Audit calls Salt Lake County 911 system inefficient

The system for dispatching some 911 calls in Salt Lake County is "inherently inefficient," according to the findings of a legislative audit released Wednesday.

But representatives for the Valley Emergency Communications Center and the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office say they've already taken steps to fix issues identified by auditors.

The review conducted by the state Office of the Legislative Auditor General examined, in part, the interaction between VECC and the sheriff's communications division. Auditors said they found delays in the dispatching of sheriff's deputies to 911 calls in certain areas of the county because of the need to transfer callers from VECC, a primary call center, to the sheriff's office, a secondary call center.

"There are some warm and fuzzies in there, but I'm not sure there's a plan," said Utah House Speaker Dave Clark, R-Santa Clara, of the formal responses from both agencies to the audit's findings.

"How do we turn the audit into action?" he asked.

Salt Lake County Undersheriff Scott Carver told House members the audit opens up a discussion on emergency preparedness in the county.

"One thing we do know is we are in a situation of not being as prepared as we could be on the communications front," Carver said, especially in a major disaster such as an earthquake.

Carver suggested lawmakers study the issue.

William Harry, the executive director of VECC, said he would discuss the audit findings with the center's board of directors, before adding that he believes "the configuration of dispatch services in the county should be left up to local authorities."

Under the existing system, all 911 calls in the county outside Salt Lake City are routed to VECC. However, if a caller lives in Bluffdale, Herriman, Holladay, Riverton or unincorporated Salt Lake County and needs a sheriff's deputy, VECC dispatchers must transfer the call to the sheriff's communications division.

Taylorsville residents are also routed to the sheriff's office, which handles 911 dispatch duties for the city's police department.

"On average, it takes VECC's call takers one minute and 15 seconds to complete the initial interview process before the call is transferred to the sheriff's communication division," auditors wrote. "After a 911 call has been transferred to the sheriff's communication division, a call taker interviews the caller, asking similar questions."

Auditors said this redundant questioning means additional time passes before a deputy is dispatched. They interviewed 40 people who called 911 from an area where the sheriff's office provides police services. Twenty-three respondents told auditors the questions they were asked were repetitive, and three offered the following responses: