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DC OUC Uses ASAP Service to Eliminate the Need for Additional Telecommunicators

UCC 2

Industry

Public Safety

Challenge

The District of Columbia Office of Unified Communications (DC OUC) handled approximately 40,000 alarm notifications annually through traditional voice-based processes that added significant workload for telecommunicators and delayed dispatch workflows.

Results

By implementing ASAP Service in 2024, DC OUC automated alarm data delivery directly into its CAD system, reducing manual call handling, accelerating emergency response, improving operational efficiency, and helping reduce telecommunicator stress and staffing strain.

Key Stats

Population served: 702,250, Annual 911 calls handled: 1.4 million, Annual alarm calls: 40,000

40,000

alarm calls per year

4

Minutes saved per call

146

Staff hours saved each month

46%

alarm calls now automated

"Given our extremely high call volume, I would need to add at least two telecommunicators to handle the amount of alarm notifications that would start flooding our 911 center again, if ASAP Service was turned off."

Heather McGaffin

Director, DC Office of Unified Communications

UCC Call Floor

About DC Office of Unified Communications

The District of Columbia Office of Unified Communications (DC OUC) operates the emergency communications center for Washington, D.C., handling approximately 1.4 million calls annually. DC OUC supports numerous local and federal agencies, including the Metropolitan Police Department, DC Fire and EMS, Washington Transit Police, Capitol Police, U.S. Secret Service, and U.S. Park Police.

The Challenge

Before implementing ASAP Service, DC OUC processed alarm notifications through manual voice calls between alarm monitoring centers and telecommunicators. This process created several operational challenges:

Alarm notifications required multiple voice conversations to verify information
Manual call handling added two to eight minutes to processing times
Repetitive alarm processing increased stress on already overextended staff
Manual workflows increased the risk of miscommunication and transcription errors
Determining alarm severity was often difficult during the dispatch process

With staffing shortages impacting ECCs nationwide, DC OUC needed a more efficient and sustainable approach to alarm management.

The Solution

DC OUC implemented ASAP Service in 2024 to automate alarm notification delivery directly into its CAD system.

ASAP Service digitally transmits alarm information without requiring manual phone calls or repetitive data entry, allowing telecommunicators to focus on higher-priority emergencies that require their expertise and certifications.

Because alarm data is automatically entered into CAD, dispatch workflows are streamlined and incidents move into the dispatch queue within seconds instead of minutes.

“By taking out the middleman, calls get dispatched faster and more accurately," said Heather McGaffin, director of DC OUC.

The Results

Since implementing ASAP Service, DC OUC has significantly reduced telecommunicators workload while improving operational efficiency and emergency response workflows.

Key outcomes include:

Elimination of approximately 40,000 manual alarm calls annually
Estimated savings of 111-444 telecommunicator hours per month
Faster alarm dispatch through automated CAD integration
Reduced risk of miscommunication and transcription errors
Improved telecommunicator focus on higher-priority emergencies
Reduced staffing strain without adding additional personnel
Increased opportunities for staff training and operational efficiency
Reliable automated alarm processing during high call-volume operations

"Since we've automated the process, we don't have to hire additional staffing and we're relieving the staff that we already have," McGaffin said. "In the past year and a half, the public has commented on how much quicker law enforcement officers are responding to alarms."

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