Public Safety Dispatcher

Training Manual

Introduction

Public Safety Dispatchers perform communications duties for the Fire and Police
Departments of the City of Oaktown. They answer citizen calls for service, both
emergency and non-emergency, and dispatch police officers, firefighters and
equipment to handle any type of situation. Communications Center personnel
provide the vital first-link between citizens and the city's resources. Their
performance directly contributes to the safety and well-being of the Department's
officers and the city's residents.

The intent of the training program is to familiarize you with the city of Oaktown
and its police department, to teach you skills and to give you information essential
for properly performing the job. The intent of this manual is to organize the
material to make learning easier and to standardize procedures to maximize your
performance.

STRUCTURE

The training period is divided into four segments as follows:

1st segment introduction to police introduction to fire PD ridealong, FD field trips

2nd segment complaint dispatcher training

3rd segment fire radio dispatcher training

4th segment police radio dispatcher training

This schedule does not take into account each dispatcher's previous knowledge and
experience and the length of the training may be modified at the discretion of your
trainer. The over-all objective of the program is to insure that you learn all the
necessary material, regardless of the time it takes. In general, however, the entire
process takes about six months.

A checklist is used by the PSD trainer to insure that all pertinent material is covered
and training manuals prepared by both departments will be given to you to read.

TRAINERS
New PSD's are given an introduction during the first week by police officers and
firefighters. Subsequent training is given by current PSD's who have volunteered
for the assignment. Each weekly segment of the training will be given by a
different PSD, to allow you to learn from different persons and from different
perspectives.

EVALUATIONS

Your trainer is responsible for evaluating your performance, using a printed

form/checklist. Each day your trainer will complete one of the forms, indicating
how well you performed various tasks. A narrative portion of the form permits the
trainer to explain any deficiencies and problems, and any additional training he/she
believes is needed. Your trainer will discuss your performance with you each day
and show you the form. There is also space on the evaluation form so you may add
your comments. Your trainer will discuss your daily performance with the comm
center supervisors each day and the forms will be filed at the end of each training
segment.

In addition to these training evaluations, City evaluations are made every six
months for the first year and yearly after that. These evaluations are performed by
the comm center supervisor working your shift.

RESPONSIBILITY

The dispatcher handling communications for the Fire Department receives

telephone calls from the public and firefighters, uses the radio to dispatch and co-
ordinate fire units and most importantly, exercises his/her judgement responding to
emergencies quickly and correctly. Decisions made by the dispatcher are vital to
the public safety and directly bear upon the personal safety of the citizens of
Oaktown and the Department's firefighters.

You are responsible for learning the material contained in:

 Training Manual his document

 Resource Manual resources and comm center procedures
 F.D. General Orders departmental rules and regulations
 Mutual Aid binder county plans and maps
 F.D. Field Manual pertinent sections of G.O.'s pertaining to field operations
 Response Guide list of streets, alarms, university places, other places
 Procedure Manual procedures, policies of Comm Center
 Rules & Regulations Public Safety rules and regulations applicable to PSD's

The City of Oaktown was settled in the 1600s. It lies on the eastern shore of Lake
Tihuna, bounded by the city of Mapletown to the north, Pinetown to the south and
the Oaktown Hills to the east. Its population of 92,000 is contained in 30 square
miles.

The city is home for the main campus of the Oaktown University, a hospital, a
westside industrial area, a large marina and homes of every description. Oaktown's
government is headed by a elected Mayor and City Council, while administration is
by an appointed City Manager.

ORGANIZATION

The city is headed by an elected Mayor and City Council, who choose a City
Manager. There are several Assistant City Managers, each heading a city
department such as Human Services, Public Works, etc. The Police and Fire
Departments, Parking Enforcement and Animal Control comprise the Public Safety
Department. The ommunications centers operates as a service unit to the police and
fire departments and is supervised by a fire captain and a police sergeant.

GEOGRAPHY

While an intimate knowledge of Oaktown's geography is not necessary for

dispatching, you will often find yourself at a considerable disadvantage when
questioning callers or directing field units if you don't have some familiarity with
the city. It is your responsibility to study maps, street lists and place name lists to
become acquainted with at least the city's streets, parks, schools, hospitals and the
marina area. The following sections summarize the types of information with
which you should be familiar.

City Limits

Oaktown's borders connect with four other cities, a university and another county.
To the north lie Mapletown, to the east Henry County, to the south Pinetown. In
most places the city line, and the police department's jurisdiction, is easy to
determine. However, in the areas of Highway 99 in the west and the city line
bordering Pinetown, it is often difficult to determine which police agency has
responsibility.

