911 System
For a brief overview we begin with the 911 system. This Palladium 911 system was developed by Lucent Technologies. The 911 system has many built in backups should any part of the system fail. Dispatch has a computer terminal in front of them that contains the 911 system. Should something fail within the computer the system reverts to an ISDN telephone located in the dispatch work area. If the phones and the computer were to fail the 911 calls are automatically re-routed to the Sheriff’s Office’s Business lines. If at anytime the entire building that the 911 system resides in were to become in-operable a complete backup of this system has been installed within the Emergency Operations Center at County Administration. The 911 system is an enhanced system showing the name, address and telephone number of the caller. It will show prior contacts, medical information or hazardous information that has been entered from prior calls. The 911 computer also has a built in Telecommunications for the deaf (TDD) system and will recognize another TDD. When a TDD call comes in a new screen comes up that allows you to communicate with deaf callers. When a 911 call comes in the information that comes into the system is sent to the Computer aided dispatch screen and automatically populates this screen, building a call with all of the caller information automatically entered. Dispatch answered almost 9,000 911 calls during the preceding year. While each call did not result in a call for service or an actual emergency, many of the calls were multiple people calling in onc incident. It is quite a site to see one or two dispatchers trying to answer six 911 calls at a time while dispatching the appropriate emergency services.

Computer-Aided Dispatch System
The Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system allows the dispatchers to have an incredible amount of information in front of them to be accessed easily and rapidly for timely dispatch of officers. Once a request for service call comes in and the information is populated on the CAD screen the dispatcher completes any necessary information from the caller as she is dispatching the closest officer. In order to dispatch an officer she locates the on duty officers on the map, finds the closest unit and clicks on their unit number with the mouse and they are sent to the call. All of the information from this call is immediately sent to the laptop in the patrol car of the officer that was dispatched. This allows the officer to see any available information on the call including previous hazards, medical information etc. The call then shows up on the map installed in dispatch and shows the officer enroute to the call by tracking the patrol unit through a GPS system.

Mobile Data Terminals
The mobile data terminals installed in the patrol cars are also on line. The officers receive their calls on the MDT’s and use them to communicate both car to car and from the cars to the dispatch center. The officers can query wants and registration information on people and vehicles and check to see if articles are stolen right from the patrol unit. The laptops are also equipped with hand held scanners that allow officers to take photographs or pictures of documents to send to the other cars. An example of a use for this is in the case of an active warrant issued for someone, their photo could be scanned in and sent to all of the patrol cars with an alert to watch for that subject. Another example would be if there is a subject stopped in reference to an investigation and the subject is claiming they are not responsible. A picture is taken of the subject right from the patrol car and sent to the deputy who is with the victim. The victim could view the picture immediately.

The time that this entire system saves is incredible. It speeds up dispatching calls for communications personnel and responds officers faster, saving time, money and possibly lives.

The communications sections handles a large number of both 911 calls and calls that come in on the business line but still need an officer dispatched. They also handle people that walk into the Sheriff’s Office for assistance as well as do transports for detention, handle a small amount of matron duties and dispatch on the radio. The dispatchers also have secretarial duties. They have a very busy job where multi-tasking skills are a must. New technology makes their job easier but commitment to professionalism is key.