For City Council Meeting [February 13, 2024]
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: David Carmany, City Manager
AUTHOR: Mark P. Kling, Chief of Police
Title
Request City Council to: (1) Approve a Professional Service Agreement with Kim Turner LLC for Dispatch Consultation; (2) Approve a Purchase Order in the Amount of $174,950.00 for a Six-Month Term; and (3) Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute all Documents for this Agreement.
(ACTION)
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BACKGROUND
The Rialto Police Department operates a 24/7 emergency call center, allotted for 15 emergency dispatchers, 2 lead dispatchers, and 1 supervisor. The supervisor, 1 lead dispatcher position, and 6 emergency dispatcher positions are currently vacant. The current staffing levels, including lower salaries in the dispatch center reflect a longstanding challenge to attract, hire, train and retain competent emergency dispatchers. This problem is not specific to the Rialto Police Department; many law enforcement agencies share in the difficulty of maintaining a fully staffed communications center.
There are many factors related to the industry-side shortage of emergency dispatchers. Similar to police officers, the hiring process is arduous; requiring a deep dive into the background of the prospective dispatcher. Dispatchers are also required to pass the same polygraph, medical and psychological examinations required of police officers, per the State of California Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST), which dispatchers are certified through. Once successfully hired, a dispatcher trainee is subjected to almost one year, on average, of intensive training before they are able to satisfactorily perform required duties without guidance. While the aforementioned requirements contribute heavily to the understaffing epidemic, the stress of emergency dispatching is arguably the most significant factor. The dispatcher is the first person people speak to in an emergency when they dial 911. The di...
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