Dispatcher Training ManualIntroductionPublic Safety Dispatchers perform communications duties for the Fire and Police Departments of the City of Oaktown. They answer citizen calls for service, both emergency and non-emergency, and dispatch police officers, firefighters and equipment to handle any type of situation. Communications Center personnel provide the vital first-link between citizens and the city's resources. Their performance directly contributes to the safety and well-being of the Department's officers and the city's residents. The intent of the training program is to familiarize you with the city of Oaktown and its police department, to teach you skills and to give you information essential for properly performing the job. The intent of this manual is to organize the material to make learning easier and to standardize procedures to maximize your performance. STRUCTURE The training period is divided into four segments as follows:
This schedule does not take into account each dispatcher's previous knowledge and experience and the length of the training may be modified at the discretion of your trainer. The over-all objective of the program is to insure that you learn all the necessary material, regardless of the time it takes. In general, however, the entire process takes about six months. A checklist is used by the PSD trainer to insure that all pertinent material is covered and training manuals prepared by both departments will be given to you to read. TRAINERS New PSD's are given an introduction during the first week by police officers and firefighters. Subsequent training is given by current PSD's who have volunteered for the assignment. Each weekly segment of the training will be given by a different PSD, to allow you to learn from different persons and from different perspectives. EVALUATIONS Your trainer is responsible for evaluating your performance, using a printed form/checklist. Each day your trainer will complete one of the forms, indicating how well you performed various tasks. A narrative portion of the form permits the trainer to explain any deficiencies and problems, and any additional training he/she believes is needed. Your trainer will discuss your performance with you each day and show you the form. There is also space on the evaluation form so you may add your comments. Your trainer will discuss your daily performance with the comm center supervisors each day and the forms will be filed at the end of each training segment. In addition to these training evaluations, City evaluations are made every six months for the first year and yearly after that. These evaluations are performed by the comm center supervisor working your shift. [We've included a trainee evaluation form on this Web site in Adobe Acrobat format. It includes an evaluation form and an explanation of each category to help you specifically rate a dispatcher trainee.] RESPONSIBILITY The dispatcher handling communications for the Fire Department receives telephone calls from the public and firefighters, uses the radio to dispatch and co-ordinate fire units and most importantly, exercises his/her judgement responding to emergencies quickly and correctly. Decisions made by the dispatcher are vital to the public safety and directly bear upon the personal safety of the citizens of Oaktown and the Department's firefighters. You are responsible for learning the material contained in:
The City of Oaktown was settled in the 1600s. It lies on the eastern shore of Lake Tihuna, bounded by the city of Mapletown to the north, Pinetown to the south and the Oaktown Hills to the east. Its population of 92,000 is contained in 30 square miles. The city is home for the main campus of the Oaktown University, a hospital, a westside industrial area, a large marina and homes of every description. Oaktown's government is headed by a elected Mayor and City Council, while administration is by an appointed City Manager. ORGANIZATION The city is headed by an elected Mayor and City Council, who choose a City Manager. There are several Assistant City Managers, each heading a city department such as Human Services, Public Works, etc. The Police and Fire Departments, Parking Enforcement and Animal Control comprise the Public Safety Department. The ommunications centers operates as a service unit to the police and fire departments and is supervised by a fire captain and a police sergeant. GEOGRAPHY While an intimate knowledge of Oaktown's geography is not necessary for dispatching, you will often find yourself at a considerable disadvantage when questioning callers or directing field units if you don't have some familiarity with the city. It is your responsibility to study maps, street lists and place name lists to become acquainted with at least the city's streets, parks, schools, hospitals and the marina area. The following sections summarize the types of information with which you should be familiar. City Limits Oaktown's borders connect with four other cities, a university and another county. To the north lie Mapletown, to the east Henry County, to the south Pinetown. In most places the city line, and the police department's jurisdiction, is easy to determine. However, in the areas of Highway 99 in the west and the city line bordering Pinetown, it is often difficult to determine which police agency has responsibility. You should be familiar with the jurisdiction in these areas: Oaktown Avenue, Westline Rd. near Ash Avenue, Maple Road and adjacent streets, northern Main Avenue, eastern Lake Way, upper Torrence Way and southern Hill Blvd. Districts Oaktown is composed of several small districts bound to a central, downtown area adjacent to the Oaktown University campus. South Campus is to the southeast, the Elmwood area is in the southeast, Hilltown is to the south and the Flats are to the west. Oceanview is to the northwest, Serenity is to the north, the Oaktown Hills are to the northeast and Northside is to the northeast. The Oaktown marina lies on the city's western border. Finally, there is the huge Oaktown University campus just east of downtown. Each of these districts has a distinctive atmosphere, including traffic patterns and building types. For instance, the Oaktown Hills is almost completely residential with little street traffic, while the Elmwood district has many commercial structures with alot of vehicle and pedestrian traffic. Streets Oaktown streets were originally named after men of science and letters. However, as the city has grown many other names have been added. Several of the streets in the downtown area are one-way, several