In January, 2006, LESA initiated an ongoing, in-depth strategic analysis and zero-based review of all of LESA's operations. The initial effort culminated in the September 2006 adoption of Vision ONE – a four-phased strategic action plan for assuring LESA continued its development into a high-performance organization. The initial four-phased plan has since added two additional phases. Vision ONE is based on an underlying philosophy of assuring all employees are effective professionals who utilize best practices in a positive and supportive culture:
Effective Professionals
Held to the same standards as our law enforcement customers
Ethical in Practice – Perceived as Ethical
Effective in Practice – Perceived as Effective
Best Practices
LESA will adopt programs, initiatives or activities that are considered leading edge, or exceptional models for others to follow.
LESA will follow procedures and policies that will allow it to outperform all other providers
A Positive and Supportive Culture
LESA values its employees as its key resource and will assure that growth and change are facilitated in a positive and supportive culture that will in turn assure success.
Having articulated the underlying philosophical approach, Vision ONE focused on identification of LESA’s overall organizational goals – the goals that should characterize all LESA efforts. As reflected in the acronym of SPEAR, Vision ONE identified five key business traits that should mark every LESA effort:
Strategic
Preeminent service provider
Committed to the LEADS (Law Enforcement Activity Data System) Business Process Improvement Methodology
Redundant, Survivable, & Secure
Poised for PSAP consolidation
Proactive
Increased Services & Highest Quality
Best practices - measurement-based focus
Efficient
Stable operationally and financially
Maximum service per dollar expended
Agile
Rapidly flex and adapt to changing technology, best practices, and business conditions
Speed to Execution on any solutions
Responsive
Responsive to Customers (Public, Law Enforcement, Government)
Utilizing Vision ONE’s philosophy and key goals, Vision ONE provided the process to identify and target the most critical business areas and challenges to which LESA should direct its weight of effort:
Preserve, Foster, and Increase the Consortium of Participating Agencies
Assure that LESA able to support partner agencies in their desires to shift to new technology such as 700/800 MHz radio service; new operating systems; license plate recognition; mobile video; etc.
Preserve and foster long-term cooperation and partnership of Pierce County law enforcement agencies
Identify other law enforcement agencies that can expand the consortium’s depth of shared information and cooperation; and that can realize a cost reduction while simultaneously moving to a higher level of state-of-the-art services and technology
Be the advocate for common systems that promote information sharing and crime solving
Utilize the LEADS Strategic Planning process and its component teams such as the Project Management Team (PMT) to develop a shared future vision and continued implementation of cutting-edge common applications and platforms that are shared by all participating agencies.
In the last 12 years, LESA had not been successful in obtaining an increase in communications center staff.
In that same period, 9-1-1 calls had increased by 14% and population had increased by 16%
These factors led to a chronic cycle of mandatory overtime and increased absenteeism due to employee burnout and stress.
Improve Call Answering Percentage
National and local standards suggested that LESA should answer 90% of 9-1-1 calls within 10 seconds
Due to significant increases in call volume and the lack of staff increases for the last 12 years, LESA’s call answering percentage had averaged just over 75%.
A high priority issue that must be fixed because seconds can mean the difference between life and death in an emergency.
PSAP Consolidation / Efficiency
As a consolidated agency for 14 law enforcement agencies, recognize, support, and participate in other consolidation efforts that offer the potential to reduce costs, foster interoperability, provide greater efficiency, and leverage the best technology and service available.
Proper frame of reference is assuring a maximum return on investment for every tax dollar spent.
LESA should not focus on its own preservation but rather on what is the best for the public and those agencies serving the public.
Agencies transitioning to new radio and other systems
Incorporation of new public safety tools such as video monitoring, license plate recognition, bar code readers, facial recognition, etc.
Increased Support for unique initiatives like Marine Services, Bait Cars, etc.
Demand for force extension options
Next Generation 9-1-1 and Phase II Wireless
Applications and personnel focused on freeing police officers from routine tasks so that they can focus on high priority matters, e.g.:
Citizen Self Service kiosks for reporting crimes
Citizen Online Reporting for minor criminal matters
Telephone Reporting of minor criminal matters
Limited Budgets of Participating Governments
Cooperative partnerships with sponsoring municipal and county governments to develop alternative sources of funding
Find means to avoid having elected officials forced to choose between funding more police officers/deputies and funding additional dispatchers, call takers, and other administrative personnel
Development of revenue sources that will result in reduce agency allocations
Assurance of accurate, fair, and transparent cost allocation methodology
Recruiting / Training / Culture
Employee burnout in high-stress, high-demand emergency communications environment
Recommitment to LESA Core Values (Honesty, Respect, Unity)
Facilities & Environment that foster a positive culture
Improved communication
Redundancy / Survivability / Interoperability
Post-9/11, Katrina, Pandemic
Secure Facilities
Redundancy of facilities and equipment
Security of computer systems
Emergency Preparedness planning
After an exhaustive series of employee town halls, group meetings, two all day LESA-wide retreats, many one-on-one employee meetings with the Director; meetings with LESA’s participating agencies and sponsoring governmental entities; and the input of citizens and the media, Vision ONE has emerged in its present state as a six-phased strategic plan and $2.3 million initial commitment to meet these challenges head on by focusing on six central areas. Those six areas and the efforts already completed or underway with respect to them are as follows:
Phase I: Communications Center Performance, Staffing, and Operations
Retention of outside national expert to conduct exhaustive PSAP Assessment Study:
Review of best practices by other local PSAPs
Review of best practices by similar national PSAPs
Development of performance benchmarks for performance comparisons to other PSAPs and establishment of baseline performance measures
