CC 2013-07-09_11.a. Dispatch Consolidation StudyMEMORANDUM
TO: CITY COUNCIL
FROM: STEVEN ADAMS, CITY MANAGER ~
SUBJECT: CONSIDERATION OF DISPATCH CONSOLIDATION STUDY
OPTIONS AND GRAND JURY REPORT RESPONSE
DATE: JULY 9, 2013
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended the CounCil: 1) approve the proposed response to the Grand Jury
Report; 2) direct staff to request formal proposals from the San Luis Obispo County
Sheriffs Department and City of Pismo Beach; 3) direct staff to prepare a cost-benefit
analysis of the proposed potential options; and 4) direct staff to return with a
recommended alternative for consideration.
IMPACT ON FINANCIAL AND PERSONNEL RESOURCES:
It is recommended the analysis be prepared in-house by staff. Therefore, there is no
projected direct cost to the City, but will require a measurable amount of staff time
from the Police Department, Administrative Services Department and City Manager.
BACKGROUND:
In 2003, in response to an invitation the City received from the City of Grover Beach,
the City Council participated in a joint meeting with Pismo Beach and Grover Beach
to discuss consolidation of police services. It was determined that full consolidation
of police services was not feasible at that time, but joint communications was
identified as a desirable initial step to increase coordination and efficiency of public
safety services. As a result, a committee was formed composed of a council
member, city manager, police chief and fire chief from each of the jurisdictions. An
initial study was submitted to the committee on a pro bono basis from representatives
from the City of Glendale Fire Department, which assessed the technical facilities
and equipment and recommended consolidation.
At the January 13, 2009 meeting, the City Council approved funding to contract with
a consultant to prepare a study on providing joint dispatch services. Other
jurisdictions in the County were invited to participate to also evaluate the potential for
a countywide dispatch center. The study included Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach,
Oceano, Paso Robles, Atascadero and San Luis Obispo. Dhillon and Associates
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was selected to prepare the study after a Request for Proposal (RFP) was
distributed.
At the June 8, 2010 meeting, the City Council approved the Five Cities Fire Joint
Exercise of Powers Agreement (JPA), consolidating fire services with the City of
Grover Beach and the Oceano Community Services District (OCSD). However, for
consolidation of fire services to operate most efficiently, it was determined that
consolidation of dispatch services is also necessary.
The results of the Dhillon and Associates study were also presented to the Council at
that meeting. The study provided an analysis of options involving a joint dispatch
operation serving Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach and Oceano, as well as contracting
for dispatch services with the City of San Luis Obispo. The staffing and cost analysis
was based primarily on call volume. Staff identified concerns regarding the ability of
some of the recommended staffing levels to address overall service level goals, but
felt the study demonstrated that both options could provide viable alternatives that
can reduce costs and increase service levels. Therefore, the City Council directed
staff to: 1) jointly develop with Grover Beach and Oceano a recommended proposal
for a dispatch operation that would serve Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach and Oceano;
and 2) transmit a formal request to the City of San Luis Obispo to prepare a proposal
to provide dispatch services to Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach and Oceano on a
contract basis.
The results of both options were presented to the City Council at the February 22,
2011 meeting. Due to the cost and staffing methodology utilized by the City of San
Luis Obispo, it resulted in an increased cost. No resolution was agreed upon with the
City of Grover Beach because consolidation between only the two agencies
ultimately resulted in savings to the agency providing the service, but either minimal
savings or potentially an increased cost to the agency contracting for the service.
The City then began to instead pursue consideration of full police consolidation due
to increased opportunity for cost savings, but a proposal by Arroyo Grande was later
rejected by the City of Grover Beach.
Staff has more recently approached the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's
Department, which has expressed an interest in providing dispatch services to other
agencies in the county. The City has received a conceptual proposal.