are completely or partially blocked by barriers and many are split ---they stop and start several blocks apart. Access to streets varies because of width, parking and trees. There are wide streets with median strips like University Avenue and narrow, winding streets like La Vereda. Some are straight and may be driven at high speeds, while others are crooked and must be driven at a crawl. Streets names are not always unique--- some are distinguished only by their suffix--- avenue, boulevard, way, lane, etc. Others street names are duplicated in adjacent cities. Some block numbers range from 1 to 99, while others range from 200 to 3400. Many Oaktown streets continue beyond the city limits into neighboring cities and there are many street names which sound similar, but which are at opposite ends of the city. All odd house numbers in Oaktown are on the north and east sides of the street, while even numbers are on the south and west sides. Oakland's numbering scheme is exactly opposite and some other nearby cities are different, too. Some street names are obscure and some roadways have no names. There are several private streets with commonly accepted names while others with no name at all. There are alleys, walks and paths that have no street numbers and berths in the marina that are lettered and numbered with boats that are named. Buildings Oaktown has high-rise buildings, large houses in the hills, heavily populated dormitories and hospitals, large industrial complexes, public and private schools, several parks and the largest marina in the Eastbay. The diversity is staggering and the number of building names is immense. There are many restaurants and stores that have several branches in Oaktown, sometimes on the same street but in different parts of the city. Many businesses have similar-sounding names. Police Considerations During your training you will be begin learning how a police officer thinks and looks at the city. Where a citizen sees a storefront, an officer sees an easy target for burglary or an escape route after a robbery. Where a citizen sees an intersection, an officer sees a previous fatal vehicle accident. Where a citizen sees a street crowded with vehicles, an officer recognizes a stolen car and suspect. It's important for you to understand how a police officer views the city and what aspects of it are important to police work. During your training you will talk to officers and hear their concerns. You will spend some time riding with officers on patrol, learning more about the city and how geography affects crime and law enforcement. More often, you will hear their questions and comments on the radio about geography and how it affects their patrol. THE PAST The Oaktown Police Department's heritage began in 1805 when Henry Young was elected Town Marshall of Oaktown. He immediately proved himself an honest and capable officer by cleaning up various gambling dens which had operated for years. Young then turned his attention to improving the city's capabilities. He requested that the town's Board of Trustees purchase a shotgun and handcuffs and they agreed. In 1810, shortly after Oaktown became a city, an ordinance was passed creating the Oaktown Police Department. In the same move, the town council named Young the first Chief of Police. THE PRESENT The Oaktown Police Department provides law enforcement services to over 92,000 citizens as well as the thousands of persons who work, visit or pass thru the city. The force of 78 highly-trained officers respond to reports of crimes anywhere in the city to investigate and apprehend criminals. The Oaktown Police department is composed of officers who perform patrol duties on the street and are supervised by sergeants. Lieutenants command all officers working during a shift, while captains administer the Divisions of the department. The department is headed by a Police Chief who is chosen by the City Manager and approved by the City Council. The Department is organized into specialized units which perform specific law enforcement duties. As the attached chart indicates, the department is headed by the Office of the Chief and includes four Divisions, ea The Administrative Division performs the clerical support functions, including hiring and training. The Service Division performs investigative support functions, including keeping records, taking evidence via fingerprints and photographs, transcribing and reviewing reports, serving arrest warrants and operating the jail. The Patrol Division provides officers in the field to respond immediately to crimes and other incidents. The Detective Division (DD) performs specialized, detailed investigative duties on cases which have been initially investigated by the Patrol Division. Within each division there are small units and bureaus which handle specific investigations or provide special services. Some of these are:
Incidents are generally reported first to the Communications Center, where a Patrol Division officer is assigned to respond and take the first report. The officer assigned the area where the incident occurred has responsibility for initially investigating the case and gathering evidence. This officer prepares a report and routes it to the Detective Division detail which specializes in those cases. The DD investigators look for trends, common methods of operation and links to other crimes and assist the patrol officer as necessary. PATROL SHIFTS Officers to the Patrol Division are assigned to one of four shifts, number from one to seven. Patrol officers work four, 10-hour shifts and have three days off. The basic shifts are: 0645 to 1645 Four teams work these four basic shifts. The other three shifts provide relief for those officers. Copies of the team list and schedule are available in the communications center. For the first 15 minutes of each shift, the officers are in team meeting and are not available for patrol. After the meeting, the officers obtain their portable radios and patrol car keys and then head for their cars. This process can take from 10-20 minutes. As you can see, there are periods during which the off-going officers have come in but the on-coming officers are not on the street. This occurs during the time 0645 to 0700, 1545 to 1600 and 2045 to 2100. AUTHORITY Oaktown police officers have authority anywhere in the state. Agreements with other states allow Oaktown police officers certain police powers in other states as well. JURISDICTION The police department's jurisdiction lies within the city limits, including all public and private land and buildings, the Oaktown campus and the waters of Lake Tihuna to the city line. The police department retains the right to investigate all crimes occurring within its jurisdiction, altho in some cases responsibility has been granted to other law enforcement agencies, such as Oaktown University Police and the transit district. Crimes which occur outside of Oaktown, but where the victim is currently in the city, may be investigated by Oaktown as a courtesy, altho the agency where the crime occurred has official responsibility. RESPONSIBILITY Responsibility for criminal investigation within Oaktown is shared with several other state and federal agencies. Such responsibility may be exclusive, such as private homes and lands, overlapping, such as sharing jurisdiction for bank robberies with the FBI, or it may be outside, such as the UC campus. The following areas are examples of these shared responsibilities:
RULES AND REGULATIONS The rules and regulations of the police department are contained in General Orders (GO's) and Police Regulations (PR's). They cover personnel policies and procedures for virtually every activity involving the police department and its employees. PSD's are bound by the police rules and regulations as they pertain to providing police services and each PSD must be familiar with pertinent sections of the police GO's and PR's. In addition, many activities of the police department are regulated by State law, including operation of the jail, administration of records and the disclosure of criminal information. All PSD's must know these sections of the law and abide by them. THE LAW The primary function of the police department is to enforce the laws which have been enacted by local, state or federal legislative bodies. Sometimes the mere presence of an officer will suffice to enforce the law. Other times physical force and/or an arrest must be made. In some cases the officer merely documents the situation and forwards the report to the district attorney for review for possible prosecution. THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM Oaktown operates a city police department and enforces laws written at the local, state and federal level. Prosecution of criminals is done on a county basis, by a Oaktown Municipal Court and the County District Attorney. Violations of Federal law are prosecuted by the U.S. District Attorney and the Federal Courts. If and when a criminal is convicted, they are sent either to a county jail facility for misdemeanors or to a state facility for felonies. Procedures The system of handling criminal matters is very organized, both in law and in decisions reached by the courts. In most cases, the first contact is by the police department patrol officer, who investigates the immediate circumstances of the incident and prepares a report which is forwarded to the Detective Division for more in-depth follow-up. The patrol officer may make an immediate arrest if sufficient evidence is available or an arrest may be made later by the detectives, who must obtain a warrant from a judge for the suspect. At the point when the police believe they have sufficient evidence of a crime and the identity of the person(s) responsible, they send their report to the district attorney, who reads the report, decides what crimes have been violated and if a prosecution is possible. If no one is in custody, the district attorney may seek a warrant for the responsible person and have it served by the police department. Meanwhile, if a suspect is in custody, he/she may be eligible for bail or release on his/her own recognizance (OR). In either case, the suspect promises to appear in court at the appointed time or forfeit the amount of bail. If the person remains in custody, they must appear before a judge within 48 hours, usually the next day or Monday morning. At this first appearance the judge formally notifies the accused of the charges and settles the question of bail and OR and then sets a date for the preliminary hearing on the matter. At the preliminary hearing, the district attorney attempts to convince the presiding judge that there is sufficient evidence to prove that a crime was committed and that the accused is responsible. If the district attorney is successful, the accused is bound over for trial, either to Municipal (misdemeanors) or Superior Court (felonies). In practical fact, many cases are settled at or before the preliminary hearing stage, either by a plea bargain or by the accused pleading guilty and accepting the court's punishment. However, the accused may choose to plead "not guilty" and participate in a full preliminary hearing and trial. CIVIL VS. CRIMINAL The Police Department is concerned with a relatively narrow portion of the law --that pertaining to criminal conduct. The area of civil law is not formally handled by the police department, but rather thru lawyers and the courts. However, many times incidents reported to the police will fall into both areas and police officers must respond to sort out the situation and handle the criminal matter. Other times the dispatcher will recognize that the incident is strictly civil and will refer the caller to competent legal assistance. It is vital for the dispatcher to know the organization of the criminal laws and what constitutes possible criminal conduct. Citizens report every possible situation and request the police department's help. It's up to the dispatcher to screen out the incidents which the police cannot handle and to send assistance to those with criminal problems. Often it will be impossible to determine the exact nature of the incident and you will dispatch an officer to make the final determination. CITY ORDINANCES The City of Oaktown enacts laws in the form of city ordinances passed by the city elected council. Most ordinances pertain to situations and locations specific to Oaktown, for example the marina, preferential parking, barriers, etc. and they don't overlap state or Federal laws. City ordinances are referred to as sections of the Oaktown Municipal Code (BMC) and are numbered in a particular way, such as 12.03.020 BMC, 13.52.020 BMC, etc. When speaking of the codes, you would say "Section twelve point oh-three point oh-two-oh, bee-em-cee." In some cases, shortened names have been adopted by the police department for use on the radio; however, the full section should always be used when writing the section in reports or forms. A copy of all city ordinances is kept in a red binder in the comm center. It is periodically updated to include revisions or additions. An ordinance cheat sheet is also available showing the most common ordinances cited by patrol officers. The Fire Code is a separate document which was adopted in whole with revisions as stated in the ordinance. If you need to refer to the Fire Code, you should obtain an amended copy from the fire department's Fire Prevention Division. STATE CODES State laws are collected into "codes", each pertaining to a single, related topic as follows:
