COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
OFFICE OF COUNCILMEMBER BROOKE PINTO
THE JOHN
A. WILSON BUILDING
1350 PENNSYLVANIA A VENUE, N.W., SUITE 106
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20004
June 15, 2023
Nyasha Smith, Secretary
Council
of the District of Columbia
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20004
Dear Secretary Smith,
Today, along with Councilmembers Henderson and Parker, I am introducing the "Office ofUnified
Communications Transparency and Accuracy Amendment Act
of 2023." Please find enclosed a
signed copy
of the legislation.
The "Office
of Unified Communications Transparency and Accuracy Amendment Act of 2023"
would:
• Require the Office
of Unified Communications ("OUC") to make several updates to the
311 system to allow residents to submit service requests for porous flexible pavement
sidewalk repairs, leaf collection, neighborhood quality
of life issues related to business
alcohol sales, and maintenance to electrical wires, utility poles, and fire hydrants, and to
redirect users to the National Park Service ("NPS") website when a user provides a
property location that is under NPS jurisdiction.
• Require OUC to collect and publicly post data each month on the agency's website on the
number
of 911 calls received that are eligible to be diverted to alternative responses and
the number
of those eligible calls that are diverted.
• Require OUC to publicly post data each month on the agency's website on agency
operations, such
as the number of call-taker and dispatcher errors and the cause of those
errors, the number
of shifts operated under minimum staffing levels, call to answer times,
the number
of calls dropped, and the number and type of 911 misuse calls.
• Add a representative from OUC
to the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board.
The Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety recommended that several
of these reforms be
included in the "Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Support Act
of 2023". Specifically, the Committee first
recommended that OUC add an option for porous flexible pavement material within the Sidewalk COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
OFFICE OF COUNCILMEMBER BROOKE PINTO
THE JOHN
A. WILSON BUILDING
1350 PENNSYLVANIA A VENUE, N .W., SUITE 106
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20004
Repair service group in the District's 311 system. The "Office of Unified Communications
Transparency and Accuracy Amendment Act
of 2023" includes this addition to the 311 system as
well as several others that are notably absent. As a result of these gaps, residents regularly contact
DC Council constituent services staff members and the Mayor's Office
of Community Relations
staff members
to report issues, which then must be relayed manually to agencies. This is an
inefficient process and could be easily remedied by providing a 311-request reporting option. In
the case
of reporting NPS maintenance requests, it can be difficult for residents to distinguish
between District property and NPS property given that
90 percent of parkland in the District is
under NPS jurisdiction. By creating a mechanism within the 311 system to reroute users to the
NPS website when an NPS property is selected, the District can greatly simplify the reporting
process.
The Committee also recommended that the "Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Support Act
of 2023"
include a requirement that OUC publicly post data on the number
of 911 calls received that are
eligible for diversion to alternative responses, and the number
of those eligible calls diverted.
These diversion programs include the Department
of Behavioral Health Access Help Line, the
Department
of Transportation for non-injury auto crashes, the Department of Public Works for
parking enforcement, and the Fire and Emergency Medical Services ("FEMS") Department Nurse
Triage Line. As the District works to divert non-emergency
911 calls to non-law enforcement
agencies, data collection
is critical to track agency progress, ensure agencies are staffed
appropriately
to respond quickly, and to identify opportunities to expand diversion eligibility
categories. Diverting non-emergency calls from FEMS and the Metropolitan Police Department
("MPD") will allow first responders
to respond more quickly to emergency calls for service.
The "Office
of Unified Communications Transparency and Accuracy Amendment Act of 2023"
also codifies several commitments made by OUC Director Heather McGaffin during her
confirmation hearing. These include publicly posting data on the number
of shifts operated under
minimum staffing levels, the number
of call-taker and dispatcher errors, the cause of those errors,
and the agency's response, call to answer times, and the number and type of911 misuse calls. This
legislation also would require the agency
to post data on the number of 911 calls in the call queue
for over
15 seconds, which is the national standard, and the number of those calls that are dropped
by the caller.
OUC continues to struggle with answering calls quickly and accurately dispatching FEMS and
MPD. This has led to community distrust in OUC and a somewhat strained relationship with
partner agencies. By increasing transparency and acknowledging the action the agency is taking
to address errors, OUC will take an important step towards rebuilding public confidence. COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
OFFICE OF COUNCILMEMBER BROOKE PINTO
THE JOHN A. WILSON BUILDING
1350 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, N.W., SUITE 106
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20004
Finally, this legislation adds a representative from OUC to the Domestic Violence Fatality Review
Board ("DVFRB"). 911-callers, such
as those who are in potentially fatal domestic violence
situations, may not be able to explicitly communicate to the call-taker that they are in danger.
While OUC call-takers receive specialized training
to identify when a caller may be experiencing
domestic violence, OUC should be involved in the DVFRB to ensure the training provided
to call
takers and dispatchers is most effective, and to provide recommendations,
as appropriate, to
enhance the District's work to reduce domestic violence fatalities.
