Standards and guidelines

# 1.

The governing body of the local governmental unit with jurisdiction over an emergency services communication system is or shall designate a governing committee that shall:
a. Designate an emergency services communication system coordinator.
b. Enter written agreements with participating organizations and agencies.
c. Designate lines of authority.
d. Provide for a written plan for rural addressing, if applicable, which has been coordinated with the local postal authorities. After January 1, 1993, a rural plan must conform to the modified burkle addressing plan. A plan in use before this date does not have to conform with the modified burkle addressing plan. If implemented, all rural addressing signs must comply with the manual on uniform traffic control devices standards.
e. Define a records retention plan for all printed, electronic, and recorded records in accordance with state law and jurisdictional requirements.
f. Encourage that cost-free connection is available for emergency calls.
g. An entity that is a quick response unit whose primary function is not emergency medical services may elect not to be dispatched to medical emergencies outside the entity's primary response area if the area outside the entity's primary response area is served by an advanced life support ambulance service. An entity that makes this election not to be dispatched is not eligible for an emergency medical services allocation under chapter 23-46.
h. Operate or contract for the operation of at least one public safety answering point to manage emergency services communications.
i. Ensure that fee proceeds collected under this chapter are expended in accordance with guidelines developed pursuant to section 57-40.6-12 and implement an accounting system sufficient to meet the requirements of section 57-40.6-05.

# 2.

The governing committee may:
a. Require appropriate liability protection.
b. Create a user advisory board.
c. Conduct an annual statistical evaluation of services.
d. Publish an annual financial report in the official county newspaper.

# 3.

An emergency services communication system coordinator shall:
a. Ensure that address and mapping data is updated in the emergency services communication system database and mapping system within thirty days of receipt of notice or request for change;
b. Provide for a complete annual review of the emergency services communication system 911 database by obtaining current records from the appropriate 911 system service provider;
c. Maintain the law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical service response boundaries for the public safety answering point service area; and d. Ensure that the dispatch protocols for emergency service notifications are documented and communicated with all law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical services.

# 4.

A public safety answering point must:
a. Be operational twenty-four hours a day seven days a week or be capable of transferring emergency calls to another public safety answering point meeting the requirements of this section during times of nonoperation.
b. Be staffed continuously with at least one public safety telecommunicator who is on duty at all times of operation and who has primary responsibility for handling the communications of the public safety answering point.
c. Have the capability to dispatch public safety services to calls for service in the public safety answering point's service area.
d. Have two-way communication with all public safety services in the public safety answering point's service area.
e. Access and dispatch poison control, suicide prevention, emergency management, and other public or private services but may not accept one-way private call-in alarms or devices as 911 calls.
f. Dispatch, when available, the quickest emergency medical service to arrive to the scene as predetermined by the emergency services communications system coordinator, with the approval of the department of health and human services. If the predetermined emergency medical service is not available, the public safety answering point shall dispatch a secondary emergency medical service, based on the best available information at the time. The department of health and human services shall provide public safety answering points with the physical locations of the emergency medical services necessary for the implementation of this subdivision.
g. Be capable of providing emergency medical dispatch prearrival instructions on all emergency medical calls. Prearrival instructions must be offered by a public safety telecommunicator who has completed an emergency medical dispatch course approved by the division of emergency health services. Prearrival medical instructions may be given through a mutual aid agreement.
h. Have security measures in place to prevent direct physical public access to on-duty public safety telecommunicators and to prevent direct physical public access to any room or location where public safety answering point equipment and systems are located.
i. Have an alternative source of electrical power that is sufficient to ensure at least six hours of continued operation of emergency communication equipment in the event of a commercial power failure. A public safety answering point also must have equipment to protect critical equipment and systems from irregular power conditions, such as power spikes, lightning, and brownouts. Documented testing of backup equipment must be performed each quarter under load.
j. Maintain a written policy for computer system security and preservation of data.
k. Have the capability of recording and immediate playback of recorded emergency calls and radio traffic.
l. Employ a mechanism to differentiate emergency calls from other calls.
m. Provide assistance for investigating false or prank calls.
n. Have an alternative method of answering inbound emergency calls at the public safety answering point when its primary emergency services communication system equipment is inoperable.
o. Have a written policy, appropriate agreements, and the capability to directly answer emergency calls and dispatch responders from a separate, independent location other than the main public safety answering point or another public safety answering point meeting the requirements of this section, within sixty minutes of an event that renders the main public safety answering point inoperative. This alternative location must have independent access to the public safety answering point's 911 system database. The capability of transferring emergency calls to this alternative location must be tested and documented annually.
p. Remain responsible for all emergency calls received, even during the initial transfer of a call made to a second public safety answering point. The initial public safety answering point may not disconnect from the three-way call unless mutually agreed by the two public safety telecommunicators. Upon this agreement, the secondary public safety answering point becomes responsible for the call.
q. Employ the necessary telecommunications network and electronic equipment consistent with the minimum technical standards recommended by the national emergency number association to securely receive and respond to emergency communications.
r. Maintain current, up-to-date mapping of its service area and have the ability to use longitude and latitude to direct responders.
s. Secure two sets of fingerprints from a law enforcement agency or any other agency authorized to take fingerprints and all other information necessary to obtain state criminal history record information and a nationwide background check under federal law for all public safety telecommunicators.
t. Have policies to ensure that all public safety telecommunicators:

# (1)

Do not have a felony conviction, at a minimum consistent with the national crime information center standards;

# (2)

Complete pre-employment screening for illegal substance use and hearing;

# (3)

Meet and maintain the minimum qualifications and required certifications as established by the emergency services communications coordinating committee;

# (4)

Can prioritize appropriately all calls for service; and

# (5)

Can determine the appropriate resources to be used in response to all calls for public safety services.
u. Have written policies establishing procedures for recording and documenting relevant information of every request for service, including:

(1) Date and time of request for service;

(2) Name and address of requester, if available;

(3) Type of incident reported;

(4) Location of incident reported;

(5) Description of resources assigned, if any;

# (6)

Time of dispatch;

# (7)

Time of resource arrival; and

# (8)

Time of incident conclusion.
v. Have written policies establishing dispatch procedures and provide initial and periodic training of public safety telecommunicators on those procedures, including procedures for:

(1) Standardized call taking and dispatch procedures;

(2) The prompt handling and appropriate routing of misdirected emergency calls;

(3) The handling of hang-up emergency calls;

(4) The handling of calls from non-English speaking callers;

(5) The handling of calls from callers with hearing or speech impairments; and

(6) The handling of text-initiated communications.