A new D.C. Council bill would transfer some 911 dispatching responsibilities away from the troubled Office of Unified Communications and back to the D.C. fire department. The bill, which Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau unveiled Tuesday, was announced along with another measure that would increase financial rewards for people who come forward with information about homicides.

The bills aim to address two problems in D.C.’s public safety system: ongoing concerns about long 911 wait times and dispatching errors at D.C.’s Office of Unified Communications, and the fact that murders are up in D.C. as homicide case closure rates have fallen.

Nadeau’s office says she will formally introduce the bills on Friday after all D.C. Councilmembers have had a chance to read them and sign on if they choose. So far, At-Large Councilmember Christina Henderson has said she will co-sponsor the bill on compensation for homicide witnesses — a move which typically signals support for the legislation. Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White, Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George, and Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker have signed on to co-sponsor the bill on 911 dispatching. But the bill is already garnering disapproval from some corners: notably, D.C.’s fire chief said Tuesday afternoon that he did not support moving dispatching responsibilities away from OUC.

 911 Dispatching

D.C.’s Office of Unified Communications opened in 2001 after a series of news reports and an inspector general’s report exposed significant issues with the city’s 911 call system. The inspector general found that one in eight 911 calls simply didn’t receive an answer at all.

More than two decades later, D.C.’s 911 system is once again under significant scrutiny. A 2021 report from the Office of the D.C. Auditor found that the agency fell short of national standards for answering 911 calls in a timely manner. A 2022 follow-up report from the auditor found that the agency had yet to implement most of its recommendations — and was still struggling to accurately pinpoint the locations of callers.

Local journalist and advocate Dave Statter, who pays close attention to D.C.’s 911 performance, tracked nine 911 mistakes over a three-year period where someone died – though, he notes, it’s not possible to know whether the 911 errors were the actual cause of those individuals’ deaths. Those cases included the death of Sheila Sheppard, who died after OUC sent first responders to the wrong quadrant of the city. Last year, a 3-month-old boy died in a hot car after a 911 dispatching mistake.

Earlier this year, a 911 dispatcher error delayed emergency responders’ arrival to a flood at a D.C. dog daycare that killed 10 dogs.

This summer, the D.C. Council passed emergency legislation requiring OUC to publish more data on their performance and errors. The data has revealed significant issues with understaffing: In October, for example, the data showed that 44% of shifts did not meet the agency’s targeted staffing level.

Nadeau’s new bill would create a Fire and Emergency Medical Services Communications Center under the fire department. OUC would continue to answer all 911 calls, but under the new bill, OUC call-takers would transfer any call related to fire or emergency medical services to D.C. FEMS for additional triage and dispatching. The change, Nadeau’s office said in a press release, “would allow 911 dispatchers to focus on police calls, making for more effective and faster dispatch in response to those calls, too.” The bill would also require the fire department to report data on performance and errors to both the council and the Mayor.

“When a person calls 911 – whether that’s for a medical emergency, fire or crime — they need to know that their call will be answered, that the dispatcher understands what’s going on, and that they will receive help quickly,” Nadeau said in the press release. “This is one of the most critical things District government must get right to improve public safety.”

This bill is not the first time such a move has been floated in recent years. Last year, former Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice Chris Geldart told the Washington Post that the city was considering transferring dispatch responsibilities from OUC to the fire department — but D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser almost immediately retracted his statement, telling reporters “that’s not the case.”

D.C.’s fire chief, for his part, said in a statement Tuesday evening that he did not support moving dispatch responsibilities away from OUC.

“As Chief of Fire and EMS, I do not support this bill,” wrote Chief John Donnelly. “OUC is a valued partner and their call-takers and dispatchers play an integral role to our agencies’ emergency responses. I am in constant contact with [OUC] Director McGaffin and support the innovations OUC is taking in identifying where changes can be made to improve the system and how DCFEMS can support them. This bill does not advance our collaborative approach.”

A spokesperson for D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the bill (Bowser is traveling to Dubai and Qatar this week for a conference on local climate action and meetings on tourism and infrastructure).

Homicide witness rewards

Nadeau also unveiled a second public safety-focused bill on Tuesday: a bill that would increase the payment for people who provide useful information for homicide investigations. According to Nadeau’s office, D.C.’s current practice is generally to give rewards of $25,000 or less.

Nadeau’s bill would set a minimum payment of $50,000, and require that the city pay at least that amount to “any person who provides information that leads to the adjudication or conviction of the person or persons responsible for committing any homicide in the District of Columbia.”

In addition, the bill would require the city to develop a more formal and comprehensive strategy for providing other support to witnesses of crimes — including law enforcement protection, physical relocation, housing expenses, childcare, and more. In a press release announcing the legislation, Nadeau’s office noted that these services “already exist in some capacity” but said there is no formal strategy or program codified in D.C. law.

The bill is an attempt to increase D.C.’s homicide closure rate – or, in other words, the percentage of murders that police are solving.

The Metropolitan Police Department’s closure rate so far this year is the lowest it’s been in 15 years, the Associated Press has reported. The closure rate for this year stands around 45% — which, the outlet reported, is below the national average of 50 to 60%.

At the same time, homicides in the District have surged this year, and remain higher than they’ve been in more than two decades. As of Tuesday, 250 people had been murdered in the city so far this year – a 34% increase over this time last year.

“The availability of illegal guns and the senseless acts of violence to solve disputes have contributed to this year’s increase in violent crime, including homicide,” MPD’s communications office wrote in an emailed response to questions about why its closure rate has fallen. “We are working with local and federal agencies to deploy resources and leverage technology to solve these cases, and we continue to actively recruit new talent to increase our staffing levels. Our priority remains removing violent offenders from the streets and bringing closure to the families of victims.”

MPD declined to comment on the legislation and referred DCist/WAMU to the office of the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

This story was updated with comment from MPD and D.C. Fire and EMS chief John Donnelly.