For the purposes of this part, unless otherwise required by the context, the term:
(1) "Agencies" means the Metropolitan Police Department, the Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department, and the Customer Service Operations Unit.
(2) "Call center" means the telephone-based call center and associated operation involving any department or agency throughout the District government that operates the District's 911, 311, and 727-1000 systems or other facilities for emergency and non-emergency calls. The term "call center" shall include the Citywide Call Center that is responsible for the receipt and processing of 727-1000 calls, but shall not include any other component of the Customer Service Operations Unit established by § 1-327.32.
(3) "Call center technology" means computer-aided dispatch systems and related public safety answering point technologies and telecommunications devices, and related equipment and appurtenances, including automatic call distribution equipment and any related equipment that manages, stores, channels or otherwise processes telephone calls, mobile communications devices, cellular communications, automatic vehicle location devices, global positioning technologies, and supporting metropolitan area network-based communications and supporting local area networks, that may be used in a call center.
(4) "Customer service" means activities involved in the receipt and processing of emergency, non-emergency, and citizen service requests by the agencies' call centers.
(5) "Director" means the Director, Office of Unified Communications.
(6) "Office" means the Office of Unified Communications established by this part.
(7) "Radio technology" means public safety voice radio communications systems and other public safety wireless communications systems and resources.
(8) "Unified Communications Center" means the control center for radio and call center technology, and customer service, within the Office.
(Dec. 7, 2004, D.C. Law 15-205, § 3202, 51 DCR 8441.)
HISTORICAL AND STATUTORY NOTES
Legislative History of Laws
Law 15-205, the "Fiscal Year 2005 Budget Support Act of 2004", was introduced in Council and assigned Bill No. 15-768, which was referred to the Committee of the Whole. The Bill was adopted on first and second readings on May 14, 2004, and June 29, 2004, respectively. Signed by the Mayor on August 2, 2004, it was assigned Act No. 15-487 and transmitted to both Houses of Congress for its review. D.C. Law 15-205 became effective on December 7, 2004.
Miscellaneous Notes
Short title of subtitle B of title III of Law 15-205: Section 3201 of D.C. Law 15-205 provided that subtitle B of title III of the act may be cited as the Office of Unified Communications Establishment Act of 2004.
(a) There is established, as a subordinate agency under the Mayor in the executive branch of the government of the District of Columbia, an Office of Unified Communications. The Office shall centralize the customer service functions and activities of the District government's 911, 311, and 727-1000 systems, and other facilities for emergency, non-emergency, and citizen service calls, and be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the District government's radio technology and call center technology.
(b) The Office shall be under the supervision of a Director, Office of Unified Communications, who shall carry out the functions and authorities assigned to the Office.
(Dec. 7, 2004, D.C. Law 15-205, § 3203, 51 DCR 8441.)
HISTORICAL AND STATUTORY NOTES
Legislative History of Laws
For Law 15-205, see notes following § 1-327.51.
Miscellaneous Notes
Short title: Section 3041 of D.C. Law 17-20 provided that subtitle E of title III of the act may be cited as the "Communications Reports Act of 2007".
Communications reports: Section 3042 of D.C. Law 17-20 provides:
"By October 1, 2008, the Office of the Attorney General, the Metropolitan Police Department, the Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department, the Department of Corrections, the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, the Office of Administrative Hearings, and the Office of Unified Communications shall each provide a report to the Council on its efforts to identify efficiencies and reduce telephone and communications costs, including:
"(1) Identification of the number of active phone lines within the agency and used by the agency;
"(2) Identification of the service provider and the rate for each active phone line; and
"(3) Strategies to implement cost-savings."
(a) All of the authority, responsibilities, duties, and functions of the agencies' call centers and radio technology shall be transferred from the agencies to the Office of Unified Communications within such reasonable period of time as the Mayor may designate. The transfer shall include all 911, 311, and 727-1000 call center authority, responsibilities, duties, functions, and infrastructure.
(b) All vacant and filled positions, personnel, property, and unexpended balances of appropriations, allocations, and other funds available or to be made available to the agencies to perform the functions set forth in § 1- 327.54 shall be transferred to the Office of Unified Communications within such reasonable period of time as the Mayor may designate.
(c) The Mayor, or the Mayor's designee, may organize the personnel and property transferred to the Office from the agencies into such organizational components as the Mayor or the Mayor's designee deems appropriate, and may develop any reports and evaluation systems necessary to assess the effectiveness of the reorganization plan authorized by this part.
(d) All authority and operations related to the Emergency and Non-Emergency Number Telephone Calling Systems Fund, established by § 34-1801, shall be transferred to the Office of Unified Communications.
(Dec. 7, 2004, D.C. Law 15-205, § 3204, 51 DCR 8441.)
HISTORICAL AND STATUTORY NOTES
Legislative History of Laws
For Law 15-205, see notes following § 1-327.51.
