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911 Carver Street Bremerton, WA 98312

Business Phone Number (360)307-5800 Fax (360) 792-5982

www.kitsap911.org

CENCOM’s Mission “To serve the citizens of Kitsap County through professional, timely, and effective 9-1-1

communications and coordination of emergency services response.” CENCOM values our community's diversity and strives to reflect that diversity in our staff and in

the delivery of our services.

CENCOM’s Vision Statement CENCOM is a leader in Public Safety Emergency Communications. Over the next 5-7 years we will

strengthen our reputation as the Northwest’s premier 911 dispatch center. We will be a self-sufficient and fiscally-stable agency known for good stewardship, strong partnerships, and innovation. We will employ and develop highly effective professionals in an employee friendly,

service focused environment.

Partner Agencies

Police Departments Fire Departments Bainbridge Island Police Department Bainbridge Island Fire & Rescue

Bremerton Police Department Bremerton Fire Department

Kitsap County Sheriffs Office Central Kitsap Fire & Rescue

Port Gamble Police Department Fire District 18 (Poulsbo Fire)

Port Orchard Police Department North Kitsap Fire & Rescue

Poulsbo Police Department South Kitsap Fire & Rescue

Suquamish Police Department

Kitsap County Other Community Development – Bainbridge Island Ambulance Assn.

Code Enforcement & Fire Marshall Department of Corrections

Coroners Office Kitsap Animal Rescue

Emergency Management United States Navy

Juvenile Corrections Port Gamble Natural Resources

We wish to thank our employees, our partner agencies and our

boards for their hard work and dedication as this successful

partnership continues!

History of CENCOM

Page 2

Kitsap County, Washington– Police and Fire Stations

Page 3

Page 4

History of CENCOM

G o v e r n a n c e & M a n a g e m e n t CENCOM is governed by a board of thirteen elected officials representing Kitsap County, the Cities of

Bainbridge Island, Bremerton, Port Orchard, & Poulsbo, and the Kitsap County Fire Commissioners

Association. The CENCOM Policy Board provides fiscal, strategic, and managerial oversight for CENCOM.

They adopt the budget and strategic plan, set the agency’s direction, and establish policies as necessary to

ensure the residents and visitors of the Kitsap region are served by an effective and efficient 911 system.

The CENCOM Executive Committee (five Policy Board members) meets every other month. Working with

the Director, they draft the budget and long-range plan, study complex issues in order to make

recommendations to the full board, and exercise such authority as the Board delegates.

CENCOM’s interlocal agreement also delegates some oversight responsibilities and duties to the Kitsap

County Commissioners.

The Policy Board appoints the CENCOM Director, who is responsible for running the agency. Internally,

CENCOM is divided into three primary divisions: Administrative (Admin), Operations (Ops), and Technical

Systems (Tech).

The Strategic Advisory Board, a group of police and fire chiefs provide advice and input to the CENCOM

Policy Board and the CENCOM Director on policy, technical, and operations issues as well as with

Intra-agency coordination.

CENCOM was founded in 1973 as an effort to improve emergency medical dispatching within Kitsap County.

In 1976 CENCOM went live as the first consolidated police, fire, and EMS dispatch center in Washington

State. Callers dialed 911 but the system did not include any of the features associated with 911 today. In

1983 CENCOM became the 2nd dispatch center in Washington State to deploy "Enhanced 911" which

included a display of the caller's address for the dispatcher.

The initial intent was to provide:

A single emergency reporting number (9-1-1) for all Kitsap County citizens

Expanded emergency communications network for centralized coordination of police, fire, and

medical

A reduction of response time

Elimination of 29 seven digit emergency numbers

Consolidate 12 separate dispatch systems

The ability for emergency response agencies to exchange information

Enhancement of overall public safety functions

The ability to meet increased demand for services

The first staff included a director, supervisor, administrative staff, and 20 dispatchers to manage the

24-hour, 365-day operation. Site design, facility construction, formation of operational policy and procedures

were completed by the end of 1976, as well as installation of the electronics system, which included

implementation of a "geofile". By 1993 9-1-1 had expanded to provide coverage to the entire county and

dispatch function for all public safety agencies. Ongoing funding came from the passage of the telephone tax

initiative in 2003.

