Compliance - Public Safety GIS Cleanup

IT Governance Business Case

City Manager's Office

Background

The Durham Emergency Communications Center (DECC) handles all 911 calls for both the City and the County. They dispatch police, fire, community safety, emergency medical services, and other County support agencies. Their dispatch system relies on the City's Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data for emergency routing.

The GIS mapping platform is maintained by individual departments, with the Technology Services (TS) GIS team playing the most active role in its upkeep. Each department sets its own data maintenance standards, typically based on its specific operational needs.

Current Business Problem

The National Emergency Number Association (NENA) created the Next Generation 911 (NG911) project to modernize emergency call routing with GIS-based accuracy standards. The City's GIS data does not meet NENA's standards for both road and address accuracy, falling short of compliance. Critical mapping details are missing – such as apartment unit numbers and one-way road designations. Without these details, emergency dispatch may be delayed or misrouted.

More broadly, a lack of unified GIS data and process standards across the City's departments has led to growing inaccuracies. Without a unified process for data quality and upkeep, errors will continue to accumulate, further impacting public safety operations and dispatch efficiency.

Current Pain Points

Public Safety Issues

• Address data accuracy below NG911 standard (92%, vs 98%+)

• Road data accuracy below NG911 standard (86%, vs 98%+)

• Missing NG911-required fields in data model

• DECC dispatch hindered by incomplete road/address details

Process Issues

• Limited GIS staffing – 160,000 addresses need updates

• Road centerlines no longer maintained, causing data gaps

• Inconsistent data standards across departments fuel ongoing data inaccuracies

• Street renaming/deletion erases historical crime data

• Poor interdepartmental communication delays updates

• Numerous other process-related issues

Future State Benefits

• DECC compliance with NG911 data accuracy standards

• Improved efficiency in emergency dispatching

• Collect NG911-required data

• Preservation of historical crime mapping

• Unified standards across departments to improve data consistency

• More efficient & accurate processes for GIS data maintenance

• Better interdepartmental collaboration

Strategic Alignment

Analysis and Recommended Solution

Analysis

Situation Audit. The City hired consultant Avineon to assess GIS data accuracy and compliance needs. Chosen for its Public Safety GIS expertise, Avineon evaluated gaps in meeting NG911 standards.

Avineon's Recommendations. Avineon's preliminary analysis recommended three key changes:

1. Data Cleanup. Avineon analyzed City GIS data and reported necessary cleanup.

2. FTE Position. One dedicated GIS Analyst ($58k-84.5k/yr) was recommended to provide long-term support for Public Safety data maintenance.

3. Process Changes. Avineon reviewed department workflows and provided a report on process and standard updates needed to sustain NG911 compliance.

TS Market Analysis. The TS Project Management Office identified 7 ESRI certified geospatial services vendors with certified expertise in public safety compliance, indicating a high volume of potential vendors to fill this need.

Pros

• NG911 compliance with both road and address accuracy

• Improved emergency dispatch

• Opportunity for process improvement

Cons

• TS GIS currently has vacancies that need to be filled before we can support implementation

TS Architecture Office Review

Per CIO direction, the recommended solution does not require a TS Architecture Office Review.

Cybersecurity Review

Per CIO direction, the recommended solution does not require a Cybersecurity Review.