Flathead Emergency Communications Center

Flathead Emergency Communications Center (FECC) is a team of public safety dispatchers and technology professionals who ensure calls for help in Flathead County are answered and responders are dispatched accordingly.  Our team works closely with police, fire, and emergency medical service agencies throughout Flathead County. 

Flathead Emergency Communications Center - Operational Assessment

In recent years, 911 centers across the country have struggled with staffing. Flathead Emergency Communications Center (FECC) has not been immune to these challenges. In the years before COVID, FECC had a retention rate above the national average. In the years since, we have been struggling to rebound. In the interest of exploring solutions, the Flathead County Commissioners approved an expenditure by FECC to hire consultants to review current operations. FECC received proposals from a few companies and ultimately the review committee decided to go forward with APCO International’s consultant services. The scope of work was defined as follows:

“The FECC operational assessment consisted of a comprehensive review in the following areas: Current ECC operations, compliance with standard operating procedures (SOP), alignment with industry standards and best practices, recruitment and retention, new hire and veteran training programs, staffing, and scheduling practices. The goals were to identify current and future needs and assess potential innovative and sustainable options that would enable FECC to realize its stated mission of commitment to excellence through integrity, compassion, fairness, and professionalism.”

In the end, few surprises were found. However, with this assessment FECC has a road map for moving forward. We are currently working with the Operations Board, the Commissioners’ Office, and internally with FECC staff to prioritize tasks identified within the report.

First and foremost, staffing remains our highest priority. Many of the suggested improvements in the assessment were things we were doing prior to reaching critical staffing levels, such as sending dispatchers and management  away for continuing education, holding more internal meetings, providing more off-the-floor training for new hires, and offering more scheduling options for staff.  We are eager to resume these things as soon as possible. The report acknowledges that many tasks will have to wait until staffing improves but commended a wage increase, approved by the Commissioners earlier this year, as the first step to reach that goal.

Other high priorities identified include:

• Streamlining 911 Dispatcher primary and ancillary duties to prioritize responder and public safety

• Updating our COOP to include our new backup facility

• Continue SOP updates, require staff to review and sign off annually, and add review dates for SOPs that don’t require changes

• While APCO noted FECC has quite a bit of support from outside agencies, there is work to be done by all to improve relationships with some

The report closed by saying FECC is at an advantage due to the following:

• FECC veteran staff are currently very experienced and proficient in most areas.

• Flathead County Commissioners, County Administrator, FECC Operations Board, and FECC leadership are committed to the success and continuous improvement of FECC and its personnel.

• Efficiency and effectiveness can be further enhanced by technological tools that are highly available.

• It is clearly understood within the entire organization that more staffing is warranted and in dire need at FECC.

We at FECC are immensely proud of our dedicated staff and the work we do. We are eager for the opportunity to improve and to continue to provide the best services possible to citizens, responders, and visitors in Flathead County. 

FECC Assessment 10-04-2024