Seminole County
E-911
SeminoleCounty
Enhanced E-911 System
Administrative Operational Guide
1
SeminoleCounty, Enhanced E-911
Administrative Operational Guide
SeminoleCounty
Department of Public Safety
E-911 Administrative Office
150 Bush Blvd
Sanford, Fl. 32773
Phone 407.665.5911 • Fax 407.665.5036
Redesigned:October 2003
Revised:June 2008
1
Table of Contents
section 1
Standard Operating Guideline Format3
Organizational Responsibilities4
E-911 System Management6
Section 2
P.S.A.P. Configuration
External8
P.S.A.P. Configuration
Internal10
Automatic Alarms12
E 911 Test Calls13
E-911 Quality Assurance15
Equipment Repair16
P.S.A.P Manager Responsibilities17
Trouble Reporting/Repairs19
Telecommunicator Training21
Instructor Requirements22
SECTION 3
Answering Guidelines24
E-911 System Time
Verification25
Response To Unverified
E-911 Calls26
TDD / TTY Information28
Alternate Routing31
E-911 Transfers to other P.S.A.P’s35
Non-Emergency Calls
to E-91136
Call Tracing and
Address Look Up37
Report of School Bus
Accident38
Wireless Telephone Calls39
PBX / Switchboard Calls40
AT&T Language Line
Services41
Records Retention42
Addendums:
E-911 Inquiry Form
Alternate Routing Form
Section
1
Guideline Format
Organizational Responsibilities
E-911 System Management
Directive 1 - 1
Effective Date01/01/96Revision Date06/03/2008
Standard Operating Guideline Format
1.00PURPOSE:
To establish a consistent format for the creation, deletion or revision of current Seminole County E-911 Standard Operation Guidelines.
2.00DISCUSSION:
2.01Standard Operating Guidelines shall be as consistent as possible throughout the entire E-911 system. If a system has an appreciable lifetime, the guidelines associated with that system would change as the system is updated or modified to reflect any changes.
2.02This document establishes the format for all Standard Operating Guidelines.
3.00PROCEDURES:
3.01Each Standard Operation Guideline will be published on a standardized form approved by the SeminoleCountyE-911 Operating Guideline Committee.
3.02Each Standard Operation Guideline shall contain the following information:
S.O.G. Number, Number of Pages, Effective Date, Revision Date
3.03The text of each S.O.G. shall be paragraphed numerically in the following manner:
3.04Each major paragraph, or main topic heading shall be consecutively numbered beginning with “.01”.
3.05The S.O.G. shall be as brief as possible without reducing the accuracy or clarity. There is no requirement on the length or brevity to an S.O.G.
3.06Changes or updates to this S.O.G. are the responsibility of the Seminole County E-911 Operations Guideline Committee. They will submit all revisions and references to the E-911 Program Manager for guidance or approval. Once approved, sufficient copies will be reproduced and provided to each P.S.A.P.
3.07Revised S.O.G’s will supersede the appropriate previously issued S.O.G. which should be removed from the agency’s book.
3.08The Seminole County E-911 Administration Office will maintain all revisions to any S.O.G. for record keeping purposes.
Directive 1 - 2
Effective Date01/01/96Revision Date06/03/2008
Organizational Responsibilities
1.00PURPOSE:
To establish the responsible agencies and organizations for various aspects of SeminoleCounty's E-911 Emergency Telephone System.
2.00DISCUSSION:
2.01SeminoleCountyutilizes a systematic approach to providing Enhanced E-911 service to the citizens of each municipality and the unincorporated areas of the county. The system maintains a high degree of flexibility and system-wide reliability. This document will establish policies concerning the E-911 system responsibilities.
3.00ORGANIZATIONS:
- State of Florida - Represented by the Department of Management Services and Information Technology Services.
- Florida E-911 Board – Given authority by Florida Statute 365.172 to administer the E911 fee, Implement, maintain, review and oversee distribution of the revenues. Act as an advocate for issues related to E-911.
