Mayor to tech company: Dispatch system failures ‘unacceptable’

EVERETT — Mayor Ray Stephanson heard about the dispatching failures during Everett’s recent three-alarm warehouse fire, and he’s not happy.

Stephanson on Wednesday sent a pointed letter to New World, the technology company responsible for Snohomish County’s balky 8-month-old emergency dispatching software.

In the letter, he referred to the troubles as “simply unacceptable” and said continued problems could put people in danger.

“I am concerned that the lack of a consistently reliable system is leaving our crews and residents vulnerable to serious risks,” Stephanson wrote.

The New World software glitched out during the June 4 warehouse fire in Everett. The glitch resulted in the delayed dispatching of backup firefighting crews for nearly 23 minutes, public records show.

Stephanson asked New World managers to respond to him with plans to make it right. As of Thursday evening, that hadn’t happened. The Daily Herald obtained a copy of the mayor’s letter through a public records request.

The warehouse fire glitch, which was blamed on a malfunctioning computer screen button, was the latest wrinkle in years of delays and disputes involving the New World project in Snohomish County.

The New World contract is managed through two local 911 centers, SNOPAC in Everett and SNOCOM in Mountlake Terrace. Together, they provide dispatching to nearly every police and fire department in the county.

The New World company, of Michigan, was sold last year to Texas-based Tyler Technologies. The software launched here in October — years behind schedule — and is used by dispatchers, police officers, firefighters and jail staff to conduct their daily business.

When Everett firefighters request a second alarm, an automated process is supposed to call all on-duty crews in the city to the scene, said Meghan Pembroke, a spokeswoman for the mayor’s office. The second-alarm also brings in firefighters from neighboring departments to handle other routine emergencies in Everett during the fire.

The New World software has a local history of struggling more on the fire side of emergency response than the crime side.

Everett police officers work out of their patrol cars and get dispatched through their radios, Pembroke said. Officers have reported complaints about the software, but not at the same level of firefighters, she said.

Firefighters are dispatched through radios, computers and pagers. Fire scenes then are managed by a battalion chief, who coordinates and delegates tasks.

A second alarm involves multiple fire departments, fire stations, and even summoning specific kinds of rigs. It’s not as simple as making a few phone calls, Pembroke said.

“The battalion chief has many responsibilities during an active incident, and must rely on the dispatchers to activate a second alarm,” Pembroke said.

Stephanson has been paying attention to New World issues, and the delay of the second alarm at the warehouse fire was “especially concerning,” Pembroke said. “It was fortunate that nobody was injured.”

Stephanson’s letter also noted that millions of public dollars and numerous hours of staff time have been invested in the project.

“The primary purpose of this system is to keep our community safe by dispatching emergency responders in a timely and efficient manner,” he wrote. “The New World System has failed to do that on a number of occasions, and that is simply unacceptable.”

New World’s problems surrounding fire dispatching aren’t unique to Snohomish County. NORCOM, a King County dispatch center that includes the Bothell Fire Department, ended up dropping the fire component of New World and went with another vendor. New World in 2014 agreed to pay NORCOM $850,000 to settle the dispute out of court.

A few months ago, representatives from SNOPAC, SNOCOM and the Everett Fire Department visited NORCOM to see how things are working out there.

The Everett firefighters union, Local 46, is glad to see the mayor investigating the problems, President Paul Gagnon said Thursday. The union has long argued that more firefighters and paramedics are needed in Everett, and concerns about staffing and software performance need “discussion and scrutiny,” he said.

Meanwhile, New World’s owners provided what should be a permanent fix for the second-alarm issue from the warehouse fire, SNOPAC Executive Director Kurt Mills said. That happened June 9.

“We’re committed to seeing this (project) through,” he said. “We share the concerns of the mayor and I’m confident that New World is going to respond and continue to partner with us on addressing the issues.”

There was a two-alarm fire in Stanwood on Wednesday night, and “the system performed fine,” Mills said.

Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

A firefighter stands in silence before a panel bearing the names of L. John Regelbrugge and Kris Regelbrugge during the ten-year remembrance of the Oso landslide on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Oso Landslide Memorial in Oso, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
‘Flood of emotions’ as Oso Landslide Memorial opens on 10th anniversary

Friends, family and first responders held a moment of silence at 10:37 a.m. at the new 2-acre memorial off Highway 530.

Julie Petersen poses for a photo with images of her sister Christina Jefferds and Jefferds’ grand daughter Sanoah Violet Huestis next to a memorial for Sanoah at her home on March 20, 2024 in Arlington, Washington. Peterson wears her sister’s favorite color and one of her bangles. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
‘It just all came down’: An oral history of the Oso mudslide

Ten years later, The Daily Herald spoke with dozens of people — first responders, family, survivors — touched by the deadliest slide in U.S. history.

Victims of the Oso mudslide on March 22, 2014. (Courtesy photos)
Remembering the 43 lives lost in the Oso mudslide

The slide wiped out a neighborhood along Highway 530 in 2014. “Even though you feel like you’re alone in your grief, you’re really not.”

Director Lucia Schmit, right, and Deputy Director Dara Salmon inside the Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management on Friday, March 8, 2024, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
How Oso slide changed local emergency response ‘on virtually every level’

“In a decade, we have just really, really advanced,” through hard-earned lessons applied to the pandemic, floods and opioids.

Ron and Gail Thompson at their home on Monday, March 4, 2024 in Oso, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
In shadow of scarred Oso hillside, mudslide’s wounds still feel fresh

Locals reflected on living with grief and finding meaning in the wake of a catastrophe “nothing like you can ever imagine” in 2014.

Everett mall renderings from Brixton Capital. (Photo provided by the City of Everett)
Topgolf at the Everett Mall? Mayor’s hint still unconfirmed

After Cassie Franklin’s annual address, rumors circled about what “top” entertainment tenant could be landing at Everett Mall.

Everett
Everett man sentenced to 3 years of probation for mutilating animals

In 2022, neighbors reported Blayne Perez, 35, was shooting and torturing wildlife in north Everett.

The Washington State University Snohomish County Extension building at McCollum Park is located in an area Snohomish County is considering for the location of the Farm and Food Center on Thursday, March 28, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Year-round indoor farmers market inches closer to reality near Mill Creek

The Snohomish County Farm and Food Center received $5 million in federal funding. The county hopes to begin building in 2026.

Dorothy Crossman rides up on her bike to turn in her ballot  on Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett leaders plan to ask voters for property tax increase

City officials will spend weeks hammering out details of a ballot measure, as Everett faces a $12.6 million deficit.

Starbucks employee Zach Gabelein outside of the Mill Creek location where he works on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024 in Mill Creek, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mill Creek Starbucks votes 21-1 to form union

“We obviously are kind of on the high of that win,” store bargaining delegate Zach Gabelein said.

Lynnwood police respond to a collision on highway 99 at 176 street SW. (Photo provided by Lynnwood Police)
Police: Teen in stolen car flees cops, causes crash in Lynnwood

The crash blocked traffic for over an hour at 176th Street SW. The boy, 16, was arrested on felony warrants.

The view of Mountain Loop Mine out the window of a second floor classroom at Fairmount Elementary on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
County: Everett mining yard violated order to halt work next to school

At least 10 reports accused OMA Construction of violating a stop-work order next to Fairmount Elementary. A judge will hear the case.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.