To all my fellow operators & other emergency personnel.
If you’re on shift tonight, be safe and careful.
If you’re lucky enough to have off tonight, enjoy every moment of family time you can get.
Good night, and Gods Bless.
Just a little post-let:
Tonight on A&E they are premiering a show entitled Panic!911 at 10pm EST.
If you really want to see a glimpse inside the rabbit hole that is my profession, I urge you to check it out.
If there is one thing in this world that is completely unnecessary it is giving your child your cell phone to play with. Sure, the beeping noises keep little Betty occupied and quiet for all of six minutes, but in the long run all it does is call us by accident.
When your child plays with your phone, chances are they will be pressing numbers and hitting the send key, which invariably leads to them making noises at us 911 operators unlucky enough to get baby Johnny on the phone. Children don’t understand that they are calling the police, which is why it is up to you, their parent, to prevent them from doing so.
I have spent countless minutes, minutes I should be using to answer life-threatening emergencies, trying to get a child to give the phone to their mother or father or what-have-you because they think its funny someone is talking to them. I’ve even had teenagers call up trying to prank call us!
REMEMBER: Your phone gives us all the GPS info we need to find you.
Letting your child play with your cell phone could cost someone their life. Every second our emergency phone lines are tied-up is dangerous.
IT IS YOUR PHONE, THEREFORE IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO KNOW WHERE IT IS AT ALL TIMES, AND WHO IS USING IT.
Something you can do to prevent this issue is to teach your child that the phone is not a toy. It is a communication tool, to be used only to connect with the police in an emergency situation. Talk to your child about what to do if they accidentally call someone - such as bring the phone to you or another adult immediately. Explain to them what a life-threatening emergency is, and why 9-1-1 should only be used for that purpose. Education and communication are the key when it comes to preventing accidental 9-1-1 calls.
EVERY ACCIDENTAL CALL YOU PREVENT IS ANOTHER CRUCIAL SECOND THAT OUR LINES ARE OPEN FOR THE PEOPLE WHO NEED US.
Please note: Once again, a further disclaimer reminding you that this blog is based upon my opinions, and is neither condoned nor sanctioned by the SCPD.
Next time: Severe Weather Situations
SH&T
OH MY F%^KING GOD
HAHAH
Yeah, so, this is, like, 20% of my job, right here. Listening to crazy people ramble in fear for a few seconds until they realize that what they called about wasn’t an emergency at all.
It’s appalling to me that I even have to address this issue at all. In this day and age, where smartphones and touch-screens have screen locks designed, in part, to prevent accidental use, this issue should be a thing of the past. Oh, and before you get all ‘self-righteous anger’ at me, I have a Droid X2 with a touchscreen and it has never dialed 9-1-1.
Perhaps I should clarify something - if you press enough random numbers while dialing a phone, it will call 9-1-1, even if you haven’t pressed those numbers specifically. Plenty of businesses and homes call 9-1-1 on accident by either forgetting that they have to get an outside line or dialing something incorrectly. It’s kind of like a telephone fail-safe mechanism.
‘Butt-dials’ or ‘pocket-dials’ occur when your phone dials a number without your knowledge, usually while in the confines of your pocket or handbag. It’s essentially the handheld equivalent of a keyboard smash. Cell phones with exterior keypads or buttons (this includes smartphones like the Blackberry) are the most common culprits. All you have to do is sit the wrong way in a restaurant booth to press the buttons, and voila! Instant 9-1-1 call.
Think about how you feel when someone calls you by accident. It’s annoying, isn’t it? You shout, “Hello!?”, a thousand times and when no one answers, you finally hang up in irritation. That’s exactly how 9-1-1 operators feel, except we have to spend an extra few seconds on the line listening to make sure that the noise in the background isn’t something that might be considered an emergency. You’d be surprised how much two people fighting sounds like someone jogging down the street.
Ever called back that person who called you by accident? If it’s a friend or a family member you’d probably say ‘yes’, but if it was a random number I’m thinking you’d probably say ‘no’. I mean, what do you care if someone you don’t know is calling you, right? Do the words ‘If it’s important, they’ll call back or leave a voicemail’ ring any bells? Emergency operators don’t have that luxury. We will call your cell phone back until we get a real person or a voicemail message. For all we know, you could be getting assaulted, so it’s important that we make the effort to try and get someone to tell us if you need the police or not.
If we don’t get to speak to you personally, operators often leave a message requesting that you call back if there is an emergency or disregard the message. This means: No emergency? No need to call back! Always check your voicemail first, otherwise all you end up doing is making everyone confused.
Should you answer and speak to us, there’s no reason to get defensive. We know you didn’t call 9-1-1, but your phone did. Allow me to make something perfectly clear: we understand that it was an accident. We aren’t going to bite your head off just because you didn’t realize your phone called in your pocket, so there’s no reason to bite off our heads when we do. We didn’t get bored and just punch in some random numbers. We called you back because it’s our job to make sure you don’t need help.
Here is how an ideal accidental call and callback should sound:
Operator: 9-1-1. What is the location of your emergency?
