A MAAP Service
Program Goal
The Pre-Consolidation Assistance Program (P-CAP) builds on the APCO International's commitment to member services. The focus of P-CAP is on providing insights to key officials during the interest identification and pre-planning process as consideration is given to the possibility of consolidating multiple PSAPs. The P-CAP team will bring together the appropriate officials including all involved parties representing the agencies that will be affected by consolidation to discuss the pros and cons. A detailed presentation that covers eight topic areas will be conducted (see Scope of Work below).
As peers in the public safety and public service realms, experienced public safety communications officials - APCO members - who have successfully managed consolidations, the P-CAP team will review with local officials crucial considerations to proactively address, as well as elements to include in requests for proposals, while providing recommendations focused on questions and issues that may arise as part of a community's proposed consolidation process.
APCO International's Member Assistance Advisory Program (MAAP) has a wide-ranging yet simple goal: To provide public safety communications managers and their executive leadership with review, evaluation and analysis of their current operations and advice on the issues surrounding effective and efficient operations - every day.
Its objectives are to give our members and their agencies specialized advice from their peers on issues concerning the operations of public safety communications centers, to provide them with recommendations to improve overall communications center operations. MAAP brings agencies closer to their goals by providing a competent peer review of agency operations in any component of public safety communications.
Peer-to-Peer Review
MAAP is a "peer-to-peer" review leading to some initial resource recommendations. APCO International recognizes that a more formal and possibly a longer term relationship between an agency and a commercial provider of public safety communications related professional consultant services may be an appropriate option for the agency.
Consequently, P-CAP efforts are structured to terminate prior to the point at which professional consultancy services would be engaged to begin the consolidation planning process. The insights provided are designed to assist jurisdictions during the discussion and decision process prior to potential consolidation and will be of assistance when drafting requests for proposals, through to the point of operational cutover, and will provide insights for obtaining professional consultant services focusing on consolidation.
Scope of Work
Once a Review request is received, the agency and APCO Staff will work together to refine and delineate the parameters of the review effort and create an agency-specific Scope of Work. The Scope of Work will clearly define what areas and components of the agency's operations will be reviewed. It specifies the targets of the review, the specific documents, processes, equipment and policies that are to be reviewed and the exact questions that will be asked about those items during the review. Examples of areas to be included in a Scope of Work include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Planning
- Review of any and all relevant documentation related to existing PSAPs and any documents related to the proposed consolidation
- Review current Capital Improvement Plans
- Review all developed short-range plans regarding proposed consolidation
- Review all developed long-range plans regarding proposed consolidation
- Interview management of all involved agencies to determine short and long-range goals not addressed in an official plan
- Governance
- Review proposed governance structure
- Review process for reporting/communications procedures between agency and oversight body
- Review potential user group (field agencies) involvement in governance process
- Policy and Procedure Review
- Review all policy and procedure documents from involved agencies for potential synergy/conflict
- Review terminology and codes for consistency
- Review level of uniformity of service delivery to supporting agencies
- Review current chain-of-command for all involved agencies and proposed chain-of-command for consolidated agency for synergy/conflict
- Operations
- Review of any and all relevant documentation related to operations of existing PSAPs and any documents related to operations post-consolidation
- Interview supervisory staff of all involved agencies to obtain overview of day-to-day operations
- Review scheduling/staffing options and potential efficiency considerations
- Review operational support technology for potential interoperability/conflict
- Facilities
- Review existing/proposed facilities
- Evaluate existing/proposed equipment for standards compliance and redundancy
- Interview staff concerning proposed center layout and workstation environment
- Recruitment and Hiring
- Review and evaluate current and proposed staffing levels as compared to national standards and recognized staffing formulas to determine adequate personnel needs
- Review proposed salary plan
- Review proposed testing and interview process
- Review proposed selection criteria
- Training Program
- Review and evaluate current training programs, to include emergency medical dispatch (EMD) programs, to ensure consistent foundational training and effective on-going continuing education of personnel
- Interview training officer and/or staff primarily responsible for training in all involved agencies regarding current programs and suggestions for development of training for proposed agency
- Radio System/Frequency Management
- Review of existing radio frequencies to ensure compliance with FCC regulations, determine/prevent the potential for interference and determine any need for additional support, frequencies or technology
- Review radio communications system regarding:
- Intermodulation studies, transmitter noise, Receiver Desnes Interference Studies
- Coverage maps based on accepted propagation models such as Longley-Rice
- Detailed analysis of FCC license (i.e. call sign) to ensure full compliance
- Review regional systems and interoperability
The On-Site Visit
Once all documentation is completed and on file, the P-CAP Team will travel to the agency for a 2 - 3 day on-site visit. During this visit the team will focus their efforts on those areas requested for review, and meet and interview agency personnel and field agency representatives as needed. Typically this will include a minimum one and a half day meeting with the leadership of all agencies involved followed by a half day meeting with key stakeholders to gather additional information for the final report.
The Final Report
Subsequent to their visit, the P-CAP Team will compile their notes and findings and the P-CAP Team Leader will create a Final Report. This Final Report combines the Team's observations, findings and recommendations.
The Final Report will include:
- An accurate overview of the operations reviewed, based on the Scope of Work;
- Supporting documentation, references or resources to assist in changing or modifying operating procedures as needed;
- A guideline for improvement and, if requested, a "First Steps Timeline" for implementation; and
- A contact list of subject matter experts and resource material for further assistance.
P-CAP Pricing
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For More Information
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