Santa
Cruz Consolidated Emergency Communications Center can help you understand
the processes involved in making reports, giving descriptions, and
what to expect when you make a 911 call.
How
to be a Good Reporting Person
When you pick up the telephone to make a call, you usually know what you are going to say, to a friend, a family member or a business contact. But, it seems when you need police, fire, or ambulance services; it's hard to know what to say and dispatchers always seem to ask what you think are a lot of unnecessary questions.
Those questions are asked for a good reason. Dispatchers are not there with you and cannot see what is happening. It will help tremendously if you answer the questions as they are asked, avoiding any temptation to anticipate questions or interrupt the dispatcher. Dispatchers and responding officers depend on you to be their eyes and ears.
