Polk County 911 Service Board’s Service Plan & Strategic Plan

BDS planning, in association with IXP Corporation, is facilitating a strategic plan for the Des Moines, Iowa regional 911 program in Polk County, Iowa. Key issues include regional interoperability, funding allocations, technology upgrades, performance standards, and inter-jurisdictional cooperation. Polk County has three PSAPs (Public Safety Answering Points), the City of Des Moines, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, and Westcom. Each PSAP operates largely independently with limited coordination of call routing, computer-aided dispatch (CAD), radios, and other functions. Additionally, the 911 service board itself has 27 voting members representing each public safety organization in the region and operates without an executive committee. As such, meetings are complex and decision-making is difficult. BDS facilitated several service board meetings as well as many focus groups and strategic workgroups and dozens of one-on-one interviews. The final plan is nearing completion and seeking consensus on regional standards, interoperable communication systems, and common procedures, as well as performance requirements that are tied to the allocation of 911 excise tax funds.  

The Des Moines Area 911 strategic planning process was interrupted by the onset of COVID-19 but will be completed nearly on-time with a highly successful pivot to virtual facilitation mid-way through the process.