You should be familiar with the jurisdiction in these areas: Oaktown Avenue,
Westline Rd. near Ash Avenue, Maple Road and adjacent streets, northern Main
Avenue, eastern Lake Way, upper Torrence Way and southern Hill Blvd.

Districts

Oaktown is composed of several small districts bound to a central, downtown area

adjacent to the Oaktown University campus. South Campus is to the southeast, the
Elmwood area is in the southeast, Hilltown is to the south and the Flats are to the
west. Oceanview is to the northwest, Serenity is to the north, the Oaktown Hills are
to the northeast and Northside is to the northeast. The Oaktown marina lies on the
city's western border. Finally, there is the huge Oaktown University campus just
east of downtown.

Each of these districts has a distinctive atmosphere, including traffic patterns and
building types. For instance, the Oaktown Hills is almost completely residential
with little street traffic, while the Elmwood district has many commercial structures
with alot of vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

Streets

Oaktown streets were originally named after men of science and letters. However,
as the city has grown many other names have been added. Several of the streets in
the downtown area are one-way, several are completely or partially blocked by
barriers and many are split ---they stop and start several blocks apart.

Access to streets varies because of width, parking and trees. There are wide streets
with median strips like University Avenue and narrow, winding streets like La
Vereda. Some are straight and may be driven at high speeds, while others are
crooked and must be driven at a crawl.

Streets names are not always unique--- some are distinguished only by their suffix--
- avenue, boulevard, way, lane, etc. Others street names are duplicated in adjacent
cities. Some block numbers range from 1 to 99, while others range from 200 to
3400. Many Oaktown streets continue beyond the city limits into neighboring cities
and there are many street names which sound similar, but which are at opposite
ends of the city.

All odd house numbers in Oaktown are on the north and east sides of the street,
while even numbers are on the south and west sides. Oakland's numbering scheme
is exactly opposite and some other nearby cities are different, too.

Some street names are obscure and some roadways have no names. There are
several private streets with commonly accepted names while others with no name
at all. There are alleys, walks and paths that have no street numbers and berths in
the marina that are lettered and numbered with boats that are named.

Buildings

Oaktown has high-rise buildings, large houses in the hills, heavily populated
dormitories and hospitals, large industrial complexes, public and private schools,
several parks and the largest marina in the Eastbay. The diversity is staggering and
the number of building names is immense.
There are many restaurants and stores that have several branches in Oaktown,
sometimes on the same street but in different parts of the city. Many businesses
have similar-sounding names.

Police Considerations

During your training you will be begin learning how a police officer thinks and
looks at the city. Where a citizen sees a storefront, an officer sees an easy target for
burglary or an escape route after a robbery. Where a citizen sees an intersection, an
officer sees a previous fatal vehicle accident. Where a citizen sees a street crowded
with vehicles, an officer recognizes a stolen car and suspect.

It's important for you to understand how a police officer views the city and what
aspects of it are important to police work. During your training you will talk to
officers and hear their concerns. You will spend some time riding with officers on
patrol, learning more about the city and how geography affects crime and law
enforcement. More often, you will hear their questions and comments on the radio
about geography and how it affects their patrol.

THE PAST

The Oaktown Police Department's heritage began in 1805 when Henry Young was
elected Town Marshall of Oaktown. He immediately proved himself an honest and
capable officer by cleaning up various gambling dens which had operated for years.

Young then turned his attention to improving the city's capabilities. He requested
that the town's Board of Trustees purchase a shotgun and handcuffs and they
agreed. In 1810, shortly after Oaktown became a city, an ordinance was passed
creating the Oaktown Police Department. In the same move, the town council
named Young the first Chief of Police.

THE PRESENT

The Oaktown Police Department provides law enforcement services to over 92,000
citizens as well as the thousands of persons who work, visit or pass thru the city.
The force of 78 highly-trained officers respond to reports of crimes anywhere in the
city to investigate and apprehend criminals.

The Oaktown Police department is composed of officers who perform patrol duties
on the street and are supervised by sergeants. Lieutenants command all officers
working during a shift, while captains administer the Divisions of the department.
The department is headed by a Police Chief who is chosen by the City Manager and
approved by the City Council.
The Department is organized into specialized units which perform specific law
enforcement duties. As the attached chart indicates, the department is headed by the
Office of the Chief and includes four Divisions, ea

The Administrative Division performs the clerical support functions, including

hiring and training. The Service Division performs investigative support functions,
including keeping records, taking evidence via fingerprints and photographs,
transcribing and reviewing reports, serving arrest warrants and operating the jail.
The Patrol Division provides officers in the field to respond immediately to crimes
and other incidents. The Detective Division (DD) performs specialized, detailed
investigative duties on cases which have been initially investigated by the Patrol
Division.

