Receive August 3rd, 2023 AUG 2 9 2023 Solano County Civil Grand Jury Attn: Carl W. DuBois, Foreperson Solano County*

– There is a general acceptance among emergency service providers in the County to the idea of a consolidated dispatch center. Respondent agrees with a consolidated fire dispatch communications center. Suisun City has one dispatch center for its police and fire services. Both agencies incur a significant call volume which puts stress on our Suisun City Public Safety Dispatchers (PSD's); it is not uncommon to have only one dispatcher handling both law enforcement and fire radio communications. As noted by the Chief of Police, Aaron Roth, in his response letter to the Grand Jury Report, the PSD's are responsible for more than dispatching. They also answer the police department's main business and records telephone lines, and they consolidate and compile police reports and other records, which are disseminated county-wide for various purposes, including prosecution and discovery preparation. The PSD's also staff the business counter of the Police Department and often monitor the city's various surveillance cameras when a crime is in progress. Additionally, the PSD's will coordinate with the city's public works department and water department during off hours to ensure the community is receiving the correct services. The transition to a county-wide fire dispatch communication system is vital to the fire and emergency medical services of Solano County and is supported by the Suisun City Fire Chief. Having six separate fire communication centers presents significant life safety concerns to responders and the citizens of Solano County. Telephone: (707) 421-7205 - Fax: (707) 421-7389 City of Suisun City Fire Department Fire Chief Brad Lopez 621 Pintail Dr. • Suisun City, CA 94585 Major wildland fires have impacted the Solano County region over the past few decades, where communications have always been at the forefront of recognized challenges in this County. The most recent was the LNU Lightning Complex Fire in 2020, which burned over 363,220 acres, destroyed 1,491 structures, and killed six people. Previous investigations and post-incident analysis have highlighted several concerns, most notably significant delays in the ordering and deploying critically needed resources. The delays were attributed to the challenges of having multiple fire communication and dispatch centers in Solano County. Moreover, Solano County Emergency Medical Services Agency recently required all communication centers to implement Emergency Medical Dispatching (EMD) services by October 2021. EMD services require dispatchers to be trained, allowing them to provide EMD instructions over a 911 call for medical emergencies. Due to limited staffing levels, Suisun City Dispatch is currently unable to provide EMD services. Having a common communications center with adequate staffing would support EMD services throughout Solano County. As the Fire Chief of the Suisun City Fire Department, the need for us to collectively plan and act toward a consolidated fire communications model should be taken seriously and considered a high priority. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me directly. Respectfully, Brad L Lopez Brad L. Lopez, Fire Chief CC: Greg Folsom, City Manager CC: Aaron Roth, Chief of Police ### Telephone: (707) 421-7205 - Fax: (707) 421-7389