- SeminoleCounty - Represented by the Board of CountyCommissioners, Department of Public Safety E-911 Administration Office.
D.Public Safety Answering Points (P.S.A.P’s) – represent Law Enforcement Agencies or Public Safety Agencies which receive requests for emergency services via the E-911 system.
E.Telephone Companies -AT&T Telephone Company and Embarq Telephone Company.
F.Alternate Local Exchange Companies (ALEC) – other telephone companies providing services within SeminoleCounty.
4.00ASSIGNED RESPONSIBILITIES:
4.01The State of Florida, Dept. of Management Services and Information Technology Services are assigned the responsible for developing and maintaining a statewide E-911 plan.Reviewing of the local E-911 plans and subsequent modifications of those plans and to inspect local E-911 P.S.A.P.’s for compliance with the Florida Emergency Telephone Act of 1974.
4.02The Seminole County Board of CountyCommissioners’ is responsible to assure compliance with legislation. The Seminole County Board of CountyCommissioners, through the CountyManager, has delegated to the Department of Public Safety, E911 Administration Office, responsibility for overall development and management of the E-911 program.
4.03AT&T and Embarq Telephone Companies are responsible for proper system operation as defined by appropriate documents and tariffs.
4.04Each Public Safety Answering Point (P.S.A.P) is responsible for proper system utilization within its jurisdiction.
4.05This committee is comprised of representatives of the five Public Safety Answering Points in SeminoleCounty and the E-911 Administration Office. The committee is responsible for development of a standardized guideline, for operation of the E-911 system county wide.
5.00INTERPRETATION:
5.01This guideline is not intended to replace or change existing public safety responsibilities. It is designed to outline system-wide responsibilities. A responsibility assigned to the E-911 Program Manager is to ensure that all people within the SeminoleCountyE-911 system area receive the highest level of service available within fiscal constraints, available funding and technological feasibility.
5.02The E-911 Administration Office is responsible for correcting any situation that may cause a degradation of E-911 operation in any portion of the SeminoleCountyE-911 system area. The E-911 Program Manager will assure all such situations are reviewed and recommend guidelines to the appropriate agency, or agencies, to restore the E-911 system to required standards of operation.
6:00COMPLIANCE:
6:01All P.S.A.P’s are required to comply with all currently published S.O.G’s. The E-911 Program Managerwill address non-compliance issuesregarding this S.O.G.
Directive1 – 3
Effective Date01/01/96Revision Date06/03/2008
E-911 System Management
1.00PURPOSE:
To establish an orderly and functional forum to provide sharing of information, concerns and updates to all P.S.A.P’s within SeminoleCounty.
2.00DISCUSSION:
2.01There is a need to managethe multitude of operational situations and issues within the Seminole County E-911 System.
2.02The committee, identified as the “P.S.A.P Managers Group”, meetsBi-monthly.
2.03Each P.S.A.P is responsible to assign a representative to the committee as a point of contact for that agency. This person is responsible to disseminate appropriate information to their respective management and the communications personnel of that agency.
2.04Each telephone service provider has a standing invitation to attend and voice opinions for the improvement of the system.
2.05The E-911 Administration Office is responsible to issue meeting reminders, minutes and other appropriate materialsto committee members.
Section
2
P.S.A.P. Configuration – Internal
Automatic Alarms
E-911 Test Calls
E-911 Quality Assurance
Equipment Repair
P.S.A.P. Manager Responsibility
Trouble Reporting/Repairs
Telecommunicator Training
Instructor Requirements
Training Equipment
Directive2-1
Effective Date01/01/96Revision Date06/03/2008
P.S.A.P Configuration - External
1:00PURPOSE:
To establish a uniform method of adding, deleting, or changing the configuration of a Public Safety Answering Point (P.S.A.P).
