Be prepared, try to be calm when calling 911

FALLBROOK – San Diego County Sheriff’s emergency dispatchers took more than 300,000 calls to 911 last year. Callers are often in or witnessing a crisis, so their adrenalin may be pumping and their nerves frayed. As part of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, Sheriff’s dispatchers talked about how people can help them when calling 911.

Location, location, location. In an emergency, it’s the number one thing dispatchers say people need to be ready to give them.

People sometimes assume that their location pops up on a map as soon as an emergency dispatcher answers the phone. Not necessarily true. If calling on a mobile phone, they do not have the exact spot. Newer model mobile phones may give them general location information but not exact addresses. Older phone models would not have that information at all.

An exact address is best, or a street and nearby cross street. If the caller doesn't know those, he or she should try to provide landmarks to help dispatchers send help.

Stay calm. The dispatcher has to be able to understand people in order to help them.

When it comes to information about the call, it’s usually, who, what, where, when and sometimes why.

Deputies don’t want to respond blindly to a call that might become violent. Often, dispatchers will ask if any weapons, drugs or alcohol are involved for officer safety information. Listen to the dispatcher and let them ask important questions.

Rather than just asking open-ended questions, they may give some multiple-choice answers. Those are often easier to process for people who are upset.

People sometimes get frustrated with dispatchers because they think that in answering many questions, it is delaying a critical response. The dispatcher is not the one responding to the scene. In a public safety call, the deputy has already been dispatched and the information being gathered is being relayed simultaneously to the deputy heading to the scene of the call.

Along with 911 calls, dispatchers also answer calls on the non-emergency line for situations like reporting a suspicious vehicle, noise disturbances, abandoned vehicles, illegal parking, etc. The number to call for those kind of calls are (858) 565-5200.

The non-emergency dispatch line is answered 24/7 just like the emergency line except that emergency calls are given priority, so callers could experience a short wait time.

"Be patient, take a deep breath, we’re going to ask the questions that we need to give deputies the safest and quickest response," said Tami Samuels, Sheriff’s emergency services dispatcher and radio academy instructor.