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[COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR] RESOLUTION NO. 240627
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Sponsor: Mayor Quinton Lucas
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
RESOLUTION - Directing the City Manager to propose to the Board of Police Commissioners the creation of a unified 911 dispatch system for both the Police and Fire Departments and to report back to the Mayor and Council within 45 days.
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WHEREAS, the 911 emergency response system is a critical lifeline for public safety, and its efficient operation is essential to protecting lives, property, and maintaining public order in Kansas City; and
WHEREAS, the Kansas City Fire Department (KCFD) currently falls short of the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) recommendation of answering 95% of calls within 15 seconds; and
WHEREAS, the Kansas City Police Department (KCPD) also faces challenges in operating its 911 system, with reports of long wait times and abandoned calls, particularly during peak hours and high-volume periods; and
WHEREAS, the KCFD Communications Division and the KCPD’s 911 call center struggle with staffing issues causing both agencies to put increased workload on existing dispatchers; and
WHEREAS, both KCPD and KCFD implemented separate technological upgrades and operational changes to their respective 911 systems in recent years, yet challenges persist in both departments; and
WHEREAS, the current separate 911 systems for the Kansas City Police Department (KCPD) and Kansas City Fire Department (KCFD) may lead to inefficiencies, potential delays in emergency response, and challenges in coordinating multi-agency responses; and
WHEREAS, a unified 911 dispatch system could improve resource allocation, reduce response times, enhance overall emergency service delivery to the citizens of Kansas City, and provide a more efficient use of public safety funding; and
WHEREAS, the consolidation of 911 dispatch systems has been successfully implemented in other municipalities across the United States; and
WHEREAS, Section 84.460 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri, places the Kansas City Police Department under the exclusive management and control of the Board of Police Commissioners; and
WHEREAS, Section 84.420.02 (10) of the Revised Statutes of Missouri permits the Board of Police Commissioners to exercise its powers in a manner not inconsistent with its management and control to further the efficient and economical operation of the Police Department; and
WHEREAS, an agreement with the Board of Police Commissioners creating a unified 911 dispatch system under the direction and control of the City and comprised of both the Police and Fire Departments is consistent with the Board’s management and control, would further the efficient and economical operation of the Police Department, and reduce 911 call answering times in the City; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF KANSAS CITY:
That the City Manager is directed to propose to the Board of Police Commissioners of the Kansas City Police Department an agreement creating a unified 911 dispatch system under the direction and control of the City that is comprised of both the Police and Fire Departments’ 911 call answering and dispatch functions. The proposed agreement should address the following: the system’s funding mechanism, with inclusion of public safety sales tax funds in such mechanism; the incorporation of the existing dispatch staff, organization, administration and equipment into such system; engagement with the Mid-America Regional Council and the Board of Police Commissioners; and compliance with collective bargaining agreements. The City Manager is further directed to report back to the Mayor and Council on the progress of this proposal within 45 days of this Resolution.
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