the testing procedures. The following questions are designed to help us understand your center s emergency power system. 28. Please provide the following information about the emergency power at the communication/dispatch center: a. Is there a generator? Yes: No: If the answer to this question is yes, please provide the following information: i. Type: Diesel Natural Gas Other: ii. In the event of a power failure, does the emergency power start automatically? Yes: No: iii. How often is the emergency power tested? iv. How long is the emergency power test conducted for? v. Who conducts the emergency power test? Minutes vi. Is the emergency power testing done under conditions that would simulate a power failure while carrying the load of the equipment)? Yes: No: b. Is there a battery (Uninterrupted Power Supply UPS System)? Yes: No: If the answer to the above question is yes, please provide the following information: i. In the event of a power failure, does the emergency power start automatically? Yes: No: ii. How long will the batteries power the essential communications equipment necessary to dispatch fire alarms? Hours Provide an exhibit to document the test information (Exhibit 9B 35 Dispatch Power Tests). Copyright ISO Properties, Inc. 2005 Page 6 of 7 Edition 7/19/2005
Monitoring for Integrity NFPA has criteria for the automatic monitoring of circuits and other system components for defects or faults that interfere with receiving or transmitting an alarm. This is identified as Monitoring for Integrity. The questions below are designed to explore your system relative to the NFPA requirements. 29. To be eligible for ISO recognition for Monitoring for Integrity, please provide the following information: a. Provide a list or a computer screen print (Exhibit Monitoring for Integrity) of all of the primary dispatch circuit components that indicate a trouble description or condition on a trouble signal panel or display screen. b. Does the primary dispatch circuit have the circuit and all of its component features that require troublesignal activation (per NFPA 1221 section 8.1.2) monitored for integrity/failure condition? Yes: No: If yes, does the monitoring produce: Visual trouble signals: Audible trouble signals: c. Is there power supply and emergency power integrity/failure condition monitoring for all circuits and components at all locations, including remote radio transmitter-receiver antenna sites (reference NFPA 1221 section 8.1.2.2)? Yes: No: If yes, does the monitoring produce: Visual trouble signals: Audible trouble signals: d. Is there a visual signal on activation of the test circuit (reference NFPA 1221 section 8.1.2.5.1 and section 8.1.2.5.2)? Yes: No: e. Is there an audible signal on activation of the test circuit (reference NFPA 1221 section 8.1.2.5.1 and section 8.1.2.5.2)? Yes: No: f. Is the audible trouble signal: i. A single, short-duration tone or buzzer? Yes: No: ii. An intermittent or continuous tone or buzzer? Yes: No: g. Is there a reactivation of an audible trouble signal when an additional fault condition occurs while previous silenced fault condition remains active (reference NFPA 1221 section 8.1.2.4.3)? Yes: No: h Are trouble signals routed to a dedicated display screen or panel not used for routine dispatching activities (reference NFPA 1221section 8.1.2.5)? Yes: No: i. Are trouble signals displayed at a location where the personnel are in constant attendance and are responsible to respond to the signal (reference NFPA 1221 section 8.1.2.3)? Yes: No: j. For radio circuits, are there duplicate transmitters for the primary dispatch circuit? Yes: No: i. Is there a duplicate transmitter-receiver at the same site? Yes: No: ii. Is there switching provided to a different transmitter-receiver site location? iii. Is the transfer to the second transmitter done: automatically or manually iv. What is the maximum time that it takes to transfer to the second transmitter? Additional Information Yes: No: 30. Please provide a schematic or diagram showing the flow of dispatch signals from the communications center to the receivers on the system. Include transmitters, remote transmitter sites, repeaters, and method of signal transmission between locations. seconds Copyright ISO Properties, Inc. 2005 Page 7 of 7 Edition 7/19/2005
APPENDIX A Forms for Additional Information Copyright ISO Properties, Inc. 2005 Appendix A Edition 7/19/2005
22. Are any other personnel (director, administrative staff, etc.) available in the communication/dispatch center and trained as telecommunicators so they can assist if needed as call takers or dispatchers? Yes: No: If yes, please indicate the following for each person: a. Position title: b. Normal location in the communication/dispatch center: c. Hours per week they are normally available: 25. For each fire department that the communication/dispatch center dispatches for, please describe the procedure and the route that the dispatch signal goes through from the console to the pager, siren, CAD printer, etc.: 26. Please provide the frequency(ies) used for dispatching radio-dispatch systems: Transmit: MHz MHz MHz MHz MHz Receive: MHz MHz MHz MHz MHz 27. Please provide the location of all remote transmitter/antenna sites used for dispatching fire departments/companies: a. Number of sites: b. Name & location of site: c. Please identify the fire departments or fire companies that can receive a signal from this site: d. Please describe how the signal from the communication/dispatch center reaches the antenna: e. Is emergency power provided at the transmitter/antenna site? Yes: No: If the answer to the above question is yes, please provide the following information: i. Identify the type of emergency power (batteries, generator, etc.): ii. In the event of a power failure, does the emergency power start automatically? Yes: No: iii. How often is the emergency power tested? iv. How long is the emergency power test conducted for? minutes v. Who conducts the emergency power test? vi. Is the emergency power testing done under conditions that would simulate a power failure while carrying the load of the equipment)? Yes: No: Provide an exhibit to document the test information (Exhibit 9B 33 Transmitter/Antenna Tests). Copyright ISO Properties, Inc. 2005 Appendix A1 Edition 7/19/2005