On May 28th, the Grand Jury issued a report titled: "Consolidation of Public Safety
Dispatch Systems", which is attached. The report recommends the Arroyo Grande
and Grover Beach Police Departments contract with the Sheriff's Department for
dispatch services and the Fire Department contract with CAL FIRE. In order to reach
agreement on this, they have recommended the agencies hire a facilitator and
participate in a joint meeting. Responses to the Grand Jury's report are due by July
29th_
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ANALYSIS OF ISSUES:
There are three primary issues related to consolidation of dispatch services. The
most important is the need to enhance capacity and coordination of public safety
services. Currently, the Police Department has one dispatcher on duty at most times
of the day. During the day shift, there is a supervisor and other support services staff
available and trained to provide dispatch services when necessary to supplement the
assigned staff. However, off duty staff must be called in when necessary during the
evening shift.
This is the appropriate level of staffing based on call volume. However, it provides no
ability to handle increased call load during a serious event. This became very
evident during the recent power outage. The dispatcher became immediately
overloaded with calls. Other staff had to be called in. Neighboring dispatch centers
were also overloaded and communication between departments became difficult. If
this had been an emergency that required a higher level of response and
coordination, the dispatch staffing would have limited the City's effectiveness in
responding.
The second issue is that studies have indicated, and staff believes, public safety
communications consolidation provides an opportunity to reduce costs and increase
efficiency. It has become a commonly utilized approach to providing dispatch
services throughout the country.
The third issue is that independent dispatch centers continue to prevent the full
benefit of the consolidation of fire services. Calls for fire service in Arroyo Grande
are dispatched by the Arroyo Grande Police Department. Calls for service in Grover
Beach and Oceano are dispatched by the Grover Beach Fire Department.
An additional issue discussed in the past was particularly evident during the
emergency management training in Emmitsburg, Maryland recently attended by
representatives from agencies throughout the county. The importance of
communication among agencies during disaster response and how much more
effective this communication is when staff are able to co-locate in a common facility
quickly became obvious.
Due to the proposed upgrades to the Police Station, it will also be necessary to
temporarily relocate dispatch operations. Therefore, any change could assist in
addressing this issue and should be taken into account when developing an overall
strategy.
A number of issues must be evaluated and considered in any consolidation option.
These include current and future costs, potential loss of control over costs and
service levels, potential loss of control over the assignment of the City's public safety
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resources, and how services are governed and managed. Any decision to outsource
dispatch operations will require the City to "meet and confer'' with the union.
Staff agrees with the Grand Jury's findings that some form of consolidation of
dispatch services would be beneficial from both a service level and cost standpoint.
Staff recommends that the City express a willingness to participate in any joint
meeting proposed. However, staff does not believe a facilitated meeting is necessary
to discuss the provision of dispatch services by the County Sheriff's Department
because Arroyo Grande and Grover Beach can consider this option independently. It
is not necessary to reach agreement between all the jurisdictions in order to proceed.
A copy of the recommended Grand Jury response is attached for consideration.
ALTERNATIVES:
Staff believes it is important for the City to proceed with some form of dispatch
consolidation in order to address the service level limitations outlined above. Staff
recommends the following potential alternatives be studied to determine their costs,
feasibility and level of interest by other jurisdictions. If directed to proceed, staff
would return with a cost benefit analysis of each option within the next three months,
along with a recommendation on how to proceed.
Alternative 1
The first alternative is a concept developed by staff designed to max1m1ze both
coordination of ongoing public safety communication services in the South County
area and overall disaster response activities. The concept involves consolidating
dispatch operations of the City of Arroyo Grande, City of Grover Beach, and City of
Pismo Beach police departments. The operation would be overseen by a joint
powers authority (JPA), which could also contract dispatch services with the Five
Cities Fire Authority. The JPA board would be recommended to consist of the three
police chiefs. It is projected that the savings would be sufficient to finance
construction of a joint dispatch center and emergency operations center (EOC),
which could be located on County property or on acquired property centrally located
among the three jurisdictions. County staff would likely be interested in participating
in the EOC operations. It would be recommended that the operation be run by a
manager that would report to the JPA Board and supervise the dispatch operation, as
well as serve as a disaster services manager for the Five Cities area.
To proceed with this alternative, it is recommended that a brief study be prepared by
staff to identify costs, potential sites, and other issues. The other jurisdictions would
be invited to participate in whatever level they prefer. The results would then be
presented to the City Council to determine whether to proceed to seek feedback,
make a formal invitation, or submit a proposal to the neighboring jurisdictions.
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Alternative 2
The second alternative would be to contract with the San Luis Obispo Sheriffs
Department for police dispatch services. A preliminary cost proposal has been
received that appears to result in meaningful savings. It is recommended the City
request the Sheriffs Department provide a formal proposal and staff will prepare an
analysis of the savings and any other issues involved.
Alternative 3
A third alternative would be to contract with the City of Pismo Beach for dispatch
services. This could be on a temporary basis during the Police Station remodel or on
a longer term basis. It is recommended the City of Pismo Beach be approached to
determine if they would be interested in providing a cost proposal.
Alternative 4
The City could delay the decision pending the results of the parcel tax proposed by
the Five Cities Fire Authority. If approved, this could provide an opportunity for
funding to contract with the Police Department for overall Fire dispatch and add
staffing.
ADVANTAGES:
Based on preliminary analysis, the following primary advantages have been identified
for the each of the alternatives identified:
Alternative 1
Staff believes Alternative 1 would provide the most optimal public safety service level
enhancement to Five Cities area residents. It would maintain a local dispatch center
with local oversight; provide a joint EOC; increase staffing; improve overall
coordination of public safety and disaster response services; best address the Five
Cities Fire Authority needs; likely reduce costs; and eliminate concerns regarding
forfeiting control to a neighboring agency by creating a shared independent facility
and agency.
Alternative 2
Contracting for services to be provided by the County Sheriffs Department would
provide the most significant increase in overall staffing available for Police
Department calls given the size of their operation. It would result in the most feasible
option given the interest that has been expressed by the Sheriffs Department. It
could also lead to future improvements in overall countywide coordination if other
cities joined based on Arroyo Grande's experience.
Alternative 3
In the short-term, contracting with the City of Pismo Beach may enable the City to
relocate existing staff to their facility on a temporary basis and continue current
operations while the Police Station upgrade is under way. Since the two departments
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use compatible equipment, this option could be implemented with the least amount of
one-time costs, time and work. In the long-term, it could serve as a first step to test
the success of limited consolidation in order to expand in the future to implementation
of Alternative 1 .
Alternative 4
Providing dispatch services to the Five Cities Fire Authority would accomplish the
goal of consolidating fire dispatch, may enhance staffing, and would maintain
services under the control of the Police Department.
DISADVANTAGES:
Based on preliminary analysis, the following disadvantages have been identified for
the each of the alternatives identified:
Alternative 1
Alternative 1 is likely the least feasible of the options based on prior feedback from
neighboring jurisdictions. It will also require a substantial long-term commitment
since it would involve constructing and co-owning a building utilizing long-term
financing.
Alternative 2
The primary disadvantage of contracting with the Sheriff's Department is that it does
not address Fire dispatch. The Fire Authority would likely have to contract with the
City of Grover Beach or CAL FIRE. If Grover Beach ultimately decided to also
contract with the Sheriff's Department, it would leave CAL FIRE as the only option.
Concerns by the Fire Authority regarding CAL FIRE dispatch involve potential loss of
control over local resources given that the Fire Authority is often the first responder to
a large CAL FIRE area adjacent to the City, which could impact the availability of
resources for local emergencies. Some modifications to equipment may also be
necessary.
