§ 9-47. Telephone companies providing "911" services and equipment—Collection of local telephone exchange subscribers fee; county use of fees.

(a)

Pursuant to the Florida Emergency Telephone Act, as amended, there is imposed a fee of not more than fifty cents ($0.50) per month upon each individual telephone exchange access line located within Polk County, said fee to be paid by local telephone subscribers for all individual exchange access lines up to and including twenty-five (25) lines per account bill rendered. Subject to the limitations of the preceding sentence, the monthly amount of the fee is established, and from time to time may be changed, by resolution of the board of county commissioners.

(b)

The fees imposed under this section shall be collected by the telephone companies providing "911" services and equipment to Polk County, and all proceeds shall be remitted to Polk County, less an administrative fee equal to one per cent of the fees collected, which administrative fee shall be retained by the telephone companies as provided in the Florida Emergency Telephone Act.

(c)

The remittance to Polk County provided for in subsection (b) shall be paid monthly thirty (30) days following the completion of the preceding month's collection pursuant to this section.

(d)

The fees collected hereunder shall be used by the county to provide "911" service and equipment for Polk County as provided for in the Florida Emergency Telephone Act.

(e)

Public safety answering points.

(1)

Intent of this section. Pursuant to Section 365.171, Florida Statutes, the fees collected by the county are used to provide "911" service and equipment costs as well as training costs for public safety answering point call takers. In order to provide "911" service in the most efficient manner, the county has established a number of public safety answering points at agencies throughout the county.

(2)

Definition. For purposes of this section, an agency is defined as the county and any city, municipal corporation, chartered organization, public district, or public authority located in whole or in part within this county which provides, or has authority to provide, firefighting, law enforcement, ambulance, medical, or other emergency services.

(3)

Criteria for public safety answering points. An agency may function as a public safety answering point upon approval of the county if said agency meets the following criteria, at a minimum:

a.

Equipment: The agency shall provide a minimum of two (2) administrative telephone lines, a generator, fire protection, grounding integrity, lightning and alternate current power surge protection.

b.

Hours of operation: The agency must be operational twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week.

c.

Security: The agency shall have sufficient building security to minimize the possibility of intentional disruption of operations. All 911 processing and control equipment shall be in a locked, environmentally conditioned area accessible only to authorized personnel.

d.

Minimum staffing: The agency shall maintain the minimum number of operators on duty to ensure ninety (90) per cent of 911 calls are answered within ten (10) seconds.

(4)

Public safety answering point manager appointment, duties and notification. An agency serving as a public safety answering point shall have a public safety answering point manager. The public safety answering point manager shall be designated by: the city manager of the agency in which the responsibility for the public safety answering point resides; the sheriff if the public safety answering point is the sheriff's office; or the county manager if the public safety answering point is a county division. In order to maintain its status as a public safety answering point, each agency shall require the public safety answering point manager, or his or her designee, to be responsible for the following duties, at a minimum:

a.

Ensure all procedures outlined in the adopted Polk County 911 Procedures Manual are followed by all personnel at the public safety answering point.

b.

Ensure compliance with the operator training standards outlined in this section.

c.

Maintain a stock of all 911 operational supplies, readily available.

d.

Notify the Polk County 911 office within three (3) days of the hire date of new 911 operators or termination or resignation of a 911 operator.

e.

Attend public safety answering point managers meetings as required by the county 911 program.

f.

Ensure that security of the 911 operation and equipment meets standards as specified in this section.

g.

Maintain staffing levels as outlined in this section.

h.

Ensure that all 911 equipment is in place and properly maintained to provide for twenty-four (24) hour, seven (7) days per week operation of the public safety answering point.

Within ten (10) days of the date of appointment of a public safety answering point manager, the agency shall communicate to the county manager, in writing, the name of said public safety answering point manager for that agency.

(5)

Public safety answering point operator training. In order to maintain its status as a public safety answering point, each agency serving as a public safety answering point shall ensure adherence to the following training standards for all operators or persons answering 911 calls:

a.

All 911 calls are to be answered and processed by operators who have successfully completed the basic telecommunicator certification program as outlined in the 911 procedures manual.

b.

All certified 911 operators shall maintain certification as outlined in the 911 procedures manual.

(6)

County obligations. As part of its expenditure of the 911 fees, the county will be responsible for E911 training expenses and equipping the agency with a twenty-four (24) hour logging recorder, instant playback recorder at each answering position, access to a telecommunication device for the deaf at each answering position, uninterruptible power source dedicated to the 911 equipment, 911 furniture, and call answering equipment, including 911 circuits.

(7)

Maintaining status. In order to maintain its status as a public safety answering point, each agency serving as a public safety answering point shall ensure adherence to the standards articulated in this ordinance and in the accompanying procedures manual. Failure to do so will result in removal of the designation of public safety answering point status.

(f)

Adoption of a procedures manual. The county's enhanced 911 office shall prepare and distribute a procedures manual to be used for establishing public safety answering point guidelines. This procedures manual shall be construed in compliance with this section. The procedures manual shall be detailed, explaining procedures for answering and transferring 911 calls, equipment maintenance, and trouble reporting.

(Ord. No. 86-23, §§ 1—3, 5, 7-22-86; Ord. No. 88-11, § 1, 4-12-88; Ord. No. 01-19, §§ 1, 2, 5-2-01)