Severe Weather Dispatch: Difference between revisions

From Portland NET Wiki
← Older editNewer edit →
VisualWikitext
Added "Dispatch Work Flow" section of Dispatch Guide
Added the "Dispatch Triage" section to the dispatch guide
Line 92: Line 92:
There is a “save” icon in the upper left corner, or you can press Ctrl+S on your keyboard. If you’re computer savvy and use the Chrome browser, there are Chrome extensions you can use to auto refresh a tab.  
There is a “save” icon in the upper left corner, or you can press Ctrl+S on your keyboard. If you’re computer savvy and use the Chrome browser, there are Chrome extensions you can use to auto refresh a tab.  


===== Understanding the Spreadsheet: =====
===== Understanding the Spreadsheet =====


* Info symbol (“i” in a circle): Describes the data being collected  
* Info symbol (“i” in a circle): Describes the data being collected  
Line 116: Line 116:
# In the Dispatch Nexus, select your name from the drop-down menu in the “Dispatcher Name” column; select “In Progress” in the STATUS column; and click “Save.” This will signal to those monitoring that someone is working on the request, and clearly stops others from coordinating the same ride.
# In the Dispatch Nexus, select your name from the drop-down menu in the “Dispatcher Name” column; select “In Progress” in the STATUS column; and click “Save.” This will signal to those monitoring that someone is working on the request, and clearly stops others from coordinating the same ride.
# Using the Shelter Map and Shelter Dashboard, determine the appropriate warm/cool space nearest to the rider. If we have capacity information for this location on the Shelter Dashboard, make sure there are more than 5 spaces left at the location before sending someone there. If you are unsure whether to transport to a day-only location or a 24/7 location, ask a 211 liaison in Slack.  
# Using the Shelter Map and Shelter Dashboard, determine the appropriate warm/cool space nearest to the rider. If we have capacity information for this location on the Shelter Dashboard, make sure there are more than 5 spaces left at the location before sending someone there. If you are unsure whether to transport to a day-only location or a 24/7 location, ask a 211 liaison in Slack.  
# 1) I claim the ticket by saying so in Slack, 2) I mark it In Progress and add my name, 3) I select shelter name/address, 4) I confirm with GSUL via Slack that GS can accommodate the request, 4) if they say yes I mark Transport Arranged: ECC Ground Support, 5) once GSUL provides ETA I add it to the spreadsheet, 6) once GSUL provides pickup time I mark the ride time completed.
# Find transportation for the rider (see “How to Coordinate Rides” section below). Pay close attention to any special circumstances in the request data, such as children, pets, lots of belongings, many riders, wheelchairs, etc. If ECC Ground Support has vehicles dedicated to NET Dispatch, check to see if they can take the request (Ground Support fleet availability for guest transport varies by event). If not, seek transportation in this order: taxi cabs, rideshare, then outreach providers, if any have vehicles available for this event. If none of those providers can pick up the rider within a reasonable amount of time of when you received the request, escalate to ECC Ground Support even if they don’t have a dedicated vehicle. A "reasonable amount of time" goal may be set by the ECC, or it may be dependent on a combination of weather severity, road conditions, and transport availability; ask in chat if you're not sure what the current time frame is to move to the next tier of transportation options.
# Find transportation for the rider (see “How to Coordinate Rides” section below). Pay close attention to any special circumstances in the request data, such as children, pets, lots of belongings, many riders, wheelchairs, etc. If ECC Ground Support has vehicles dedicated to NET Dispatch, check to see if they can take the request (Ground Support fleet availability for guest transport varies by event). If not, seek transportation in this order: taxi cabs, rideshare, then outreach providers, if any have vehicles available for this event. If none of those providers can pick up the rider within a reasonable amount of time of when you received the request, escalate to ECC Ground Support even if they don’t have a dedicated vehicle. A "reasonable amount of time" goal may be dictated by the ECC, or may be dependent on a combination of weather severity, road conditions, and transport availability; ask in chat if you're not sure what the current time frame is to move to the next tier of transportation options.
# Complete the grayed-out columns for Transportation. Enter Transport Arranged, Shelter and Address, and Pickup ETA (unless it’s an ECC Ground Support ride, in which case they will enter the ETA). Save! Once the spreadsheet is saved with an ETA, an email will go to 211info prompting them to call the rider with the ETA.
