Two years after a problem-plagued emergency dispatch system came on line, Tallahassee officials and manufacturer Motorola still can’t agree on how well it’s performing or how to fix it. That’s the conclusion of a 114-page report released Thursday.
A modern dispatch system for all Tallahassee area first responders was the dream of some local officials. Two years later, a consultant says it’s a migraine for taxpayers tired of shelling out more money and worrying about their safety.
Here’s Gartner consulting Senior Director Scott Porter describing the report to the Consolidated Dispatch Agency.
“An inability to agree on the actual health of the system and how acceptable performance can be achieved has left very little tolerance for continued efforts that do not result in swift, specific and definitive accountability for ensuring that the CDA has a stable, functioning and well performing system.”
Last year, a software problem was blamed for sending first responders to the wrong address in the killing of Florida State University law professor Dan Markel. But the report says the system is getting better. It only went down twice in the last six months for a total of 16 minutes.
Leon County Sheriff Mike Wood says he’s not alarmed.
“I’m satisfied that public safety is not at risk if I were not I would tell you but what I can tell you is that we want this system to be improved.”
The system serves police, firefighters, sheriff’s deputies and emergency medical crews. The City of Tallahassee plays a key role in managing it. But according to the report, Tallahassee needs a full time technical manager keeping an eye on it. Administrator Anita Favors-Thompson says that could be a problem. The city is in the middle of crafting a budget.
“It involves public safety to the maximum degree in terms of being able to respond appropriately so I think we have to find it.”
The report says user confidence in the system is low and periodic disruptions of individual work stations could be a safety risk. But Brian Whaley, a senior manager for Motorola, says the system is reliable.
“I think it’s an opportunity for us all to understand each other’s issues by an independent party like this and then sit down and address, we’ve done a really good job addressing their issues, all of us working together.”
Whaley says it’s important to him that the system works well. He lives in Tallahassee.
