Dispatching Techniques for Service Requests

1. Dispatching Techniques for Service Requests City of Fort Collins, Colorado Streets Department Model Presented by Holli Keyser, Administrative Support Supervisor

2. FORT COLLINS • Ranked #1 Best City in the Nation in 2006 • Ranked #2 Best City in the Nation in 2008 • 134,000 Population • 22,000 Colorado State University

3. Napa Valley of Beer

4. Snow Operations • Battle 16 storms each season • Average Annual Snowfall 57 inches • Plow Operations 24/7 • Two 12-hour shifts • 20 drivers each shift

5. Snow Equipment & materials • 24 Tandem dumps • 4 with Wing plows • 1 with Under-body plow • Liquid and Granular Materials • APEX Meltdown • Ice Buster (our politically correct way of saying… SALT!)

6. Snow Route Priorities • Priority 1 – Arterials • Priority 2 – Collectors • Priority 3 – Schools, Hospitals • Priority 4 – Residential • About 560 lane miles covered with Priority 1, 2, 3 streets.

7. Streets STaff Streets Superintendent Streets Supervisor 4 Crew Chiefs 45+ Drivers (represented from Streets, Utilities, Traffic departments), 4 Loader Operators, Sidewalk/ Parking Lot Crew Admin. Support Supervisor 1 Full-time Assistant 1 Half-time Assistant

8. Taking Calls Call Comes in to Front Desk Front Desk Enters Information in Cityworks and Dispatches to On-Call Crew Chief Crew Chief radios information to Driver Driver or Crew Chief take care of request

9. Cityworks • GIS-based Asset Maintenance Management System • Assets • Work Orders • Service Requests • Inventory Management

15. Ready for some oohs and ahhs????

17. Snow Plow Routes

18. Dealing with After hours Calls and Blizzards • Call in extra staff as needed. Use plows as taxis in special circumstances. • Work 12-hour shift 6am-6pm • Assist with communicating to the public via radio, web, and television.

19. Lessons Learned during 2006/2007 Blizzards • Have a phone back-up plan • Utilize support from outside your department/jurisdiction • Ability to add additional lines during an emergency • Whatever system you have in place, be prepared that it will fail you! What is your Plan B?

20. Gridlocation

21. Map report indicates icons based on different categories.

23. Tips • Educate, educate, educate! • Frontline people are also your hired Publicity Specialists! • Be nice to your frontline people. Buy them flowers, wine, chocolate, massage gift certificates, lunch, whatever!