Comprehensive survey of current Communications Center employees
Assessment of trunk line capacity and future growth
Recommendations for improvement of call answering percentage
Recommendations on staffing levels for Dispatchers and Communications Officer
Pilot Dispatch Unit
Establishment of pilot fifth dispatch pod to provide dedicated 800 MHz radio services to three agencies
Hiring of 7 Dispatchers to staff additional pod using overhire authority
Pilot Telephone Reporting Unit
Establishment of pilot telephone reporting unit to shift duty of taking police reports via telephone from call takers
Targeted goal of reducing call answering percentage
Recruiting & Retention
Establishment of a Recruiting Committee with representation from all levels at LESA
Expansion and heightened emphasis of Recognition Committee with representation from all levels at LESA
New employee-designed Logo
New web site
Radio Advertising
Retention of workplace consultant to work with employee groups and individuals throughout all of LESA
A new and completely revised employee recognition and incentive program to include time off and monetary incentives
Establishment of a Lateral Hire Program
Reinstitution of employee picnic
Annual all-day employee retreats
Institution of annual awards and recognition semi-formal banquet
Informal trivia and other contests with minor prizes
A new LESA Annual Calendar featuring photos from LESA employees
Job Fairs – attendance at job fairs throughout the state and an updated Recruiting Booth
Marketing materials targeting specific groups such as veterans and general advertisements in local newspapers, trade journals and other sources
Hiring
Amendment of Civil Service Rules to move from annual testing to monthly and ultimately weekly testing; and to make many other business process changes to improve the speed of the hiring process
Review and upgrade of testing standards
Review and changes to oral interviews and background process
Assignment of full time HR analyst focused solely on hiring
Training
Cross-Training of dispatchers to allow them to dispatch for any agency and thereby maximize scheduling opportunities
Comprehensive review and restructuring of Initial Hire Training Program
Training of Supervisors to be current on all dispatch equipment as it is upgraded
Encourage and provide training for advanced assignment of call takers to train as dispatchers
Reduction of time-to-train
Improvement in training success rate
Accreditation
LESA to become accredited by CALEA (Commission for Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies)
Appointment of coordinator to facilitate accreditation process
Improved Communications
Director’s Report – a monthly informative newsletter with articles from the Director, all LESA Divisions, employees and recurring features such as “Employee Focus” which feature an individual employee
Director’s Question and Answer – a rapid means to respond to general employee concerns
Publication of Annual Reports
Labor Relations
Labor Relations training for LESA staff
Long-term contract with represented employees
Phase II: LESA Facilities
Retention of outside consultant to assess ability of LESA’s current three facilities to survive the type of threats posed by post 9/11 type attacks, Katrina-like events, Pandemics, or criminal efforts to deny, disrupt, or exploit criminal justice systems and information
Consolidation of all three LESA facilities into one cost-efficient facility
Retention of national consultant experienced in designing consolidated emergency communications facilities capable of being fully survivable and redundant in the event of any natural disaster, pandemic, or man-made threat.
Appointment of Facilities Coordinator to lead LESA facilities effort
Liaison with the media to educate the public on LESA, its mission, services, support, and facilities.
Phase III: Records Management section Performance, Staffing and Operations
Review of current internal business processes for processing public disclosure requests, fingerprints, firearms applications and records checks, criminal history requests, warrants, and other paper-drive processes
Development of efficient digital systems and incorporation of imaging technology to facilitate online requests and processing
Shifting of duties between Records and Communications to facilitate more efficient workflow
Evaluation of location and role of Records Radio
Expansion of Telecommunicator’s week in its fullest to Records Radio
Remodel of Records Radio, restrooms, and other facilities at records
Phase IV: Security / Preparedness
Purchase and installation of Intrusion Detection System
Authorization for, and retention of Security Manager
Completion of Security Audits at the policy, infrastructure, and application levels
A new employee identification system
Remodel and upgrades to existing security systems
Review and revision of Emergency Preparedness Plan
Development of Continuity of Operations Plan
Phase V: Information Technology section Performance, Staffing and Operations
Training and implementation of private-sector business models (X10 and Digital/Lean Six Sigma) throughout all of LESA as the means and process for assessing effectiveness and making improvements
Monthly reporting by all LESA Divisions on performance metrics and time tracking
Hiring of four additional developers and one additional project manager
Remodel of existing facilities to accommodate additional staff and facilitate development efforts
Establishment of a Grant Management Team to manage several high-profile grants including the $1,000,000 Rapidly Deployment Mobile Wireless Video (RADMO) research and development grant; and LESA’s participation in the Tacoma-Lakewood Crime Early Warning System grant
Phase VI: Administrative Division Performance, Staffing and Operations
Change in classification of recently appointed Business Unit Manager to Assistant Director to include audit authority throughout all of LESA
Expanding scope of duties for Assistant Director to include audit authority over all of LESA
Appointment of Public Relations and Graphic Design Specialist with graphic and media experience
Review and updating of cost allocation methodologies
Development of internal controls and procedures to assure observance of all accounting principles
Facilitation of annual audits by budget departments of participating agencies and State Audits
Review and updating of Human Resource practices, policies and procedures with particular focus on hiring, work restrictions
Reclassification of LEADS Program Manager to LESA Program Manager
Appointment of Human Resources Intern
Remodel of existing facilities to include establishment of a dedicated training and testing facility
Retention of outside consultant to conduct comprehensive classification and compensation study for all of LESA
Completion of a thorough analysis of available work hours, overtime and sick time for each classification since 1995