Continued exploration into ever changing technology and broader funding mechanisms along with proactive

long term planning continue to remain the mainstay of the organization.

Organizational Chart

Page 5

CENCOM’s 76 employees (including full time, regular part time, extra help, and contract staff) are divided

into three divisions. The CENCOM Admin division, led by Office Supervisor Stephanie Browning,

maintains CENCOM’s records, handles public disclosure requests, pays CENCOM bills, and processes

CENCOM receivables. The Technical System division, led by Dean Heistand, performs troubleshooting,

configuration, and routine maintenance of CENCOM’s technical systems including our 911 and office phone

systems, logging recorder, radio system, tower sites, Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) and other computer

systems. CENCOM’s largest division, Operations, is led by Amy Warrior. The employees in this division

include 911 Call Receivers (PCR), Emergency Telecommunicators (ET aka Dispatchers), Assistant

Supervisors, and Shift Supervisors.

CENCOM Policy Board

Strategic Advisory

Board

CENCOM Director

Deputy Director

Office Supervisor

User Groups

Fiscal Tech

Office Assistant

Trng/ Ops Mgr

Tech Systems

Supervisor

OST (Help Desk)

Comm Center

Technicicans (3)

CAD Analyst

Ops Spt Tech

(CAD)

Shift Supervisor

Shift Supervisor

Shift Supervisor

Shift Supervisor

Shift Supervisor

Shift Supervisor

Assistant Sup.

ET (7-8)

PCR (1-2)

Assistant Sup

ET (7-8)

PCR (1-2)

Assistant Sup

ET (7-8)

PCR (1-2)

Assistant Sup

ET (7-8)

PCR (1-2)

Assistant Sup

ET (7-8)

PCR (1-2)

Assistant Sup.

ET (7-8)

PCR (1-2)

Executive

Committee

BOCC

Acting Prof.

Standards Sup

Page 6

CENCOM Policy Board Members (2011)

Carol Arends Bremerton City

Councilmember

Executive Committee

Steve Boyer Kitsap County

Sheriff

Executive Committee

Josh Brown Kitsap County

Commissioner

Executive Committee

Patty Lent Bremerton Mayor

Lary Coppola Port Orchard Mayor

Dave Ellingson

Fire Commissioner

Becky Erickson Poulsbo Mayor

Greg Wheeler Bremerton City

Council

Bill Knobloch Bainbridge Island

Council Member

CPB Vice Chair

Bob Muhleman Fire Commissioner

CPB Chair

Executive Committee

Charlotte Garrido Kitsap County

Commissioner

Dusty Wiley Fire Commissioner

Executive Committee

Robert Gelder Kitsap County

Commissioner

The CENCOM Policy Board meets in odd numbered months on the third Tuesday at the Norm Dicks

Government Center in Bremerton. The Executive Committee meets in even months on the third

Wednesday at CENCOM. All meetings are open to the public. For more information about CENCOM

Policy Board and Executive Committee meetings call (360)307-5800.

Page 7

CENCOM’s Leadership

2011 proved to be another eventful year at CENCOM. The number of priority events that occurred within 2011 and

already within 2012 causes us to take pause and review our preparedness. During 2011, CENCOM began monthly

focus training in the operations division. The purpose was to provide short snippets of training to dispatchers on

shift. One of the first topics covered was the HELP procedures, which proved to be very beneficial. We also further

developed our disaster preparedness and provided training to CENCOM employees on Critical Employee Emergency

Planning.

After the most recent tragedy, CENCOM has decided to embark on a peer support program in which we are in the early

stages of development. We firmly believe that our employees are our greatest commodity and want to provide them the

resources they need to not only survive the most difficult times, but also flourish during the routine.

Thank you for all the support CENCOM has received throughout the year. We appreciate every card and phone

call. The significance of each did not go unnoticed.

2012 is shaping up to be a busy year on the technology side as well. We have a number of large projects planned that

will have a positive effect on all CENCOM users. These include a Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD)/Mobile Computer

Terminal (MCT) upgrade in April 2012, completion of the radio narrow-banding project this summer, planning and

initial development of a new CENCOM backup site, and an upgrade to our radio site security system. These projects

involve staff from every division.