Within each division there are small units and bureaus which handle specific
investigations or provide special services. Some of these are:

Youth Services--investigates incidents and crimes involving those under 18

years old, patrols Oaktown High campus, administers D.A.R.E. anti-drug
program

Special Investigations--incidents/crimes involving prohibited substances,

vice or sex

Homicide Detail--murders, attempted murders, suicides, shootings, adult

missing persons, escapes, brandishing, disturbing the peace

Auto Theft Detail--vehicle theft, malicious damage to vehicle, theft of gas

from station, auto burglary, theft from vehicle

Robbery Detail--robberies, extortion, bribery, hijacking, kidnapping, grand

theft, gun sales, illegal/concealed weapons

Fraud Detail--counterfeit money, forgery of anything negotiable, bunco and

con games, credit cards, embezzlement

Sex Crimes--rapes, attempted rapes, domestic violence, sex registrants,

disturbing phone calls, indecent exposure

Property Crimes Detail--thefts, burglaries, shoplifts, stolen property, arson,

bombs, malicious mischief, buy/sell operations

Warrant Bureau--administers Oaktown-issued warrants, attempts to serve

major warrants, transports prisoners to Oaktown from other agencies
 Reserves--volunteers who perform patrol, administrative and other duties in
support of the sworn force

Community Services--maintains crime statistics and a liaison with the city's

neighborhood groups

Traffic Bureau--fields four motorcycle officers, traffic analyst and fatal

accident investigation team; supervises parking enforcement officers

Incidents are generally reported first to the Communications Center, where a Patrol
Division officer is assigned to respond and take the first report. The officer
assigned the area where the incident occurred has responsibility for initially
investigating the case and gathering evidence. This officer prepares a report and
routes it to the Detective Division detail which specializes in those cases. The DD
investigators look for trends, common methods of operation and links to other
crimes and assist the patrol officer as necessary.

PATROL SHIFTS

Officers to the Patrol Division are assigned to one of four shifts, number from one
to seven. Patrol officers work four, 10-hour shifts and have three days off. The
basic shifts are:

0645 to 1645
1045 to 0845
1545 to 0145
2045 to 0645

Four teams work these four basic shifts. The other three shifts provide relief for
those officers. Copies of the team list and schedule are available in the
communications center.

For the first 15 minutes of each shift, the officers are in team meeting and are not
available for patrol. After the meeting, the officers obtain their portable radios and
patrol car keys and then head for their cars. This process can take from 10-20
minutes.

As you can see, there are periods during which the off-going officers have come in
but the on-coming officers are not on the street. This occurs during the time 0645 to
0700, 1545 to 1600 and 2045 to 2100.

AUTHORITY
Oaktown police officers have authority anywhere in the state. Agreements with
other states allow Oaktown police officers certain police powers in other states as
well.

JURISDICTION

The police department's jurisdiction lies within the city limits, including all public
and private land and buildings, the Oaktown campus and the waters of Lake Tihuna
to the city line. The police department retains the right to investigate all crimes
occurring within its jurisdiction, altho in some cases responsibility has been granted
to other law enforcement agencies, such as Oaktown University Police and the
transit district. Crimes which occur outside of Oaktown, but where the victim is
currently in the city, may be investigated by Oaktown as a courtesy, altho the
agency where the crime occurred has official responsibility.

RESPONSIBILITY

Responsibility for criminal investigation within Oaktown is shared with several

other state and federal agencies. Such responsibility may be exclusive, such as
private homes and lands, overlapping, such as sharing jurisdiction for bank
robberies with the FBI, or it may be outside, such as the UC campus. The following
areas are examples of these shared responsibilities:

 Oaktown campus; outside, Oaktown Police Department

 state buildings and property; outside, State Police
 federal crimes; overlapping, with the FBI
 waterways; overlapping, with the Coast Guard
 transit system; outside, Transit Police Department
 Oak College property; overlapping, Oak School District Police
 Federal property; overlapping, with Federal Protective Service
 Interstate , Vehicle Code violations only; outside, Highway Patrol

RULES AND REGULATIONS

The rules and regulations of the police department are contained in General Orders
(GO's) and Police Regulations (PR's). They cover personnel policies and
procedures for virtually every activity involving the police department and its
employees. PSD's are bound by the police rules and regulations as they pertain to
providing police services and each PSD must be familiar with pertinent sections of
the police GO's and PR's.

In addition, many activities of the police department are regulated by State law,
including operation of the jail, administration of records and the disclosure of
criminal information. All PSD's must know these sections of the law and abide by
them.
THE LAW

The primary function of the police department is to enforce the laws which have
been enacted by local, state or federal legislative bodies. Sometimes the mere
presence of an officer will suffice to enforce the law. Other times physical force
and/or an arrest must be made. In some cases the officer merely documents the
situation and forwards the report to the district attorney for review for possible
prosecution.

THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

Oaktown operates a city police department and enforces laws written at the local,
state and federal level. Prosecution of criminals is done on a county basis, by a
Oaktown Municipal Court and the County District Attorney. Violations of Federal
law are prosecuted by the U.S. District Attorney and the Federal Courts.

If and when a criminal is convicted, they are sent either to a county jail facility for
misdemeanors or to a state facility for felonies.

Procedures

The system of handling criminal matters is very organized, both in law and in
decisions reached by the courts. In most cases, the first contact is by the police
department patrol officer, who investigates the immediate circumstances of the
incident and prepares a report which is forwarded to the Detective Division for
more in-depth follow-up. The patrol officer may make an immediate arrest if
sufficient evidence is available or an arrest may be made later by the detectives,
who must obtain a warrant from a judge for the suspect.

At the point when the police believe they have sufficient evidence of a crime and
the identity of the person(s) responsible, they send their report to the district
attorney, who reads the report, decides what crimes have been violated and if a
prosecution is possible. If no one is in custody, the district attorney may seek a
warrant for the responsible person and have it served by the police department.

Meanwhile, if a suspect is in custody, he/she may be eligible for bail or release on

his/her own recognizance (OR). In either case, the suspect promises to appear in
court at the appointed time or forfeit the amount of bail. If the person remains in
custody, they must appear before a judge within 48 hours, usually the next day or
Monday morning. At this first appearance the judge formally notifies the accused
of the charges and settles the question of bail and OR and then sets a date for the
preliminary hearing on the matter.

At the preliminary hearing, the district attorney attempts to convince the presiding
judge that there is sufficient evidence to prove that a crime was committed and that
the accused is responsible. If the district attorney is successful, the accused is
bound over for trial, either to Municipal (misdemeanors) or Superior Court
(felonies).

In practical fact, many cases are settled at or before the preliminary hearing stage,
either by a plea bargain or by the accused pleading guilty and accepting the court's
punishment. However, the accused may choose to plead "not guilty" and participate
in a full preliminary hearing and trial.

CIVIL VS. CRIMINAL

The Police Department is concerned with a relatively narrow portion of the law --
that pertaining to criminal conduct. The area of civil law is not formally handled by
the police department, but rather thru lawyers and the courts. However, many times
incidents reported to the police will fall into both areas and police officers must
respond to sort out the situation and handle the criminal matter. Other times the
dispatcher will recognize that the incident is strictly civil and will refer the caller to
competent legal assistance.

It is vital for the dispatcher to know the organization of the criminal laws and what
constitutes possible criminal conduct. Citizens report every possible situation and
request the police department's help. It's up to the dispatcher to screen out the
incidents which the police cannot handle and to send assistance to those with
criminal problems. Often it will be impossible to determine the exact nature of the
incident and you will dispatch an officer to make the final determination.

CITY ORDINANCES

The City of Oaktown enacts laws in the form of city ordinances passed by the city
elected council. Most ordinances pertain to situations and locations specific to
Oaktown, for example the marina, preferential parking, barriers, etc. and they don't
overlap state or Federal laws.

City ordinances are referred to as sections of the Oaktown Municipal Code (BMC)
and are numbered in a particular way, such as 12.03.020 BMC, 13.52.020 BMC,
etc. When speaking of the codes, you would say "Section twelve point oh-three
point oh-two-oh, bee-em-cee." In some cases, shortened names have been adopted
by the police department for use on the radio; however, the full section should
always be used when writing the section in reports or forms.

A copy of all city ordinances is kept in a red binder in the comm center. It is
periodically updated to include revisions or additions. An ordinance cheat sheet is
also available showing the most common ordinances cited by patrol officers.
The Fire Code is a separate document which was adopted in whole with revisions
as stated in the ordinance. If you need to refer to the Fire Code, you should obtain
an amended copy from the fire department's Fire Prevention Division.

STATE CODES

State laws are collected into "codes", each pertaining to a single, related topic as
follows:

 Penal Code laws of conduct

 Vehicle Code vehicles, state highways
 Health & Safety drugs, food, fireworks
 Welfare & Institutions child welfare
 Fish & Game wildlife, fishing

Within each code, separate sections deal with a specific crime and detail the
elements of the offense and its punishment. The sections are referred to by number
and are usually pronounced in a specific manner, such as:

821 PC eight-two-one
11022 VC eleven-oh twenty-two
1211 PC twelve-eleven

PSD's must be familiar with the most common code offenses, their elements and
how to pronounce them. You will learn these during your first week of training and
will continue to pick up new code sections during subsequent training sessions.
Examples of law sections, their pronunciations and the elements of various crimes
is contained in the Appendix.

