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911 INFORMATION
If
you need POLICE, FIRE, AMBULANCE ASSISTANCE, you need to
immediately DIAL 911 or 817-274-4444
What happens when you call 911?
- Our 911 call taker enters
the information you give into a computer.
- Our computer-aided dispatch
system assigns a priority to the call based on the type of call
(burglary, shooting, etc.). Additional
information you give can affect the priority. More information
about call priority is at the bottom of this page.
- A Dispatcher radios the
information to units responding to the call.
- Additional information from
you is sent to officers either by radio or computer. Details are
vital, so remain calm and speak clearly.
Tips For Calling 911:
- Stay calm. Speak
clearly. Emergency units (police, fire or ambulance) rely on the
information you give to get to you as soon as possible and to be able
to help you.
- Give your address and
phone number. Many 911 systems automatically display your address
when you dial 911,
but most cellular phones do not. We also will not receive address
information for callers who call our 10 digit number. Your address is vital information
and address verification is crucial. We
cannot help you if we don’t know where you are.
- Quickly and briefly
describe your problem. As soon as we know what you need, we will
know who (police, ambulance, or fire ) to send to help you. Get
to the point as soon as possible.
- Describe yourself.
Tell the Call Taker where you are and what you look like,
including what you are wearing. We want officers who are arriving on
the scene to know who they can contact and that you are not the
suspect.
- Listen to the 911
Call Taker. Answer their questions and follow any instructions. Remain
on the line until the 911 Call Taker says it is okay for you to hang
up.
Remember: Answering
questions does NOT delay the dispatch of assistance. A dispatcher is
sending help your way while the Call Taker takes additional information
from you. The more pertinent information you give us, the safer everyone
will be.
About 911 hang-ups: Our
policy is to respond to ALL 911 hang up calls. If you accidentally call
911 or change your mind
about needing assistance, stay on the line and explain that to the 911
Call Taker. Otherwise, an officer will be dispatched to your location to
ensure that you are safe. Playing on the phone puts those who do need
immediate help in danger and puts you in danger of being prosecuted for
making a false report.
Why prioritize
calls?
We answer hundreds of calls
each day – everything from found property to attempted murder.
Obviously, the police department must respond more quickly when a life is in danger
than when only property is threatened. We have limited resources and
must work numerous calls simultaneously; prioritization helps us
effectively and efficiently use those resources. We make every
effort to provide the highest level of service on every call.
How are common calls
prioritized?
All fire and EMS calls are
dispatched immediately. Our goal is to dispatch all fire and
EMS calls within 25 seconds. Police calls, however are handled
differently. The table below shows the priority and criteria set by the police department for police calls. These factors
are not rigid
categories but guidelines used when determining the priority of
police calls. Some of the most common calls are listed as examples.
The time limits listed in the Dispatch Method are our goals.
Calls may actually hold longer, depending on the availability of
officers.
|
Classification |
Factors |
Dispatch Method |
Examples |
|
EMERGENCY
Immediate, emergency police response
(lights and sirens)
|
◊
Immediate threat to life.
◊ Violent criminal act in progress.
◊ Violent incident just occurred and there is a likelihood of suspect
apprehension. |
Units sent
immediately |
◊
Armed robbery
◊ Stabbing
◊ Sexual assault in progress
◊ Shooting |
PRIORITY 1
Immediate police response |
◊
Criminal offense just occurred
◊
Suspects are still in the area
or just left the scene
◊
Potential violence or imminent
danger
◊
Non-violent criminal offense
in progress with suspects still on scene (example: someone vandalizing
property, kids throwing rocks at cars)
◊
Citizen’s arrest with suspect
resisting (ex: shoplifter in custody causing problems) |
Units sent
immediately, if available. If no units are available in that beat, the
dispatcher determines the closest available unit and sends that unit to the
call. |
◊
Domestic disturbance
◊
Physical altercation
◊
Accident with injuries
◊
Gunshots fired
◊
Report of sexual assault
(suspect gone)
◊
Hold-up or panic alarm
◊
Robbery (suspects gone or no
weapon used) |
PRIORITY 2
Reasonable police
field response |
◊
No offense is in progress
◊ A
delay in police response is not likely to result in a criminal offense
◊
A delay is not likely to
result in further injury, loss of property, or adversely affect
investigation
◊
No reason to believe suspect
is on scene or in area
◊
Citizen’s arrest with suspect
not resisting. |
The goal is
to send the beat officer so he/she is aware of crimes in his/her area. If
beat officer is not available, dispatcher may hold the call for up to 15
minutes. After 15 minutes, dispatcher will send an officer from another
beat. |
◊ 911
hang ups
◊
Shoplifter in custody/not
resisting
◊
Commercial or residential
alarm
◊
Runaway or missing person
report
◊
Suspicious person |
|
PRIORITY 3
AS
AVAILABLE
As-available basis by the beat officer |
◊
A delay is not
likely to adversely affect investigation
◊ No change in physical evidence expected
◊ Suspect description unknown¨ ◊ Suspect not near
◊ Complainant is requesting contact |
The goal is to send the beat
officer. Dispatcher may hold the call for up to one hour, but will dispatch
an officer from another beat if the beat officer is still unavailable after
one hour. |
◊
Loud Music
◊ Residential or commercial burglary report (suspect gone)
◊ Assault report
◊ Other reports where suspect is not on scene |
PRIORITY 3
WHEN AVAILABLE
Beat officer on a when- available basis |
◊
No complainant is waiting
◊
Delayed investigation or
report ◊
Follow-up incident
|
The goal is to send the
beat officer. Dispatcher may hold the call for up to two hours, but will
dispatch an officer from another beat if the beat officer is still
unavailable after two hours. |
◊
Found or abandoned property
◊
Lost property |
|
|