2.00DISCUSSION:
2.01The current P.S.A.Pconfiguration was developed after considerable evaluation of existing jurisdictional boundaries and demographics. It is estimated that minimal changes will occur in the immediate future; however, uniform methods for initiating such changes are necessary.
3.00INITIATION OF CHANGES:
3.01Contact the Seminole County E-911 Administration Office.
3.02Agency’s being dispatched by a P.S.A.P. of another agency should contact the manager of that P.S.A.P and the Seminole County E-911 Program Manager.
4.00MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR P.S.A.P’s:
4.01The Florida Emergency Telephone Act of 1974 (State Statute 365.171) directed the Office of Communications to develop a comprehensive statewide Emergency Telephone Number System plan. The following minimum requirements of P.S.A.P’s are predicated on that State law and the State of FloridaE-911 Plan.
4.02Sufficient answering positions and operators shall be provided during the average busiest hour of the day to assure that a minimum of 90% of the calls are answered within ten (10) seconds (2 rings) of call arrival at the P.S.A.P.
Each answering position shall have access to all incoming E-911 lines, outgoing private dedicated lines, tie lines, and dial out lines. Each position shall be similarly equipped.
4.04The person answering the E-911 call shall receive both an audible and a visual indication of the incoming E-911 call.
4.05Each P.S.A.Pshall maintain at least one 10-digit number for access by a telephone company operator in order that emergency calls received by the operator can be transferred or relayed to the P.S.A.P.
4.06Each P.S.A.P shall have posted or included in an easily retrievable and accessible format the telephone numbers for reporting equipment failures.
4.07Each answering position shall be equipped with an “instant recall”, type recorder to record each incoming E-911 call.
4.08Each P.S.A.P shall be equipped with a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) at each position. It shall be possible to connect an incoming TDD call on any line to the TDD.
4.09The answering point shall have a voice recorder equipped to record all voice conversations as well as the date and time of receipt of each E-911 call.
4.10Each P.S.A.P shall have a battery powered Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) which shall be capable of powering the essential P.S.A.P equipment for a period sufficientto enable the motor generator to start and stabilize so that no calls are lost during the transition from commercial power.
4.11Each P.S.A.P shall have a gasoline, diesel, propane, or other powered motor generator set for powering the P.S.A.P during prolonged commercial power outages.
4.12The P.S.A.P. shall have sufficient building security to minimize the possibility of intentional disruption of operations. All E-911 processing and control equipment shall be in a locked environmentally conditioned area accessible only to authorized personnel.
4.13All exposed E-911 circuit facilities into the E-911 answering points shall be protected and marked to prevent accidental contact or tampering.
4.14Maintenance personnel shall not interrupt or alter circuits and/or equipment at a central office or in aE-911 answering point until permission is obtained from the E-911 Program Managerand the appropriate Telephone Company.
4.15The E-911Telecommunicator shall be dedicated to answering E-911 calls and perform as a complaint taker. Other simultaneous functions, such as radio dispatcher, etc., can be performed provided requirement number 4.02 of this guideline can be met.
4.16The only published emergency telephone number anywhere in SeminoleCounty shall be "911".
4.17Service measurements on the E-911 lines shall be made periodically to determine if the required grade of service is being maintained.
4.18A mechanism to review geographic changes such as new construction, annexation or de-annexation by the E-911 Specialist, the County Planning Department, and the appropriate city agencies shall be created and maintained.Jurisdictional boundaries must be well defined and made available to the SeminoleCountyE-911 Specialist. Any changes in boundaries shall be reported to the E-911 Office prior to the effective date of change.
4.19These requirements represent the minimum for every agency to be certification as anE-911 P.S.A.P. and are presented for informational purposes. The suitability of P.S.A.P. additions/changes will be determined through negotiations between the agency requesting the change, other agencies affected by the change including SeminoleCounty, represented by the E-911 Administration Office, AT&T Telephone Company and any othervendors.
