Serving Sonoma County, California Fire & Ems Agencies Since 2002
Serving Sonoma County, California Fire & Ems Agencies Since 2002
patches2023

About

About

REDCOM Dispatch in Santa Rosa, CA is a Joint Powers Authority established in 2002 under the California Joint Exercise of Powers Act to provide centralized emergency Fire and EMS dispatching to emergency response agencies within Sonoma County. REDCOM is operated on contract by American Medical Response.

Our Members

  • Bodega Bay FPD
  • Cazadero CSD
  • City of Healdsburg
  • City of Petaluma
  • City of Santa Rosa
  • City of Sebastopol
  • City of Sonoma
  • Coast Life Support
  • Forestville FPD
  • Geyserville FPD
  • Glen Ellen FPD
  • Gold Ridge FPD
  • Graton FPD
  • Kenwood FPD
  • Monte Rio FPD
  • North Bay Fire District
  • North Sonoma Coast FPD
  • Occidental CSD
  • Rancho Adobe FPD
  • Russian River FPD
  • Schell-Vista FPD
  • Sheriff Helicopter
  • Sonoma County Fire District
  • Timber Cove FPD
  • Valley of the Moon FPD

Redcom's Mission

REDCOM exists to assist the public, dispatch response agencies, and help the community during emergencies. REDCOM provides: high quality emergency medical and fire dispatch services; emergency pre-arrival instructions; advanced technology; financial stability; and a sound organizational structure. We will provide our callers, member agencies, general public and each other with unbiased, courteous, and professional treatment at all times.

Redcom's Vision

REDCOM will become industry leaders in Medical and Fire dispatch services by:

  • Exceeding industry standards for quality call-taking and dispatching
  • Providing a high quality service at an affordable cost
  • Being a partner in our community to promote health and prosperity
  • Ensuring REDCOM has up-to-date dispatch technology available to support REDCOM’s Mission
  • Ensuring citizens, community leaders, community partners, and member agencies understand the high quality service REDCOM provides
  • Adopting resilient business and operational processes
REDCOM FIRE & EMS DISPATCH
What is Medical Priority Dispatch?
What is Fire Priority Dispatch?
What is Medical Priority Dispatch?

The MPDS is in part based on published standards by the National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP), the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Emergency Number Association (NENA), and more than 30 years of research, development, and field testing throughout the world. The protocol contains 38 Chief Complaint Protocols, Case Entry and Exit information, call termination scripts, and additional verbatim instruction protocols for AED support, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), childbirth assistance, tracheostomy airway and breathing, and the Heimlich maneuver. Special protocols for stroke identification, aspirin administration, pandemic flu triage, and chemical suicide have also been released.

What is Fire Priority Dispatch?

REDCOM adopted the International Academy of Emergency Dispatch (IAED) Fire Priority Dispatch System (FPDS) in 2018.The FPDS combines the latest technology in systematic call interrogation with the ability to logically prioritize dispatch responses and give lifesaving pre-arrival instructions immediately to the caller at the scene, saving precious time while first responders arrive. The protocol has been designed to protect against liability while increasing call processing effectiveness and assuring measurable standards of equalized care to the public. In addition, your center will benefit from over 40 years of experience in the emergency dispatching field and will have the opportunity to learn from other centers experience as the protocol grows. Special protocols exist for escaping from burning buildings and sinking vehicles.

Member Services

REDCOM provides Fire and EMS dispatch services to a vast array of public and private, volunteer and paid Fire and EMS agencies within Sonoma County. REDCOM currently provides call-taking, dispatch, and system status management services over 40 emergency response agencies in Sonoma County. Membership is open to all cities, independent districts, and other public agencies which have a primary service jurisdiction for fire protection and/or ambulance services in Sonoma County. 

REDCOM is also a member of the Sonoma County Public Safety Consortium (SCPSC). The SCPSC is comprised of the majority of public safety entities within Sonoma County: REDCOM, representing over 40 Fire and EMS agencies, Santa Rosa PD, Cotati PD, Rohnert Park DPS, Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office, Petaluma PD, City of Sonoma, the Town of Windsor, and the Santa Rosa Junior College. All entities within the consortium share the same Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system. The sharing of CAD information is an invaluable tool for the coordinated response to emergencies within Sonoma County. As a member of the SCPSC, REDCOM agencies are able to buy in to mobile data computers (MDC) and have access to county GIS mapping tools. These maps are routable and offer the most up-to-date and detailed hazard information available.

