Find Info about 9-1-1

CALLING  911

Each year the Victoria Police 911 Communication Centre receives over fifty-thousand (50,000) 911 calls each year. Annually the number of 911 calls coming into the Victoria 911 Communication Centre are declining. This speaks to the effective role that parents, schools and telecommunicators are doing in educating callers on the use of 911.

WHEN DO I CALL 9-1-1?

911 should only be called for situations involving a crime in progress, or an imminent threat to life, bodily injury, or major property damage or loss.

A break and enter in progress, an individual with a weapon on the street, or a traffic accident with serious injuries are examples of police emergencies where you would call 911.

Other calls that are important to our Communication Centre but are not deemed 911 emergency calls would be a traffic accident with no injuries, Break ins, Theft and Mischief complaints where the suspect is gone, cars blocking traffic, and intoxicated persons or persons using drugs that are not being disorderly. These types of call will be handled on our non-emergency line which is 995-7654.

Callers that call 9-1-1 to report a non-emergency event will be asked to hang up and call the non-emergency line. Further conversations cannot occur on the 911 line to ensure the lines remain available for immediate emergency calls.

IF YOU CALL 911, REMEMBER:

1. The first question you will receive is do you require Police, Fire or Ambulance. Remember to speak calmly and clearly.
2. Tell the 911 operator what type of problem you have.
3. Ensure that you do not hang up until the 911 operator indicates you are safe to do so. Emergency units will be dispatched and on the way while you are still on the phone with the 911 operator.
4. We need your help in ensuring you answer the questions that you are being asked. Be prepared to give the location of the problem, suspect descriptions if applicable, your name, address, and phone number.
5. Allow the 911 operator to ask the questions. They have been trained to ask questions that will prioritize the incident and get the necessary information to the emergency personnel as needed.
6. Information that may not seem important to you could be very important to the responding emergency personnel. Your cooperation benefits the 911 operator and emergency personnel.
7. By following the instructions the 911 operator gives you ensures the safety for all.
8. Do not call 911 and hang up. If you dialed the wrong number stay on the line and advise the 911 operator that you have dialed by mistake and that you do not have an emergency.
9. Any 911 calls received where there is no answer from the caller, follow up will occur. Please cooperate with the 911 operator and emergency personnel for these situations so we can ensure your safety.
10. It is not recommended that you program 911 into your speed dial lines on your phone.
11. Don't provide your child a deactivated cellular phone without removing the battery first. The phone may still allow for 911 calls to go through.

FURTHER Q & A

Why do the operators ask so many questions prior to having the police dispatched to the call?

Our Communication Centre operates on a Provincial CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch) program that allows the Call Taker to send the information electronically to the dispatcher as soon as they receive the information from you. This allows our Call Taker to continue to obtain ongoing information from you, while the police dispatcher is dispatching the call to our Police Officers. The information can also been seen in the police vehicles on their Mobile Display Terminals.

Why do the operators always ask for my date of birth?

All Police departments within the Province of British Columbia operate on a Provincial CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch) and RMS (Records Management System). Frequently we have individuals in the database with the same name, however are different people. To ensure your data is not merged with another individual with the same name that is not actually you, your date of birth helps us to differentiate you as a different person.

The Communication staff are instructed to ask this question of each caller to help populate the database correctly.

Do I have the right to refuse to give my date of birth?

Yes. Please advise the Call Taker that you are speaking with that you do not wish to disclose that information.

Are all the Communication staff police officers?

No. All of our Communication staff are civilian employees. They are not sworn police officers.

If I would like to discuss the level of service I received from the Communication Centre, how would I go about doing this?

We have a Communication Supervisor assigned to each shift. You can reach them directly at (250) 995-7691. They would be pleased to discuss any commendations or problems in relation to services that you have received from our Communication staff.

If I spoke to the Communication Supervisors and still am not satisfied in how my situation was dealt with, what else can I do?

Please contact the Director, Information Management who is the Senior Manager of the 911 Communication Centre. You can contact her directly at (250) 995-7408 or e-mail her at vi5001@vicpd.ca.

Why does it seem that we can be on hold for a long period of time just to make a complaint?

Often times there are numerous incoming calls into our Communication Centre.  Each call received our Communication staff are obtaining and providing information from other callers. When 911 calls come in, all other non emergency calls are placed on hold to ensure 911 is answered in a timely manner. Unfortunately wait times occur during very busy periods.

In an effort to reduce waiting times we have implemented an On Line Reporting system where you can report minor incidents where there are no suspects. You can access On Line Reporting through our website at www.vicpd.ca.

If I am interested in working in the Communication Centre how would I go about applying.

We are always interested in people wishing to work in our Communication Centre.  Please e-mail your resume to civilianrecruiting@vicpd.ca or call our Human Resources department at (250) 995-7313.