Where's the Fire?

[SARDOC]

Dispatchers have a hard time talking on the phone.... they have no clue about GPS coordinates!  most dispatch centers dont have 'internet' access to google anything!

This may be true where you live.  But Where I live, they are trained on GPS coordinates because when someone calls 911, before they even answer the phone, your Phone Number and GPS Coordinates(if your Phone is GPS capable) and your registered home of business address appear on the screen.  If your Phone is not GPS capable they get the Street Address of the Cell phone tower that your phone is using to make the call...(It Narrows down your location geographically)  Not only do they have access to google but they have access to numerous internet web based resources...it's the primary method our local EOC and EDC transmit information and requests to the State EOC among many other capabilities.  If they don't have this in your jurisdiction I feel really bad for them after all it's the 21st Century.

[Spaceman3750]

Dispatchers have a hard time talking on the phone.... they have no clue about GPS coordinates!  most dispatch centers dont have 'internet' access to google anything!

This may be true where you live.  But Where I live, they are trained on GPS coordinates because when someone calls 911, before they even answer the phone, your Phone Number and GPS Coordinates(if your Phone is GPS capable) and your registered home of business address appear on the screen.  If your Phone is not GPS capable they get the Street Address of the Cell phone tower that your phone is using to make the call...(It Narrows down your location geographically)  Not only do they have access to google but they have access to numerous internet web based resources...it's the primary method our local EOC and EDC transmit information and requests to the State EOC among many other capabilities.  If they don't have this in your jurisdiction I feel really bad for them after all it's the 21st Century.

Same here. County dispatch has cell providers "ping" phones all the time and gets coordinates back.

[EMT-83]

Our dispatch center computers are specifically prohibited from having Internet access, due to their connection to NCIC and other systems. If I don't bring my personal laptop with aircard to work, I've got nothing.

As to cell phone locations being accurate - maybe 50%, probably slightly less.

[SARDOC]

Our Jurisdiction all the dispatchers have access to internet and a lot of the systems they are using are web based.  NCIC computers are an issue.  The Dispatch Supervisor has two computers one specifically for NCIC, and ironically the dispatcher that operates the Animal Control division channel also has two (one for the NCIC).  If an Officer, Deputy, Fire Marshal, want to run an NCIC check they either do it from their Mobile Data Terminal or they have to switch from their respective frequencies to the Animal Control Channel or over the phone.  We have the advantage of being a relatively large busy district...we usually have anywhere from 12-16 dispatchers 5-6 call takers and at least 2 supervisors on per shift.

[SAR-EMT1]

Must be nice... Around here a dispatch center has 1 call taker, 1 dispatcher, and one bored deputy who functions as the " Quick Reaction Force" should any of the officers in the area need backup. Although, a code 3 response would still take 10-20 minutes to get to the edge of most counties.

On a weekend or holiday you may see that number doubled.

[JayT]

Must be nice... Around here a dispatch center has 1 call taker, 1 dispatcher, and one bored deputy who functions as the " Quick Reaction Force" should any of the officers in the area need backup. Although, a code 3 response would still take 10-20 minutes to get to the edge of most counties.

On a weekend or holiday you may see that number doubled.

So how are things out in the back country?

[SARDOC]

Must be nice... Around here a dispatch center has 1 call taker, 1 dispatcher, and one bored deputy who functions as the " Quick Reaction Force" should any of the officers in the area need backup. Although, a code 3 response would still take 10-20 minutes to get to the edge of most counties.

On a weekend or holiday you may see that number doubled.

My city is a large tourist city so our population explodes in the summer...Peak summer time we have over a million people, including the almost 440,000 permanent residents.  The City Emergency Services have to cover almost 500 Square Miles, Not including the Navigable waterways within city limits.

We recently had a Local Jurisdiction in a rural part of our state which sounds a lot like what you guys have.  They experienced a natural disaster and the 911 center with one dispatcher (that's it) received over 140 calls in the first 10 minutes...I'm surprised she didn't just stop answering the phone.  I think those jobs can be so much harder than even the worst day in our EDC (emergency dispatch center)

[cap235629]

around here in the smaller jurisdictions the dispatcher is also the booking officer and jailer..... I worked at just such an agency and there were 2 people on duty, 1 male the other female.  The male side of the jail held 40 prisoners and that dispatcher was the only jailer for the entire population and seldom was there any empty bunk in the jail.  When the 911 system would light up things got interesting because invariably that's when all h$%& would break loose in the cell block....

[Spaceman3750]

My county has a dispatch/call center for the entire county, including three private ambulance companies. Only four agencies don't use county dispatch (lower than the county level). From what I hear, they're well staffed, well equipped, and good at what they do.

My county is also home to the state capital so that might also have something to do with it.

[SAR-EMT1]

Must be nice... Around here a dispatch center has 1 call taker, 1 dispatcher, and one bored deputy who functions as the " Quick Reaction Force" should any of the officers in the area need backup. Although, a code 3 response would still take 10-20 minutes to get to the edge of most counties.

On a weekend or holiday you may see that number doubled.

So how are things out in the back country?

This is for a county of well over 150,000

[Buzz]

ironically the dispatcher that operates the Animal Control division channel also has two (one for the NCIC).

Tac support for McGruff, the Crime Dog . . ?