Medical Priority Dispatch System

More than 90%% of all Fire or Ambulance calls in Sonoma County are medical emergencies. REDCOM is a proud user of the International Academy of Emergency Dispatch (IAED) Emergency Medical Priority Dispatch System protocols. The MPDS is in part based on published standards by the National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP), the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the American Medical Association (AMA), and more than 20 years of research, development, and field testing throughout the world. These protocols are also researched and approved by local medical direction and the Coastal Valleys EMS Authority.

Our call-takers receive specialty initial and ongoing training to use these specialty protocols during emergencies. The EMD protocols enable our dispatchers to instruct bystanders to initiate life-saving care procedures to victims of a medical emergency before the arrival of first responders. Instructions are given to callers during these emergencies in a safe manner to improve the outcomes of patients who experience: Sudden Cardiac Arrest, Stroke, Imminent Child Birth, Bleeding or Hemorrhage, Traffic Accidents, Unconsciousness, Injuries, Seizures, Choking, and Chest Pain. Special instructions also exist for Aspirin Administration to cardiac patients, Pandemic Flu Triage, and Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) use. For serious emergencies, REDCOM call-takers stay on the line with callers and patients until responders arrive. This practice provides comfort and reassurance to the callers and provides the call-takers an opportunity to quickly identify changing circumstances during the emergency, and notify responders.

Early application of CPR and use of Automatic External Defibrillators have become well-known factors in survival rates of victims of cardiac arrest. EMD protocols enhance the survivability of cardiac arrest victims, and victims of other medical emergencies, by verifying when life-threatening conditions exist, and providing instructions, like CPR and AED use, to callers before responders arrive.

These practices have undoubtedly saved countless lives and improved the outcomes of thousands of citizens in Sonoma County experiencing a medical emergency!

Fire Dispatch

REDCOM dispatches emergency resources for over 40 fire agencies in Sonoma County. REDCOM dispatchers are trained to dispatch resources in accordance with standard operating procedures designed and approved by the REDCOM Dispatch Operations Advisory Group (DOAG). The DOAG is comprised of stakeholders in fire and EMS operations. REDCOM Dispatchers evaluate each emergency for the appropriate event type which generates a unique response for each type of emergency and jurisdiction.

Mass Casualty Incident Management

REDCOM is the designated Mass Casualty Incident Coordination Center for Sonoma County as designated in the Mass Casualty Incident Management Plan administered by Coastal Valleys Local Emergency Medical Services Authority. Under a declaration of a Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) REDCOM notifies the hospital system and other partnering agencies within Sonoma County of the incident. REDCOM then coordinates the appropriate distribution of patients to care centers within the county. REDCOM achieves this through utilization of the Image Trend Resource Bridge network in Sonoma County. The Resource Bridge connects REDCOM with all area hospitals, CVEMS, and other agency providers of emergency medical care.

Performance

REDCOM’s dispatch services contract requires REDCOM to answer emergency calls within ten seconds 90% of the time. REDCOM consistently exceeds this requirement with a 96% compliance. Additionally, we exceed our requirement to dispatch emergency calls to the appropriate agency within 70 seconds 90% of the time or better.

System Status Management

REDCOM implements individual system plans for each agency it dispatches. For some agencies, REDCOM carries out a dynamic posting plan that allows the agencies to utilize their real-time available resources for maximum system coverage. Other agencies utilize a more static move-up plan to ensure district and station coverage. In either scenario, REDCOM carries out resource deployment that is specific to each agencies geographic and call volume needs.

Computer Aided Dispatch

REDCOM operates the latest version of the Intergraph I-Dispatcher v. 9.3.3. This CAD system is capable of custom response plans for optimized resource utilization and automatic and mutual aid responses. Additionally REDCOM can accommodate vehicles equipped with Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) to ensure the closest and most appropriate resource is dispatched to the scene.

