New Cell Phone Legislation Prompts Reminder for Calling 9-1-1
Tacoma, Wash. (June 26, 2008) – The Law Enforcement Support Agency (LESA), Pierce County’s largest provider of 9-1-1, wishes to remind citizens of when it is appropriate to call 9-1-1. New cell phone legislation effective July 1st may prompt additional 9-1-1 calls as citizens report violations they witness.
Citizens should dial 9-1-1 for emergency situations in which a prompt response is needed, such as a life threatening injury or illness or for a serious crime that is in-progress. Keeping 9-1-1 phone lines open for true emergencies affords call-takers the opportunity to get people immediate emergency assistance in times of crisis. Non-emergencies may be reported 24-hours a day, seven days a week, by calling LESA’s non-emergency phone number, 253-798-4721. As it is written, the state’s new cell phone legislation does not provide a mechanism for citizens to report violations.
The new July 1st law restricts the use of wireless communication devices to hands-free listening – using devices such as one-ear headphones, speakerphones or Bluetooth headsets. Enforcement of the law may only be accomplished as a secondary violation committed in an officer’s presence. The restriction does not apply to a person operating an authorized emergency vehicle or a responding tow truck driver; a person using the device to report illegal activity, to summon emergency help or prevent injury to person or property; or a person using a hearing aid. Additionally, the law does not restrict the operation of an amateur radio station by a person holding a valid amateur radio operator license issued by the Federal Communications Commission.
June 2, 2008
LESA Director Named APCO's Communications Center Director of the Year
Tacoma, Wash. (June 2, 2008) – The Law Enforcement Support Agency (LESA) enthusiastically announces LESA Director Thomas Orr’s designation as Communications Center Director of the Year, awarded by the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International.
The Communications Center Director of the Year award is one of APCO International’s most distinguished awards and is one of only six PSAP (public safety answering point) Awards to be presented at their annual international conference. The PSAP Awards are presented to public safety communications personnel demonstrating the highest levels of personal and professional conduct and performance in the line of duty. They represent those who make continuous and significant improvement to the public safety profession. Director Orr’s award will be presented at the APCO International Conference being held August 4 - 7 in Kansas City, Mo.
“The award is a wonderful recognition of the hard work of the many dedicated LESA employees whose outstanding performance made LESA a leader in emergency communications,” Director Orr said. “I am both honored and humbled to be selected by my peers from throughout the nation.”
Founded in 1935, the 15,000 members of APCO International constitute the world’s oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to public safety communications. APCO International creates a platform for setting professional standards, addressing professional issues and providing education, products and services for those who manage, operate, maintain and supply the communications systems used by police, fire and emergency medical dispatch agencies throughout the world.
LESA First to Adopt and Apply Six Sigma Approach to 9-1-1 Communications and Law Enforcement Technology and Records Management
Tacoma, Wash. (May 28, 2008) – The Law Enforcement Support Agency (LESA) announced the adoption of the Six Sigma business improvement model used by major national corporations over the last 20 years. Six Sigma helped those corporations improve work processes by as much as 70 percent and to achieve over $100 billion in savings. With a biennial budget of over $33 million, LESA is the first consolidated public agency in
9-1-1 emergency communications, records management and information technology services to apply the Six Sigma methodology.
In adopting Six Sigma methodology, LESA expects to answer 9-1-1 calls quicker, improve hiring and retention, decrease training time, reduce technology development time, and more efficiently process police reports, public disclosure requests, fingerprinting, warrants and firearms applications.
“The agencies and the public we serve deserve nothing less than the very best service at the lowest possible cost,” LESA Director Thomas Orr said. “In these times of limited resources, Six Sigma provides an outstanding methodology for LESA to improve performance, continuously lower costs, enhance citizen satisfaction and increase our capacity and capability within our existing budget.”
Six Sigma methodology focuses on process improvement by measuring how that process is performing, identifying causes for variations in that performance, and focusing on the critical factors that affect performance. It is designed to create bottom-line breakthrough change with a rate of improvement of 70 percent or better using a disciplined data-driven approach to identify and minimize defects in any process – whether it is a process to produce a product or service or is a manufacturing or transactional process.
