Lesson Learned: Contact local practitioners via the state and local associations who represent and organize around the public safety, first responder, and government communities.
These organizations are comprised of an array of local practitioners.
Lesson Learned: There is confusion around the term “first responder” and who that includes and excludes.
The work in Virginia unearthed confusion around the term “first responder.” The Virginia project team found it helpful to begin the entire process with the working definition that is also used at the federal level (see National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC), National Taskforce for Interoperability (NTFI), or SAFECOM for references). However, the team found that using this definition to identify participants was too narrow and failed to take into account the supporting groups that often work alongside first responders (i.e. VDoT, Dept. Forestry, and Emergency Management).
Lesson Learned: There are multiple ways to design the focus group recruiting strategy. Virginia thought through a number of options before deciding on the percentage breakdown of participants.
The Virginia project team looked for individuals who could best represent the local perspective while at the same time work as part of a group during the implementation phase. When selecting attendees, they decided on the percentage breakdown noted below, not restricted to having participants attend as a team of three.
Effective focus group facilitation occurs when the group numbers no more than 25 participants, assuming two lead facilitators. With this in mind, the project team used the following percentages as targets for participation from the stakeholder groups.
Note: Public support providers should include the expanded first responder community, such as transportation, public health, and forestry.
Lesson Learned: A variety of associations represent the first responder community. Identify the best points of contact for recruiting to optimally use the public safety practitioner netwoduring the planning and ultimately implementation phase.
The collaborative process (bottom up approach) was exemplified in Virginia by including state associations in the focus group participant selection process. It is worthwhile to consider how state associations can be leveraged during other phases of the planning process and during implementation. Political affiliations of various associations may be more helpful during one phase than another. Consider carefully how to build the network to support governance and cooperation in the long run.