Accreditation

 The National Academies of Emergency Dispatch, through its College of Fellows, has established a high standard of excellence for emergency dispatch, providing the tools to achieve this high standard at both the dispatcher level through Certification, and at the communication center level through the Accreditation Program. As specified in the 2015 dispatch services agreement, REDCOM is required to seek status as an Accredited Center of Excellence (ACE) through the IAED. ACE dispatch centers represent the top 5% of dispatch centers. In fact, there are only 235 dispatch centers world-wide, and only 16 dispatch centers in California that meet these high standards for dispatch. REDCOM was confirmed as an accredited center in March of 2015. The need to achieve ACE accreditation is also reflected in the REDCOM Strategic Plan.

In addition, REDCOM participates in the accreditation of the Sonoma County ambulance franchise operator, AMR. AMR's accreditation through the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS) was renewed in 2016 with no found deficiencies, a rare and prestigious recognition. 

Governance

REDCOM is governed by a seven member Board of Directors who is responsible for the financial stability of the JPA and oversees the performance of the dispatch services contract. The REDCOM Dispatch Operations Advisory Group (DOAG) approves dispatch operating procedures and makes recommendations to the REDCOM Executive Director.

Additionally, as mentioned above, REDCOM is a member of the Sonoma County Public Safety Consortium (SCPSC) representing Fire and EMS dispatch among eight other Police Dispatch partners. Membership into the consortium allows REDCOM and its members to operate with the same CAD information as most of the police agencies in the county. Additionally, the SCPSC manages the CAD and maintenance contracts on behalf of REDCOM.

Being a REDCOM member includes your agency into the entire spectrum of emergency services in Sonoma County!

Fees

Each year, the REDCOM Executive Director develops and proposes a budget to the REDCOM Board of Directors. That budget, once approved, establishes the cost to run the REDCOM JPA for the upcoming fiscal year. Each REDCOM member pays an annual fee equal to their percentage (rolling five year average) of the total REDCOM call volume of all its members plus a base fee. Base fees are established based on eight call volume ranges. The base fee ensures coverage of a portion of overhead costs. Each agencies fees are calculated before April 1st of each year to allow ample time for each agency to include the costs in their upcoming budget.