CENCOM has a long-standing practice to include stakeholders in the project plan and implementation. The CAD/MCT

upgrade is an excellent example of this in action. We have a CAD upgrade team that consists of technical personnel,

dispatchers, call receivers, supervisors, and management. In addition to the core team who has developed the project

plan and worked through every phase of the project, we also have a testing group that has spent countless hours

testing the new product, reporting errors and re-testing. CENCOM also has a CAD training group that spent weeks

with the vendor learning the ins and outs of the new system, recommending changes, and ultimately training all

CENCOM operations staff on the new system. Our Technical Systems Division has been heavily committed to

development of the new system, providing expertise and support to the upgrade team.

Our Partner agencies have also been involved in the project by providing input about configuration and testing the new

software. Their input and support has been invaluable. As we continue with the last phase of the project, we look

forward to a successful go-live in April 2012 due to the combined efforts that went into this project.

Right to Left– Maria Jameson-Owens,-Deputy Director, Dean Heistand Technical Systems

Supervisor, Richard Kirton, Director, Stephanie Browning-Office Supervisor, George Hazard-

Interim Professional Standards Supervisor, Amy Warrior Training and Operations Manager

Page 8

2011 Major Accomplishments & 2012 Projects

2011 Major Accomplishments 1. Completion of the Simon Point Tower Project. This tower is located on top of a 1000 foot high “foot hill” that is

located just south of Lake Symington. It has filled in a sorely needed first responder radio coverage problem that affected the areas

of Lake Symington, Lake Tahuya and throughout the Seabeck and Holly areas.

2. Replacement of the Gold Mountain Tower generator. When the Gold Mountain site was purchased from AT&T in 2005, it had an

emergency power generator that was 30 years old. Reliability had begun to be an issue and became a serious problem during the

winter months when Gold Mountain was inaccessible due to snow levels and downed trees. In 2011 the entire emergency power

system was replaced with a new generator and transfer switch, which provided the site with a reliable power back up system.

3. New Security System, Lighting Upgrade and HVAC Control System. The center’s security and HVAC control systems were

replaced with a single system which will allow for much greater power consumption efficiencies. The new system also allows an

interface to the Tower site monitoring system so that Dispatch Operations has a better capability of detecting precursory problems at

the tower sites to reduce radio system down time.

4. Technical Interoperable Plan for Kitsap County was written and will be adopted in 2012. This will formalize the interoperability

plan which will allow for better planning and training for interoperability with neighboring jurisdictions, along with Federal and

State agencies.

5. NG911 Network Implementation. The conventional 911 analog trunks were replaced with a new digital Next Generation Network.

This system provides for an increase in reliability, capacity and capability, which will prepare CENCOM for the new NG-911

functionalities that will occur in the near future.

2012 Major Projects

1. CAD and MCT System Upgrade

2. Narrowbanding of all radio channels

3. Implementation of Interoperable Patching System with King, Snohomish and Pierce Counties

4. Upgrade of the Office Phone System

5. Continued expansion of the Tower Site Alarm/Monitoring System

CENCOM Administrative and Technical System Division

A d m i n i s t r a t i v e D i v i s i o n The Administrative Services Division is supervised by

Stephanie Browning. This division provides office support to

all other divisions and non-dispatch related services to the

public and CENCOM’s partner agencies. The division

maintains CENCOM files and processes CENCOM’s contracts,

purchase orders, invoices, inter-local agreements, and other

documents. The division, working with the Kitsap County

Treasurer and Auditor’s Offices, performs all accounting

functions including payroll, accounts receivable and accounts

payable. The Admin division also provides clerical support for

the CENCOM Policy Board, CENCOM Executive Committee,

CENCOM Strategic Advisory Board, and various user groups.

As the Records Custodians, the division maintains all public

records and responds to public disclosure requests, particularly for

audio recordings and computer logs related to 911 calls, police, fire, and EMS responses.

T E C H S y s t e m s D i v i s i o n CENCOM’s Technical Systems Division includes all

Technical and Information Technologies under

supervisor, Dean Heistand. This allows for the more

efficient use of technical staff resources and improved

system maintenance.

