LEARNING MORE ABOUT CALLING 911

Want to learn a little more about calling 911 then click here to read an article from the APCO Public Safety Communications Magazine (reprinted with the author’s permission).

The Austintown Township PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point) currently employs 21 full-time dispatchers. At any particular time there may be three to five dispatchers on duty to simultaneously handle all the duties shown here:

1. Answering emergency and non-emergency phone calls. Currently we answer over 135,000 calls per year. Over 30,000 are 9-1-1 calls.
2. Answer routine questions from the public relating to the Police and Fire Departments as well as completely unrelated questions because people simply didn’t know who else to call.
3. Prioritizing and relaying necessary information to Police, Fire and EMS personnel via phone and/or radio.
4. Monitor and respond to any of 20 radio channels.
5. Enter calls for service into a CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch) system and retrieve information previously entered into the system.
6. Input and retrieve data into the statewide Ohio LEADS (Law Enforcement Automated Data System) and the nationwide NCIC (National Crime Information Center) computer systems. The Dispatchers can inquire into law enforcement systems in other countries including Canada and Mexico as well as access to Interpol (the worlds largest international police organization) data.
7. Greeting and assisting people that walk into the police station.
8. Deputy Clerk of Court functions such as taking bonds and committing people to jail.
9. Monitor 18 video cameras inside and outside the Police station.