Emergency Communications Center

911 Call Answering Time is a measure that reflects how long 911 callers are waiting to reach a call-taker. CECC makes use of two telephone system features, Automatic Call Distribution (ACD), and Force Connect, which result in 911 calls being prioritized and delivered directly to call-takers as soon as they are available. As such, this measurement is not reflective of individual performance, but of the center's staffing in relation to call volume.

What is our goal? CECC strives to exceed the standard set in Ohio Administrative Code 5507-1-18: "Ninety per cent of 9-1-1 calls/requests received will be answered within fifteen seconds; with ninety-five per cent of 9-1-1 calls/requests received being answered within twenty seconds. For the purposes of determining compliance, all calls, including abandoned or unanswered calls, are factored in the calculation of the performance metric."

How we're doing:

A full dashboard is available on the CincyInsights portal.

911 Call Processing Time is a measure that reflects how long it takes from the time a 911 call is answered, to the time it routed to dispatchers. This is not a measure of the entire telephone call; it is a measure of the time it took to reach the point at which the location has been confirmed, the type of emergency has been confirmed, and sufficient information has been gathered in the protocol-based interview to route an incident to a dispatcher (dispatchers assign incidents to first responders). Beyond this measure, the call may continue, as the 911 call-taker gathers additional information and provides emergency instructions.

What is our goal? CECC has set an internal goal of "75% in less than two minutes" for 911 incidents at the highest priority level (an "Echo-level" call).

How we're doing:

Quality Assurance (QA) is a process for systematic monitoring and evaluation of CECC's telephone calls for adherence to protocol. ECC uses a protocol system (learn more) to process calls that require police, fire, or medical resources. Certified evaluators from ECC's QA team, and from other 911 centers around the country, work together to review the work of ECC's call-takers. Protocol compliance is measured using the Performance Standards set by the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED). 

What is our goal? CECC's goal, which is aligned with IAED's requirements to be considered an Accredited Center of Excellence, is to demonstrate 7% or less of evaluated 911 calls as non-compliant with protocols, within a particular discipline (e.g., police). A call with a "non-compliant" evaluation does not indicate that there was a serious error or bad outcome, but simply that there is room for improvement via feedback and continuing education. We use QA to get better at an individual level and an agency level with a cycle of measurement, feedback, and targeted continuing education.

How are we doing? CECC became a tri-certified center in February 2023, meaning that all three protocol systems were adopted (police, fire, and medical). We have worked hard since then to get better and better at using the protocols.

How we're doing:

See ALL 911 QA Stats See QA Dashboard

Custome Service Call Answering Time is a measure that reflects how long 311 callers are waiting to reach a call-taker after having made a menu selection. Calls are routed into the customer service queue based on the nature of the call and are delivered to 311 call-takers. CECC makes use of two telephone system features, Automatic Call Distribution (ACD), and Force Connect, which result in all calls being prioritized and delivered directly to call-takers as soon as they are available. As such, this measurement is not reflective of individual performance, but of the center's staffing in relation to call volume.

What is our goal? CECC has set an internal goal to answer 90% of 311 customer service calls within 45 seconds. The center has worked toward this goal by continued hiring to reach a full complement of 311 call-takers. The goal is challenged by our endeavors to expand the scope of 311 call-taker ability, and to promote the availability of 311, both of which increase call volume.

How we're doing:

The Emergency Communications Center’s primary functions are:

1. Emergency (911) Call-Taking
2. Non-Emergency (311) Call-Taking
3. Police Dispatching

These functions are performed by staff in the following job classifications:

• Customer Relations Representative (CRR): Performs Non-Emergency (311) call-taking.
• Emergency 911 Operator (E911):  Performs Non-Emergency (311) and Emergency (911) call-taking.
• Senior Emergency 911 Operator (SE911): Conducts quality assurance evaluations.
• Operator Dispatcher (OD): Performs Non-Emergency (311) and Emergency (911) call-taking, and dispatch police officers.
• Emergency Services Dispatch Supervisor (ESDS):  Provides direct supervision and support to the 311, 911, and police dispatching functions.

ECC hires new employees in the CRR and E911 roles. The SE911, OD, and ESDS roles are internal promotional opportunities.

Staffing Dashboard

This information comes from CECC's telephone system:

The City of Cincinnati began accepting emergency calls by SMS text message in January 2019 with the launch of "Text-to-911" service. This advancement provided a new and more accessible way for citizens to reach emergency services - in particular, the speech and hearing-impaired community. It also gave an avenue for someone to reach help if it might be otherwise unsafe to make a voice call, such as a domestic violence situation, or when hiding from an intruder. Learn more.