In recent years, Six Sigma proved it can significantly improve the performance of law enforcement and municipalities. Public sector agencies report similar outstanding reductions in cost and significant improvements in service.
In the private sector, Six Sigma emerged over the last two decades as the single most effective business improvement methodology. Originated by Motorola in the 1980s, Six Sigma achieved over $16 billion in documented savings to Motorola in a 12-year period. Since then, General Electric, DuPont, Bank of America, Honeywell, Texas Instruments and many other private corporations achieved similar results through the implementation of Six Sigma.
Motorola is assisting LESA in its transition to Six Sigma through intensive on-site training and follow-up training at Motorola University. Ultimately, Six Sigma will be deployed throughout LESA providing a process for examining every level of operation, setting ambitious objectives and measuring performance in a way that requires accountability.
May 7, 2008
Rapidly Deployable Mobile Video RFP Released
Tacoma, Wash. (May 7, 2008) – The Law Enforcement Support Agency (LESA) released their highly-anticipated Request for Proposal (RFP) for the rapidly deployable mobile video (RADMO) project. The project, part of a nearly $1 million Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant from the Department of Justice, is a joint venture of the Pierce County Consortium – LESA, the Tacoma Police Department, Pierce County Sheriff’s Department and the Puyallup Police Department.
RADMO’s purpose is crime interdiction through a mobile video setup acting as a force-multiplier by providing remote incident situation awareness. The project was designed to address drug trafficking, business park criminal activity, construction site theft, domestic violence situations, and major incident response, but may provide numerous other valuable uses for law enforcement.
The RFP seeks vendors to provide research and development, provide project and risk management, and find additional funds to develop, manufacture and produce a prototype for the consortium. Work on the project is slated to begin in August.
The RFP is available for download at the City of Tacoma’s Purchasing Division website under Formal Solicitations at http://www.cityoftacoma.org/Page.aspx?hid=523. A pre-proposal conference will be held on June 3, 2008, from 9 a.m. to noon at LESA’s headquarters located at 955 Tacoma Avenue South, Suite 102 in Tacoma. Proposals are due Tuesday, July 15, 2008.
April 23, 2008
LESA To Be Profiled In Leadership Film At International Conference
Tacoma, Wash. (April 23, 2008) – The Law Enforcement Support Agency (LESA) will be one of only a handful of agencies featured in a thought leadership film presented by Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) at their international conference later this year. Thought leadership films spread the word about innovative practices responsible for moving public safety communications forward. As a leader in such efforts, LESA is being profiled in two films for its groundbreaking LEADS program and for its strategic action plan, Vision ONE.
APCO’s thought leadership films are short pre-recorded films aired at their annual conference with DVD copies distributed to conference attendees. The films will also be broadcast on APCO’s website, during and after the conference. LESA’s films will be available for viewing on their website after the APCO conference in August.
LESA’s thought leadership segments are scheduled to be filmed in early June.
April 21, 2008
New Discovery Channel Television Show To Profile LESA 9-1-1 Call, Communications Officer
Tacoma, Wash. (April 21, 2008) – The Law Enforcement Support Agency welcomed a Discovery Channel film crew last week when they filmed on-site at the LESA Communications Center for their new television series, Call 9-1-1. The show will profile a 9-1-1 call from earlier this year, in which LESA Communications Officer Doug Turner ensured everything went right when a 10-year-old girl called for help during a domestic violence situation involving her mother. With Turner’s calming demeanor and emergency expertise, he skillfully guided the panicked, bright, young girl in getting Tacoma police to the scene within seven minutes. No one was injured during the incident.
The girl said Turner did a good job keeping her calm and she noted the importance of staying calm so she could tell the 9-1-1 operator what was happening so help could be sent. She added that she learned it is also important to know and provide complete information to the 9-1-1 operator – information like her address, including building and apartment number, and the names of her parents.