Within each code, separate sections deal with a specific crime and detail the elements of the offense and its punishment. The sections are referred to by number and are usually pronounced in a specific manner, such as: 821 PC eight-two-one PSD's must be familiar with the most common code offenses, their elements and how to pronounce them. You will learn these during your first week of training and will continue to pick up new code sections during subsequent training sessions. Examples of law sections, their pronunciations and the elements of various crimes is contained in the Appendix. FEDERAL LAW While Oaktown has jurisdiction for all laws, enforcement of Federal law is usually handled by Federal agencies such as the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Secret Service, etc. In certain cases, Oaktown officers will handle cases involving violations of U.S. laws and forward copies to the appropriate agencies, such as forgery of U.S. currency. Other times, a Federal agency may respond and directly assist Oaktown with the investigation, such as the FBI and bank robberies. While you are not required to be familiar with specific sections of U.S. law, you should be able to recognize violations as described by callers. Incidents involving counterfeit money, forgery of any Federal document, assault of government employees or a crime on U.S. property may require notification of Federal agencies. If you have any question as to whether a Federal law is involved or who to notify, consult your supervisor. The Oaktown Fire Department evolved from several volunteer departments and was formally organized in 18008. Since then it has been mandated to prevent, investigate, extinguish and report on fires occurring in the city. Over the years it has also been given responsibility for natural gas, electrical, water, medical and hazardous materials emergencies. The Oaktown Fire Department mans seven firehouses with 66 firefighters, operating five engine companies, one truck companies and two ambulances. The department is headed by a Fire Chief and a Deputy Chief, while day-to-day firefighting operations are handled by three platoons of firefighters, each headed by an Assistant Chief. The department has a Fire Prevention Division, which investigates fires, approves building plans and inspects commercial premises annually for fire hazards, and a Training Division, which provides training for new firefighters and continuing education for current employees. JURISDICTION The Fire Department is responsible for the investigation and suppression of all fires. It inspects commercial and public premises and enforces provisions of the Uniform Fire Code). The department approves new building construction for compliance with the fire code. It is responsible for providing emergency medical service and for handling hazardous materials incidents. It co-ordinates the city's Civil Defense plans and participates in the city's disaster plan. The department's area of responsibility extends to the city limits of surrounding cities and into a portion of Oak Lake. PERSONNEL The fire department is composed of COMPANIES of men and equipment deployed at seven firehouses throughout the city. The lowest rank is FIREFIGHTER, who handles hose, operates hydrants and performs general firefighting duties. The APPARATUS OPERATOR drives the fire apparatus and operates the pump or aerial ladder. EMT's or PARAMEDIC's staff the ambulances and provide emergency medical assistance. Any rank may be qualified as an EMT or paramedic, altho most commonly firefighters work the ambulance on a daily basis. A LIEUTENANT or CAPTAIN supervises operations of the men in the company and he performs firefighting duties as well. Captains and lieutenants also hold administrative positions in the Fire Prevention and Training Divisions. In the Fire Prevention Division, INSPECTORS approve plans and inspect buildings for compliance with the city Fire Code. The ASSISTANT CHIEFS serve as shift supervisors and in administrative positions. The DEPUTY Fire Chief handles administrative matters, including budget, personnel and purchasing. The FIRE CHIEF is the top administrator and also serves as the Assistant City Manager for Public Safety, which includes fire, police, parking enforcement and animal care services. The fire department follows a chain of command in all matters, as follows:
The firefighting forces are organized into three shifts lettered A, B and C. Each shift works a rotating schedule of days that run from 8:00a.m. to 8:00a.m. the next day, as follows: work day Each shift is supervised by an Assistant Chief, who has responsibility for all fire operations. EQUIPMENT AND STATIONS There are two basic types of motorized apparatus used for fighting fires --engines, which carry a pump, water and hose for fighting the fires and trucks, which carry ladders, axes, saws, lights and rescue equipment for reaching fire victims, ventilating fire buildings and rescuing trapped persons. Trucks have no capability for fighting fires, except with small fire extinguishers. Both engines and trucks can respond to medical emergencies with an ambulance. The fire department has two ambulances that respond to medical emergencies. They are staffed by two firefighters holding EMT or paramedic certificates and may be called Rescue or Paramedic 12 and 13, depending on their current operating status. The ambulances also respond to large fires to perform firefighting duties. There are also two specialized vehicles used for certain firefighting situations. Hill Rig 1 is a small, four-wheel drive vehicle equipped with a pump, water and hose that can maneuver in off-road areas to fight fires. It is parked at Station 5. Chem 1 carries specialized equipment for hazardous materials (HAZMAT) incidents. It it stored at Station 2. All engines and trucks are normally manned by an officer holding the rank of Captain or Lieutenant, an apparatus operator and a firefighter. On some occasions, a second firefighter is assigned to an engine or truck, for a total crew of four. Ambulances are always staffed by just two paramedics. While most apparatus carries the same complement of equipment, some specialized equipment is carried only on certain apparatus. Specifically, Oaktown's apparatus is as follows:
