APCO Project RETAINS APCO Project RETAINS

Staffing and Retention Tool Kit For Public Safety Communications Center Managers

Background

The tools in this toolkit were developed by researchers at the University of Denver Research Institute for APCO International. The APCO Project RETAINS Committee conducted a national study in 2004 to examine staffing and retention issues in public safety communications centers. A follow-up study in 2005 focused on whether these issues differed in larger centers (defined by CALEA as those with 76 or more employees).

In 2018, APCO commissioned an additional study with the George Mason University Center for Social Science Research. This study built on earlier findings to evaluate how staffing and retention conditions had changed over time, assess the effectiveness and use of the RETAINS tools, and examine emerging technologies in Emergency Communications Centers (ECCs).

These tools are research-based and designed specifically for ECCs. The full research reports and the Effective Practices Guide are available as PDFs in the Resources tab above.

The Tools

The toolkit includes three powerful tools to help you better understand your center’s operations. These tools allow you to estimate staffing needs, measure retention, and gather employee feedback.

  1. Staffing Estimator - A set of worksheets that helps you calculate how many employees are needed for both fixed positions and positions affected by call volume.
  2. Retention Rate Calculator - Uses basic data, such as the number of employees and how many left in the past year, to calculate your center’s retention rate. It also lets you compare your rate to national averages, as well as centers in your region and size group.
  3. Employee Satisfaction Survey - A quick and effective way to collect employee feedback using questions designed for emergency communications centers. The survey takes less than five minutes to complete and produces a customized report you can share with leadership or staff. You can preview the survey and a sample report before using it. The online format is anonymous, which helps encourage honest feedback and higher response rates.

System Requirements

RETAINS supports all modern web browsers:

  • Microsoft Edge (Mac & Windows)
  • Firefox (Mac, Linux & Windows)
  • Chrome/Chromium-based (Mac, Linux & Windows)
  • Safari (Mac & iOS)