Home to a population of over 400,000 residents, Oakland faces adversity in the shape of a less-than-ideal emergency response infrastructure. The Alameda County Grand Jury, through its recent report, brought these longstanding issues under the public's eye. Acknowledging the need for improvement, Mayor Sheng Thao and fellow Councilmembers have pledged an investment of $2.5 million toward a comprehensive 911 enhancement plan for the city, according to the City of Oakland press release today.
Mayor Thao, Council Pres. Bas (District 2), Councilmembers Fife (District 3), Jenkins (District 6) & Kaplan (at-large), announced their commitment to an additional investment of $2.5m to strengthen Oakland’s 911 response system. https://t.co/IeioZGA26I
— City of Oakland (@Oakland) September 11, 2023
Mayor Thao, Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas, and Councilmembers Carroll Fife, Kevin Jenkins, and Rebecca Kaplan announced the additional funding, set to span two years, with the Oakland-Alameda Joint Power Authority leading the financing effort. This collaboration aims to support the ongoing work to reinforce all aspects of the city’s emergency response, catering to over 500,000 service calls per year.
“Response times have been a long-standing issue for our City, and the current situation is unacceptable,” said Mayor Thao. “While we are currently working on our responses to the Grand Jury report on 911, we are proposing today that these additional funds be used to implement the recommendations of that report and our next steps in improving the system. I look forward to working with the Council to ensure that we put these funds directly to use for all Oaklanders.”
The reform for an adequate emergency response mechanism focuses on strategic planning that entails hiring, training, retaining dispatchers, and providing the latest tools for effective communication and crisis-solving. Notable in these efforts are the plans underway addressing the vacancy crisis, as the Oakland Police Department (OPD) and Oakland Fire Department (OFD) identify understaffing as a significant factor contributing to longer response times.
The City administration has greenlit a continuous recruitment process for dispatcher jobs, filling 62 positions and targeting 16 vacancies. Since June, OPD's community outreach initiatives have augmented the number of local applicants, interviewing 79 candidates and encouraging residents to serve their community in emergency response services. Individuals interested in stepping up to this challenge can apply through the government portal.
Corresponding with the ramped-up recruitment, the City plans to upgrade the existing computer-aided dispatch system (CAD) to Motorola's PremiereOne platform. This change is expected to improve call-taker processes and resources, speeding up emergency communication and response. The estimated six-month launch, costing an additional $150,000, will work within the existing project budget and will include refreshing vital training for participating OPD and OFD staff.
July saw Oakland rocked by an unforeseen power outage that incapacitated the City’s 911 phone system and existing CAD systems. Swift countermeasures established within 10 minutes minimized the damage, rerouting callers through the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office and resuming standard operations soon after. However, in light of the challenges posed by emergency power failures, the City has announced further investments in fortifying its infrastructure.
The new PremiereOne CAD system, hosted at a commercial data center in Oakland, promises more robust redundancy and backup systems, heightening resilience against potential future system outages. Additions such as upgraded equipment and regular testing programs for backup installations have also been put in place.
Moreover, the City is reportedly investigating establishing solar solutions and onsite battery storage capacities to bolster critical facilities and further its dreams of electric vehicles, realizing a more sustainable and secure urban environment that better serves its residents.