The fire department's equipment is stationed at seven firehouses which are distributed throughout the city so that response times to any location are as short as possible. Each firehouse has an engine company and, at stations 2 and 5, there is also a truck company. Ambulances are staffed at stations 1 and 2. Reserve or specialized apparatus and equipment is stored at stations 3, 4 and 1. In addition to its own equipment, Oaktown sometimes uses equipment and apparatus from other cities and agencies including Oakland, Albany and Acme Ambulance. You should become familiar with the locations of fire stations, apparatus and the equipment they carry as detailed in the Appendix. The Communications Center is organized under the Police Chief and is supervised day-to-day by Police Department sergeants. PSD's work one of five shifts answering telephones, referring calls or taking incident information and dispatching fire and police units by radio. ORGANIZATION The Oaktown comm center handles incoming calls for service in a two-step method. The calls are received by complaint dispatchers, who screen the call and either refer the caller to the appropriate agency, or take information for a police response. Incident information is entered into the computer-aided dispatch (CAD) computer, which records all incident information and tracks the status of all officers and units in the field. Comm center personnel also prepare the daily police bulletin, listing all crimes and other incidents of interest. They also maintain various files of information in the comm center, including lists of stores owners, alarms and wanted vehicles. They also maintain a library of audio tapes of all telephone and radio conversations occurring from the comm center. The comm center uses a two-tiered approach for handling incoming calls for assistance. Telephone calls are received by call-takers, who answer telephones and enter incident information into CAD. Two radio dispatchers handle fire and police radio traffic. The call-takers also monitor secondary police channels and the police alarm panel. They assist field units by calling tow companies, alarm companies, victims and reporting parties. The radio dispatchers maintain the status of fire and police units, dispatch them to incidents, co-ordinate their response and provide other assistance to them. They complete the incident information in CAD. One dispatcher works only police calls and the other works only fire incidents. SUPERVISION The comm center is managed by a police department sergeant and a fire lieutenant. Direct supervision is performed by a PSD on all shifts. In the absence of a senior PSD, police responsibility passes to the police patrol division lieutenant, then the senior on-duty patrol division sergeant. For the fire department, the on-duty Assistant Chief has authority for all dispatching questions. The fire department Assistant Chief is responsible for day-to day firefighting operations and he is your contact for all questions or problems relating to the fire department. He always notifies you of his location and is available at all hours. Never hesitate to consult with him about incidents for which there is no standard procedure. The A/C is always willing to take responsibility for decisions concerning extraordinary or special incidents. RULES Most of what a dispatcher does falls under rules, regulations or procedures devised by either the police or fire department for dispatching their personnel and equipment. However, comm center personnel are also governed by a separate set of rules and regulations. You will be issued a copy of these rules and you should be familiar with all of them. Violation of the rules can result in a verbal or written reprimand, time off without pay or dismissal. The rules and regulations for the fire department are contained in General Orders (G.O.'s) and a Manual of Procedure (M.O.P.). There are several sections that spell out specific procedures to be followed by dispatchers handling fire incidents, while other sections merely provide general information and guidance. You should be familiar with all of the fire department General Orders and in particular the following sections:
The fire department periodically issues Training Bulletins, which may detail additional regulations or information. Dispatchers should periodically check the binder containing these bulletins for those applicable to fire dispatching. The comm center will also periodically issue bulletins which all dispatchers should read and know. The police department's rules and regulations are contained in the General Orders and the Police Regulations. Some sections deal with the conduct of police department personnel while on duty, while others detail required procedures for handling different situations. You should be familiar with the latter sections so you know how to handle most situations as they arise. RESPONSIBILITY The dispatcher has the authority to determine, using applicable procedures, guidelines, personal knowledge or judgement, exactly what action to take in a given situation. However, any police officer or fire officer has the authority to over-ride a PSD's decision. If this occurs, you should briefly explain the circumstances of the incident to the officer to clarify your reasoning. If the officer stands by his decision, you should not delay any necessary action by discussing it further. Comply with the request and then refer the situation to your supervisor for resolution. If you encounter any situation for which there is no formal procedure or there is any question about the necessity or type of fire or police response, you shall contact the your comm center supervisor or, for fire situations, the on-duty fire department Assistant Chief, for advice. If you encounter communications equipment, personnel, or procedural problems, you should contact the on-duty comm center supervisor for advice and guidance. PHILOSOPHY The communications center provides dispatching services for both the police and fire department. Many aspects of dispatching are similar for both departments. However, each department has its own special needs as dictated by the type of calls they handle and their established procedures. All fire and medical calls are considered priorities and are dispatched immediately. If the closest fire unit is not available, the next-closest unit is sent. Only during a major disaster would fire or ambulance calls be held and prioritized before being dispatched. Most calls to the fire department for