FEDERAL LAW

While Oaktown has jurisdiction for all laws, enforcement of Federal law is usually
handled by Federal agencies such as the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration,
Secret Service, etc. In certain cases, Oaktown officers will handle cases involving
violations of U.S. laws and forward copies to the appropriate agencies, such as
forgery of U.S. currency. Other times, a Federal agency may respond and directly
assist Oaktown with the investigation, such as the FBI and bank robberies.

While you are not required to be familiar with specific sections of U.S. law, you
should be able to recognize violations as described by callers. Incidents involving
counterfeit money, forgery of any Federal document, assault of government
employees or a crime on U.S. property may require notification of Federal
agencies. If you have any question as to whether a Federal law is involved or who
to notify, consult your supervisor. The Oaktown Fire Department evolved from
several volunteer departments and was formally organized in 18008. Since then it
has been mandated to prevent, investigate, extinguish and report on fires occurring
in the city. Over the years it has also been given responsibility for natural gas,
electrical, water, medical and hazardous materials emergencies.

The Oaktown Fire Department mans seven firehouses with 66 firefighters,

operating five engine companies, one truck companies and two ambulances. The
department is headed by a Fire Chief and a Deputy Chief, while day-to-day
firefighting operations are handled by three platoons of firefighters, each headed by
an Assistant Chief. The department has a Fire Prevention Division, which
investigates fires, approves building plans and inspects commercial premises
annually for fire hazards, and a Training Division, which provides training for new
firefighters and continuing education for current employees.

JURISDICTION

The Fire Department is responsible for the investigation and suppression of all
fires. It inspects commercial and public premises and enforces provisions of the
Uniform Fire Code). The department approves new building construction for
compliance with the fire code. It is responsible for providing emergency medical
service and for handling hazardous materials incidents. It co-ordinates the city's
Civil Defense plans and participates in the city's disaster plan.

The department's area of responsibility extends to the city limits of surrounding

cities and into a portion of Oak Lake.

PERSONNEL

The fire department is composed of COMPANIES of men and equipment deployed

at seven firehouses throughout the city. The lowest rank is FIREFIGHTER, who
handles hose, operates hydrants and performs general firefighting duties. The
APPARATUS OPERATOR drives the fire apparatus and operates the pump or
aerial ladder. EMT's or PARAMEDIC's staff the ambulances and provide
emergency medical assistance. Any rank may be qualified as an EMT or
paramedic, altho most commonly firefighters work the ambulance on a daily basis.
A LIEUTENANT or CAPTAIN supervises operations of the men in the company
and he performs firefighting duties as well. Captains and lieutenants also hold
administrative positions in the Fire Prevention and Training Divisions. In the Fire
Prevention Division, INSPECTORS approve plans and inspect buildings for
compliance with the city Fire Code. The ASSISTANT CHIEFS serve as shift
supervisors and in administrative positions.

The DEPUTY Fire Chief handles administrative matters, including budget,

personnel and purchasing. The FIRE CHIEF is the top administrator and also
serves as the Assistant City Manager for Public Safety, which includes fire, police,
parking enforcement and animal care services.
The fire department follows a chain of command in all matters, as follows:

 fire chief
 deputy chief
 assistant chief
 captain
 lieutenant
 apparatus operator
 firefighter

The firefighting forces are organized into three shifts lettered A, B and C. Each
shift works a rotating schedule of days that run from 8:00a.m. to 8:00a.m. the next
day, as follows:

work day
day off
work day
day off
work day
four days off
[repeat....]

Each shift is supervised by an Assistant Chief, who has responsibility for all fire
operations.

EQUIPMENT AND STATIONS

There are two basic types of motorized apparatus used for fighting fires --engines,
which carry a pump, water and hose for fighting the fires and trucks, which carry
ladders, axes, saws, lights and rescue equipment for reaching fire victims,
ventilating fire buildings and rescuing trapped persons. Trucks have no capability
for fighting fires, except with small fire extinguishers. Both engines and trucks can
respond to medical emergencies with an ambulance.

The fire department has two ambulances that respond to medical emergencies.
They are staffed by two firefighters holding EMT or paramedic certificates and
may be called Rescue or Paramedic 12 and 13, depending on their current operating
status. The ambulances also respond to large fires to perform firefighting duties.

There are also two specialized vehicles used for certain firefighting situations. Hill
Rig 1 is a small, four-wheel drive vehicle equipped with a pump, water and hose
that can maneuver in off-road areas to fight fires. It is parked at Station 5. Chem 1
carries specialized equipment for hazardous materials (HAZMAT) incidents. It it
stored at Station 2.
All engines and trucks are normally manned by an officer holding the rank of
Captain or Lieutenant, an apparatus operator and a firefighter. On some occasions,
a second firefighter is assigned to an engine or truck, for a total crew of four.
Ambulances are always staffed by just two paramedics.

