The ICMA Center for Public Safety Management team follows a standardized approach to conducting analyses of fire, police, EMS, and public safety departments. We have developed this standardized approach by combining the experience sets of dozens of subject matter experts in the areas of police, fire, emergency management, and EMS. Our collective team has more than one hundred years of experience conducting research in these areas for cities in and beyond the United States as well as being active practitioners.
The reports generated by the operations and data analysis team are based on key performance indicators that have been identified in standards and safety regulations and by special interest groups, such as the International Association of Fire Chiefs, International Association of Chiefs of Police, Commission on Law Enforcement Accreditation, International Association of Fire Fighters, Association of Public Safety Communication Officials International, and through the Center for Performance Measurement of ICMA. These performance measures have been developed following decades of research and are applicable in all communities. For that reason, comparison of reports will yield similar reporting formats, but each community’s data are analyzed on an individual basis by the ICMA specialists and represent the unique information for that community.
The Center for Public Safety Management team begins most projects by extracting calls for service and raw data from a public safety agency’s computer-aided dispatch system. The data are sorted and analyzed for comparison to nationally developed performance indicators. These performance indicators (e.g., response times, workload by time, multiple-unit dispatching) are valuable measures of agency performance regardless of departmental size. The findings are shown in tables and graphs organized in a logistical format. Due to the size and complexity of the documents, a consistent approach to structuring the findings allows for simple, clean reporting. While the categories for the performance indicators and the overall structure of the data and documents follow a standard format, however, the data and recommendations are unique to the organization under scrutiny.
The team conducts an operational review in conjunction with the data analysis. The performance indicators serve as the basis for the operational review. The review process follows a standardized approach comparable to that of national accreditation agencies. Prior to the arrival of an on-site team, agencies are asked to provide the team with key operational documents (e.g., policies and procedures, asset lists, etc.). The team visits each city on-site to interview agency management and supervisory personnel, rank-and-file officers, and local government staff.
The information collected during the site visits and through data analysis results in a set of observations and recommendations that highlight strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the organizations and operations under review. To generate recommendations, the team reviews operational documents, interviews key stakeholders and observes physical facilities, reviews relevant literature, statutes and regulations, industry standards, and other information and materials specifically included in a project’s scope of work.
The standardized approach ensures that ICMA Center for Public Safety Management measures and observes all of the critical components of an agency, which in turn provides substance to benchmark against localities with similar profiles. Although agencies may vary in size, priorities, and challenges, there are basic commonalities that enable comparison. The approach also enables the team to identify best practices and innovative approaches.
In general, the standardized approach adopts the principles of the scientific method: We ask questions and request documentation upon project start up; confirm accuracy of information received; deploy operations and data analysis teams to research each unique environment; perform data modeling; share preliminary findings with the jurisdiction; assess inconsistencies reported by client jurisdictions; follow up on areas of concern; and communicate our results in a formal, written report.
We don't stop with the delivery of a report. Instead, we work with the community on how best to implement recommendations and changes for their departments. Unlike consultants, we don’t just produce a report and leave; as part of ICMA we are there to assist you in creating excellence in local government and your departments!
SCHEDULE A DISCUSSION ON HOW THE CENTER CAN ASSIST YOUR COMMUNITY
Contact Thomas Wieczorek, director, at twieczorek@cpsm.us, 616-813-3782 or Leonard Matarese, director of Research and Project Development, at lmatarese@cpsm.us, 716-969-1360 to schedule an appointment.
