New York City Changes 911 Call Handling

New York City underwent a major shift in how it handles incoming 911 calls on Monday, by having 911 calltakers handle fire and EMS incidents directly and enter them into CAD, rather than transferring them those agencies’ separate comm centers. The calltakers were already directly handling incidents that they determined needed a police response. City officials say this change will eliminate redundant gathering of information from callers and call transfer times, all leading to a faster emergency response. The change came after three months of training, and is part of a major upgrade to the city’s emergency communications system, including a new $1.5 billion back-up 911 center in the Bronx that will open this summer. Read Mayor Bloomberg’s remarks in a city press release here.