While most apparatus carries the same complement of equipment, some specialized
equipment is carried only on certain apparatus.

Specifically, Oaktown's apparatus is as follows:

Engine 1-4 engines

Truck 1 ladder trucks
Rescue 1-2 ambulances
4-wheel drive grass-fire pumper
HAZMAT-1 HAZMAT equipment
air for breathing apparatus

The fire department's equipment is stationed at seven firehouses which are

distributed throughout the city so that response times to any location are as short as
possible. Each firehouse has an engine company and, at stations 2 and 5, there is
also a truck company. Ambulances are staffed at stations 1 and 2. Reserve or
specialized apparatus and equipment is stored at stations 3, 4 and 1.

In addition to its own equipment, Oaktown sometimes uses equipment and

apparatus from other cities and agencies including Oakland, Albany and Acme
Ambulance.

You should become familiar with the locations of fire stations, apparatus and the
equipment they carry as detailed in the Appendix.

The Communications Center is organized under the Police Chief and is supervised
day-to-day by Police Department sergeants. PSD's work one of five shifts
answering telephones, referring calls or taking incident information and dispatching
fire and police units by radio.

ORGANIZATION

The Oaktown comm center handles incoming calls for service in a two-step
method. The calls are received by complaint dispatchers, who screen the call and
either refer the caller to the appropriate agency, or take information for a police
response. Incident information is entered into the computer-aided dispatch (CAD)
computer, which records all incident information and tracks the status of all officers
and units in the field.

Comm center personnel also prepare the daily police bulletin, listing all crimes and
other incidents of interest. They also maintain various files of information in the
comm center, including lists of stores owners, alarms and wanted vehicles. They
also maintain a library of audio tapes of all telephone and radio conversations
occurring from the comm center.

The comm center uses a two-tiered approach for handling incoming calls for
assistance. Telephone calls are received by call-takers, who answer telephones and
enter incident information into CAD. Two radio dispatchers handle fire and police
radio traffic.

The call-takers also monitor secondary police channels and the police alarm panel.
They assist field units by calling tow companies, alarm companies, victims and
reporting parties.

The radio dispatchers maintain the status of fire and police units, dispatch them to
incidents, co-ordinate their response and provide other assistance to them. They
complete the incident information in CAD. One dispatcher works only police calls
and the other works only fire incidents.

SUPERVISION

The comm center is managed by a police department sergeant and a fire lieutenant.
Direct supervision is performed by a PSD on all shifts. In the absence of a senior
PSD, police responsibility passes to the police patrol division lieutenant, then the
senior on-duty patrol division sergeant. For the fire department, the on-duty
Assistant Chief has authority for all dispatching questions.

The fire department Assistant Chief is responsible for day-to day firefighting
operations and he is your contact for all questions or problems relating to the fire
department. He always notifies you of his location and is available at all hours.
Never hesitate to consult with him about incidents for which there is no standard
procedure. The A/C is always willing to take responsibility for decisions
concerning extraordinary or special incidents.

RULES

Most of what a dispatcher does falls under rules, regulations or procedures devised
by either the police or fire department for dispatching their personnel and
equipment. However, comm center personnel are also governed by a separate set of
rules and regulations. You will be issued a copy of these rules and you should be
familiar with all of them. Violation of the rules can result in a verbal or written
reprimand, time off without pay or dismissal.

The rules and regulations for the fire department are contained in General Orders
(G.O.'s) and a Manual of Procedure (M.O.P.). There are several sections that spell
out specific procedures to be followed by dispatchers handling fire incidents, while
other sections merely provide general information and guidance. You should be
familiar with all of the fire department General Orders and in particular the
following sections:

1.2
6.1-6.4
9.11
15.5
15.7
15.9-15.17
15.21
15.22
15.24
15.25
15.28

The fire department periodically issues Training Bulletins, which may detail
additional regulations or information. Dispatchers should periodically check the
binder containing these bulletins for those applicable to fire dispatching. The comm
center will also periodically issue bulletins which all dispatchers should read and
know.

The police department's rules and regulations are contained in the General Orders
and the Police Regulations. Some sections deal with the conduct of police
department personnel while on duty, while others detail required procedures for
handling different situations. You should be familiar with the latter sections so you
know how to handle most situations as they arise.

RESPONSIBILITY

The dispatcher has the authority to determine, using applicable procedures,

guidelines, personal knowledge or judgement, exactly what action to take in a
given situation. However, any police officer or fire officer has the authority to over-
ride a PSD's decision. If this occurs, you should briefly explain the circumstances
of the incident to the officer to clarify your reasoning. If the officer stands by his
decision, you should not delay any necessary action by discussing it further.
Comply with the request and then refer the situation to your supervisor for
resolution.