Directive2-2
Effective Date:01/01/96Revision Date06/03/2008
P.S.A.P Configuration Internal
1.00PURPOSE:
To establish a uniform method for adding, deleting, changes or moving answering positions or equipment within a Public Safety Answering Point (P.S.A.P.).
2.00DISCUSSION:
2.01During implementation of the E-911 system, the staffing level of each P.S.A.P was determined as a result of studies of call volume, anticipated population increase and other pertinent factors.
2.02The Florida Emergency Telephone Act of 1974 (State Statute 3.65.171) established a standard for sufficient answering positions so that during the average busiest hour of the day, a minimum of 90% of the calls shall be answered within (10) seconds.
3.00INITIATION OF REQUEST FOR CHANGES:
3.01Contact the E-911 Administration Office to request additional positions or equipment changes.
3.02If changes involve a request for additional answering positions, service measurements are necessary to determine need.
3.03The E-911 Administration Office will periodically contact the telephone company serving the P.S.A.P to conduct service measurements for a period of at least one month.
4.00RESULTS OF SERVICE MEASUREMENTS:
4.01Service measurements may indicate retraining needs rather than additional personnel.
4.02The P.S.A.P Manager should schedule retraining and further monitoring of the P.S.A.P. will be conducted to ensure that operational standards are met.
4.03If service measurements indicate a need for additional position(s), an order for equipment may be submitted by the Seminole County E-911 Administration Office and providing sufficient budget exists the position may be added to the system. If sufficient funds do not exist, the new position will be moved to the highest priority of the next fiscal year.
4.04If service measurements indicate no need for additional positions, but an agency chooses to increase its answering positions, the agency operating the P.S.A.P. will be responsible for payment of purchased/leased installation and recurring costs for service levels above the standard. Equipment must be approved by the E-911 Administration Office prior to purchase to insure compatibility.
5.00MOVING OF EQUIPMENT:
5.01If changes are required, such changes will be by the County or approved vendor.
6.00REVIEW OF REQUESTS:
6.01All equipment changes must meet the standards set by AT&T, Embarq and the State of Florida. (Ref. SOP #2-1.)
Directive2-3
Effective Date01/01/96Revision Date06/03/2008
Automatic Alarms
1.00PURPOSE:
To insure that E-911 trunk lines do not exceed their capabilities, due to the use of automatic dial-up alarm systems.
2.00DISCUSSION:
2.01The E-911system is designed to provide rapid access to emergency services in times of need. The system eliminates the need for a person to know which agency to call and to memorize several 10 digit numbers for the same service. Automatic dial-up type alarms have not demonstrated a satisfactory level of reliability to allow them to interface directly the E-911 system.
3.00AUTOMATIC DIALERS PROHIBITED:
3.01Some agencies have prohibited the use of automatic dialers to dial their 10-digit telephone number.
3.02Agencies, which currently do not prohibit this function, may continue this practice at their discretion.
3.03Under no circumstances should these devices be allowed to dial E-911.
3.04When such programming is discovered, it shall be reported as soon as possible to the E-911 Program Manager. A letter will be sent to the user of the alarm system requesting that E-911 be removed from the automatic dial-up system.
4.00ALARMS ROUTED TO A COMMERCIALALARMCENTER:
4.01A viable alternative to programming dialers to call any public safety agency is to program them to call a commercial alarm center.
4.02Commercial alarm center personnel should be instructed not to dial E-911 to report alarms to the police or fire departments.
4.03This guideline is necessitated by the fact that all E-911 calls are selectively routed to the proper agency.
Directive2-4
Effective Date01/01/96Revision Date06/03/2008
E-911 Test Call
1.00PURPOSE:
To establish a guideline for handling requests to test the E-911 system for correct ANI and ALI information.
2.00DISCUSSION:
2.01Occasionally, businesses, wireless companies or residents will call the E-911 Office to request permission to test the E-911 system for accuracy of information.
