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Whatcom Communication Board

BEL-WCB-2024-09-26 September 26, 2024 City Council Regular Meeting City of Bellingham 60 min
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The Whatcom Communication Board approved adding two new agencies to their dispatch services despite significant staffing concerns raised by the dispatch union. Western Washington University Police Department and the Washington State Department of Corrections will join the system, which currently serves multiple local law enforcement agencies. The board also approved the 2025 budget and received an update on their new dispatch facility construction project, which has been scaled back due to cost overruns. The most significant development was the public comment from Michelle Thomas, representing the dispatch guild, who detailed severe understaffing issues. The guild revealed it has been 4,466 days since they were fully staffed and currently operates with minimum staffing levels from the year 2000 despite serving 65,500 additional residents. Despite these concerns, the board unanimously approved adding both agencies, citing emergency communication needs and financial benefits. The new building project has been value-engineered from 9,560 square feet to 8,000 square feet to fit within budget constraints, reducing the construction cost from $15.8 million to approximately $10.7 million. The facility will accommodate 16 dispatch stations initially with capacity for 20, representing a significant improvement over current conditions.

**Addition of Western Washington University Police and Department of Corrections to Dispatch Services** - **Vote:** Unanimous approval - **Staff Recommendation:** Proceed with both agencies - **Key Details:** Western will bring approximately one call per hour; DOC expects about 300 calls annually focused on emergency backup during high-risk warrant operations - **Impact:** Will add one additional FTE position; user fees from new agencies will reduce costs for existing users by approximately $40,000 for the county's general…

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The central policy tension emerged between public safety needs and staffing capacity. Deputy Director Watson explained that both Western and DOC bring relatively low call volumes but critical emergency communication needs. Western operates with sometimes just one officer on duty and currently manages their own dispatch but needs emergency backup coordination with other agencies. DOC's 14 community corrections officers work business hours and primarily need emergency radio support during high-risk operations. The staffing discussion revealed structural problems dating back decades. Current minimum staffing of 5 people on swing shift handles a population that has grown by 65,500 since 2000, but staffing formulas haven't cha…
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**Michelle Thomas, Public Education Coordinator, Whatcom County 911 (Guild Secretary):** Expressed concerns about adding agencies without addressing existing understaffing. Emphasized that 4,466 days have passed since full staffing and questioned how much additional workload dispatchers can handle while maintaining service quality. **Chief Potts, Western Washington University Police:** Strongly advocated for joining Whatcom dispatch, citing officer safety during emergency responses …
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**Michelle Thomas, on staffing concerns:** "We understand that we're trying to get us that. But we're adding more duties faster than public safety. Telecommunicators are the ones dealing the actual physical fallout. The long hours, heavy workload and physical environment are taking emotional, mental and physical tool, not on just our minds and bodies, but those of our families too." **Michelle Thomas, on service capacity:** "That is, one person assigned to answering phone calls for …
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**January 2025:** Planned implementation of new agencies joining dispatch services, pending completion of background processes and system setup **Mid-January:** Next board meeting with updated cost estimates for building project at 30% design completion **January 2025:** Minimum staffing increases planned (6 to 10 morning weekda…

