Dispatchers follow a certain line of questioning to obtain your emergency information. They ask questions as to WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHO, WHY AND WEAPONS.

The first thing you should hear when the 911 Communicator answers is "New Hanover County 911, what is the address of your emergency?" Then the Communicator will generally ask similar questions listed below to gather more information concerning your emergency.

For example:

• What are you reporting?

• Where did this occur?

• When did this occur?

• What is the phone number you are calling from?

• Where are you now?

• Are any weapons involved?

• How many people are involved?

• What is the specific location?

• Has this happened before?

• Are alcohol or drugs involved?

• What is happening now?

• Are you hearing or seeing anything?

• Are there any dangerous animals in the area?

• Are there any hazards in the area?

• Do you want to be contacted by an officer?

After gathering your information, we take that information and create what is called a Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) "Event". This information is entered and viewed by the "Radio Dispatcher". The Radio Dispatcher reads the call and determines selects the proper unit to take the call.

Dispatch is like an emergency room at a hospital. They work on the patients that are currently there. But if a more serious case comes in (victim of a gunshot), they have to drop what they are doing and work on that person that requires immediate attention. So if you make a request for an officer and it is superceded by a higher priority call, you may have to wait.

Please remember to listen to the dispatcher's questions and answer them as accurately as possible. Remember, when the dispatcher is entering your information into the computer, there is a format they must follow. This ensures the calls sent to the radio dispatchers have uniform information that is easy to read. This also allows them to give the officer on the radio the correct information in the correct order. We don't want to lose anything in the translation of information.

A Few More Tips When Calling 911:

No matter what the situation, try to remain calm. Be sure to speak slowly and clearly. Time is of the essence. Every 911 operator knows that. It hampers response when a 911 operator has to ask the caller for information several times over because he couldn't comprehend what was being said. Try to be as calm as possible and speak slowly and clearly. This ensures the 911 operator has the correct information the first time (s)he asks for it.

Answer all questions asked by the 911 operator - even ones that seem repetitious. If you get asked questions that seem redundant, you should answer them again. Either the operator is trying to clarify something that could be confusing or (s)he is verifying some information. A lot of things go on in the background during an emergency call, and none of the questions being asked or information being obtained hasn't a purpose. It is very important that you answer all questions to the best of your ability. Try not to lose patience, no one is stalling or delaying emergency response.

Remain on the line until the dispatcher tells you that it is okay to hang up. Many 911 centers are staffed by people who are trained to give instructions for all types of calls - advice that saves lives. Listen to what the Communicator has to say. He or she might be able to offer medical instructions or it may be that an officer responding to your call needs to be constantly updated as to what's happening. It's very important that you don't hang up until told to do so.

Please don't insist that the 911 operator 'hurry up' or demand that the '(PD, FD, EMS) get here now!' Believe me, they are going as fast as they can! Time seems to slow down during a crisis and seconds can seem like hours. Police, Fire and/or EMS responders are doing everything they can to get to the scene as quickly as possible. Demanding they 'get here now' will not make them go faster.