E-911 REPORTS CONTINUED IMPROVEMENT IN CALL PROCESSING TIMES
detailed continued positive trends in the dispatch
department's call processing times during her
quarterly report to county commissioners on
Tuesday.
Washington County dispatch continues to improve call processing times, according to the E-911 director’s quarterly report presented to county commissioners today (Tuesday).
Robyn Hood told the court that from a year ago, the time from when dispatchers receive a call to when first responders are sent out has gone down from as long as two and a half minutes to 30 seconds or less.
Hood credited the department’s effort to reprioritize calls as part of the reason for the better efficiency, along with a focus on getting units out the door quickly after they confirm a location to respond to.
Going through the E-911 department’s call processing times for public safety agencies around the county, Hood listed 146 seconds to 33 seconds for the Brenham Police Department; 156 seconds to 39 seconds for the Washington County Sheriff’s Office; 103 seconds to 37 seconds for the Blinn College Police Department in Brenham; 47 seconds to 25 seconds for Washington County EMS; 52 seconds to 34 seconds for the Brenham Fire Department; and 95 seconds to 33 seconds for volunteer fire departments.
Hood said the reorganization of call priority has also led to fewer instances of full sirens blazing, meaning safer responses.
recognized Thursday, May 4 as a National Day of
Prayer. Pictured with commissioners are (front, from
left) Pastor Billy Sutherland of Calvary Baptist
Church, Pastor Darren Donaldson of Fellowship
Baptist Church and Dr. Craig Dohse of Salem
Lutheran Church. A gathering will be held Thursday
at 6 p.m. on the Washington County Courthouse
square.
According to Hood, overall calls for service that required a response are up 10 percent from this time a year ago, while officer-initiated calls—like traffic stops—and checks on license plates or wanted persons are up 19 percent.
Following the conclusion of the regular meeting, commissioners opened a workshop where they discussed the county’s emergency management plan, the yearly review of the plan and the process every five years to submit details of the plan to the state.
Emergency Management Coordinator Bryan Ruemke said there are 10 plan categories that are due for revision and resubmission to the state in September 2024: Warning, Shelter and Mass Care, Evacuation, Recovery, Human Services, Hazard Mitigation, Search and Rescue, Transportation, Donations, and Legal.
Commissioners also:
- Heard a quarterly report from the Washington County Expo.
- Approved budget line item adjustments and budget amendments.
- Approved annual bond renewals for reserve deputy sheriffs Daniel Gaskamp and Floyd Mathis.
- Issued a proclamation declaring Thursday as National Day of Prayer. A gathering will take place Thursday at 6 p.m. on the Washington County Courthouse square.