The Office shall:
(1) Provide centralized customer service for the District government's 911, 311, 727-1000 call systems, and other emergency, non-emergency, and citizen service calls;
(2) Provide centralized, District-wide coordination and management of the District government's radio technology and call center technology systems and resources;
(3) Develop and enforce policy directives and standards for the acquisition, operation, and maintenance of radio technology and call center technology systems and services for all District agencies and departments, coordinating such activities with appropriate semi-governmental and private entities, the Federal Communications Commission, federal and state radio communications coordination organizations, and jurisdictions adjacent to or otherwise affecting the application or use of radio technology and call center technology in the District;
(4) Develop and enforce policy directives and standards for the integration, maintenance, and use of information systems and data resources needed to support the functions of the Office;
(5) Develop and enforce policy directives and standards for management of the building facilities supporting radio technology and call center technology;
(6) Develop and enforce policy directives and standards regarding all radio communications towers, antennae, and related equipment and appurtenances used by District departments and agencies;
(7) In coordination with the Office of the Chief Technology Officer, review all agency proposals, purchase orders, and contracts for the acquisition of radio technology and call center technology systems, resources, and services, and recommend approval or disapproval to the Chief Procurement Officer;
(8) In coordination with the Office of the Chief Technology Officer, review and approve the radio technology and call center technology budgets for District government departments and agencies and recommend approval or disapproval to the Chief Financial Officer;
(9) Coordinate the development of information management plans, standards, systems, and procedures throughout the District government for radio technology and call center technology, including the development of a radio technology and call center technology strategic plan for the District;
(10) Assess new or emerging radio technologies and call center technologies and advise District departments and agencies on the potential applications of these technologies to their programs and services;
(11) Implement radio technology and call center technology solutions and systems throughout the District government;
(12) Promote the compatibility of radio technology and call center technology throughout the District government; and
(13) Serve as a resource and provide advice to District departments and agencies about how to use radio technology and call center technology to improve services, including providing assistance to departments and agencies in developing radio technology and call center technology strategic plans.
(Dec. 7, 2004, D.C. Law 15-205, § 3205, 51 DCR 8441.)
HISTORICAL AND STATUTORY NOTES
Legislative History of Laws
For Law 15-205, see notes following § 1-327.51.
There are established 4 primary organizational functions in the Office as follows:
(1)(A) The Office of the Director, Office of Unified Communications shall include the staff and organizational units needed to develop plans and policies for, and oversee the execution of, the District's radio technology, call center technology, and customer service policies and operations, and to carry out the administrative functions of the Office of Unified Communications.
(B) The administrative functions of the Office of Unified Communications shall include human resources, training, legal services, budget and financial management, procurement, facilities management, and such other general and administrative functions as the Director deems necessary to support and assist the functions and purposes of the Office of Unified Communications. The Director may provide for the execution of administrative functions either by hiring full-time personnel or by entering into memoranda of understanding with other departments and agencies of the District that provide for the sharing of administrative personnel between the departments and agencies and the Office.
(C) The Office of the Director, Office of United Communications shall also include one or more positions designated as liaisons with the agencies to ensure that the functions of the Office effectively support and coordinate with the functions of the agencies.
(2) Call Center Operations shall carry out all of the customer service functions of the Office.
(3) Radio and Call Center Technology Support Services shall provide direct assistance and support to the agencies and other departments and agencies of the District regarding the implementation and operation of radio technology and call center technology. Radio and Call Center Technology Support Services shall also provide procurement and contract oversight and assistance for radio technology and call center technology, maintain standard radio technology and call center technology contracts that all District departments and agencies may use, and manage radio technology and call center technology contracts and systems throughout the District government.
(4) Radio and Call Center Technology Technical Services shall provide support for public safety voice radio and public safety wireless base station and field devices, including voice communications, data communications, and associated network trunking equipment and appurtenances, and identify cost savings, operational efficiencies, and ways to improve radio technology and call center technology services.
(Dec. 7, 2004, D.C. Law 15-205, § 3206, 51 DCR 8441.)
HISTORICAL AND STATUTORY NOTES
Legislative History of Laws
For Law 15-205, see notes following § 1-327.51.
The Office shall enter into memoranda of understanding with the agencies, as necessary, to define the Office's obligations to the agencies, and associated procedures and performance standards, with respect to custody and sharing of data generated in the operations of the Office, support for the agencies' dispatch operations and priorities, production of radio transmission transcripts, the provision of customer service to the hearing impaired, and such other matters as the Office and the agencies deem appropriate.
(Dec. 7, 2004, D.C. Law 15-205, § 3207, 51 DCR 8441.)
HISTORICAL AND STATUTORY NOTES
Legislative History of Laws
For Law 15-205, see notes following § 1-327.51.
The Mayor, pursuant to subchapter I of Chapter 5 of Title 2, may issue rules to implement the provisions of this part.
(Dec. 7, 2004, D.C. Law 15-205, § 3208, 51 DCR 8441.)
HISTORICAL AND STATUTORY NOTES
Legislative History of Laws
For Law 15-205, see notes following § 1-327.51.
Delegation of Authority
Delegation of Authority pursuant to the Emergency and Non-Emergency Number Telephone Calling Systems Fund Act of 2000 and Section 3208 of the Office of Unified Communications Establishment Act of 2004, see Mayor's Order 2009-85, May 27, 2009 (56 DCR 6826).
