SACRAMENTO,
Calif. – During statewide, national, or even global
incidents, public safety dispatchers provide a calm, professional voice and an
essential link for the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and the public. To highlight their service, the CHP joins
other law enforcement agencies to recognize National Public Safety
Telecommunicators Week, April 12-18, 2020.
“Telecommunications
professionals continue to provide an indispensable service for public safety,”
CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley said. “With
recent events, now more than ever, our telecommunications personnel are the
first point of contact to those in need or peril.”
The
CHP employs more than 700 public safety dispatchers in its 24 Communications Centers
throughout the state; they handled more than five million calls in 2019. In times of crisis, a dispatcher must
instantly determine the correct response to ensure the safety of all parties
involved. They are also in constant
communication with patrol officers, looking up license plates, driver license
numbers, and running criminal record checks on wanted subjects.
Calling
9-1-1 can be stressful. The following
tips will help callers during an emergency:
- Stay as calm
as possible.
- Call from a
landline if possible.
- Be prepared
to provide your name, phone number, address or location, and a detailed
description of the incident or vehicle being reported.
- Cellular
telephones may not tell the call-taker where you are. The location of the emergency may be the
single most important information for the dispatcher in case the call is
cut off.
- Wait for the
dispatcher to ask questions, and then answer clearly and calmly.
- Listen
carefully and follow all directions provided by the dispatcher.
- Be prepared
to provide a physical description if the emergency involves a criminal
suspect.
- Remember, 9-1-1
is for life-threatening emergencies.
Misuse of the emergency 9-1-1 system will result in a delay for
callers with real emergencies and is punishable by a fine of not more than
$1,000.
The CHP is looking
to hire qualified people to fill dispatch vacancies. We currently have more than 150 approved
vacancies statewide for the position of public safety dispatcher.
The
mission of the CHP is to provide the highest level of Safety, Service, and
Security.
# # #