help are genuine and the callers are usually co-operative. Citizens have a better overall appreciation for firefighters and rely on the fire department for help of all kinds. This contrasts with many police calls, which are prioritized and may be held before being dispatched. Calls for police services are made by many types of people with many attitudes. It is not uncommon for callers to have a dislike for the police and to express that feeling to the dispatcher. INTER-AGENCY CO-OPERATION While the two radio dispatchers maintain a separation of duties because of the priority differences between fire and police, they co-operate as necessary. Between emergency calls, the fire radio dispatcher can make call-backs, talk to police field units, answer telephones and do minor paperwork for the police as time and incoming calls permit. It's expected that the two radio dispatchers will routinely exchange information concerning auto accidents, shootings and other incidents involving both agencies so that the emergency response can be simultaneous and efficient. RELATIONSHIPS Comm Center/comm Center The Comm Center is staffed by civilian Public Safety Dispatchers (PSD's), uniformed, non-sworn Service Assistant (SA's) and police sergeants. Altho the positions of PSD and PSA perform separate duties, they are considered to be of equal rank and are expected to co-operate in all matters. The comm center can be a busy, noisy, stressful place to work. Callers are sometimes rude and profane. Dispatchers must often devote total concentration to the radio for long periods. Interaction among dispatchers is high and the potential for conflicts is great. In all cases, courtesy and consideration should be among the most important considerations when dealing with your fellow workers. It's expected that, if conflicts occur, you will resolve them among yourself or seek the assistance of your supervisor. Comm Center/Officers There is potential for conflict among dispatchers and officers due to the high degree of interaction between the groups and the stressful nature of the job. Such a conflict can disrupt operations and make the job generally unpleasant. There are many reasons why officers might have a conflict with a dispatcher. Officers feel the danger inherent in the job and expect that others will perform expertly so as not to put them in jeopardy. Some officers don't like their job and express their dissatisfaction at every opportunity. The best way to handle the business of dispatching is just that---as business. You should reflect a calm, professional tone at all times. When dealing with officers via radio or telephone, your voice reflects your attitude and officers will react accordingly. It's not uncommon for an officer and dispatcher to be antagonistic towards each other via telephone, only to discover that they get along much better in person. After you have established a background of competence and professionalism, you may choose to get to know officers more personally. But remember, their primary judge of you will be how well you handle your job when they are on the street. Daily Meetings PSD's on the third-platoon must attend the platoon meetings held each day by the patrol division before they go on duty. Other shifts are encouraged to attend the meetings to become familiar with officers working the street and to hear of their concerns. During the meetings, the most recent crimes and trends are discussed and everyone is given a chance to talk on any topic of mutual concern. The meetings are an opportunity to discuss problems encountered by either officers or dispatchers and to learn about one another. Ridealongs The police department permits PSD's to ride along while on-duty. This allows PSD's to experience the concerns and problems encountered by the officers and to give the officers feedback about comm center concerns. While on ridealongs you should attempt to learn something about Oaktown's geography and how it relates to police work. You should listen to the radio and the way your fellow dispatchers work. You should relate the officer's activity with your dispatching duties and realize that it's important to be concise, complete and clear in your broadcasts. Comm Center/Other agencies The police department depends on many other city and private agencies for assistance. Each of these agencies operates by its own set of rules and procedures, which must be followed by the police department. When dealing with another city department, use your name and tell them you calling from the police department comm center. Do not simply make a request or order them to do something. Explain the situation to them and ask for their assistance. Let them explain what they can and cannot do and how they must do it. If their answer is not acceptable, ask to speak to a supervisor or tell them you will consult with your supervisor and call them back. SECURITY AND ACCESS Access to the comm center is limited to on-duty comm center personnel, police/fire supervisors and authorized maintenance workers. For this reason, the comm center is locked at all times and access is by key. Dispatchers are not to allow unauthorized persons into the comm center without prior permission from the on-duty comm center supervisor. FORMS AND PAPERWORK Virtually all of the information gathered and recorded by dispatchers is entered into the computer-aided dispatch (CAD) program. However, there are still some paper forms that PSDs use: Tow Log -- Oaktown has a contract with three towing companies for vehicles towed by the police. Towed vehicles are assigned to one of companies on a rotation basis, each company receiving an equal number of vehicles to tow. All towed vehicles are recorded on a log maintained in the comm center. The log contains spaces for the date, time, license plate, vehicle description, location, reason cited, tow company, case number and handling officer. The tow log is kept on an arch file hung on the logging tape recorders. Repo Form-- The state licenses persons to repossess vehicles under specific, legal circumstances. Before a repossession is actually made, the person doing it will call the comm center. The person will give the dispatcher information about the vehicle and the identity of the person making the repossession. Instructions are on the back of the form and it is routed to Telecomm for entry into the computer system. TIME-OF-DAY All references to the time of day in comm center usage are to the 24-hour clock. The day "begins" at midnight, which is considered 2400. Each succeeding hour adds one-hundred to the time, for example...