2.02The requests are usually from residents who have disabilities and need reassurance that help will be able to reach them, from newly installed telephone service, or from businesses testing displays for PBX or Centrex phone systems.
3.00PROCEDURES:
3.01Callers requesting permission to verify their 911 information will be directed to call the P.S.A.P. supervisor serving their area.
3.02Callers will be asked whether they have recently installed service. If the service was installed less than 3 working days prior to the request to test, the P.S.A.P supervisor should suggest that the test call be delayed until the 72 hours have passed to allow sufficient time for all telephone company data bases to be updated.
3.03P.S.A.P. Managers or Supervisors will handle arrangements for test calls.
3.04If the information from the caller matches the ALI, the caller will be advised that the information is correct.
3.05If the information is incorrect, the Telecommunicator should obtain the correct information, advice the caller that the telephone company will be requested to update the records and that a retest can be arranged in two weeks.
4.00PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION TESTS:
4.01The Public Service Commission performs random tests of coin telephones to ensure they are accessible to the handicapped, route and display properly for E-911 calls, and are coin-free for E-911 usage. Occasionally test calls may be made using a TDD.
4.02The following will occur on a test call from the Public Service Commission:
The caller will state that there is no emergency.
The caller will identify himself by name, and indicate that he is with the Florida Public Service Commission, or you will receive a TDD message.
The voice call will be from a public or private pay phone although COIN, PCON, or PAY$ may not appear on the ALI screen. (A business name should appear if COIN, PCON, or PAY$ does not.)
You will provide ALI-information if necessary. (Note:The caller may not have the information at the pay phone. This is one of the violations they are looking for.)
If an error is recognized (i.e., wrong telephone number, wrong address, no display of COIN, PCON, or PAY$), an Inquiry form should be completed as usual.
5.00DEMONSTRATION CALLS:
5.01Fire and Law Enforcement agencies, while doing public presentations regarding safety and crime prevention, may elect to place a demonstration call to E-911.
5.02When such a call is being planned, the agency making the call will clear the plans with the P.S.A.P’s affected. No such demonstrations should be conducted during normal busy times for the affected P.S.A.P’s.
5.03If a P.S.A.P should be experiencing heavy traffic during the time arranged for the demonstration call, the supervisor at the P.S.A.P. may inform the demonstrator that it is necessary to terminate the demonstration.
6.00TELEPHONE COMPANY TESTING
6.01Wired and Wireless telephone companies perform random tests of cell phone towers to ensure they are routing and displaying properly for E-911 calls.
7.00E-911 ADMINISTRATION TESTING
7.01Occasionally the E-911 Program Manager will perform testing of cellular phone towers and landline phones to ensure the system is working accurately. All ANI/ALI information is to be released upon request.
Directive2-5
Effective Date06/03/2008Revision Date06/01/2010
E-911 Quality Assurance
1.00PURPOSE:
This guideline will establish the minimum guidelines for E-911call taking answering times and training issues in SeminoleCounty. Each agency will be held responsible for compliance with the following guidelines as set forth for the continued advancement of SeminoleCounty’s E-911 system.
2.00DISCUSSION:
2.01E-911 CALL ANSWERING GUIDELINES
2.02The National Emergency Number Association and the National Fire Protection Association have established National standards for call taking answering times.
2:03Thesestandards have been adopted by the Seminole County E-911 System. The minimum time goals are listed below.
Technical Standard Part 1(D) requires that the probability of a caller having to wait more than 10 seconds be less than 10 percent. Conversely, 90 percent of all the callers will have their calls answered in 10 seconds or less during the average busy hour.
The average call answering times of all calls must be consistently 90% or higher.
2.04Any agency that is less than 90% for two consecutive months will be placed on notice for non-compliance. Should the average continue below 90% for three consecutive months the agency must submit a proposal to the E-911 Program Manager for review and approval of the corrective actions that will be taken by the agency to comply with the guidelines.