# Complete the grayed-out columns for Transportation. Enter Transport Arranged, Shelter and Address, and Pickup ETA (unless it’s an ECC Ground Support ride, in which case they will enter the ETA). Save! Once the spreadsheet is saved with an ETA, an email will go to 211info prompting them to call the rider with the ETA.
# If ECC Ground Support is being used, wait for your GS Lead to confirm they have accepted the ride. The handoff between Dispatch and GS should read in Slack like a radio conversation. This assures both that (1) Ground Support doesn't send a vehicle to pick up a client that a Dispatcher is also coordinating a ride for through another transport provider, and (2) also makes sure a client does not get inadvertently dropped:
# If ECC Ground Support is being used, wait for your GS Lead to confirm they have accepted the ride. The handoff between Dispatch and GS should read in Slack like a radio conversation. This assures both that (1) Ground Support doesn't send a vehicle to pick up a client that a Dispatcher is also coordinating a ride for through another transport provider, and (2) also makes sure a client does not get inadvertently dropped:
Line 127: Line 126:
# Change Nexus status to “Completed: Dispatched,” enter the “Completed Date” and “Completed Time,” and save again.  
# Change Nexus status to “Completed: Dispatched,” enter the “Completed Date” and “Completed Time,” and save again.  
# Now go back into Slack and tag the 211info Liaison to let them know that the ride has been scheduled, so that the Liaison can call the client and tell them what sort of transport to expect and when, and where they'll be going.
# Now go back into Slack and tag the 211info Liaison to let them know that the ride has been scheduled, so that the Liaison can call the client and tell them what sort of transport to expect and when, and where they'll be going.
==== Dispatch “Triage” ====
We want to do everything we can to get the rider into a vehicle as quickly as possible, and ideally within a reasonable time of receiving the request. A "reasonable amount of time" goal may be set by the ECC, or it may be dependent on a combination of weather severity, road conditions, and transport availability that 211, Dispatch, and Ground Support determine as we go. Ask in chat if you're not sure if a wait is too long, and you should shift to the next tier of transportation options to look for transport. Please seek transportation in this order unless you've been told otherwise via Slack:
# Taxi cab
# Ride-share services
# Homeless outreach services (if available for this event)
# ECC Ground Support
So, if you call a cab and they can’t get to the location within the designation reasonable time goal, go down the list to dispatch rideshare, and then outreach services, and so on.
===== Important Exceptions =====
* If “Yes” is indicated in the “COVID” column, the whole row will turn red. Notify a 211info supervisor or Dispatch Lead and follow their directions for scheduling transport.
* If a caller has a wheelchair, try to find an accessible rideshare or escalate to ECC Ground Support.
* If the call notes indicate possible mental health problems, escalate to ECC Ground Support.
* Taxi cabs will usually allow pets if they are in a crate or on a leash. Rideshares sometimes have pet-friendly vehicles. ECC Ground Support will also take pets if no other option is available.
* If the caller has a lot of gear, people, etc., confirm that the taxi can accommodate, order a large rideshare vehicle, or request an ECC Ground Support van (in that order).
* If the request is for a family, tag the Family Sheltering Specialist at 211info or another supervisor in Slack and wait for further instructions. We use different processes for families, and children may require car seats.




What if I’m working on a call and my shift ends? Finish it if you can. If you cannot, try to hand the request over to one of the next NET Dispatch volunteers. Provide them a full briefing of the situation. If a Dispatch volunteer is not available, contact your Shift Lead What if I find out the transport vehicle didn’t pick up the rider? Alert 211info staff in Slack so they can try to follow up and see if the rider still requires  transportation.
What if I’m working on a call and my shift ends? Finish it if you can. If you cannot, try to hand the request over to one of the next NET Dispatch volunteers. Provide them a full briefing of the situation. If a Dispatch volunteer is not available, contact your Shift Lead What if I find out the transport vehicle didn’t pick up the rider? Alert 211info staff in Slack so they can try to follow up and see if the rider still requires  transportation.
Retrieved from "https://volunteerpdx.net/index.php/Severe_Weather_Dispatch"