P.J. Lassek, Tulsa World (Oklahoma), Staff Writer

Mayor Dewey Bartlett announced Tuesday that the city’s 911 system will become its own department and work closely with fire and police officials. The 911 system, which has been under the Information Technology Department, will become the 911 Public Safety Communication Department with “its own management, its own failure and its own accountability,” Bartlett said during a news conference at City Hall.

The new department will become effective Jan. 3 by executive order, he said. Bartlett said his decision to make 911 its own department is a result of the Management Review Office’s evaluation of a KPMG efficiency study recommendation and the City Council’s 911 task force report. Bartlett said that having the 911 facility under the city’s IT Department “didn’t mesh; it just didn’t work. It had some morale problems, and we had some serious staffing problems.”

He said the city has received criticism about the 911 system, mostly with claims of being put on hold for extended periods of time, “and obviously, that is not acceptable.”

Creating a department that is accountable to itself and addressing morale and staffing problems should make the 911 facility “operated better, more efficiently, and more responsive, which is what the public demands and deserves,” Bartlett said.

City records indicate that only 51 percent of the city’s 911 calls were answered within the National Emergency Number Association standards, which states that 90 percent of the calls are to be received within 10 seconds and 95 percent within 20 seconds.

Council Chairman G.T. Bynum commended Bartlett for creating the department, noting that Tulsans have invested millions of dollars in public safety infrastructure over the years. “It’s frustrating for some to know there is this world-class public safety infrastructure out there ready to help them and not be able to access it,” he said. Bynum also credited former Councilor Bill Christiansen for leading the council’s 911 task force, “which did a thorough review of the current operations.”

The mayor also said he has tapped Terry Baxter as the interim director. Baxter has 25 years of experience with the city in the Finance and Fire departments, as well as with the 911 center. He is a project manager for the Management Review Office. Bartlett said he will likely hire a director from outside of the city employment pool.

In other business: Bartlett also named Clay Bird as his permanent economic development director. Bird has been the interim director filling the post left vacant by Mike Bunney, who in September took a job at Nordam. A former city councilor, Bird also worked as deputy mayor for former Mayor Bill LaFortune. Bartlett said Bird has a tremendous amount of experience in city government and has been involved in the development of the city from an economic development and job creation standpoint. There will be no change in Bird’s current duties or pay.

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