Alternative 3
Contracting with the City of Pismo Beach for dispatch services would not provide the
enhancement in staffing levels available from the Sheriff's Department. Therefore, if
there is interest on the part of the City of Pismo Beach, it would likely be
recommended only for a temporary basis during construction of Police Station
improvements or on a longer-term basis if it was viewed as an intermediate step
towards possible implementation of Alternative 1.
Alternative 4
Increasing staffing through funding provided by the Fire Authority would not increase
cost efficiency or improve coordination of police services.
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CONSIDERATION OF DISPATCH CONSOLIDATION STUDY OPTIONS AND
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ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
No environmental review is required for this item.
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION AND COMMENTS:
The Agenda was posted in front of City Hall on Wednesday, July 3, 2013 and on the
City's website on Friday, July 5, 2013. No comments were received.
Attachments:
1. Grand Jury Report "Consolidation of Public Safety Dispatch Systems
2. Proposed response to Grand Jury Report
Item 11.a. - Page 7
Attachment 1
CONSOLIDATION OF PUBLIC SAFETY DISPATCH SYSTEMS
"HE WHO WILL NOT ECONOMIZE WILL HA VE TO AGONIZE."-CONFUCIUS
SUMMARY
This report is an investigation of the feasibility of consolidating public safety dispatch services in
the cities of Arroyo Grande and Grover Beach.
INTRODUCTION
Because of slow economic times and shrinking revenues nearly all jurisdictions in San Luis
Obispo County are struggling to maintain viable budgets. The 2012/2013 Grand Jury elected to
investigate the possibility of combining public safety dispatch systems in the cities of Arroyo
Grande and Grover Beach. In February 2011, the cities of Grover Beach and Arroyo Grande
reviewed the possibility of a consolidation of the police departments in their cities. Arroyo
Grande contracted with a private firm to conduct an investigation into the pros and cons of that
action. The resulting proposal was presented to the Grover Beach City Council and after
consideration of the plan, Grover Beach voted not to participate.
The 2012/2013 Grand Jury reviewed previous studies relating to the possibility of a
consolidation of the police departments in Arroyo Grande and Grover Beach, and chose to
narrow the focus to consolidation of dispatch services. 1
HISTORY
Consolidation of services has been considered by governmental agencies for years, and can be
very appealing for many reasons. Small governmental agencies throughout the country have
1www.sanluisobispo.com/20 12/02/26/ 196493 9/arroyo-grande-grover-beach-city
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often considered ways to reduce costs and improve efficiency through the consolidation of
services.
There have been many studies in small police agencies with an anticipated goal of reducing
response time, cutting overtime, lowering operating costs and improving the overall efficiency of
the department. Those who favor consolidation look to improving resources, the quality of
services, utilization of manpower, flexibility to meet demands, training opportunities, and
management and supervision of their agencies. Consolidation is most attractive to smaller
agencies, of which there are over 14,000 police agencies in communities with populations under
50,000 throughout the United States. Those who represent smaller agencies are concerned about
redundancy of services and costs, and the waste of manpower in time and services as they
duplicate each agency's effort.
Those who are opposed to consolidation fear losing control of their agencies, reducing their
communities' identities, and reducing supervision and oversight in those agencies covering
several jurisdictions. There is also a concern that the personal element of "our police
department" will be lost. Response time may not be improved and in some cases consolidation
may be more expensive because of increased costs of salaries and benefits. Those who hold a
negative view are concerned that some personnel will be threatened by consolidation, for
example, senior officers who feel they now have to report to a new supervisor. They are also
concerned about the possibility of increased costs, particularly start-up costs, and the cost of
reorganization.
Additional concerns include:
• standardizing equipment,
• location where the agency will be housed,
• need for a new facility,
• general resistance to change,
• officers who feel threatened by a possible loss of status or ability to be promoted and
• question of who will govern the agency after consolidation.
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Consolidation is a matter of degree. There is the possibility of consolidating certain functional
services such as communications, dispatch and records. As previously noted, there are over
14,000 smaller police agencies, many with inadequate numbers of personnel or budgets to
sustain their operations. Consolidation of some services may be the answer to their problem.
