HomeMy WebLinkAbout105-Emergency Dispatch Response.pdf[City of Saratoga Letterhead]
DRAFT RESPONSE
August 18, 2011
Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury
Office of the Civil Grand Jury c/o Honorable Richard J. Loftus, Jr.
Presiding Judge
Santa Clara County Superior Court
191 North First Street
San Jose, CA 95113
Re: 2010-2011 SANTA CLARA COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY REPORT
REGARDING “’CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?’ EMERGENCY DISPATCH IN
SANTA CLARA COUNTY”
Honorable Members of the Civil Grand Jury:
The City Council for the City of Saratoga has reviewed your June 15, 2011 report
regarding “Can You Hear Me Now?” Emergency Dispatch in Santa Clara County
(“Report”) and authorized me to provide this response. The City Council appreciates the
thorough and deliberate work of the Civil Grand Jury and the Grand Jury’s attention to
the important issue of radio interoperability. The City of Saratoga has devoted considerable resources to promoting radio interoperability in Santa Clara County.
With respect to the specific applicable findings and recommendations in the Report, the
City’s response is set forth below:
Finding 1:
Dispatch consolidation would result in more cost-effective and efficient emergency
response and should be implemented throughout Santa Clara County.
The City agrees.
Recommendation 1:
Jurisdictions which maintain their own dispatching centers – Campbell, Gilroy, Los
Altos, Los Gatos, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Palo Alto, San
Jose, the City of Santa Clara, and Sunnyvale – and all jurisdictions which use Santa
Clara County Communications for dispatch—Cupertino, Los Altos Hills, and Saratoga—
should consolidate dispatch with neighboring jurisdictions and, where appropriate,
should issue RFPs to do so.
The City will implement the recommendation to the extent practicable given that the City
does not operate a police or fire department. The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s
Department providing police services to the City and the independent fire districts
serving City residents already have consolidated operations with neighboring
jurisdictions. The City will urge those organizations to consider further consolidation subject to terms and conditions that maintain effective dispatch operations for existing
residents and businesses served by the consolidated dispatch operations. This action will
be completed by September 30, 2011.
Finding 2:
Radio equipment has not been standardized and impedes effective countywide
communication and emergency dispatch.
The City agrees.
Recommendation 2:
Jurisdictions which maintain their own dispatching centers – Campbell, Gilroy, Los
Altos, Los Gatos, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Palo Alto, San
Jose, the City of Santa Clara, and Sunnyvale; all jurisdictions which use Santa Clara County Communications for dispatch—Cupertino, Los Altos Hills, and Saratoga; the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office; and Santa Clara County, should continue to work with the Silicon Valley Regional Interoperability Association to achieve countywide standardization of radio technology.
The recommendation has been implemented. The City Manager as a member of the
Santa Clara County/City Manager’s Association recommended that the Silicon Valley
Regional Interoperability Agency be created as a joint powers agency to provide stability
of long term service and to facilitate coordination and resource sharing among member
agencies. The City Manager serves as one of the Board Members of the Working
Committee of the Silicon Valley Regional Interoperability Agency.
Thank you for your consideration of this response.
Sincerely,
Howard A. Miller
Mayor, City of Saratoga
Cc: Members of the Saratoga City Council
City Manager
City Attorney