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ES&T reports staffing progress, PSAP targets and quick recovery after accidental suppression discharge
Summary
Director Jeff Cabello told the committee the 911 center is improving answer times, is staffing new trainees, and returned to full operation within about 30 minutes after an accidental fire suppression discharge at the dispatch center.
The city’s Emergency Services & Telecommunications (ES&T) director reported staffing updates, performance against state PSAP answer‑time standards, and a rapid operational recovery after an accidental fire suppression discharge during a May 8 committee presentation.
Director Jeff Cabello said ES&T has an authorized supervisory workforce of eight and currently six supervisors filled; the new quality assurance coordinator, Supervisor Shante Washington, was hired in December 2024. Cabello said a new training coordinator, Karen Tomczyk, was hired in November 2024 and is managing 16 trainees plus five CTOs.
Cabello described call‑answer performance against Connecticut’s PSAP requirement: a 911 center must answer 90% of incoming 911 calls within 10 seconds. Cabello said the center’s most recent measure for that standard was 74% for a referenced quarter but that alternate software showed a comparable period at 86% — a trend he said was moving toward compliance "in the next quarter of 2025." He reported an overall call volume spike in recent months and said the center took about 498,000 total calls last year.
Cabello described an accidental discharge of a fire suppression system in the dispatch center that forced a temporary evacuation. He said ES&T moved operations to the Emergency Operations Center and — with assistance from the state — was fully operational and answering 911 calls again within about 30 minutes. Three employees received minor inhalation injuries and had returned to work, Cabello said.
Cabello also reviewed community engagement plans (including a booth at a Latino festival) and described the Hart team, which has received more than 900 referrals to date for non‑police, non‑fire service needs. He closed by thanking staff and partner agencies for their response during the suppression incident.
Committee members congratulated ES&T leadership on staffing and recovery; one council request for a cold‑case report was directed to the police department for follow‑up.
