Rising 911 call volumes and aging communities have stretched dispatch resources to the limit. According to the National Emergency Number Association (NENA), non-emergency welfare requests already account for 12-15 % of daily traffic in many centers. For agencies exploring technology to automate routine “Are You OK?” (RUOK) calls, the right 911 dispatch wellness software can free up telecommunicators while protecting vulnerable residents.

This buyer’s checklist walks public-safety leaders through every must-have capability, from automated outbound calling to CAD integration, so you can evaluate solutions with confidence.

1. Clarify Your Program Goals

Before comparing vendors, align internal stakeholders on the outcomes you expect:

  • Reduce manual outbound calls for daily check-ins and RUOK programs.
  • Provide faster alerts to field units when seniors miss a check-in.
  • Expand coverage to larger geographies without adding staff.
  • Offer a simple enrollment path for councils on aging, housing authorities, or neighborhood watch groups.

Clear goals help you assign weight to each feature on the checklist.

2. Core Feature Requirements

Feature Why It Matters for Dispatch ConfirmOk Example
Automated outbound calls Eliminates repetitive phone dialing and documentation. Residents press 1 # to confirm safety.
SMS or text option Reaches tech-savvy users or those with hearing impairment. Optional two-way SMS check-in.
Escalation workflow Missed check-ins trigger instant notifications to care groups or dispatch. Unlimited care group members receive voice, email, or text alerts.
Flexible scheduling Supports daily, weekend-only, or custom holiday rules. Individual schedules adjustable from a web console.
No special hardware Removes the IT burden of provisioning devices. Works with any phone line or cell number.
Encrypted data storage Protects personal data, supports CJIS and HIPAA compliance. AES-256 server-side encryption.
Custom reporting Generates participation stats for grants or council meetings. Downloadable CSV and on-screen dashboards.
Scalability Ability to grow from dozens to tens of thousands of subscribers. Cloud infrastructure with elastic capacity.

Automated Daily Check-Ins

Automated calling is the cornerstone of any welfare software. Look for:

  • Adjustable call attempts (e.g., three retries within 30 minutes).
  • Tactile phone keypad confirmation rather than voice prompts, which reduce false positives caused by background noise.
  • Text-to-speech personalization so you can brand the recorded message with your agency name.

Escalation & Alerting

Missed check-ins should trigger a time-stamped notification that travels the same path as 911 CAD alerts—whether that is email, SMS, or an automated screen pop in the dispatch center. ConfirmOk supports tiered alerts so community volunteers get the first call before uniformed officers are dispatched, conserving sworn resources.

Data Security & Compliance

Agencies handle protected personal information (PPI) and, in some cases, medical data. Verify that vendors:

  • Encrypt data at rest and in transit.
  • Segregate customer databases.
  • Provide signed Business Associate Agreements (BAA) if health data is present.
  • Comply with CJIS password, logging, and retention standards.

The U.S. Department of Justice CJIS Security Policy (version 5.9) is a solid benchmark for minimum controls.

Integration Capabilities

While a wellness system can run standalone, deeper CAD or RMS integration eliminates double data entry and ensures timely officer dispatch. Request API documentation and a sandbox environment before signing a contract.

Reporting & Grant Support

Detailed usage statistics strengthen applications for federal or state aging-services grants. ConfirmOk offers one-click downloads showing call attempts, success rates, and response times—metrics program managers need for quarterly reporting under Title III of the Older Americans Act.

A modern 911 dispatch center with multiple monitors showing call queues and a large digital map while a telecommunicator reviews an automated welfare alert on screen.

3. Operational Considerations

  1. Staffing impact: Estimate the hours per week telecommunicators currently spend on manual wellness calls. Software should reduce this number by 80-90 %.
  2. Language accessibility: Multilingual prompts (Spanish, Mandarin, etc.) ensure equitable service. ConfirmOk supports 20+ languages via neural TTS.
  3. Disaster resilience: Confirm that the platform is hosted in redundant U.S. data centers with 24/7 monitoring and a documented uptime SLA of 99.9 % or higher.
  4. Onboarding time: Ask vendors to outline how long it takes to bulk import resident lists and launch the first automated campaign.

4. Cost and ROI

Most solutions charge per enrolled resident or per successful call. Build a three-year total-cost-of-ownership (TCO) model that includes:

  • Annual subscription fees.
  • SMS surcharges.
  • Implementation or training costs.
  • Internal labor savings measured against baseline manual call hours.

In pilot programs shared by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), agencies recouped initial licensing costs in under six months due to reduced overtime.

5. Questions to Ask Every Vendor

  • Does your platform support unlimited care group contacts at no extra cost?
  • What is the average call success rate across similar agencies?
  • How do you handle residents who screen calls or have voicemail default pickup? (Look for configurable retries.)
  • Can we export all data at contract end without penalties?
  • What is your public-safety customer support SLA during nights, weekends, and holidays?

Simplified flow diagram: automated call → resident presses 1 # → system logs success, or else escalates alert to care group → CAD notification if still unresolved.

6. Implementation Best Practices

  • Pilot with a single council on aging or neighborhood zone for 30 days.
  • Engage local media to promote enrollment and set expectations.
  • Train telecommunicators on how to view real-time dashboards and manually trigger wellness calls for ad-hoc cases.
  • Review missed call analytics weekly to fine-tune retry intervals and escalation paths.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do we need new phone hardware to launch automated welfare checks? No. Solutions like ConfirmOk operate over existing landlines and mobile numbers, so residents press 1 # from any device.

How quickly are missed check-ins escalated to dispatch? Agencies can configure timers—from immediate notification to several hours—based on risk level and available responders.

Can the software integrate with our CAD vendor? ConfirmOk provides REST APIs and has documented integrations with leading CAD systems. Contact [email protected] for current compatibility details.

What about residents without cell phones or internet? A standard voice line is sufficient; no mobile app or broadband is required.

Is the data CJIS compliant? ConfirmOk encrypts data at rest and in transit and offers audit logs aligned with CJIS Policy 5.9. Agencies remain data owners at all times.

Public-safety leaders have a rare opportunity to transform time-consuming welfare checks into a streamlined, data-driven workflow. Use this checklist to grade vendors objectively, then experience an automated approach first-hand.

Ready to see how ConfirmOk’s 911 dispatch wellness software can lighten your call load while safeguarding seniors? Email [email protected] or visit confirmok.com today to start your free trial.