Developing & Maintaining a Successful Quality Program

1. Developing & Maintaining a Successful Quality Program

2. IntroductionsSteve WatsonAssistant Deputy Director9-1-1 OperationsBeau CrowdingAssistant Directorfor Quality

3. QualityinPublic Safety Communications

4. SuburbanCountyof PhiladelphiaPopulation: 465,795Municipalities: 73Emergency Calls:339,734

5. Why Develop a Quality Program? • Public/Responder expectations • Emergency Medical Dispatch standards • Media Scrutiny • Liability • The list goes on …..

6. Goal Ensure your communications center consistently provides the best possible emergency communications to your citizens and responders.

7. Chester CountyDepartment of Emergency ServicesOrganization

8. Building Blocks • Quality Team • Review Process • Recognition Process • Customer Surveys

9. Quality Team • Representation from Telecommunicators • Team effort • Problem solving • Recommendations

10. Review Process • Promote adherence to policies and procedures. • Facilitate the learning process. • Provide framework for continuous improvement.

11. Quality Review Process • Mercom Audiolog Recorder – Provides Recording, Cataloging and Playback of 911 Calls • Mercom IQ Review Software – Customized to PEMA and DES Standards • Calltaker Review • Job Execution Skills – 11 Elements • Professionalism/Emergency Medical Dispatch – 10 Elements • CAD Entry/Documentation – 4 Elements • Procedural Compliance – 7 Elements • Communications Skills – 10 Elements

12. Quality Review Process • Dispatcher Review • Job Execution Skills – 6 Elements • Professionalism/Emergency Medical Dispatch – 3 Elements • CAD Entry/Documentation – 2 Elements • Procedural Compliance – 4 Elements • Communications Skills – 7 Elements

13. Policies and Procedures • Must have clear standards to conduct proper evaluation. • Ensure standards are met during the handling of each incident. • Ongoing evaluation of current processes.

14. Standards for Reviews • Purpose and use of reviews. • How reviews are conducted. • Who is reviewed and who conducts the reviews. • What exactly is reviewed. • Rating system for review.

15. Factors • Environment • Equipment • Supervision • Additional training or review • Policies, Procedures or Process used • Individual - Trending Analysis

16. Lessons Learned • Quality Review Process • Ownership of the Process • Counseling Sessions • Performance Trending - The Big Picture

17. Continuous Improvement • What did we do well? • What didn’t we do so well? • How do we improve to eliminate a reoccurrence? • Continually striving for excellence.

18. Technology Recorder A digital recording device streamlines the review process by making information available faster.

19. Digital Recorder

20. Technology Review software packages Guides the review process in a consistent format.

21. Quality Review Software

22. Recognition Process Purpose: Increase awareness to the positive and lifesaving tasks our team members provide to the citizens of Chester County. Scope: Increased awareness will be accomplished by the use of a commendation display case located in the hallway outside the 911 center.

23. Criteria for Recognition • Commendation letters received from private citizens and field users. • EMD reviews performed by Quality Division • Quality reviews • Recommendations from supervisors or peers Quality Division reviews commendations with Division Manager for the following: • Lifesaving measures • Performance considered above and beyond • Highest level of professionalism and courtesy

24. Hall of Fame

32. Closing thought on Quality "High quality means pleasing the consumers, not just protecting them from annoyances." D.A. Garvin

33. Questions ?