INCIDENT NUMBERING Police Each police incident that is a crime report or non-criminal report (NCR) is assigned a CAD case number. All miscellaneous service calls (MSCs) should also receive a case number. Other CAD entries, such as information broadcasts, cancelled calls, etc. do not receive a case number. The CAD software does not allow one case number to apply to more than one incident. However, it does allow one incident to have multiple case numbers. More information on assigning case numbers is given in the "Police Radio Dispatcher" section. Fire Each separate fire incident shall receive an unique incident number except as follows:
No incident numbers are assigned if the fire companies were recalled before they left the firehouse or never arrived on the scene. FIRE JOURNAL BOOK Firefighters are required to report off on sick leave no later than 7:00a.m. of the day they are to work. When a firefighter calls the comm center reporting off, the dispatcher shall enter the sick leave under Shift A, B or C in the journal book, showing the name, company, time and reason for sick leave, which may be one of the following:
The Assistant Chief of the oncoming shift will call the comm center between 7:00a.m. and 7:15a.m. to find out which firefighters reported off. He may then request overtime to be hired that same morning to fill vacancies. It's important to make sick leave entries as soon as you receive them and to record them under the proper shift. If you make a mistake in recording the leave, the oncoming assistant chief will hire, or not hire, the proper number of firefighters for his shift, which causes additional money to be paid. POLICE BULLETIN The police department's Daily Bulletin lists all reported crimes. The incidents are listed by case number and show the time, victim, handling officer and nature of the offense. The bulletin is a valuable tool for researching information about prior incidents which may be needed by officers or callers. The bulletin is also valuable for learning of trends or continuing situations with which you should be familiar. The bulletin is read during each patrol platoon meeting and you should read it after returning from your days off to catch up on what has been happening. The bulletin is prepared and printed by the CAD software, and is periodically distributed to several places during a shift by an assigned PSD. COMM CENTER TIMESHEET The communications center timesheet lists those persons assigned to work a particular shift. The Senior PSD is responsible for signing employee sign in and out on this sheet each day. Any sick leave, vacation or other time off is indicated, as well as any trades, comp time taken or special assignments. Forms for trades, overtime and time off are also available and must be completed each time you trade your shift with another dispatcher, do not work your assigned shift or work extra time. Trades and requests for time off should be submitted to your supervisor for approval prior to the actual date. Overtime forms should be signed by your supervisor before you leave work. Approved requests for time-off are kept in a small packet in the supervisors office. If you plan to take time off, check the approved forms first, to see if your request conflicts with an existing request. If no one has requested the shift off, there's a good chance your request will be approved. If one or more persons already have the shift off, check with your supervisor about taking time off. SOURCES OF INFORMATION In order to more efficiently perform the job, comm center personnel have access to reference material and computer-based information. It's important to know how to access each source and what each contains so that you can find information quickly. CAD The CAD software provides a wealth of information about incidents, addresses, personnel and telephone numbers. The information files associated with taking calls and dispatching units is explained in the CAD Trainng Guide. The other files are: Notes -- This file includes over 125 topics, including call-out lists, personnel rosters, and policies and procedures for all types of extraordinary incidents. Employee-- This file contains the names and home telephone numbers of all police department personnel. Telephone Books Local telephone directories are available in the comm center. Directories for other cities are available from the Warrant Bureau in Service Division. The directories are useful for obtaining telephone numbers of businesses and their owners and persons needing police contact. A directory of City of Oaktown and police department numbers is also available for referring callers to other city departments or police units. Reverse Directory A directory with listings by address is available for Oaktown and surrounding cities. You may use the directory to obtain the telephone number for a known address or to confirm the name or address of a person. Most commonly, officers in the field will identify an address, then request the dispatcher to determine a telephone number for that address. A directory with listings by telephone number for most of the East Bay is available from the homicide detail or the UC Police dispatcher. You may use the directory for determining the address of a known telephone number. Most often, you will use it to locate a person or place when you only have the telephone number. Alarm Books The owner of every business with a police alarm connection has been asked to fill out a form listing persons to call in case of emergency and their telephone numbers. The forms are filed by module number in green binders. The forms may be used to locate responsible persons when a premises has been the subject of a crime or damage. "No Response" List Premises which experience more than three false burglary or robbery alarms within 90 days may be fined by the city and police response denied. A list of premises which do not receive any police response to alarms is published by the Crime Prevention Bureau monthly and entered into the CAD premise file with an "E" code. When receiving an alarm, check for the presence of a premise alert "E" before accepting the alarm from the calling party. Questions regarding fines, payments or the no-response policy should be directed to their officer during weekdays. Business License File Periodically, the