Obtaining information from a caller is different, depending upon if the caller is reporting an emergency or non-emergency.

In the example at left, the caller is reporting an emergency. The call-taker obtains the information in a particular order--the location of the incident is critical so that an incident can be entered in (usually) the computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system, and officers can be dispatched. The offense should be determined so the proper response (number and type of officers) can be dispatched. Next, the call-taker determines the presence of any weapons, to insure safety. Next the call-taker asks about the descriptions of any persons or vehicles invovled, information about the caller or witness so that an officer can contact them for statements and reports, and then a series of re-questioning of the caller to obtain more detailed information, or anything that has occurred while the caller has been on the telephone. If the caller is reporting an in-progress crime, the call-taker may keep the person on the line and relay more information to the officers via the radio dispatcher.

The diagram below follows the same general pattern, but is suited more to callers who are reporting a non-emergency incident.

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The call-taker in this scenario is asking questions about a non-emergency incident. Many of the questions are the same, but the order can be varied, since there is usually less urgency.

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