HomeMy WebLinkAboutSOG 500.01 NEW 8-2013_Call Handling Guidelines500.01 — Call Handling Guidelines
Effective. 8/5/2013
Revised:
Replaces: Old Dispatch Protocol
I. Guiding PhilosophX
To support the department's mission of protecting life and property, we do our best to
efficiently respond to calls for service, gather relevant incident information, and professionally
interact with persons who call for help.
II. Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to provide general guidelines for the answering of
emergency and non -emergency telephone calls within the Fire -EMS Communications Center.
III. Goals
The goals of this policy are to:
A. Communicate the general standards for Telecommunicators on emergency and
non -emergency calls.
B. Communicate general guidelines for call handling.
C. Detail the guidelines for answering Telephone Device for the Deaf (TTY) calls.
D. Discuss handling other special considerations calls.
IV. Definitions
A. CAD — (Computer Aided Dispatch) Computer software that Telecommunicators
use to manage Fire and EMS calls for service.
B. Call Received to Dispatch Time — Time interval from when the call is received
to when the Telecommunicator notifies Fire and/or EMS stations/units of the
incident.
C. Communications Group Supervisor — NIMS-compliant terminology for the
position formerly referred to as the Assistant Communications Officer.
D. Communications Unit Leader — NIMS-compliant terminology for a Grade III
(Captain) position who supervises the operations of a communications unit.
Currently, one Grade III and one Grade I position constitute the minimum
number of personnel assigned to a communications unit. There are four
communications units assigned within the Communications Group.
E. Nature/Location to Dispatch Time — Time interval from when the
Telecommunicator obtains the location and nature of the incident to when the
incident is dispatched.
F. One Alarm Response — Initial deployment of two Chief s cars, five apparatus
(must include at least one aerial), Truck 74, one med unit and one police unit.
G. Services Branch Director — NIMS-compliant terminology for the position
formerly referred to as the Chief Communications Officer.
H. Telecom municator — Communications professional who performs call -taking
and dispatching duties.
I. TTY — A terminal type device with a keyboard and a display used by the deaf,
hearing-impaired and speech -impaired people to communicate via telephone
lines.
V. Call Answedna Standards
A. Telecommunicators will answer all calls and radio traffic as soon as possible.
Calls received in the Fire -EMS Communications Center will be answered as
follows:
1. 9-1-1 & 838-6375 lines: "Iieati o t Pire-ERV, what is, the athire,ws
2. Non -emergency lines: "Beaumont I ire Delyart , t, 1t�,afl lakefs last
3. Ring Down Line: Ring down line will be answered with the last name of
Call Taker only.
B. Non -emery telephone lines should generally be answered as quickly as
possible, except when doing so would create a delay in processing emergency
calls. Non -emergency lines should not be answered before ringing 9-1-1 lines or
seven -digit emergency lines.
C. One of the primary responsibilities of Fire -EMS Communications personnel is to
serve the public by efficiently processing emergency calls for service. Speed and
accuracy are essential to insure the successful processing of any emergency call
for service. Therefore, 9-1-1 telephone lines will be answered and dispatches
made according to the following standards.
1. 95% of all calls should be answered in 15 seconds or less.
2. 99% of all calls should be answered in 40 seconds or less.
3. One alarm fires should be transmitted to all fire stations as soon as the
nature of the incident is provided and the location is obtained.
a. Nature/Location to Dispatch Time should not exceed 18 seconds.
b. Call Received to Dispatch Time should not exceed 40 seconds.
4. Call Received to Dispatch Time for all other emergency calls should not
exceed 60 seconds.
D. A Telecommunicator's voice is his/her signature. Call takers will be courteous,
friendly, and attentive when speaking with persons calling for service.
SOG 500.01 — Call Handling Guidelines Page 2 of 6
E. Telecommunicators have a great responsibility. In emergencies, many citizens can
relate to the level of confidence in the call taker's voice. A tone of voice and
projection that instills confidence can support and calm the caller. This positive
support can help the caller to understand and follow pre -arrival instructions.
F. Telecommunicators will not be rude, argumentative, scream or use profanity at
any time.