If you encounter any situation for which there is no formal procedure or there is
any question about the necessity or type of fire or police response, you shall contact
the your comm center supervisor or, for fire situations, the on-duty fire department
Assistant Chief, for advice. If you encounter communications equipment,
personnel, or procedural problems, you should contact the on-duty comm center
supervisor for advice and guidance.
PHILOSOPHY

The communications center provides dispatching services for both the police and
fire department. Many aspects of dispatching are similar for both departments.
However, each department has its own special needs as dictated by the type of calls
they handle and their established procedures.

All fire and medical calls are considered priorities and are dispatched immediately.
If the closest fire unit is not available, the next-closest unit is sent. Only during a
major disaster would fire or ambulance calls be held and prioritized before being
dispatched. Most calls to the fire department for help are genuine and the callers are
usually co-operative. Citizens have a better overall appreciation for firefighters and
rely on the fire department for help of all kinds.

This contrasts with many police calls, which are prioritized and may be held before
being dispatched. Calls for police services are made by many types of people with
many attitudes. It is not uncommon for callers to have a dislike for the police and to
express that feeling to the dispatcher.

INTER-AGENCY CO-OPERATION

While the two radio dispatchers maintain a separation of duties because of the
priority differences between fire and police, they co-operate as necessary. Between
emergency calls, the fire radio dispatcher can make call-backs, talk to police field
units, answer telephones and do minor paperwork for the police as time and
incoming calls permit.

It's expected that the two radio dispatchers will routinely exchange information
concerning auto accidents, shootings and other incidents involving both agencies so
that the emergency response can be simultaneous and efficient.

RELATIONSHIPS

Comm Center/comm Center

The Comm Center is staffed by civilian Public Safety Dispatchers (PSD's),

uniformed, non-sworn Service Assistant (SA's) and police sergeants. Altho the
positions of PSD and PSA perform separate duties, they are considered to be of
equal rank and are expected to co-operate in all matters.

The comm center can be a busy, noisy, stressful place to work. Callers are
sometimes rude and profane. Dispatchers must often devote total concentration to
the radio for long periods. Interaction among dispatchers is high and the potential
for conflicts is great. In all cases, courtesy and consideration should be among the
most important considerations when dealing with your fellow workers. It's expected
that, if conflicts occur, you will resolve them among yourself or seek the assistance
of your supervisor.

Comm Center/Officers

There is potential for conflict among dispatchers and officers due to the high degree
of interaction between the groups and the stressful nature of the job. Such a conflict
can disrupt operations and make the job generally unpleasant.

There are many reasons why officers might have a conflict with a dispatcher.
Officers feel the danger inherent in the job and expect that others will perform
expertly so as not to put them in jeopardy. Some officers don't like their job and
express their dissatisfaction at every opportunity.

The best way to handle the business of dispatching is just that---as business. You
should reflect a calm, professional tone at all times. When dealing with officers via
radio or telephone, your voice reflects your attitude and officers will react
accordingly. It's not uncommon for an officer and dispatcher to be antagonistic
towards each other via telephone, only to discover that they get along much better
in person.

After you have established a background of competence and professionalism, you

may choose to get to know officers more personally. But remember, their primary
judge of you will be how well you handle your job when they are on the street.

Daily Meetings

PSD's on the third-platoon must attend the platoon meetings held each day by the
patrol division before they go on duty. Other shifts are encouraged to attend the
meetings to become familiar with officers working the street and to hear of their
concerns. During the meetings, the most recent crimes and trends are discussed and
everyone is given a chance to talk on any topic of mutual concern. The meetings
are an opportunity to discuss problems encountered by either officers or dispatchers
and to learn about one another.

Ridealongs

The police department permits PSD's to ride along while on-duty. This allows
PSD's to experience the concerns and problems encountered by the officers and to
give the officers feedback about comm center concerns. While on ridealongs you
should attempt to learn something about Oaktown's geography and how it relates to
police work. You should listen to the radio and the way your fellow dispatchers
work. You should relate the officer's activity with your dispatching duties and
realize that it's important to be concise, complete and clear in your broadcasts.

Comm Center/Other agencies

The police department depends on many other city and private agencies for
assistance. Each of these agencies operates by its own set of rules and procedures,
which must be followed by the police department.

When dealing with another city department, use your name and tell them you
calling from the police department comm center. Do not simply make a request or
order them to do something. Explain the situation to them and ask for their
assistance. Let them explain what they can and cannot do and how they must do it.
If their answer is not acceptable, ask to speak to a supervisor or tell them you will
consult with your supervisor and call them back.