The IT section of this division maintains CENCOM’s

computer systems, including administrative computers

and Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) software &

hardware. The CAD software uses the latest mapping

technology which is maintained in cooperation with

Kitsap County GIS staff. The Kitsap County Master

Street Address Guide (MSAG) is managed by IT and is

used in conjunction with the telephone system to allow

dispatchers to know the location of incoming 911 calls.

CENCOM IT staffs the centralized Help Desk, which provides support for all CENCOM technical systems.

The division also administers the multi-agency on-line police reporting system.

The Technical Services section of the division maintains the 911 Public Safety radio and telephone

communications systems located at the dispatch center, backup center, and radio tower sites. These systems

consist of radio dispatch consoles, 911 and business telephone systems, radio base stations, simulcast

systems, tower antenna networks, logging recorder, console instant playback recorders, and paging

encoders. The Technical Systems division is also active in the research and implementation of new

communication systems and information technologies, emergency AC and DC power systems, tower

microwave networks, radio receiver voting systems, tower site alarms and monitoring systems, radio towers,

and tower site facilities.

The Technical Services section also serves as the facility maintenance lead for other systems such as HVAC,

security, fire protection, lighting, transportation, storage and general building maintenance.

Page 9

Stephanie Browning and Rachelle Tate

Back Row-David McNair, Terese Ungren, Tom Powers, Dean Heistand

Seated-Brandon Wecker, Tim Simonson, Phil Seratt, Terri Squires, Ken Sala

Page 10

CENCOM Operations

CENCOM Dispatchers ready to take your call.

O p e r a t i o n s

CENCOM had several short-term situations that caused “Changing Gears” which is a plan for more

efficiently managing with limited resources during a major event or emergency, to be initiated throughout

the year. Our IT division was able to automate the single unit dispatch recommendations in CAD for Phase

1A-Ramp up, which allows quicker dispatch times than having to do this manually.

The Kitsap County EMS office hired a new Medical Program Director, Dr. Scott Davarn. New CPR protocols

were adopted, trained on and implemented in December. The new protocol for adult CPR is compressions

only, along with a more assertive approach with callers to initiate CPR.

In March, Kitsap Animal Rescue (KAR) became a direct customer for CENCOM. CENCOM now takes all

animal problem calls 24/7 and dispatch per established guidelines.

At the end of the year CENCOM set up new procedures for the Tri-Lakes area (Tiger, Panther and Mission

Lakes). CENCOM dispatches Law Enforcement and works with Mason County for any Fire/EMS responses.

C E N C O M G O E S G R E E N ! In 2011 Kitsap County CENCOM continued to “go green”

thanks to a PSE grant rebate and new computer software.

Being a facility that runs twenty four hours a day, seven

days a week, our main goal was to reduce energy

consumption. CENCOM did this by revising the existing

ductwork to allow the HVAC system to allow one air

handling unit to be shut down at night. We also added an

economizer to our Computer room air conditioning unit,

this “free cooling” or economizer system, for the Delta

cooling units will allow those units to be turned off during

certain weather conditions. CENCOM also retrofitted all

the Interior and Exterior lights to be more energy efficient.

CENCOM has been using a Document Management

software called PowerDMS, this is helping CENCOM

begin to go paperless. PowerDMS houses all CENCOM policies, procedures, meeting minutes and manuals.

Currently, with PowerDMS CENCOM has saved over 426,000 pieces of paper and over 51 trees. We are

constantly looking for new ideas and ways to make our building environment a better place for everyone.

CENCOM Training

Page 11

T r a i n i n g

In 2011 we conducted one Primary Call Receiver Academy (PCRA), one Law Enforcement Dispatch Academy

(LEDA) and one Fire Dispatch Academy (FDA). We hired five employees in 2011 for the Primary Call

Receiver Academy. Two probationary employees did not complete probation. We completed training of two

new Acting Leads and two CTOs (Certified Training Officers), and have identified an additional Acting Lead

to be trained in 2012.

During our hiring process we were a pilot agency for County Personnel to utilize the online application

process called NEOGOV. We continued to utilize our multiple panel interview process that has proven to be

efficient.

