https://padlet.com/thorson_em/fn2u70hl2gkw 911 Dispatch en-us 2018-10-25 17:53:14 UTC 2025-12-21 01:26:48 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Balance.png thorson_em https://padlet.com/thorson_em/fn2u70hl2gkw/wish/299630832 Emergency communication is just that, people communicating emergencies through language.  The emergency communication center (ECC) is the hub of all emergency communication. All emergency communications must go into the center and back out to a responder through the people working in the ECC.

The person having the emergency calls 911 to report their emergency and the dispatcher then relays that information to the responder. The dispatcher may also give the caller instructions to help them while the responder is on the way. 
The people who take in the emergency information and put it out to the responders are Telecommunicators and Dispatchers.  They are also responsible for monitoring the location and communication of the responders. 

_{Fig. 1. Riverside, 
California Police Department.  Digital Image. Web. www.riversideca.gov/rpd/comm/ Accessed 2 Nov. 2018.}]]> 2018-11-02 00:16:14 UTC https://padlet.com/thorson_em/fn2u70hl2gkw/wish/299630832 thorson_em https://padlet.com/thorson_em/fn2u70hl2gkw/wish/299631683 To most of us it feels like the emergency phone number, 9-1-1, has been around forever.  The truth is that it really hasn't been around that long.  The thought of creating a single emergency number was only 60 years ago and established only 50 years ago.  See the timeline below.
1957
The National Association of Fire Chiefs recommended that there be a single number for reporting fires.
1967
The President of the United States recommended that a single number be established nationwide for reporting all emergency situations.
Nov. 1967
FCC and AT&T established the digits 9-1-1 as the emergency code throughout the US.
9-1-1 was chosen because it was easy to remember and hadn't been used as an office code, area code, or service code.
Feb. 16,1968
The first 9-1-1 call was made in the US in Haleyville, Alabama.
March 1973
The White House issued a national policy statement which encouraged the nationwide adoption of 9-1-1 and established the Federal Information Center to assist in planning and implementation.
Early 1970's
"Selective call routing" was created by AT&T and piloted in Alameda County, California.  "Selective call routing" is used now and is how your phone knows which dispatch center to route your call to based on your location.
End of 1976
9-1-1 was serving 17% of the US population.
End of 20th Century
9-1-1 was serving 93% of the US population.

"9-1-1 Origin & History." Nena The 9-1-1 Association.
www.nena.org/page/911overviewfacts Accessed 2 Nov. 2018.

_{Fig. 2. County of Saginaw, Michigan.  Digital Image. Web. http://www.saginawcounty.com/911/History.aspx  Accessed 2 Nov. 2018.}]]> 2018-11-02 00:21:35 UTC https://padlet.com/thorson_em/fn2u70hl2gkw/wish/299631683 thorson_em https://padlet.com/thorson_em/fn2u70hl2gkw/wish/299930562 If the center you reach is a 2 stage dispatch center then expect a Telecommunicator to answer the phone. They will talk to you while the dispatcher is sending help. 

Be ready with the address or location of the emergency.  If you are calling from a cellphone they will not have your physical address until you give it to them.  They also need to verify address information for landlines.  Location is the most important question so they will ask for that first, followed by your name and phone number in case you get disconnected.

Then they will get into why you called. Answer their questions because they ask them to determine what kind and how many resources to send.

See this article for a more in depth information on "How to Call 911".

The only difference with a one stage dispatch center is that the dispatcher answers the phone call and sends the resources.  So they might ask you to hold on while they send help or update the responders that are on the way.

In this day and age we need to worry about active shooters in the work place, at schools, and other places where there is a large population of people. This affects each of us directly since we are all college students or staff.  This video gives specific information on calling 9-1-1 during an active shooter incident.

_{Fig. 4. Richmond, Virginia. Digital Image. Web. http://www.richmondgov.com/EmergencyCommunications/TextTo911.aspx  Accessed 5 Nov. 2018}]]> 2018-11-02 18:04:13 UTC https://padlet.com/thorson_em/fn2u70hl2gkw/wish/299930562 thorson_em https://padlet.com/thorson_em/fn2u70hl2gkw/wish/299938146 There are two kinds of dispatch centers.  A one stage and a two stage. 
One Stage
These are smaller dispatch centers that would only handle one medium to small sized city.  Usually a suburb.  Example: Minnetonka is a one stage dispatch center.  One stage means that one person handles the whole incident.  They answer the phone, send help, and monitor the radio.
Two Stage
These are usually larger dispatch centers that handle either one large city or multiple cities.  Examples: Minneapolis, Ramsey County, and Washington County.
In these cities and counties a Telecommunicator answers the phone and inputs the information into the computer.  Then a dispatcher interprets the information entered by the Telecommunicator and sends help. 
Trends
Right now the trend is smaller agencies merging into one larger agency in an effort to save tax payers money.  Which means most dispatch centers are moving from one stage dispatching to two staged.
For example all of the cities in Ramsey County merged into one large Emergency Communication Center. It is the largest communication center in the state of Minnesota and takes the most calls for service per year.

_{Fig. 3. Tempe, Arizona Police & Fire. Digital Image. Web. https://www.tempe.gov/city-hall/police/divisions-organization-overview/9-1-1-police-dispatch/9-1-1-testing-faq  Accessed 5 Nov. 2018}]]> 2018-11-02 18:20:38 UTC https://padlet.com/thorson_em/fn2u70hl2gkw/wish/299938146