G. Telecommunicators are not to give legal or medical advice, except for the
guidance provided in the Powerphone Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD), Fire
Disptach manuals or department SOGs.
`au -ti n: As wire// themseIATes to I)o,yyihl(! elis(.J/)Ili ary action,
I)eryonnel c°ouA1 he hehl legyally liahle e, br fidlinz ; to I)ro(.,,e,y,y a e, br
se ATI,cv or fi)r ineli,scrimli'ale aelATice ;iwn,
H. The Services Branch Director and Communications Group Supervisor should be
emailed with a detailed report whenever:
1. The standards listed above are exceeded.
2. A Still or General Alarm is upgraded to a One Alarm incident.
3. A Med Unit calls a Priority 1 or 2 patient, but a First Responder was not
dispatched.
VI. General Call Handlina Standards
A. Ensure the call is within Beaumont City limits, ETJ or contracted service area.
1. Calls referencing incidents occurring in other jurisdictions should be
referred to the proper agency (See section VIIIB. below).
2. Adhere to SOG 501.03 -Deployments to the ETJ and Contract Service
Areas for responses to these areas.
B. Reassure the Caller
1. Maintain control of the conversation quickly, but courteously.
2. Use the caller's name whenever possible to help relay a sense of caring
and concern for the caller's problem.
3. Avoid leaving the caller on hold for more than a few seconds without
coming back on the line and explaining the delay.
4. Avoid the use of slang, jargon or technical terms that the caller may not
understand.
5. Avoid vocal inflections or sounds, such as heavy sighs, that may convey
boredom or indifference.
6. Treat every caller as you'd like a member of your own family to be
treated.
C. Process the Call
1. Remember that any type of call can come in on any line at any time.
There are also instances when multiple calls will be received at the same
time. All calls should be answered as efficiently as possible. Generally,
calls should be answered in the following order:
SOG 500.01 - Call Handling Guidelines Page 3 of 6
a. 9-1-1 calls
b. Seven -digit emergency lines
c. Ringdown line
d. Business lines
2. Be prepared to gather information immediately upon answering the call.
3. The Call Taker should write down or type into the CAD system all
information necessary to process the call for service.
4. Use active listening skills—Be attentive to the first phrase's spoken by
the caller, as typically they will give you an indication of the type and
severity of the emergency being reported.
5. Control the call by guiding the caller through the information gathering
process.
6. The Telecommunicator must always verify ALI (Address Location
Information) and ANI (Automatic Number Identification) screen
information.
a. Location information should be verified at least two times during
every call.
b. The Telecommunicator should request the location information
from the caller as a question rather than repeating the information
that is on the ANVALI screen. (1$eol)le in Y1r Y,Vii,1 Yilualion,y
'Yomel4,me,y W1411 agree wfiy lh !4'1/brivali,on w0thou,/ li,ylen4n'y to the
giie,yl4,on. AZYo, 11'Iere are l4,me,y wiyhen d,aller,y are non i44niliar wfiy lh
the area or may non A'T' owiw the aelfl4°4"xy q1he !4' cIeleni, in__11'I� ,ye'
4 ( fie �_Ih _fid � �"en �'I P��_T�Y��`/ion !�_ 1h _h 1 Iji /�Y(��ion t�A ailf�`hle a Cel
�1�4�ar14� �
7. Once minimum dispatch information has been entered in the CAD, units
will be dispatched with correct priority.
8. Ensure that important information is communicated to responders while
en route to the call. It is critical to notify responders of life-threatening
information such as a fire with a person trapped as soon as possible.
VII. Handling Telephone Devices for the Deaf (TTY) Calls
A. The Fire -EMS Communications Center has TTY capabilities integrated within the
VESTA (9-1-1 telephone system) assuring hearing impaired citizens can have
equal access to emergency response services. The VESTA Telephone Typewriter
or Teletypewriter (TTY) module enables call takers to communicate with callers
who use a TTY device or press keys on the telephone keypad.