All Supervisory staff remained the same; during the year training and development opportunities were

implemented. The Supervisory staff was trained on CALEA standards that are specific to work they either

create or review and more proofs were received from the supervisory staff. We provided additional staff for

writing directives and file review and increased the base of employees familiar with core CALEA concepts. In

November, Supervisors received training on Investigatory Procedures from Janet May of Sound Employment

Solutions. This will be a multiple session training during upcoming Supervisor Meetings. In November

CENCOM implemented Guardian Tracking, a new program for managing employee performance. Initial

process changes were identified and as we work with the new program, additional clarification and

modifications have been identified based on the functionality differences of this system from our previous

system.

We continue to conduct quarterly training. Our topics in 2011 were; teambuilding, Critical Employee

Emergency Planning (CEEP), Domestic Violence Calls, First Aid, Fire/Utilities, and Changing Gears.

Page 12

CENCOM Budget

Sales Tax40%

Customer Fees26%

Other5%

Telephone Tax29%

Regular RevenuesSixty-Nine Percent (69%) of CENCOM’s

regular funding comes from dedicated 911

taxes (the 1/10th of 1% sales tax and 911

excise tax on wireless, wireline, and VoIP

telephone services).

We also receive revenues from our

customer agencies, contract partners,

grants, and other miscellaneous sources.

In 2012 we will receive $173,385 by leasing

unused space on our radio towers.

Personnel61%

Supplies1%

Services8%

Interfund *

4%

Tech*26%

Expenditure CatagoriesCENCOM’s 2012 operations budget and debt

service payments total $8,096,416. Our

technology budget totals $548,857, which

includes an upgrade to our backup center and

implementation of “Narrowbanding”, an FCC

mandate that changes how radio frequencies

are used.

CENCOM’s staff of 74 FTE (Full Time

Employees) constitutes the bulk (61%) of our

expenditures. The supplies (1%) and services

(8%) categories contain our day to day operat-

ing costs.

The Interfund category, roughly 4% of our

budget, represents the charges CENCOM pays

to Kitsap County for providing support

services such as payroll, contract review, etc.

If CENCOM did not receive these services

from Kitsap County we would have to contract

with another agency or perform these

functions internally.

Page 13

CENCOM Budget

0

500000

1000000

1500000

2000000

2500000

3000000

3500000

199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012

Customer Agency Fees (1999 to 2011)

County

Customer agency

fees are paid by

the county, cities,

tribes, and fire

districts from their

general funds.

The portion of

CENCOM’s budget

that is covered by

customer agency

fees has remained

static since 2009.

The chart to the left

compares the cost of

providing 911 services.

We used data compiled

by the State 911 Office

to develop this “apples to

apples” comparison and

included the statewide

average $65.04,

similarly sized 911

centers, and our closest

neighbors in the

illustration.

As you can see

CENCOM’s cost per call

falls well below the

statewide average, is

lower than any of our

neighboring counties,

and is the second lowest

of similar agencies.

Cost Per 911 Call

Statistics & Performance Measures

Dispatched Events

Measure 2009 Actual 2010 Actual 2011 Actual 2012 Projected Answer 95% of all

911 calls within 15

seconds or less

(NFPA 1221)

98.56% 98.97% 99.43% 98%

Answer 90% of all

911 calls within 10

seconds or less

(Internal goal)

93.34% 95.85% 96.66% 96%

90% of all fire and

medical emergency

calls processed in

60 seconds or less

(NFPA 1221)

62%

67.44%

75.08% 78%

95% of all fire and

medical emergency

calls processed in

75 seconds or less

(NFPA 1221)

78.33% 80.11% 83.92% 84%

Average Dispatch

Time for Priority 1

law

enforcement calls

dispatched within

30 seconds of

appearance in

system (Internal

goal)

28.10 Seconds 32 Seconds 28.14 Seconds 28 Seconds

Page 14

Page 15

Employee Spotlight

Each quarter CENCOM supervisors select an employee whose performance exemplifies CENCOM’s high

standards. Employees are nominated by their co-workers, by our public safety partners, and by members of

the public who have used CENCOM’s services. To provide feedback about a 911 call or other CENCOM

service go to our web site at http://www.kitsap911.org and click the “general question” link.