Agendas - Meeting Minutes - SOPs

Agendas

NamePdf
January 11th 2018 BOD Agenda
February 1st 2018 BOD Agenda
March 8th 2018 BOD Agenda
May 10th 2018 BOD Agenda
July 12, 2018 BOD Agenda
October 11, 2018 BOD Agenda
January 10, 2019 BOD Agenda
February 14, 2019 BOD Agenda
March 14, 2019 BOD Agenda
July 11th, 2019 REDCOM BOD Meeting Agenda
October 24th 2019 BOD Agenda
November 18th 2019 REDCOM BOD Agenda
January 23rd, 2018 DOAG Meeting Agenda
March 2018 DOAG Meeting Agenda
May 2018 DOAG Meeting Agenda
September 25th, 2018 DOAG Agenda
January 22, 2019 DOAG Agenda
March 26th 2019 DOAG Meeting Agenda
May 28th 2019 DOAG Meeting Agenda
July 23rd 2019 DOAG Meeting Agenda
January, 9th 2020 REDCOM BOD Agenda
January 28th 2020 DOAG Meeting Agenda
REDCOM BOD Agenda February 13, 2020
March 12th 2020 -REDCOM BOD Agenda (MEETING HAS BEEN CANCELLED)
March 26th 2020 - REDCOM BOD Agenda
DOAG Meeting March 24, 2020 (MEETING HAS BEEN CANCELLED)
April 13th 2020 - REDCOM BOD Agenda
REDCOM BOD agenda 05-14-2020 (MEETING HAS BEEN CANCELLED)
May 26th, 2020 DOAG Meeting Agenda ( VIRTUAL MEETING )
REDCOM Board of Director's Special Meeting 06-15-2020 ( VIRTUAL MEETING )
REDCOM Board of Director's meeting packet for 07-09-2020 ( VIRTUAL MEETING )
REDCOM Directors Report Q4 of FY 2019-2020
DOAG meeting packet for 09-22-2020 (Vitural Meeting)
REDCOM Board of Director's packet for 10-08-2020 (VIRTUAL)
DOAG Meeting for November 24, 2020 (MEETING HAS BEEN CANCELLED)
REDCOM Board of Director's Meeting 01-14-2021 (VIRTUAL ONLY)
REDCOM DOAG 1-26-2021 (VIRTUAL MEETING)
REDCOM BOARD OF DIRECTORS Agenda 2-11-2021 (VIRTUAL MEETING)
REDCOM BOARD OF DIRECTORS Agenda 3-11-2021 (VIRTUAL MEETING)
DOAG Agenda for March 23, 2021 (VIRTUAL MEETING)
Special REDCOM BOARD OF DIRECTORS Agenda 3-25-2021 (VIRTUAL MEETING)
REDCOM Board of Director's Meeting 07-08-2021 (VIRTUAL MEETING)
DOAG Agenda for July 27, 2021 (VIRTUAL MEETING)
DOAG Agenda for September 28, 2021 (VITURAL MEETING)
REDCOM Board of Director's Meeting 10-14-2021 (VIRTUAL MEETING)
DOAG Meeting Agenda for 01-25-2022 (VIRTUAL MEETING)
REDCOM Board of Director's Meeting 2-10-2022 (VIRTUAL MEETING)
REDCOM Board of Directors Meeting March 10th 2022 (VIRTUAL MEETING)
DOAG Meeting for March 22, 2022 (MEETING HAS BEEN CANCELLED)
REDCOM BOARD OF DIRECTORS agenda April 4, 2022 (VIRTUAL MEETING)
DOAG Agenda Special Meeting April 15, 2022 (CANCELLED)
DOAG Meeting for 05-24-2022 (HAS BEEN CANCELED)
REDCOM BOARD OF DIRECTORS packet for July 14th 2022
RECOM DOAG Agenda July 26 2022
DOAG Agenda September 27, 2022
REDCOM BOARD OF DIRECTORS Packet Oct 13th 2022
DOAG MEETING 11-22-2022 HAS BEEN CANCELED
REDCOM Board of Director's Meeting 1/18/2023 Agenda
REDCOM DOAG PACKET JAN 24TH 2023
REDCOM-Board-Agenda-Packet-Feb-9-2023 (updated)
DOAG Agenda Special Meeting 3-6-2023 HAS BEEN CANCELED
REDCOM BOARD OF DIRECTORS March 9, 2023 HAS BEEN CANCELED
DOAG Agenda March 28, 2023
DOAG Meeting Agenda May 23, 2023
REDCOM Board of Director's Meeting July 13 2023
DOAG Agenda July 25, 2023
DOAG MEETING 9-26-2023 HAS BEEN CANCELED
REDCOM BOARD Meeting October 12th, 2023
DOAG Agenda Special Meeting 10-30-2023
REDCOM BOARD OF DIRECTORS November 15, 2023 Agenda
DOAG Agenda November 28, 2023
REDCOM BOARD OF DIRECTORS December 11, 2023 Agenda
DOAG Agenda January 11, 2024 Special Meeting
REDCOM BOARD OF DIRECTORS January 16, 2024 Agenda
REDCOM BOARD OF DIRECTORS February 8, 2024 Agenda
REDCOM BOARD OF DIRECTORS March 14, 2024 Agenda (updated)
DOAG Agenda March 28, 2024

