Taking a closer look at 911 and how to effectively use it

I have spent many years as not only a police officer, but also as a citizen and resident of Lemoore. Like every other officer at Lemoore Police Department, I am dedicated to serving our community and meeting the expectations of our citizens. My hope is that these bi-weekly articles have helped to meet our goal of continually building a solid relationship with the community.  We want to help our citizens better understand their police department and for us to better understand the needs of our community through feedback and open communication. We have received some great feedback so far and appreciate each and every comment.

In this article I want to address the topic of reporting in-progress or emergency calls. I want to help our citizens better understand what they can expect when calling 9-1-1 for help and what they can do to get help as soon as possible or to aid in our successful resolution of their emergency. 9-1-1 is a universal 3 digit telephone number used to summon help in any emergency whether it be medical aid, fire, or reporting in-progress crimes. 9-1-1 calls from home phones (landlines) go directly to law enforcement dispatch centers in Kings County. 9-1-1 calls made from cellular phones generally go to the same law enforcement dispatch centers, but based on your cellular phone provider can occasionally go to the California Highway Patrol Dispatch Center in Fresno.

 If your call does go to the CHP Dispatch Center, the dispatcher will determine if it is an emergency related to a traffic collision or requiring the need for a CHP Officer to respond. If the CHP dispatcher determines that it is an emergency related to a medical issue, a fire issue, or an in-progress call other than one which requires a CHP Officers response, you will be transferred to a local 9-1-1 dispatcher.

The Lemoore Police Department currently contracts with the Hanford Police Department for 9-1-1 dispatching services. Although the 9-1-1 dispatchers are not employed by the City of Lemoore, we consider them part of our team. These dispatchers are very good at what they do and the Lemoore Police Department is very fortunate to have such dedicated and professional dispatchers.

When calling 9-1-1 the dispatcher is going to ask some very specific questions. If the call is related to some type of medical emergency, the dispatcher is going to get some very basic information from you. They will then transfer your call to an EMS Dispatcher who will, at times, be able to help you provide some basic aid for the person having the medical emergency while the paramedics and EMT's are in route to the scene. If the emergency is related to a fire or an in-progress call, the 9-1-1 dispatcher is going to ask several questions.

Please try to remain calm and be assured that while the dispatcher is asking the questions, help is already on the way. The dispatcher is not waiting until the conclusion of all questions to start sending law enforcement or fire personnel to the scene. Please be assured that we are on our way and will be there as soon as we possibly can. The purpose in asking a lot of questions is so responding officers have as much information as possible when they arrive at the scene. Officers go into a scene without having the benefit of seeing what the caller is seeing. The more questions the dispatcher asks, the more information responding officers have and can "paint a picture" of what the scene should look like, who is involved, where the people are, and who may or may not be a suspect.

These questions also assist responding officers in maintaining their safety. Information about weapons involved, descriptions of people who have the weapons, as well as anyone who may be lying in wait, are all extremely important and are imperative to maintain the safety of the officers as well as citizens at the scene or in the area.

If you call 9-1-1 from a home phone (landline) your address will automatically show up when the call comes into the dispatch center. If you are unable to talk with the dispatcher because the person whom is a threat to you is in the immediate area and you don't want them hearing you talk to the dispatcher, simply call 9-1-1 but do not hang up the phone. The dispatcher will be able to hear what is going on inside your residence and provide that information to responding officers. They will also be able to determine what type of response is needed or if medical aid should also be sent. If calling from a cellular phone the latitude and longitude of the location the call is coming from can also be obtained by the 9-1-1 dispatcher. The latitude and longitude can be as accurate as within 3 meters (less than 9 feet) from where the caller is. Not talking with the dispatcher or providing information should only be used in extreme cases where your safety is in jeopardy. Always talk with the dispatcher if you can, and provide as much necessary information as possible.

The Hanford Police Department has a talented group of 9-1-1 Dispatchers that are very good at what they do. It is understandable that in a stressful situation everyone loses patience. Answering a lot of questions may seem senseless but please be assured that the questions are extremely important. Your patience in answering these questions and remaining on the phone with them is valuable. The Lemoore Police Department is committed to providing the very best law enforcement service possible.

The information you provide will allow us to better serve our citizens, remain safe, and increase our chances of apprehending the violators, thereby making Lemoore a safe place that we can all be proud of. Also, the Lemoore Police Department is now on Facebook. Please visit our page to keep up to date with what is happening at LPD and in our community. If anyone has any questions or comments concerning this article please contact me at (559) 924-9574 or (559) 925-6857. I look forward to hearing from you.