Caller:(background noise such as a television playing or someone walking.)
Operator: Hello? 9-1-1? Hello?
(Caller disconnects, Operator calls back)
Caller: Hello?
Operator: Hello, this is the police, your phone dialed 9-1-1, did you have an emergency?
Caller: Oh, no, I’m sorry, just an accident.
Operator: Thank you.
Operator and Caller disconnect
See? Short and sweet, with no muss and no fuss. Also, even though it’s not required, it’s still nice of you to apologize. Remember, it’s your phone, so it’s your responsibility. We called you back out of concern for your safety, not to inconvenience you. Hundreds of accidental calls come in daily, so it’s best if those callbacks are quickly resolved. Dragging out an accidental call to give us unnecessary information ties up the phone lines for legitimate emergencies. Spending more than half a minute talking to you on a callback for an accidental dial takes precious moments away that we could be using to save someone’s life.
Please note: Once again, a further disclaimer reminding you that this blog is based upon my opinions, and is neither condoned nor sanctioned by the SCPD.
Next time: Telephones and Children
There’s a reason that the first thing emergency operators ask you is ‘What is the location of your emergency?’, and that reason is simple:
WE CAN’T SEND YOU HELP IF WE DON’T KNOW WHERE YOU ARE.
Despite popular belief, 9-1-1 is not the psychic friends network. Just because we have a computerized map and phone, does not mean that we know where you are. Computers are great, but imperfect, so we need to help them out.
If you call in from a cell phone, chances are, we’re only going to have a rough idea what neighborhood you’re in, if we even get that much information. If you have an older phone (more than five years is the standard, I believe) we might only get the cell tower your phone is closest to at the moment, which might beoff by miles. We’ve had calls come in from as far as Connecticut and New Jersey, even though we’re on Long Island, simply because the call used one of our cell towers. It is imperative that you give us an address, or at least the street you’re on and its cross street, to work with. Give us that much and even if you hang up, or your battery dies, or some mook (yeah, I said it) snatches your phone out of your hand, we can still send the cops to you.
If you have a land line (aka ‘house or business phone’), you’re in better luck than a cell phone user. Most land lines have the homeowner’s/bill payer’s name and address information already encoded, which means we get that information. We will still ask you for your address and your cross street because for all we know, you might be at your neighbors’, or the information might not be current, or our computer might be wrong/misinterpreting the information. For example, if your address shows up as ‘blah blah Smith’, there are loads of streets named ‘Smith’ out there, maybe even more than one in your township, and our computer might just pick a random one. Give us your address as if you were writing it down on a form. Don’t blurt out the town you’re in, then give us your street name, and then finally give us the number of your house.
The longer it takes you to give us your location, the longer it takes for help to arrive. We’re phone operators, not dentists; it shouldn’t feel like pulling teeth for us to send you help.
Yes, there are some points of interest that we have already programmed into our system. These include, but are not limited to: all the precincts, the headquarters building, the hospitals, many fast food restaurants, large chain stores (Walmart, K-Mart, etc), some of the malls, some banks, at least 36 of the ever popular 711-convenience stores, and the county and state parks. This does not mean that you shouldn’t tell us a street and a cross street. Some businesses have an address in one town, but be considered part of a different one, which means that saying you’re in Port Jefferson might mean you’re actually in Gordon Heights. For a better example, the Pier 1 Imports store which has an address in the town (hamlet) of Bohemia, is considered by the company to be the Sayville store. Another example is the Home Depot which has an address in Patchogue (that’s pronounced ‘PATCH-awg’ for those of you who aren’t local), but is named in our system as being in Blue Point.
By the way, a cross street is a street that crosses with the road you are on. It is not the closest main road, it is not us asking you for directions, and it is not the next block over. If you walk down to the corner and look up at the street sign, that is the easiest way to find out your cross street. Even if you are on a main road, there are cross streets. Saying you’re on something as island-spanning as Montauk Highway, without telling us the nearest street on the corner, is basically like asking us to play ‘Where in the World is Carmen Sandiago?’ without giving us a clue.
Landmarks mean nothing, location-wise, to an operator, because we might not be from around that area. Just because you’re calling in from Sayville, doesn’t mean the operator is from there also. Saying the words “the cops know where it is” is completely unhelpful for the operator trying to put it into the system. Sure, maybe the cops do know exactly where you’re talking about, but if the operator doesn’t, we can’t send anyone.
Don’t know where you are? Ask someone. If you’re in a store parking lot, don’t give us a bunch of store names, go inside and ask if someone can tell you the address. Stuck on the side of the road in a residential area? Ask a passerby, or knock on someone’s door and politely ask if they can tell you where you are. No passersby? Walk down to the corner, and look at the street sign. Do you own a GPS? Use it. Even if you’re lost in the woods, or on the water, there is always something that you can give us.
What it all comes down to is this: ‘I DON’T KNOW’ IS NEVER AN ACCEPTABLE ANSWER TO AN OPERATOR ASKING YOU THE LOCATION OF AN EMERGENCY.
