Committee reviews 911 data; Richmond Ambulance Authority board backs returning emergency medical dispatch

City staff and emergency communications officials presented a side‑by‑side comparison of 911 call‑handling data to the Public Safety Standing Committee and discussed whether the Richmond Ambulance Authority should resume responsibility for emergency medical dispatch (EMD).

Tory May, deputy director of operations for Emergency Communications, Preparedness and Response (DECPR), told the committee that the comparison used the closest available six‑month windows and warned the numbers fluctuate. "The snapshot that was provided was a 6 month window," May said, and she explained DECPR's data reflect a broader set of call types (police, fire, EMS, animal control) and that peaks in high‑impact incidents can drive answer‑time drops.

Chip Decker, chief executive officer of the Richmond Ambulance Authority, told the committee the RAA board voted to support returning EMD to the ambulance authority. "At our last board meeting, the Richmond Ambulance Authority board of directors did vote to support the return of emergency medical dispatch to the ambulance authority," Decker said, arguing the authority has experience in medical triage and pre‑arrival instructions.

DECPR staff said the city went live with its EMD process July 8, 2024, and the data placed before the committee covered Oct. 1 through March 30 (years specified in the presentation as the closest comparable windows). May said answering performance can meet the 90%‑within‑20‑seconds goal when staffing and incident patterns allow, but that peaks from shootings, major traffic incidents or other high‑volume events can depress that percentage during particular windows.

Committee members asked about miscategorization of medical calls and training. May said staff have completed emergency medical dispatch training and plan in‑person refresher sessions before Aug. 1. She also described a change in the center's automated messaging: an earlier threshold that triggered an automated reassurance message at about 3 seconds was adjusted to 20 seconds to reduce misleading perceptions that a call was ignored.

Council members asked for additional data, including the share of calls routed to an automated message, a clearer month‑by‑month breakdown, and the operational effect of miscategorization on dispatch priorities. DECPR and RAA representatives invited committee members to visit each center and said they would continue to share spreadsheets of disputed calls and further analysis.

No formal committee vote was recorded. Several committee members said they would review the data, consult with policy and legal staff, and schedule a follow‑up visit and discussion.