the city's Tax & License unit will print out a listing of all persons/businesses issued a Business License. The listing runs several hundred pages and lists the business name, address, owner and associated telephone numbers which can be used to contact a person responsible for the premises. The list is useful for locating a business address from only the name, for contacting the owner of a business and for verifying addresses. Restraining Orders At the request of an attorney or citizen, the courts may issue restraining orders for specified periods of time, naming specific persons who are prohibited from performing specific acts. In most cases, the orders pertain the maintenance of the peace and include sections which prohibit a person form coming within a certain distance of a residence, business or person. When a restraining order is signed by a judge, the holder of the order may choose to file a copy of the order with the local police department. It is not required that they do so and failure to file such a copy does not invalidate the order. When a restraining order is filed with Oaktown, Service Division will telephone the comm center, request that a facecard be time-stamped and a case number assigned. The number is written on the order and a copy is then routed to the comm center. When the order arrives in the comm center, it is filed in a binder under the last name of the primary party. In addition, you should write the secondary party's name on the appropriate index page so that both names may be found. Press Releases A copy of all police department press releases is kept on a clipboard in the comm center, to be used when responding to inquiries from the press or public about incidents. Further inquiries should be directed to the police press officer at the number listed on the release. BOL's Officers and other agencies will periodically issue "Be On the Lookout" bulletins (BOL's), describing persons or vehicles wanted by the police. A copy of most bulletins is kept in a file adjacent to the #1 console, to be referred to when an officer inquiries about a wanted vehicle or person. Crime Analysis Bulletin A bulletin describing most wanted vehicle and persons, fugitives and general department notices is issued by the police department twice-weekly. A copy of all bulletins is kept on a clipboard in the comm center, to be referred to when an officer inquiries about persons or vehicles. Computer Sources Oaktown has access to several useful computer systems via computer terminals. You will learn to operate the terminal and many of codes which permit you to obtain information from computers in Oakland, Sacramento or Washington, D.C. within five seconds of the request. Information on operation of specific computer systems and their commands are described in another manual. Access and use of any information from computer sources is strictly controlled by state law. Police department and comm center rules and procedures limit access and use of information from police reports or any local information files. Information is available only to authorized persons who have a need to know, and it may not be divulged to any unauthorized persons. Violation of state law is a misdemeanor. Violation of local rules or procedures may result in discipline or dismissal. Several sections of the Penal Code pertaining to release of criminal history information are included in the Appendix Manuals for all the computer systems are kept on the bookshelf contain information on making inquiries and updates to the files. PIN-- The Police Information System (PIN) contains warrant, parole and probation information filed by police agencies in the nine-county Bay Area. Information is available from a person's name or vehicle license number. In addition, this computer system provides a connection to the state and federal computer systems listed below. CORPUS-- The "Court-Oriented Records Unified System" contains criminal histories, court and jail records for the county. It contains records of all arrests, court activities and is used to administer the handling of prisoners in jails and courts throughout the county. Information in available from a person's name or numeric identifiers. DMV-- The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) maintains information about licensed drivers and registered vehicles, including citations, Vehicle Code section arrests and official actions. Information is available from a person's name or driver's license (DL) number, and license plate or vehicle identification number (VIN). Department of Justice-- The Department of Justice (DOJ) maintains computer files of lost, stolen or recovered property of all types including vehicles, firearm registrations, wanted persons and a state file of criminal histories. Information is available from a person's name or numeric identifier, property serial number or license plate number. FBI/NCIC-- The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) maintains the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) for warrants, stolen or wanted vehicles, certain stolen property and missing persons. Information is available from a person's name and birthdate, license plate or property serial number. Badge/Name Rooster A list of all police officers is available by last name, badge number and assigned platoon. The list is useful for determining if an officer is or will be working when a citizen inquiries, for determining an officer's name for typing on the Bulletin and for determining in what unit the officer works (Patrol, Service, DD, etc.). Comm Center Procedure Manual The training manual for the comm center contains procedures and techniques with which all dispatchers should be familiar. Comm Center Reference Manual The most pertinent lists of names, telephone numbers and procedures are contained in binders which are kept at the #1 and #7 consoles. The books also contain the latest copy of on-call personnel in the Detective and Administrative Divisions. You may refer to them for call-outs and special situations. Laws Copies of the State Penal Code, Vehicle Code and the City Ordinances are available on the bookshelf. Maps Maps of Oaktown showing the police beat and federal census boundaries are posted on the walls. Maps of adjacent counties are contained in the map book. |