Northwest Central Dispatch System

• To get help for someone who is hurt.
• If you smell smoke or see fire.
• To report damage to property or a crime.

Northwest Central Dispatch System endeavors to provide the highest level of service that we can on every call.  Our Telecommunicators must pass a rigorous training program and be monitored by a Training Officer before they are allowed to answer 911 calls on their own.  Calls to the 911 center are reviewed regularly.  This Quality Assessment allows management to recognize those Telecommunicators that consistently perform well and to discover and correct any problems that might develop.  Our Telecommunicators answer thousands of calls every year.  They recognize when callers are frightened, angry, sick or just plain frustrated.  The Telecommunicators are there to help in any way they can. 

Once a citizen is connected to 911, the Telecommunicators follow a standard of questions on every call.  It includes the following:

• Asking for the complete address where help is needed including street direction, street, street type and village.  (Because NWCDS is a multi-jurisdiction center, the same exact address can exist in more than one village and also because technology is not always perfect – this is why we confirm the complete address) 
• Asking for the callback number.  (in case we need further information)
• What the specific problem is right now.
• Asking for the caller’s name and address and if the caller wants to talk to an officer.

The above questions are asked to ensure that the police/fire departments respond to the correct location and talk to the correct complainants.  There are then other questions that the Telecommunicators ask based on the type of call.  For example, if there are questions of violence or the safety or the responders is at risk, the Telecommunicator may ask questions about weapons, previous physical violence, intoxication, drug use, etc. – anything that might help protect the public and the responders from harm. 

For requests for ambulances, NWCDS follows the protocol of the Priority Dispatch System that directs the Telecommunicators to ask specific questions in a specific order so that they may provide medical instructions on how to help the patient.

• If you call 9-1-1 by mistake, stay on the line and tell the 9-1-1 operator that you misdialed.
• Do not call 9-1-1 as a joke or a prank.
  • You can get into serious trouble.  More importantly, you can delay someone else getting the help they need in an emergency.

• If you call 9-1-1, don’t hang up.
• Don’t call 9-1-1 for jokes or prank calls.
• When you call 9-1-1, pay attention to the questions that you are being asked.
• Stay calm and speak clearly.
• Stay on the line until you are told to hang up.