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Extracted from Consolidated Report
This investigation was originally published as part of a larger consolidated report containing multiple investigations. View the consolidated PDF for the complete document.
Score: -1
(0/0/1)
San Luis Obispo County Grand Jury
• 2019-2020
Joint Agency Dispatch: Better Together?
⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Note: Missing finding numbers detected: F5
Findings 5 findings
F1
The cities of Atascadero, Grover Beach, Paso Robles, Pismo Beach and San Luis Obispo who operate their own PSAPs, could benefit financially and operationally by contracting their dispatch operation with Cal Fire and the County Sheriff.
F2
The County Sheriff and Cal Fire have demonstrated that they can provide cost effective and operational dispatch service that is equal or better to the smaller agencies in San Luis Obispo county through contracting.
F3
The portion of the EOC building now allocated to County Sheriff Dispatch operations is insufficient to provide dispatch service to all seven cities.
F4
A state-of-the-art dispatch center could be a benefit to the County Sheriff’s aging building inventory, but the real benefit for taxpayers and residents countywide is the financial and operational efficiencies of a joint agency dispatch service.
F6
It is the observation of the Grand Jury that the space is inadequate and insufficient and needs to be addressed.
Recommendations 10
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R1The Cities of Atascadero, Grover Beach, Paso Robles, Pismo Beach and San Luis Obispo, should each request a proposal from the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff and Cal Fire to provide contract dispatch services and present it as an option in future budgets.
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R2The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff and Cal Fire should modify their contingency plans for dispatch to all seven cities into a viable alternative to the proposed co-dispatch center.
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R3The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors should require the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff to provide a clear, long-term pricing for dispatch service with and without the proposed co-dispatch center.
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R4The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors should include the reallocation of space in the EOC building for expanded dispatch operations in their current negotiations with PG&E regarding the closing of Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant in 2025.
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R5Health services a) How delivered b) Common medical problems c) Public health concerns
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R6Injuries a) Injuries to inmates due to aggression/agitation b) Accidental injuries to inmates requiring medical attention greater than first aid 2019-2020 San Luis Obispo County Grand Jury Final Report 68 Inspection Report for San Luis Obispo County Law Enforcement and Detention Facilities c) Injuries to staff by inmates due to assault or managing inmate aggression/agitation
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R7Suicide a) Suicide attempts/deaths b) Serious self-injury incidents requiring medical attention beyond first aid
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R8Drugs a) Drug overdoses b) Drug deaths by overdose
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R9Deaths a) Other deaths
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R10Training (title, hours, and instructor credentials for each type) a) Managing inmate violence b) Handling mental health behaviors c) Responding to drug/alcohol related problems 2019-2020 San Luis Obispo County Grand Jury Final Report 69 JOINT AGENCY DISPATCH: BETTER TOGETHER?
Conclusions 1
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CL1Since the Grand Jury report “Consolidation for Dispatch Operation for Public Safety” in 2012, the cities of Arroyo Grande and Morro Bay have worked through the governance and operational concerns and contracted with the County Sheriff and Cal Fire for dispatch service that is less expensive and is equal or better than their in-house service. Submitted November 5, 2020 7 It is likely that the similar sized cities of Grover Beach and Pismo Beach could achieve similar results for their PSAP and law enforcement dispatch. For the cities of Atascadero and Paso Robles to achieve similar financial results, the County Sheriff would need to mitigate the difference in pay scales. The city of San Luis Obispo has similar pay scales to the County Sheriff and would likely realize some financial benefit from joint dispatch. Beyond expense, there are significant service level benefits from joint dispatch. Dispatchers trained and dedicated to either fire or police operations provide a safer environment for first responders and improved service to the public. Better coordination during major incidents, where mutual or emergency aid is required, will improve response times and ensure timely additional support. The higher capacity of a larger operation will reduce the impact from turnover, illness or injury. There are challenges as well, but the recent success of agencies who contract for dispatch service indicates they can be met and still deliver more cost effective and operational service.
Agency Responses 3
Government agencies' official responses to this report's findings and recommendations. Click on a response to see the structured breakdown.
No Responses Found 4
Government entities assigned to respond to this report. No response documents have been linked in our database.
Grover Beach
City
Paso Robles
City
San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors
Elected County Office
San Luis Obispo County Sheriff
Elected County Office