The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) notes that a review of the literature on
the subject of consolidation indicates several positives:
• a greater capacity to respond to the need for services,
• a greater efficiency and flexibility resulting in a savings of money to the agency, and
• improved salaries, benefits, and advancement opportunities for personnel in some ca5es ..
Others fear a loss of personal interaction with other agencies, and a general fear of parochialism
manifested at the city council level by individual council members or mayors.
The Grand Jury was aware of the fact that the Grover Beach City Council had rejected a proposal
to consolidate their police department with that of Arroyo Grande. It was also aware that the
police departments of both cities were in favor of a portion of that proposal -namely,
consolidating dispatch services only. The Grand Jury was also aware that an additional
possibility existed to contract such dispatch services with the SLO County Sheriff. Based on the
above, and in the belief that certain efficiencies might be obtained, the Grand Jury initiated an
investigation into the feasibility of such a consolidation with the intent of reporting their
conclusions to each city for consideration.
METHOD
The Grand Jury's inquiry consisted of the following:
• A review of studies pertaining to the possibility of consolidating police services in the
cities of Arroyo Grande and Grover Beach.
• An interview with Ian Parkinson, SLO County Sheriff
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• An interview with Steven Annabali, Chief of Police Arroyo Grande Police Department.
• Interview with Jim Copsey, Chief of Police Grover Beach Police Department.
• Interview with Steven Adams, City Manager City of Arroyo Grande.
• Interview with Robert Perrault, City Manager City of Grover Beach.
• Interview with Robert Lewin, CAL FIRE Chief.
• Interview with Joel Aranaz, Five Cities Fire Authority Chief.
• Follow-up letters to city managers to obtain budget information.
NARRATIVE
The Grand Jury met with various city, county and state officials to discuss the possibility of a
merger of dispatch systems in Grover Beach and Arroyo Grande:
The SLO County Sheri([: Members of the Grand Jury met with Sheriff Ian Parkinson (Sheriff)
to discuss the possibility of a merger of dispatch systems in Grover Beach and Arroyo Grande, or
the possibility of the cities contracting with the Sheriff for such services.
Sheriff Parkinson advised that there is much duplication in management, administrative services,
and personnel costs within each agency that provides its oW"n dispatch systems.
Sheriff Parkinson is aware of the political ramifications of possible consolidation, and advised
that the City of Grover Beach had rejected the proposal to combine police departments with
Arroyo Grande. He submitted to the City Manager of Grover Beach a proposal to provide
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dispatch services to the city on a contract basis. Parkinson believes that the city would save over
$150,000 the first year and in excess of $170,000 a year thereafter if they contracted for dispatch
with the Sheriffs Office.
He stated that if Arroyo Grande would join Grover Beach in combining dispatch services and
contracting with the Sheriffs Department, the dispatch system would operate out of the facility
on Kansas A venue in San Luis Obispo. This facility has recently been upgraded with new
hardware and software.
Sheriff Parkinson pointed out that when a city with limited resources has to fill in personnel to
cover vacations, sick days and leaves of absence, then the city incurs added costs or runs short on
personnel and services. Upon consolidation the sheriff would be obligated to fill these positions
thereby maintaining a constant level of service.
There are other services that could be considered under a contract in the future, such as Vice,
Gang Abatement and Crime Lab. Sheriff Parkinson informed the Grand Jury that he has had
discussions with other cities in the county about similar service contracts, but at the present time
none have materialized.
Sheriff Parkinson believes that if a consolidation occurs, the city councils will have a better idea
of the actual advantages and the cost savings, as well as being able to better manage their law
enforcement budgets.
Sheriff Parkinson stated that one of the stumbling blocks to consolidation of dispatch will be
working out the issues related to fire dispatch, which at the present time has separate issues with
which to deal; however, he feels that these issues can all be worked out with a centralized
dispatch system.