On-site filming included interviews with Turner, the girl, her mother, and an opportune meeting between the call-taker and young caller. Turner showed the wide-eyed girl the workings of the 9-1-1 system, showing just how he was able to get the Tacoma Police Department to her home so quickly.
When asked about the 9-1-1 response, the girl’s mother described that when going through the stressful incident she thought it took 20 minutes for the police to arrive. After listening to her daughter’s 9-1-1 call and seeing the time that elapsed was only seven minutes she said, “That was fast. The police got there fast.”
Call 9-1-1 is expected to premiere on The Discovery Channel’s Investigation Discovery channel (previously Discovery Times) in September, with the second episode featuring the LESA call.
April 17, 2008
LESA Appeals To Lateral-Entry Dispatchers With $5K Signing Bonus
Tacoma, Wash. (April 17, 2008) – The Law Enforcement Support Agency (LESA) unveiled a new hiring incentive to stimulate recruitment for lateral-entry dispatchers – those found to be most successful in completing LESA’s rigorous dispatch training program. The enticing hiring incentive includes $5,000 for the new dispatcher, and $5,000 for the LESA employee responsible for recruiting the new dispatcher. Also included in the incentive is a relocation allowance for applicants moving over 100 miles from Pierce County.
The aggressive move, approved by the LESA Executive Board yesterday, is in response to the agency’s urgent need for qualified applicants and the need for an immediate increase in qualified staff. The incentive was created after evaluating prior successful applicants and incorporating best practices from other Public Safety Answering Points’ (PSAPs) recruiting, hiring and training programs.
LESA’s dispatcher training program lasts approximately 29 weeks. LESA’s dispatchers enjoy all of the excitement of police work, with none of the danger. LESA’s data reveals that applicants with prior law enforcement dispatch experience had the highest success rate. In addition to the hiring incentive, LESA offers the highest pay in Washington state and comprehensive, unmatched benefits.
The hiring incentive is expected to last through 2008 and applies only to lateral dispatcher applications received by 4 p.m. on December 31, 2008.
February 4, 2008
The Law Enforcement Support Agency (LESA) Launches New Website
Tacoma, Wash. (February 4, 2008) – The Law Enforcement Support Agency (LESA) launched a redesigned and improved website, www.lesa.net, to provide up-to-date information about the emergency and public services provided by Pierce County’s largest regional provider of 9-1-1, police dispatch, records management and law enforcement information technology. From the site, users can access employment applications; forms for Concealed Pistol Licenses, public records requests and more; public counter hours and directions; links to LESA’s law enforcement partners, as well as outside services; and even tips for calling 9-1-1.
The website launch is in conjunction with an aggressive promotion, marketing and recruiting advertising campaign that includes a series of radio commercials, streaming Internet commercials, Internet banner advertising, other advertising, and job fair appearances to address LESA’s growing need for qualified applicants, particularly Dispatchers and Communications Officers – of which there are 14 new positions available. To compete for dedicated employees in an aggressive job market, LESA’s dispatchers are the highest paid in Washington state, with excellent benefits – including G.I. Bill benefits. Now, LESA’s website provides job-seekers and community members a place to find comprehensive, useful information about the valuable services and opportunities available.
The website features photos of LESA employees and was composed with employee contributions and design input. It also touts LESA’s new logo – also designed and chosen by employees.
“LESA’s new website is a professional reflection of what our agency represents,” LESA Director Tom Orr said. “It serves as a valuable resource for the community, as well as a source of pride for our employees.”
January 2, 2008
Former Pierce County Sheriff’s Department Chief Hired as LESA Program Manager
Tacoma, Wash. (January 2, 2008) – The Law Enforcement Support Agency (LESA) announced today the hiring of Mike Carson, former Pierce County Sheriff’s Department Bureau Chief, as the agency’s new Program Manager. Carson will provide planning, management and implementation of LESA’s large-scale programs, including the influential and successful LEADS (Law Enforcement Activity and Data System) Program. The LEADS Program benefits most of Pierce County’s law enforcement agencies through regional, integrated and interoperable technology management. As Program Manager, Carson will establish LEADS’ strategic direction and coordinate with participating law enforcement agencies’ leadership and their objectives. “I am thrilled to be working for the most technically advanced and cutting edge law enforcement support entity in the region,” Carson said. “In just the past couple of years, LESA has developed a reputation as an innovative and responsive partner to most of the county’s police agencies. My goal is to contribute to solutions to some of the many challenges facing the criminal justice community in coming years – especially in helping make limited police resources as effective and efficient as possible.”