B. TTY Call Handling Guidelines:
1. Call takers shall never transfer a TTY call to another agency. If another
agency needs to be notified concerning TTY call information, the Call
Taker will insure contact is made with the appropriate agency and the
information is relayed.
2. If the caller is using a Baudot TTY device and types the appropriate
characters, the TTY window is automatically launched.
3. If the call is silent of some other type of TTY device is used, the Call
Taker should launch the TTY window to enable TTY capability.
SOG 500.01 – Call Handling Guidelines Page 4 of 6
4. Within the TTY module of VESTA, Call Takers are capable of
switching back and forth easily from TTY mode to voice mode during
the same call to accommodate persons who can hear but not speak
(Hearing Carry Over-HCO) and those who can speak but not hear
(Voice Carry Over -VCO).
5. All TTY calls are automatically logged in the Magic Reporting System.
C. TTY Call Testing Guidelines:
1. The Services Branch Director will insure that all members assigned to
the Logistics -Services Branch are responsible for making a TTY test call
every month to another agency.
2. Each member will appropriately log his/her test call on the TTY Test
Call Log.
3. The Communications Group Supervisor will:
a. Enter a training record for the activity and participating members
in the Firehouse Training Module.
b. Scan the call log and attach the PDF to the Firehouse training
record.
c. Forward the call log to SETRPC 9-1-1, as necessary.
VIII. Handling Other Special Considerations Calls
A. Emergency Line Hang -Up Calls (9-1-1 or 838-6375)
1. Any call on an emergency line where the caller hangs up should be
investigated immediately.
2. The Call Taker will call back the number and communicate the
following,
"Thisis the eati o t Fire- a. .,omm nication C'enter. We
, u,st recehi ed a call o , this number. Do you hale a
er emj1"
3. If the call is determined to be an emergency, the Dispatcher will deploy
apparatus according to the applicable dispatch and deployment SOG.
4. If there is no answer on call back and address information IS available:
a. Deploy a Still Response (one engine) non -emergency to
investigate.
b. If information becomes available that there is an emergency prior
to the engine's arrival on scene, upgrade the response as required
by the applicable dispatch and deployment SOG.
c. If information becomes available that there apparently is no
emergency, relay this to the responding apparatus. The Dispatcher
will advise the engine to continue non -emergency to investigate
and verify the situation.
5. If there is no answer on call back address information IS NOT
available, and an answering machine or voice mail answers, the Call
Taker will leave a message that "This states,
u u u u
s the Beatimont
i" lease pick itly the phonem "'
SOG 500.01 — Call Handling Guidelines Page 5 of 6
6. The Telecommunicator should also advise the caller to dial 9-1-1 as
soon as possible if they have an emergency and that we have received a
call from this number and do not have an address.
7. Anytime a call is received and no address is available, the dispatcher
should utilize the:
a. Manual Location Information Request on the Vesta system for
landline calls.
b. Emergency Call Trace Procedure resources in the PSAP manual
for cellular calls.
B. Misdirected Emergency Calls
1. In the event that a caller needs emergency services provided by an entity
other than the City of Beaumont, personnel will attempt to place the
caller in contact with, or relay information to, the appropriate agency.
2. BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO TRANSFER THE CALL, the Call Taker
will obtain the address and nature of the emergency.
3. Then attempt to transfer the caller to the appropriate agency, if possible.
4. If a transfer cannot be accomplished, the call taker will gather other
relevant information and make every reasonable attempt to relay it to the
appropriate agency.
C. Repeated Calls from the Same Location—If there are a repeated number of calls
from the same location, the ranking on -duty officer (Communications Unit
Leader, Communications Group Supervisor or Services Branch Director) should
make a determination as to whether an Investigator should be dispatched to the
address, and follow up as required.
D. Requests for Fire or EMS Station's Phone Number—Often, citizens think they
should call the fire or medical station closest to their home to get help. To avoid
confusion and insure persons needing assistance are best served, the Call Taker
should:
1. Ask whether they are in need of help or are they looking for someone at
the station.
2. Do not give out station phone numbers to citizens. Instead, transfer the
call to the fire or med station.
SOG 500.01 – Call Handling Guidelines Page 6 of 6