Daytime, After-Hours and Continuity of Dispatch Services

The Vendor is required to provide daytime, after-hours and continuity of dispatch service to answer a dedicated daytime, after‐hours and continuity-of-service phone line, utilizing specific protocol.
- Dispatch services will be for emergency and non‐ emergency calls daytime, after‐ hours, weekends, holidays and during inclement weather when city buildings are closed.
- Requirement:1. Power supply backup:
• Alternative means to provide continuous operations during a power outage.
• This would include provisions that would maintain phone and computer operations, as well as maintain sufficient lighting for personnel to perform their duties.
2. Integration with city’s maintenance management system
• Solution must have the capability to integrate
• Integration must include the ability to create service requests.
• Include a description of how their solution pushes data.
3. Digital electronic data transfer:
• Solution must have the capability to digitally transfer data.
• This is used to forward information to the on-call person's telephone, via text or e-mail.
• Include a description of their answering capabilities utilizing interactive voice response (IVR), as well as their ability to receive additional notes and photos from customers via text or through a web portal/mobile device application.
• The IVR capability, the contractor shall be able to provide their employees the training necessary (red flags, open records, and cybersecurity) to protect the city’s customer data.
• Include their policy regarding the protection of their customer’s data.
4. Hold and busy-out feature:
• Telephone system must have the capability to allow staff to place callers on hold while they contact on-duty personnel from a different phone line.
• Telephone system shall offer an alternate greeting, should operators be on another line when multiple calls come in.
• During bigger emergencies, such as a water main break, customers could receive a recording indicating that we are aware of the situation and appropriate personnel have been notified.
• This gives the caller the information they need, without having to sit on hold and wait.
5. Phone lines:
• System must have at least two phone lines dedicated to the city.
• One incoming line available for customers, and the other line dedicated to on-call personnel.
• Calls should be answered by the third ring with “thank you for calling the city.
• Our hours are 6:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
• If you have a public works emergency, please stay on the line.
• Request will be reviewed during our regular business hours.”
6. Call groups:
• Solution must have the ability to create multiple "call groups," such that the city staff may use a one- button "push" to call/text multiple crews at any given time.
• Solution must also have the ability to form a team based on skills such as capability to operate various specific equipment like a Vactor, sweeper, bucket truck etc.
7. Individual customer interaction:
• Solution must have the ability to interact with the individual customer calling in a problem, such as informing them who is responding to the call-out.
• Customer service is a high priority for the city.
• Demonstrate exceptional customer service skills.
8. Call types:
• Drinking water: no water pressure, water leaks, or water main breaks.
• Wastewater/storm water: storm flooding, missing manhole covers, or sewer backups.
• Transportation: stop signs down, traffic signals out, streetlight outages, snow and ice removal, traffic accident clean up, or blocked roadways.
• Facilities: unsecured buildings, plumbing or electrical issues at the jail.
• Fleet operations: disabled city vehicles.
• Parks: trees down, playground equipment repair, restroom cleanup.
• Misc: emergency utility locates, general information, power outages.
• Emergency personnel such as police and fire requesting public works response.
9. Call log and reporting:
• All calls received by the call center shall be logged in a system that can be monitored by city staff at any time.
• Essential log information shall be date, time of call (Pacific Standard Time), name, address, return phone number, customer email, problem\service request, and response.
• The system must have the ability to collect detailed metrics, such as response time, number of instances an individual has responded to a call over a given time period, etc.
• The system must be set up so that the city can report on the type and quantity of calls received over any given period.