Planning, Design, Implementation and Operation Services

The Costas Group, Inc., is an industry leader in assisting governments with enhancing service delivery through improving government call center operations and designing state of the art emergency operations command centers.

We have provided call center planning and design services to several of the largest jurisdictions in the U.S. Our consultants are among the industry's most experienced in planning and implementing call centers and conducting requirements analysis for video camera networks, command centers and related communications needs.

Command/Call Center Competencies

We are not only skilled in improving citizen access to services, but reengineering the service delivery process as well by :

- Defining Operation Models
- Addressing Legislative and Regulatory Issues
- Researching the Impact on Emergency Services
- Building and Designing Technology Infrastructures
- Developing Knowledge Management Strategies
- Consolidating Agency Call Centers
- Monitoring Personnel and Training Issues
- Assisting with Program management
- Revising Implementation Plans
- Creating Cost Analysis and Allocation Plans
- Assessing the current capabilities and future requirements of the Emergency Operations Center
- Identifying and evaluating facility and technology improvement options
- Determining video surveillance utilization and installation requirements
- Developing and testing contingency plans for Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) emergency call centers
- Preparing contingency plans and conducting tabletop drills emergency communications centers
- Evaluating the impact of non-emergency calls to the overall effectiveness of the call center
- Assessing the impact of non-emergency calls to the emergency communications center

We have designed and integrated two of the Washington, DC region's preeminent communications and coordination operations/command centers: the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the District's Emergency Management Agency (DCEMA). The projects include design and integration of the MPD wireless video network, Synchronized Operations Command Complex, the new District of Columbia Public Safety Communications Center (PSCC), and DCEMA's Emergency Operations Center.

Best Practices

Using best practices is a key element for planning, implementing and managing a government services call center. The Costas Group, Inc., consistently surveys best practices in operations, technology, training, funding, process management, organization and personnel.

Call Center Experience

Since inception, we have designed and integrated several large 3-1-1 projects: New York City, Philadelphia, Miami-Dade County, Florida and Washington, DC. We have solved major and complex challenges within each of these projects, including personnel, customer service, technology infrastructure for data and voice, call center management and operations, budget and financial issues, regulatory and contractual issues, process mapping and reengineering, and knowledge management.

The City of Philadelphia engaged The Costas Group, Inc. to develop an overall Homeland Security plan linking 9-1-1 and 3-1-1 operations and assisting with the organizational structure for emergency support functions (ESF). We have also performed the preliminary design of a video network and Emergency Operations Center for Philadelphia

Call Center Clients:

Miami-Dade, Fl
Washington DC
New York City, NY
Philadelphia, PA

Call Center Consulting Services

Develop, design and manage Call Centers.
Technology review and planning, integration and installation
Benchmark best practices
Reengineer operational processes
Provide back-up facility planning and implementation for 3-1-1 operations
Perform organizational analysis
Develop policies, regulations and organizational analysis
Conduct staffing assessments and qualifications
Assess non-emergency processes and standard operating procedures
Define procedures for telephone routing