The City Manager of Grover Beach: The City Manager of Grover Beach discussed the initial
costs to the City of Grover Beach. He was particularly concerned over start-up costs and the
unfunded liability the city would have for the retirement systems. He advised that there have
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been numerous studies regarding the subject, and the initial studies considered the possibility of
combining the police department with Arroyo Grande.
He advised that the city has looked at the possibility of consolidation of dispatch services and
noted how this would affect the fire services that provide dispatch for Grover Beach and Oceano.
The Grand Jury was advised that many citizens prefer to have their own agency. They were told
that community members best identify with this local police department. Some individuals have
expressed concerns about shifting dispatch services to the City of Arroyo Grande.
The Grand Jury discussed with the City Manager the economic situation in Grover Beach and the
cuts that have taken place over the past three years. When asked if the city had considered the
possibility of contracting with the Sheriffs Department for dispatch, he advised that it had, but
he could not recall the details of the discussion.
The Grover Beach Chief of Police: The Grover Beach Chief of Police advised that the police
department is understaffed by three officers. They handle their own dispatch at the present time.
He stated that overtime is very low and when not providing dispatch services employees work in
Records.
The Chief felt that consolidation of dispatch would be more effective for the community. He
thought the issue of consolidating both departments was a dead issue, but dispatch for all
agencies in the Five Cities area would be effective if it included Fire Departments as well.
The City Manager of the City of Arroyo Grande: The City Manager of Arroyo Grande stated
that he was in favor of consolidation. He felt that there would be savings in personnel costs and
benefits, particularly in the area of dispatch. He said that there used to be some negative
attitudes about consolidation, and particularly consolidation of police departments in Arroyo
Grande and Grover Beach. He believes that many of the concerns have been overcome,
particularly negative attitudes towards the Sheriffs Department.
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The City Manager advised that the City of Arroyo Grande has cut back on staff, has completed at
least three rounds of organizational restructuring and consolidated city services where possible.
He stated that the city has severely cut back city services and combined operations in several
departments.
He advised that the city has just begun informal talks with Sheriff Parkinson. In conclusion, he
predicted that there will be a merger of some city services in the future but he did not know when
that would take place.
Arroyo Grande Chief of Police: The Arroyo Grande Chief of Police believes that there is great
interest in consolidating the dispatch services in Arroyo Grande and Grover Beach. He indicated
that the interest was regarding the possibility of contracting with the Sheriff for such services. He
thought that the plan was viable.
The Chief said the benefits of consolidation are:
• He could put more officers on the street,
• There would be a reduction in cost, and
• It would reduce or eliminate duplication of services.
He stated that fire dispatch continues to be a problem. Five Cities Fire Authority and CAL
FIRE are separate entities and would have to be involved in any potential changes in the fire
dispatch.
The Chief is aware that the respective city councils would have to approve any such contract, but
he believes the problems can be worked out. He discussed the studies that have been done on
consolidation of the police agencies and he believes that if there is any consolidation it should
start with dispatch.
The Chief of CAL FIRE: The Grand Jury interview with the Chief of CAL FIRE resulted in
comments similar to those made by the police chiefs and the city managers. He felt that the
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consolidation of police dispatch was very doable and that the Sheriffs Department would be the
appropriate agency with which to contract. He felt that Five Cities Fire Authority would have to
be involved if there were changes proposed for fire dispatch.
He advised that Grover Beach and Arroyo Grande already dispatch for fire service. He stated
that working with the Sheriff's Department and consolidating resources would bring cost
benefits to all agencies involved. He remarked that the fire dispatch issues would take some time
to work out but that it could be done.
Chief Lewin commented that CAL FIRE already provides dispatch services to Cambria,
Templeton, San Miguel, Santa Margarita and Cayucos without any problems or conflict.