Please note: Once again, a further disclaimer reminding you that this blog is based upon my opinions, and is neither condoned nor sanctioned by the SCPD.
Next time: The Infamous ‘Butt-dial’.
An emergency is defined as ‘a sudden, urgent, usually unexpected occurrence requiring immediate action’ or ‘an unforeseen or sudden occurrence, epsecially of a danger demanding immediate remedy or action‘ (ref: dictionary.reference.com). The number ‘9-1-1’ should be used exclusively for emergencies, and not for information purposes.
The Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD) has another number besides 9-1-1 that can be used for non-emergency purposes: 852-COPS (aka 852-2677). The non-emergency number is the one you should use when you do not need emergency police assistance.
Some examples of emergency situations include the following:
Some examples of non-emergency situations include:
Please remember, the operator you are speaking to on the phone is not a police officer. We are not trained to answer questions or give advice regarding the law. If you have a question that we cannot answer, either we can transfer you to the public information department, the central records department, or your preferred police precinct.
For more information regarding the Suffolk County Police Department, please check their website at: http://apps.suffolkcountyny.gov/police/index.htm
Please note: Once again, a further disclaimer reminding you that this blog is based upon my opinions, and is neither condoned nor sanctioned by the SCPD.
Before I go too far with my postings, I would like to make something very clear.
EVERYTHING I AM WRITING IN THIS BLOG IS BASED ON MY OWN OPINION. IT IS NEITHER CONDONED NOR CONDEMNED BY THE SUFFOLK COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT, NOR ANY OTHER PARTY, AGENCY, OR SYSTEM.
I know how a lot of people can be these days, so I just want everyone to remember that this blog is based on MY opinions, and not that of another party or organization. If you have a problem with anything I write, COME AFTER ME.
I, and I alone, should be held responsible for my opinions and actions.
“Suffolk County Police ###, what’s the location of your emergency?” - —Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD) standard emergency call greeting
1. You may notice that I have been using ‘9-1-1’ instead of ‘911’. This is to prevent confusion. People use ‘911’ in everyday speech, like it’s short-hand for ‘emergency’, or sometimes to refer to the attack on the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11, 2001. I will continue to use the hyphenated version on this blog to try and prevent that confusion.
2. My job title is ‘emergency complaint operator’ (ECO for short). People like me are only one half of the SCPD communications department. The other half is made up of ‘public safety dispatchers’ (PSD for short). ECOs take the calls, PSDs dispatch the police cars. When you call 9-1-1, you are speaking to a real, living, breathing human being, not a robot or an automated system. Unless there’s something crazy going on, then you might get a programmed response instead of a busy signal.
3. I am a civilian employee of the paramilitary organization known as the Police Department. I am not a trained Police Officer, nor do I have any medical training. Neither are the PSDs, or our supervisors (PSD II) or our Duty Officers (PSD III). We only make about half of what an SCPD officer starts at, we all pay taxes, and most of us have families and friends outside of the police department. Basically, we’re just like you, except we run on military time and understand 10-codes (more on those in a later post).
4. You may notice that I don’t use a lot of abbreviations when I type in this blog. That is for the purpose of clarity. Any abbreviations or acronyms that I use I will be sure to explain beforehand. Another reason for this is that we use so much short-hand when we take emergency calls, sometimes even I get messed up. Since I started working at the SCPD, I have to double check my text messages to make sure my friends and family can understand what I’m talking about.
5. We work for 8 hours a day (which gets me two 15-minute breaks and includes an hour for lunch) taking emergency calls. Our schedule rotates, so we work for 5 days, then are off for 2 days, then return for another 5 days, then are off again for 3, and then it starts all over again. We do not get any holidays off, unless it happens to land on our regular day off or it’s during our pre-picked vacation week (or, you know, we call in sick - which is highly frowned upon).
Okay, here’s the brass tacks: I’m an emergency complaint operator for Suffolk County Police on Long Island, New York. I basically created this tumblog (Tumblr blog?) for the express purpose of educating the masses on how 9-1-1 emergency calls work, and how the public can make it quick and painless on both sides of the receiver whenever they place an emergency call to the police/fire department/ambulance.
Now, please remember, my experience is based on the way 9-1-1 calls work here in my home county. Some of the advice or information I give will naturally prove more useful to those who live out here on Long Island. Hopefully, though, much more of the advice/information will be generic enough that it will help everyone.
Please feel free to ask me any questions or leave comments, anonymously or otherwise. I will answer as much as I am able, and if I don’t have the information you need I will do my darnedest to either find it for you, or direct you to the proper venue. Also, I firmly request that you keep any and all questions, comments, and/or notes as civil as possible. If I deem anything ‘offensive’, I will delete it as promptly as I can, and since it’s my blog that means MY definition of the term. I will not tolerate petty feuds, verbal warfare, spamming, or trolling.
I am hoping to make about a post a week but, my work being what it is, I may have to broaden or tighten that schedule depending on what time permits.
All that being said, welcome to your new emergency education.
