Over the years, government bodies and major international agencies in the field of Emergency Management have set operational standards and evaluation criteria to measure the quality and effectiveness of emergency services, with the goal of managing risks related to public health and community safety. As early as the past decade, both EENA – European Emergency Number Association, and the U.S.-based APCO International – Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials, outlined guidelines for defining KPIs – Key Performance Indicators, aimed at assessing the operational efficiency of PSAPs.
Regardless of the type of emergency or the responding agency involved (Law Enforcement, Fire Department, Civil Protection, Ambulances, etc.), a PSAP serves as the hub for call handling and coordination of rescue missions. For this reason, the CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch) software, which oversees the functioning of the operations center, must collect and make available the data needed to assess the center’s performance at different stages of the process. The sources of information are vast and varied, both inside and outside the PSAP. Consider, for instance, geolocation data, communication with teams on the ground, the reception of data from diagnostic devices or field sensors, or even information coming from social media.
In addition, it is the CAD’s responsibility to process this data and provide value-added information to support decision-making. Algorithms and features such as Big Data, summary dashboards, and predictive analysis are essential for significantly improving the efficiency of PSAPs. Therefore, for effective risk management, the key factor is selecting a CAD capable of integrating diverse information sources and offering insights into various aspects of the management process. Continuous improvement, necessary to ensure a service that evolves with the changing needs of the community, requires ongoing data collection and monitoring over time.
What does the value being measured represent? How is it calculated, and what are the reference thresholds? How does it support the PSAP? The definition of KPIs addresses these questions, and their design follows the SMART criteria, as outlined by EENA. Each KPI must have five key characteristics:
Specific: relevant to the activities performed
Measurable: based on clearly defined scales
Achievable: realistic within the given context
Relevant: aligned with the PSAP’s objectives
Timely: measured within an appropriate time frame.
For a PSAP, managing risk means evaluating its ability to meet specific objectives in call handling, resource dispatching, and mission supervision, using seven key performance indicators.
Response time. The measurement should be tied to the specific time period and any significant event (e.g., natural disasters) and must not exceed 12 seconds. Exceeding this threshold indicates a shortage of resources or inefficiency in processing ongoing calls.
Abandonment rate. This refers to the percentage of unanswered calls, which should not exceed 12%. A higher percentage may indicate a lack of resources (e.g., staff, workstations).
Non-emergency calls. This represents the percentage of calls that could be handled by other services (such as the 116117 non-emergency line). The percentage should not exceed 10%. A higher value may suggest the need for a public awareness campaign.
Incorrectly forwarded calls. The maximum percentage of calls forwarded to an inappropriate secondary center should not exceed 8%. A higher value may indicate incorrect triage or unqualified personnel.
Time to assign a rescue vehicle. From the moment dispatch is initiated, this measures the time taken to assign a vehicle to the mission. Thresholds should be established based on field testing or scientific research (e.g., controlled experiments, case studies).
Response vehicle departure time. This measures the time elapsed from when the vehicle is assigned until it departs. The time is determined by the severity of the emergency and field testing.
Rescue vehicle arrival time. This measures the time it takes for the vehicle to arrive at the emergency site after dispatch. Like the previous two values, this time is determined based on field evidence.
For a PSAP to effectively manage risk, there are several key characteristics related to operational performance. It is important to emphasize that performance also depends on the organization and the resources available to the PSAP. However, a separate discussion is required regarding data management by the CAD system. EENA has issued specific recommendations to software providers to avoid information black boxes, facilitate data sharing, and ensure that APIs (Application Programmable Interfaces) are compatible with various transnational standards. This aspect of information sharing and functionality plays a central role in a context where, on the one hand, mobility is increasing, and on the other, innovations such as Artificial Intelligence can significantly contribute to improving emergency services, ensuring an effective and timely response to emergency situations.