Meeting Minutes

NamePdf
January 11th 2018 BOD Meeting Minutes
February 1st 2018 BOD Meeting Minutes
March 8th 2018 BOD Meeting Minutes
May 10th 2018 BOD Meeting Minutes
July 12, 2018 BOD Meeting Minutes
October 11, 2018 BOD Meeting Minutes
February 14th, 2019 REDCOM BOD Minutes
March 14th, 2019 REDCOM BOD Minute Minutes
September 25th, 2018 DOAG Meeting minutes
January 22, 2019 DOAG Meeting Minutes
March 26th 2019 DOAG Meeting Minutes
May 28th 2019 DOAG Meeting Minutes
July 11th, 2019 REDCOM BOD Minutes
November 18, 2019 REDCOM BOD Meeting Minutes
January, 9th 2020 REDCOM BOD Meeting Minutes
February 13th 2020 REDCOM BOD minutes
JANUARY 28, 2020 DOAG APPROVED MINUTES
March 26, 2020 REDCOM BOD APPROVED MINUTES
April 13th 2020 - REDCOM APPROVED BOD Minutes
MAY 26, 2020 DOAG APPROVED MINUTES
June 15, 2020 REDCOM BOD APPROVED BOD MINUTES
July 9, 2020 REDCOM APPROVED BOD MINUTES
September 22, 2020 DOAG APPROVED MINUTES
OCTOBER 8, 2020 REDCOM APPROVED MINUTES
REDCOM BOARD OF DIRECTORS Minutes for February 11, 2021
REDCOM BOARD OF DIRECTORS Meeting Minutes March 11, 2021
REDCOM BOARD OF DIRECTORS 3-25-2021 APPROVED Minutes
DOAG Minutes for July 27 2021 APPROVED Minutes
DOAG Meeting Minutes for September 28, 2021
REDCOM BOARD OF DIRECTORS Minutes July 8, 2021
REDCOM BOARD OF DIRECTORS Minutes October 14, 2021
REDCOM BOARD OF DIRECTORS MInutes April 4, 2022
DOAG Minutes January 25, 2022
REDCOM BOARD OF DIRECTORS Minutes February 10, 2022
REDCOM BOARD OF DIRECTORS Minutes March 10, 2022
REDCOM BOARD OF DIRECTORS Minutes July 14th 2022
DOAG Minutes July 26, 2022
DOAG Minutes September 27, 2022
REDCOM BOARD OF DIRECTORS Minutes October 13th 2022
REDCOM BOARD OF DIRECTORS Minutes January 18, 2023
DOAG Minutes January 24, 2023
DOAG Minutes March 28, 2023
REDCOM BOARD OF DIRECTORS February 9, 2023 Minutes
DOAG May 23, 2023 Minutes
DOAG July 25, 2023 Minutes
REDCOM Board of Director's Minutes July 13 2023
REDCOM BOARD OF DIRECTORS October 12, 2023 Minutes
DOAG November 28, 2023 Minutes
REDCOM BOARD OF DIRECTORS December 11, 2023 Minutes
REDCOM BOARD OF DIRECTORS Minutes January 16 2024

SOPs

NamePdf
REDCOM TABLE OF CONTENTS
SOG 1 - General
SOG 2 - Supplemental Information
SOG 3 - Event Type Criteria
SOG 4 - Field Reporting of Non-REDCOM Events
SOG 5 - Fire Drawdown
SOP 2 - Definitions
SOP 3 - Order Model for Radio Communications
SOP 4 - Clear Text
SOP 5 - Radio Channel Line-up and Use
SOP 6 Resource Identifications
SOP 7 - Call Routing
SOP 8 - Dispatch Procedures
SOP 9 - Response Procedures
SOP 10 - Self Dispatch
SOP 11 - Supplemental Information
SOP 12 - Response Codes
SOP 13 - Response Cancellations and Downgrades
SOP 14 - Fire Alarm System Responses
SOP 15 - CAD Timers
SOP 16 - At Scene Reporting
SOP 17 - Size Up and Initial Condition Reports
SOP 18 - Requesting Additional Resources
SOP 19 - Fire Resource Move-ups
SOP 20 - Ambulance Posting
SOP 21 - Establishing Command
SOP 22 - Progress Reports
SOP 23 - Staging Procedures
SOP 25 - Procedures for Electrical Wires Down
SOP 26 Incident and Crew Related Emergencies
SOP 27 - Mutual Aid System
SOP 28 - SRA, MTZ and Borderline Vegetation Fire Incidents
SOP 29 - Automatic Aid
SOP 30 - Helicopter Dispatch and Communications
SOP 31 - Hazardous Materials Incidents
SOP 32 - Burning Permits
SOP 33 - Locations of Interest
SOP 34 - Confidential Information
SOP 35 - Knox Box
SOP 36 - Fire Investigation Task Force
SOP 37 - Notifications
SOP 38 - Announcements
SOP 39 - REDCOM Duty Officer
SOP 40 - Storm and Disaster Procedures
SOP 41 - Back-up Procedures
SOP 42 - Performance Comment Process
SOP 43 - Service Standby
SOP 44 - CHP Notification
SOP 45 - ESZ Modification and Change Process
SOP 46 - Animal Emergency Response Teams
SOP 47 - Fire Camera Operations
SOP 48 MCI & MPI process within REDCOM
SOP 49 BLS CO-RESPONSE