C E N C O M E m p l o y e e o f t h e Q u a r t e r A w a r d R e c i p i e n t s

1 s t Q u a r t e r

Jill Danielson is an Primary Call Receiver at CENCOM. Jill answered a call

from a suicidal male who told her he had a loaded .22 in his hand and wanted to kill

himself. The caller was difficult to hear at first as he was calling from his cell phone

and the volume was low. Jill had to repeat quite a few of her questions and con-

tinued to question the caller. Jill stayed on the phone with the caller for 21 min-

utes. Several times throughout the call, he told Jill that if officers show up at his

apartment that it would be "suicide by cop". Jill stressed to the caller that she, and

the officers responding, cared about him and didn't want anything bad to hap-

pen. She continued to keep the caller engaged, asking him questions to bring his attention to other

points of conversation rather than what he was depressed about. Jill was able to establish a rapport with

this caller that helped him stay calm and make the decision not to take his life. She held onto that connec-

tion until she could safely put him in touch with a law enforcement officer. She was empathetic and under-

standing the entire time.

2 n d Q u a r t e r

Rachelle Tate CENCOM’S Office Assistant, received the 2nd quarter award.

She was nominated by several co-workers, one who said the following about her

performance at a conference she assisted in organizing, “To say that Rachelle is a

hard worker is an understatement. I can appreciate that it takes a lot of work to

successfully pull off an APCO conference. Rachelle was, as they say in the

military, first in and last out, on a daily basis. One of the things that I observed

at the conference and have observed on many occasions at CENCOM is that no

matter who tasks her or what you throw at Rachelle she takes on the task with a

positive attitude, a smile on her face and a drive and determination to quickly

accomplish the work.” Rachelle shows outstanding sustained performance.

Many employees benefit from Rachelle's excellent customer service, her

flexibility, her positive attitude and outstanding work ethic. Rachelle's assistance

has reminded co-workers that there is a large team at CENCOM working very

hard to make this a successful organization. Thank-you Rachelle for everything

you do and the positive way you do it!

Page 16

Employee Spotlight

3 r d Q u a r t e r

Margaret Bentley is one of CENCOMs Primary Call Receivers.

Nominated for her professional handling of the 911 call from a woman after

her husband passed away from a stroke. The lady wrote the following in

her letter to North Kitsap Fire and Rescue, “The 911 operator was helpful,

thoughtful, calming me down and telephoning my son for me.” Margaret

kept the caller calm, and was reassuring while continuing to have her check

on the condition of her husband. The call was entered within 30 seconds.

Additionally, she was nominated for her empathy and understanding with

an elderly couple who had collided in their residence and required aid. One

of the patients, contacted a CENCOM Supervisor at the National Night Out in Port Orchard to extend her

appreciation for what CENCOM does. She explained that when she and her husband had collided, neither

was able to get up and she was grateful that the call receiver stayed on the line and was so patient and

understanding. She was embarrassed for having to call and she, her husband and daughter had made the

trip to Port Orchard specifically to talk to CENCOM personnel and express their appreciation for our

assistance. Great job Margaret.

4 t h Q u a r t e r a n d E m p l o y e e o f t h e Y e a r

Jason Meeder is an Assistant Shift Supervisor and actively involved with

several committees at CENCOM. He received employee of the quarter after

shielding his co-workers from having to deal with an inebriated male, who was

attempting to target women dispatchers with obscene phone calls. The 911 calls

continued nonstop, with the male making vulgar requests and being crude and

verbally abusive. Jason displayed remarkable self-control and only responded

professionally to the male while continuing to track down his location. These calls

continued from the beginning of Jason’s shift at 19:00 on 11/28/2011 with his last

contact with the caller at the end of his shift at 5:00 am. Law enforcement

responded multiple times to the callers residence and never was able to make contact. Thank you Jason for

helping the community and helping the team you work with.

Director Richard Kirton and Employee of the Year Jason Meeder

Page 17

Employee Spotlight

O F F I CE R I NVO LV E D S HO OT I N G–

WAL M AR T, P OR T O R C H AR D WA

On 01/23/11, the employees of Kitsap County’s 911

Center (CENCOM) came to work believing it was going

to be just like any other workday. However, that

changed at 3:44 pm, when three Kitsap County Sheriff

Deputies arrived on scene at Wal-Mart to contact a

subject. Shortly after arriving on scene, one of the Kitsap

County Deputies advised they were in a foot pursuit

with the suspect. The South dispatcher repeated the

information and placed the frequency on “emergency

traffic.” Within seconds of advising they were in foot

pursuit, the radio traffic went from calm and collected to

total chaos. The units on scene used the one phrase that

every dispatcher fears hearing during their career as a

Law Enforcement dispatcher, “Shots Fired, Officer

Down.”

