This is a one-hour lesson analyzing two calls.

In Part I, the dispatcher will listen to a 9-1-1 call where a caller reports that he has been flagged down by a person who has been stabbed. Dispatchers will use a computer to read through the lesson and learn best practice in interrogating callers reporting such an incident. The lesson addresses: identifying the victim's exact location and if he was literally “on the street”; determining if the victim and caller were in harm’s way; providing scene safety directions; and gathering information about the suspect (description, direction of travel, weapon). The lesson also analyzes the need to address the caller’s injuries. Finally, the lesson stresses the need to obtain a callback number and the reporting party’s name early in an interview and the need to avoid stacking questions so that critical information is not overlooked.

Part I further brings to light the vital need for a PSAP to identify the relevant issues and scenarios regarding transfers and develop appropriate protocols so that when calls are transferred to other agencies there are established procedures in place to identify everyone's respective role.

In Part II, the dispatcher will listen to a 9-1-1 call where a man reports that he just killed his co-worker. Dispatchers will use a computer to read through the lesson and learn best practices in interrogating callers reporting such an incident.  The lesson addresses the need to obtain a location immediately after answering a call and the consequences of moving on with an interview before that has been accomplished. It provides a good example of how utilizing a mapping application could have assisted in identifying the location or the street address. The lesson examines how stating, “Tell me exactly what happened,” could have been beneficial in quickly obtaining critical information about the incident. The lesson demonstrates the need to follow the established questioning technique guideline to conduct a more effective interview. Further, the lesson analyzes how the caller's statements, combined with the fact that he dialed 9-1-1 to self-report a homicide, indicated that responders may have been en route to a "suicide by cop" situation. It was crucial for the dispatcher to recognize that possibility and inform responders.

Dispatch Pro Lesson Index