Carson brings to LESA almost 30 years of law enforcement experience, 20 years of which were with PCSD where he acquired active experience in the planning and execution of the LEADS vision as PCSD’s LEADS Project Manager. He also created the department’s first Crime Analysis Unit and is credited for introducing GIS (Geographic Information Services) to the department as a tactical, strategic and administrative tool.
“With over 30 years of Pierce County law enforcement, Mike Carson was the perfect choice to manage the technology component of LESA’s Vision ONE – LESA’s strategic plan to maintain its preeminent national status as a leader in law enforcement technology and support services,” LESA Director Tom Orr said. “LESA, its participating agencies and the citizens of Pierce County are truly fortunate to have such a dedicated and outstanding professional with the perfect blend of expertise and management capabilities.”
Carson, a long-time Pierce County resident, is also an active community member. He is currently serving on the Thun Field Advisory Commission, is the former director of the South Hill Community Council, and is a former member of the South Hill Advisory Commission.
October 1, 2007
PSAP Assessment Study to be Presented to LESA Executive Board in October 2007
Tacoma, Wash. (October 1, 2007) – Beginning in June 2007, a nationally-recognized consulting firm, 9-1-1 SME Consulting, began an exhaustive review and assessment of all aspects of LESA’s 911 and dispatch operations. The goal of the study is to measure LESA’s performance and capabilities against national standards established by the National Emergency Number Association. The study will include a complete review of staffing levels, technology, policy and trunk line capability. The study is the first step to LESA’s efforts to obtain national accreditation through CALEA.
UPDATE:
As a result of the study, LESA has been authorized to hire seven new dispatchers and two communications officers in 2008!
September 6, 2007
Dispatcher Tina McMillan Granted Professional Designation of Registered Public-Safety Leader
Tacoma, Wash. (September 6, 2007) – The Law Enforcement Support Agency (LESA) announced today that Dispatcher Tina McMillan was one of the first to be granted the professional designation of Registered Public-Safety Leader (RPL) at the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International’s 73rd Annual Conference and Exposition in Baltimore, Md. Dispatcher McMillan received a certificate of acceptance into the APCO Institute Registry of Public-Safety Leaders, a formal and prestigious acknowledgment of excellence within the public safety communications industry.
Dispatcher McMillan has been with LESA since 1991 and has been a key contributor to LESA’s training program and dispatcher cross-training program, and is known throughout the industry for her training expertise. She has instructed at both the APCO International Conference in 2006 and the APCO Western Regional Conference in 2007. Additionally, Dispatcher McMillan was honored as the APCO Washington state chapter’s 2005 Telecommunicator of the Year for Superior Sustained Performance.
APCO Institute’s Leadership Certificate Program is a comprehensive 12-month online program that leads to the professional designation of Registered-Public Safety Leader (RPL). This program provides aspiring leaders within public safety communications the knowledge and skill sets to achieve excellence.
“The future of public safety and APCO International will be greatly influenced by those who have made a commitment to its leadership,” APCO International President Willis Carter said. “APCO stands behind these dedicated individuals who will make their mark in the industry.”
Tacoma, Wash. (June 26, 2007) – LESA is currently seeking a risk assessment of its existing facilities and an assessment of the need for and requirements of a facility that would consolidate its present three facilities into a modern and efficient single facility.
UPDATE:
The contract has been awarded to the team of Hewitt and Leach Mounce – two firms experienced in building major 9-1-1 communication facilities and police operations centers around the country. The team will review three potential sites for locating LESA and design a facility that addresses all of LESA’s needs. As part of their study, they will be surveying personnel at all levels of LESA to determine our facility needs.