The South dispatcher quickly put the information out over all of the law enforcement frequencies that CENCOM

dispatches. At the same time, the Fire dispatchers were toning EMS units to the scene for the injured officers. The Shift

Supervisor shifted his focus to supporting all CENCOM’s employees working at the time, ensuring the safety of all the

units involved and making sure that CENCOM continued to provide normal services to the public during this major

event. During this time, the four call receivers working on the dispatch floor continued to field numerous reports from

witnesses, employees, and patrons that were inside the store at the time of the shooting.

Shortly after receiving the information that an officer had been shot and was down in the parking lot of the Wal-Mart, a

unit on scene updated the South dispatcher saying, “We have two officers down, and the suspects have been shot. We

need backup now.” All the dispatchers and call receivers worked through the visible stress and continued to stay focused

on the task of ensuring the safety of the officers involved in the situation and those enroute to assist the injured officers.

Several off duty employees dropped everything once they heard of the incident and headed into the Center to assist.

There were 11 employees working who continued to man their radios and answer 911 lines until additional staff could

make it to the Center to take over.

The employees that worked during this event will never forget the impact this situation had on them personally. They

did not let their emotions or fear affect how they handled themselves and functioned in their job. They continued to use

their training and knowledge to ensure the safety of the officers, fire fighters and citizens of Kitsap County. During this

event, the actions of every single employee at CENCOM contributed to a better outcome of this situation.

Photo taken by David Nelson courtesy from the Kitsap Sun

Photo taken by David Nelson courtesy of the Kitsap Sun

Photo taken by David Nelson courtesy of the Kitsap Sun

Page 18

Public Education

CENCOM’s Public Education Committee (PEC) consists of fifteen employees who volunteer their time to develop and

present education about 911 to the public. They attend several annual events throughout the year, as well as give

presentations to public and civic groups, when requested. In 2011, PEC members donated over 150 hours to the

committee’s activities.

2011 Annual Events Attended:

Sedgwick Jr High Career Fair – March 25th

SKFR Safety Fair – May 22nd

CKFR Kid’s Day – June 4th

Kitsap County Fair – August 25th to 29th

National Night Out – August 2nd

Cedar Heights Career Fair – November 16th

Shop with a Cop – December 3rd

2011 Presentations:

Crisis Clinic Volunteers – March 7th

Olympic College – Intro to Criminal Justice – March 9th

Bremerton Public Library – March 31st

Olympic College – Intro to Criminal Justice – July 18th

Naval Ave Elementary – 1st grade classes – October 25th

2011 Goals achieved:

*Training day for existing and new PEC members, including

information on expectations, public speaking, and introduction

of new promotional items.

*Guidelines for PEC developed that cover membership criteria, new member training, employee coverage for

attendance at events, as well as chair and lead presenter responsibilities.

*Mission statement and two year public education program goal developed.

*Implementation of the new event log for documentation of events/presentations. The new evaluation form was

used successfully at the Kitsap County Fair to gather citizen feedback, questions, and concerns.

*Presented the “Know Your Location” theme for the year at several events.

*Participated in at least one event per month, for eight months of the year.

2012 Goals and Projects:

*Introduction of the “Cell Phone Sally” mascot for children’s 9-1-1 public education.

*Continuation of the “Know Your Location” theme, (many citizens do not know their location when calling in

emergencies. This takes valuable time while the call taker is questioning the caller in order to find them).

Developing other secondary themes such as technology currently available to 9-1-1 (texting technology not

yet available), ICE, VOIP (how 9-1-1 service is affected)

*Develop annual training for all PEC members, to include public speaking and presentation of standard 911

public education power point.

*Create two new presentations/themes working with management and State 911

*Develop a plan and tools for evaluation of committee progress.

*Develop employee evaluation to track involvement and performance.

*Receive feedback from presentations and events.

Public Education Committee’s Member

Brandy Bledsoe and a citizen

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CENCOM Family

The Faceless HEROS of

911...

CENCOM Facility Radio Tower