The Chiefo(Five Cities Fire Authority: Five Cities Fire Authority Chiefs interview revealed
that Five Cities Fire Authority serves Grover Beach, Oceano and Arroyo Grande. There are two
dispatch centers, one in Arroyo Grande and one in Grover Beach that also serves Oceano. The
Chief was concerned that the computers in each city are not compatible with each other. On
occasion when a call comes in to Grover Beach and they are not the closest fire service, the calls
have to be rerouted resulting in a delay in response time.2
The Chief advised that he always wants to have the closest unit respond without the time delay,
and if there were a single dispatch center this problem would be resolved. The Chief is very
much in favor of a consolidated dispatch system. However, he is concerned as to who would
control the system. Although he believes that the Sheriff is in favor of CAL FIRE handling
dispatch for fire services, he does not believe that CAL FIRE is interested in handling the
dispatch system for Grover Beach, Arroyo Grande and Oceano.
The Chief sees no reason to have three fire chiefs in the three jurisdictions, and the cost factor
may dictate that consolidation of dispatch as well as some command personnel may have to take
2 Five Cities Fire Authority
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place for economic reasons. The Chief was not in favor of CAL FIRE taking over the dispatch
systems.
The Chief is in favor of consolidation and believes that the service level to local citizens and
safety for fire fighters would improve.
CONCLUSIONS
After reviewing the various studies and interviews, the Grand Jury concluded there is consensus
among the agencies that some consolidation of police and fire dispatch is feasible and desirable.
FINDINGS
F 1 There is duplication of police and fire dispatch services in Arroyo Grande and Grover
Beach.
F2 Service levels to the citizens of Arroyo Grande and Grover Beach are at risk regarding
fire protection because of computer incompatibility.
F3 There are potentially significant future cost savings to the cities of Arroyo Grande and
Grover Beach in joining dispatch services after the first year of combining equipment
expenditure.
F4 Five Cities Fire Authority does not want CAL FIRE's involvement with the use and
allocation of the Five Cities Fire Authority equipment.
F5 The County Sheriffs Office is prepared to handle both police and fire dispatches for
Cities of Arroyo Grande and Grover Beach.
F6 The reluctance to consolidate dispatch by Five Cities Fire Authority and CAL FIRE has
brought action to a stalemate in finding answers to the dispatch issue.
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RECOMMENDATIONS
Rl The City Councils of Arroyo Grande and Grover Beach should consider consolidating the
public safety dispatch systems of their respective cities.
R2 All city law enforcement, city managers, Sheriff, Five Cities Fire Authority and CAL
FIRE should join in meeting with an independent facilitator to finalize consolidation of
dispatch by contracting dispatch services with the Sheriff's Department.
R3 Five Cities Fire Authority and CAL FIRE should work with an independent facilitator to
develop a written contract defining fire services to be performed and the use of each
department's assets.
REQUIRED RESPONSES
The City of Arroyo Grande is required to respond to Findings 1-3 and 5 and Recommendations 1
and 2 .. The responses shall be submitt.ed to the Presiding Judge of the San Luis Superior court
by July 29, 2013. Please provide a paper copy and an electronic version of all responses to the
Grand Jury.
The City of Arroyo Grande Police Department is required to respond to Findings 1, 3 and 5 and
Recommendations 1 and 2. The responses shall be submitted to the Presiding Judge of the San
Luis Superior court by July 29, 2013. Please provide a paper copy and an electronic version of
all responses to the Grand Jury.
The Arroyo Grande City Manager is required to respond to Findings 1-3 and 5 and
Recommendations 1 and 2 The responses shall be submitted to the Presiding Judge of the San
Luis Superior court by July 29, 2013. Please provide a paper copy and an electronic version of
all responses to the Grand Jury.
The City of Grover Beach is required to respond to Findings 1-3 and 5-6 and Recommendations
1and2. The responses shall be submitted to the Presiding Judge of the San Luis Superior court
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by July 29, 2013. Please provide a paper copy and an electronic version of all responses to the
Grand Jury.
