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| People are often in stressful situations when they call 9-1-1. Before being put in this position, it’s helpful for you to understand what kinds of questions you’ll be asked when you access the 9-1-1 system. The call flow will go much smoother when the call taker is allowed to ask you questions in the order the information is needed. Providing information in the order the Dispatcher asks for it allows us to respond to your needs much quicker. The following are some guidelines for the information that will commonly be requested; Remember "The 5 W's"; Where, What, When, Who, Weapons. Where.. This being the first in the list of "W's" is most important to find out in case phone service is disconnected so we can find your location if nothing else. "Where" is simply the address, intersection (in the case of a traffic crash), or location the emergency is actually taking place; If you’re not at the address of the emergency, that information will be requested later in the call. If you don’t know the actual address, it is important to know at least a cross street, or nearest hundred block on a street. It is also helpful if you can indicate a direction i.e. north, south, east, west. Also, if the emergency is moving (such as a drunk driver you’re observing), we need to know the direction of travel. REMEMBER: No matter what else you want to tell us, we can’t send help if we don’t know where the emergency is. "Where" is also the number to the phone you’re actually dialing 9-1-1 from. Again, if your home number, or an alternate number is required, it will be asked for later. It is important for us to have this information in case we need to call you back to ask for additional information. What.. Tell us exactly what happened,Be as concise as possible; what the problem is NOW, not what led up to the emergency. "My father is having chest pain" "My mother just collapsed" "I just witnessed an accident" "I see smoke coming out of my neighbors house" All the details leading up to the emergency can be filled in later in the conversation after the initial information has been gathered and the appropriate personnel have been sent on their way to help. For medical calls, you will be asked the following questions: "How old is the patient?" (approximate age will do) "Is the patient conscious?" "Is the patient breathing?" Your answer to the questions about "what happened" will help us determine what the situation is. Based on that, we will ask you more specific questions and give you instructions about what to do while you wait for help to arrive. For fire calls, you may be asked the following questions: What exactly is on fire? To what extent? What is the color of the smoke Were flames observed or just smoke? Is anyone inside the building? Do you know how the fire started? In a police situation, you may be asked the following questions: Vehicle description which may include: License plate number and state Make (Ford, Chevy, Toyota, Fleetwood) Model (sedan, SUV, 4-door, pick-up, RV) Color (Two Tone - white and red) Direction of travel Mile Marker (If you're on the highway, Which Highway?) When.. When did it occur? Is it happening NOW, a week ago yesterday, or maybe last year? It's very important for the dispatchers to know when a crime or medical problem has occured; Although crime is crime, there is a distinction between someone being beaten while they are on the phone and three days ago; that will tell the dispatcher whether or not a medical unit also needs to be sent or an officer only to take appropriate actions or filing reports. Who.. Simply put, who is involved and their relationship to the incident. Please don’t be insulted if we ask you to clarify, or spell your name. There are many spelling variations when it comes to names and it’s important we obtain correct information. If you happen to be a witness to a crime or a good samaritan helping someone in a traffic situation, then let the dispatcher know the circumstances from your point of view (only when asked).When they ask for further information, how to reach you in case someone needs more information and to help build a better picture of what is happening remember, the dispatcher can't see what is going on, so they need as many details as possible to better assist. Some additional questions that may be asked: Suspect description which may include: We need to know if you're going to be near the scene when we arrive because responders may need to talk to you, or we may need you to point out the exact location, or who's involved. Weapons.. Above all this "W" can't be emphasized enough. Although it is an officer's job to handle all situations knowing the conditions in advance, that they are going into harms way assists officers to best protect the public and everyone involved; there is never a good reason to bring innocent bystanders (sworn to protect or not) into a situation where they could be wounded or worse (Remember, these men and women are also your neighbors). For the sake of all involved remember to let the dispatchers know if the situation you or others are involved includes weapons, if there is a history of violence involving weapons, or if weapons are easily accessible to an aggitated or unstable person. While Officers are professionally trained to handle critical circumstances with the least amount of force required given the circumstances they prefer to keep conditions safe and under control. |
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