Should you have any questions about this legislation, please contact my Committee Director,
Michael Porcello, at mporcello@dccouncil.gov.
Thank you,
Brooke Pinto 1
2
3
4
5 Councilmember Christina Henderson
6 Cou
7
8
9 AB~L
10
11
12
Councilmember Brooke Pinto
13 IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
14
15
16 To require the Office of Unified Communications to expand 311 service request options; to
17 require the Office of Unified Communications to collect and post publicly on the Office's
18 website the number of calls eligible to be diverted to alternative responses and the
19 number of those calls diverted, and data on daily call-taking and dispatching operations;
20 and to add the Office
of Unified Communications as a member of the Domestic Violence
21 Fatality Review Board.
22 BE IT ENACTED
BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
23 act may be cited as the "Office of Unified Communications Transparency and Accuracy
24 Amendment Act
of 2023 ".
25 Sec. 2. The Office of Unified Communications Establishment Act of 2004, effective
26 December 7, 2004 (D.C. Law 15-205; D.C. Official
Code§ 1-327.51 et seq.), is amended by
27 adding a new section 3207c to read
as follows:
28 "Sec. 3207c. 311 services.
29 "(a) Within 180 days after the effective date
of Office of Unified Communications
30 Amendment Act
of 2023, the Office shall permit persons to submit the following requests via the
3 1 District's
311 system at all times:
1 32 "(1) Maintenance of porous flexible pavement sidewalks by the District
33 Department of Transportation ("DDOT") by selecting porous flexible pavement as the material
34 within the Sidewalk Repair service group;
35 "(2) Maintenance of electrical wires, regardless of the responsible agency or
36 private entity;
37 "(3) Maintenance
of utility poles, regardless of the responsible agency or private
38 entity;
39 "(4) Maintenance
of fire hydrants;
40
41
"(5) Leaf collection by the Department of Public Works ("DPW");
"(6) Graffiti removal by DPW;
42 "(7) Alcohol Beverage and Cannabis Administration response to issues relating to
43 alcohol sales, including:
44 "(A) After hours sales
of alcohol;
45 "(B) Breach
of a settlement agreement;
46
"(C) No Alcohol Beverage Control ("ABC") manager on duty;
47 "(D) Noise;
48 "(E) Operating without an ABC license;
49 "(F) Overcrowding;
50 "(G) Sale to intoxicated persons;
51 "(H) Sale to minors; and
52 "(I) Trash.
53 "(b) Within 180 days after the effective date of Office of Unified Communications
54 Amendment Act
of 2023, the Office shall direct 311 system users to the National Park Service
2 55 website when a user provides a property location that is under National Park Service
56 jurisdiction.".
57 Sec.
3. The Office of Unified Communications Establishment Act of 2004, effective
58 December 7, 2004 (D.C. Law 15-205; D.C. Official Code§ 1-327.51 et seq.), is amended by
59 adding a new section 3207b to read
as follows:
60 "Sec. 3207b. Call data collection and posting.
61 "(a) Every month the Office shall collect and publicly post on the Office's website the
62 number of calls eligible to be diverted and the number of calls diverted to the:
63 "(1) Department of Behavioral Health ("DBH") Access Help Line;
64 "(2) District Department
of Transportation ("DDOT") for non-injury auto
65 crashes;
66 "(3) Department of Public Works ("DPW") for parking enforcement; and
67 "(4) Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department ("FEMS") Nurse Triage
68 Line.
69 "(b) Every month the Office shall publicly post the following data on the Office's
70 website:
71 "(1) Descriptions of each call-taker and dispatcher error, the cause of the error,
72 and the corrective action taken by the Office;
73 "(2) Number of shifts operated under minimum staffing levels;
7 4 "(3) Average and maximum call
to answer times;
7 5 "( 4) Average and maximum answer
to dispatch times;
76 "(5) Number of calls in the queue for over fifteen seconds;
77 "( 6) Number of calls dropped following a queue time of over fifteen seconds; and
3 78 "(7) Number and type of 911 misuse calls.".
79 Sec. 4. Uniform Interstate Enforcement of Domestic Violence Protection Orders Act of
80 2002, effective April 11, 2003 (D.C. Law 14-296; D.C. Official Code Section 16-1053(a) §16-
81 1053), is amended as follows:
82 (a) Paragraph (9) is amended by striking the phrase"; and" and inserting a semicolon in
83 its place.
84 (b) Paragraph ( 10)
is amended by striking the period and inserting the phrase "; and" in
85 its place.
86 ( c) A new paragraph (11) is added to read as follows:
87 "(11) The Office of Unified Communications.".
88 Sec. 5. Fiscal impact statement.
89 The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the Budget Director as the fiscal impact
90 statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, approved
91 October 16, 2006 (12 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code§ 1-301.47a).
92 Sec. 6. Effective date
93 This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor ( or in the event of veto by the
94 Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of congressional review as
95 provided in section 602( c )(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December
96 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code§ 1-206.02(c)(l)), and publication in the District of
97 Columbia Register.
4