D.C. Councilmember Pitches OUC Accountability Bill
The District of Columbia’s 911 office would have to share data regularly and update the public under a transparency bill proposed last week by Judiciary and Public Safety Committee Chairperson Brooke Pinto (D). The bill aims to increase accountability by…
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requiring the Office of Unified Communications to provide information on operations, efficacy and accuracy, Pinto’s office said Thursday. The bill would require the agency to post monthly data on the number of call-taker and dispatcher errors, shifts using minimum staffing levels, answer times and calls dropped and the number and type of 911 misuse calls. "OUC is a critical part of our public safety apparatus and it is crucial that the agency is functioning with accuracy, efficiency, and timeliness,“ said Pinto. "Patterns of errors at OUC are unacceptable especially with so much at stake in emergency situations.” The D.C. Council confirmed Heather McGaffin last month as OUC's new director (see 2305170017). In meetings on the confirmation, Pinto's committee sought improvements at the 911 center, where recent audits found problems with incorrect addresses, miscommunication and dispatching delays (see 2305090073).