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After this meeting, Western Washington University Police Department and Department of Corrections are approved to join Whatcom dispatch services, expanding from 6 to 8 agencies served. The dispatch center will add one FTE position and implement new radio channels and procedures for the additional agencies. The 2025 budget is approved with $760,561 in administration costs, including restoration of the Technical Support position. User fees will be reduced for ex…
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## Meeting Overview The Whatcom Administrative Board convened on September 26, 2024, at 1:00 PM for a meeting that would prove significant for the future of emergency dispatch services in Whatcom County. Board members gathered to consider expanding the Whatcom Communications Center's services to two new agencies while addressing critical staffing challenges that have plagued the center for years. The meeting brought together representatives from across the county's public safety landscape, including Sheriff Donnell Tanksley, Fire Commissioner Dan McDermott, Fire Chief Billy Hewitt, Bellingham City Council member Holly Heftman, and other key officials. Joining them were potential new clients: representatives from Western Washington University Police and the Washington State Department of Corrections, both seeking to join Whatcom's dispatch services. What made this meeting particularly poignant was the opening public comment from Michelle Thomas, a 24-year veteran of Whatcom Communications and the guild secretary, who delivered a sobering assessment of the center's current capacity. Her testimony would frame the entire discussion around a fundamental tension: how to expand services while addressing chronic understaffing that has left the center operating with the same minimum staffing levels as in the year 2000, despite serving a population that has grown by 65,500 people. ## A Guild's Plea for Caution Michelle Thomas stepped to the podium with the weight of nearly a quarter-century of dispatch experience behind her. As both a Public Education Coordinator for Whatcom County 911 and the guild secretary, her words carried the authority of someone who has seen the system evolve—and strain—over decades. "During this meeting you're going to be asked to consider bringing 2 more agencies to Whatcom," Thomas began, her voice steady but carrying an undercurrent of concern. "As a guild, we want you to know that we are not opposed to adding these agencies to our roster, we have concerns that we feel need to be voiced and taken into consideration." Her testimony painted a stark picture of an operation stretched beyond its original design. The numbers she presented were striking: in 2000, swing shift minimum staffing was 5 people—2 radio dispatchers, one at-large position, and 2 call receivers. Today, serving a population over 65,500 people larger, the staffing level remains at 5 people, but the configuration has shifted to 3 radio dispatchers, one at-large positi…
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### Meeting Overview The Whatcom Administrative Board met on September 26, 2024, to consider adding two new agencies to Whatcom 911's dispatch services: Western Washington University Police Department and the Department of Corrections. The board unanimously approved both additions and approved a budget that includes one additional full-time dispatcher position. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Whatcom 911 (Whatcom):** The regional emergency communications center serving multiple law enforcement agencies in Whatcom County, providing 911 call-taking and dispatch services. **User Fees:** The charges paid by each agency using Whatcom 911's services to fund operations, calculated based on call volume and complexity. **Administrative Board:** The governing body overseeing Whatcom 911, comprised of representatives from member agencies including law enforcement chiefs, elected officials, and administrators. **FTE (Full-Time Equivalent):** A standard measure for employee positions - one FTE equals one full-time employee working standard hours. **Minimum Staffing:** The lowest number of dispatchers required to be working at any given time to maintain safe operations and response times. **Value Engineering:** The process of reducing costs by eliminating non-essential features while maintaining core functionality and safety requirements. **Console Room:** The main dispatch floor where emergency communications operators take 911 calls and dispatch first responders using specialized computer and radio equipment. **Interoperability:** The ability of different agencies' radio systems and equipment to communicate with each other during emergencies. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Donnell Tanksley | Whatcom County Sheriff | | Holly Heffernan | Bellingham City Council Member | | Rebecca Martin | Whatcom 911 Board Member | | Julie Knight | Whatcom 911 Staff | | Jason Watson | Whatcom 911 Deputy Director | | Joel Pfahler | Interim Co-Director of Public Works | | Chief Potts | Western Washington University Police | | Chris Kelford | Department of Corrections Representative | | Michelle Thomas | Guild Secretary/Public Education Coordinator | | Adam Hutch | Shks Architects | ### Background Context Whatcom 911 has been operating with minimum staffing levels unchanged since 2000 despite serving over 65,000 additional residents. The current dispatch center is severely understaffed - it's been 4,466 days …
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Public Safety Government Operations Budget & Finance Bellingham Department Of Corrections Shks Architects Western Washington University Whatcom Communication Whatcom County Whatcom County Doc Adam Hutch Allison Carol Walker Chief Potts Julie Knight Michelle Thomas Watson Budget Finance Corrections Dispatch Services Emergency Communications Facility Construction Intergovernmental Public Safety Radio Systems Staffing Staffing Crisis University Police