The City of Grover Beach Police Department is required to respond to Findings 1, 3 and 5 and
Recommendations 1 and 2. The responses shall be submitted to the Presiding Judge of the San
Luis Superior court by July 29, 2013. Please provide a paper copy and an electronic version of
all responses to the Grand Jury.
The Grover Beach City Manager is required to respond to Findings 1-3 and 5 and
Recommendations 1 and 2. The responses shall be submitted to the Presiding Judge of the San
Luis Superior court by July 29, 2013. Please provide a paper copy and an electronic version of
all responses to the Grand Jury.
The Five Cities Fire Authority is required to respond to Finding 4 and 6 and Recommendations 2
and 3. The responses shall be submitted to the Presiding Judge of the San Luis Superior court by
July 29, 2013. Please provide a paper copy and an electronic version of all responses to the
Grand Jury.
CAL FIRE is requested to respond to Finding 4 and 6 and Recommendations 2 and 3. The
responses shall be submitted to the Presiding Judge of the San Luis Superior court by July 29,
2013. Please provide a paper copy and an electronic version of all responses to the Grand Jury.
The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff is required to respond to Finding 5 and Recommendation 2.
The responses shall be submitted to the Presiding Judge of the San Luis Superior court by July
29, 2013. Please provide a paper copy and an electronic version of all responses to the Grand
Jury.
Presiding Judge Grand Jury
Presiding Judge Barry T. LaBarbera San Luis Obispo County Grand Jury
Superior Court of California P.O. Box 4910
1035 Palm Street Room 355 San Luis Obispo, CA 93403
San Luis Obispo, CA 93408
Page 11
Item 11.a. - Page 18
Attachment 2
Response to Grand Jury Report Form
Report Title: CONSOLIDATION OF PUBLIC SAFETY DISPATCH SYSTEMS
Report Date: MAY 28, 2013
Authorized Responder and Agency STEVEN ADAMS. CITY MANAGER
CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE
FINDINGS
• I (we) agree with the findings numbered: F1. F3
• I (we) disagree wholly or partially with the findings numbered: F2. F5
(Attach a statement specifying any portions of the findings that are disputed;
include an explanation of the reasons.)
RECOMMENDATIONS
• Recommendations numbered have been implemented.
(Attach a summary describing the implemented actions.)
• Recommendations numbered have not yet been implemented,
but will be implemented in the future.
(Attach a timeframe for the implementation.)
• Recommendations numbered __ ....;.1=2"---require further analysis.
(Attach an explanation and the scope and parameters of an analysis or study,
and a timeframe for the matter to be prepared for discussion by the officer or
director of the agency or department being investigated or reviewed, including
the governing body of the public agency when applicable. This timeframe shall
not exceed six months from the date of publication of the grand jury report.)
• Recommendations numbered ________ will not be implemented
because they are not warranted or are not reasonable.
(Attach an explanation.)
Date: --=J=U=L Y..:......=9"'"". 2=0'-"'1=3 __ Signed: ---------
Number of pages attached __ 1..:.___
Revised August 2012
Item 11.a. - Page 19
CONSOLIDATION OF PUBLIC SAFETY DISPATCH SYSTEMS
RESPONSE TO GRAND JURY FORM
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
RESPONSE TO FINDINGS:
F2 It is the City's understanding that computer compatibility issues have been
addressed. Therefore, the City does not agree that its citizens are "at risk",
but does believe the citizens could be served more effectively with
consolidated dispatch services.
F5 It is not the City's understanding that the Sheriff's Department is prepared to
provide fire dispatch.
RESPONSE TO RECOMMENDATIONS:
Attached is the staff report presented to the City Council, which outlines the process
proposed to address the recommendations of the Grand Jury. It is the City's intent to
resolve this matter within the 6-month timeframe set forth in the Grand Jury report.
Item 11.a. - Page 20