SECURITY AND ACCESS

Access to the comm center is limited to on-duty comm center personnel, police/fire
supervisors and authorized maintenance workers. For this reason, the comm center
is locked at all times and access is by key. Dispatchers are not to allow
unauthorized persons into the comm center without prior permission from the on-
duty comm center supervisor.

FORMS AND PAPERWORK

Virtually all of the information gathered and recorded by dispatchers is entered into
the computer-aided dispatch (CAD) program. However, there are still some paper
forms that PSDs use:

Tow Log -- Oaktown has a contract with three towing companies for vehicles
towed by the police. Towed vehicles are assigned to one of companies on a rotation
basis, each company receiving an equal number of vehicles to tow. All towed
vehicles are recorded on a log maintained in the comm center.

The log contains spaces for the date, time, license plate, vehicle description,
location, reason cited, tow company, case number and handling officer. The tow
log is kept on an arch file hung on the logging tape recorders.

Repo Form-- The state licenses persons to repossess vehicles under specific, legal
circumstances. Before a repossession is actually made, the person doing it will call
the comm center. The person will give the dispatcher information about the vehicle
and the identity of the person making the repossession. Instructions are on the back
of the form and it is routed to Telecomm for entry into the computer system.

TIME-OF-DAY

All references to the time of day in comm center usage are to the 24-hour clock.
The day "begins" at midnight, which is considered 2400. Each succeeding hour
adds one-hundred to the time, for example...
5:00a.m. = 0500
2:42p.m. = 1442
10:13a.m. = 1013
8:19p.m. = 2019

INCIDENT NUMBERING

Police

Each police incident that is a crime report or non-criminal report (NCR) is assigned
a CAD case number. All miscellaneous service calls (MSCs) should also receive a
case number. Other CAD entries, such as information broadcasts, cancelled calls,
etc. do not receive a case number.

The CAD software does not allow one case number to apply to more than one
incident. However, it does allow one incident to have multiple case numbers. More
information on assigning case numbers is given in the "Police Radio Dispatcher"
section.

Fire

Each separate fire incident shall receive an unique incident number except as
follows:

 request for additional equipment same incident

 additional alarm same incident
 multiple grass fires handled by one company
 in same area same incident
 one building fire damages nearby building same incident

No incident numbers are assigned if the fire companies were recalled before they
left the firehouse or never arrived on the scene.

FIRE JOURNAL BOOK

Firefighters are required to report off on sick leave no later than 7:00a.m. of the day
they are to work. When a firefighter calls the comm center reporting off, the
dispatcher shall enter the sick leave under Shift A, B or C in the journal book,
showing the name, company, time and reason for sick leave, which may be one of
the following:

sick leave
family sick leave
death leave
comp
The Assistant Chief of the oncoming shift will call the comm center between
7:00a.m. and 7:15a.m. to find out which firefighters reported off. He may then
request overtime to be hired that same morning to fill vacancies.

It's important to make sick leave entries as soon as you receive them and to record
them under the proper shift. If you make a mistake in recording the leave, the
oncoming assistant chief will hire, or not hire, the proper number of firefighters for
his shift, which causes additional money to be paid.

POLICE BULLETIN

The police department's Daily Bulletin lists all reported crimes. The incidents are
listed by case number and show the time, victim, handling officer and nature of the
offense. The bulletin is a valuable tool for researching information about prior
incidents which may be needed by officers or callers.

The bulletin is also valuable for learning of trends or continuing situations with
which you should be familiar. The bulletin is read during each patrol platoon
meeting and you should read it after returning from your days off to catch up on
what has been happening.

The bulletin is prepared and printed by the CAD software, and is periodically
distributed to several places during a shift by an assigned PSD.

COMM CENTER TIMESHEET

The communications center timesheet lists those persons assigned to work a

particular shift. The Senior PSD is responsible for signing employee sign in and out
on this sheet each day. Any sick leave, vacation or other time off is indicated, as
well as any trades, comp time taken or special assignments.

Forms for trades, overtime and time off are also available and must be completed
each time you trade your shift with another dispatcher, do not work your assigned
shift or work extra time. Trades and requests for time off should be submitted to
your supervisor for approval prior to the actual date. Overtime forms should be
signed by your supervisor before you leave work.

Approved requests for time-off are kept in a small packet in the supervisors office.
If you plan to take time off, check the approved forms first, to see if your request
conflicts with an existing request. If no one has requested the shift off, there's a
good chance your request will be approved. If one or more persons already have the
shift off, check with your supervisor about taking time off.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION
In order to more efficiently perform the job, comm center personnel have access to
reference material and computer-based information. It's important to know how to
access each source and what each contains so that you can find information
quickly.

CAD

The CAD software provides a wealth of information about incidents, addresses,

personnel and telephone numbers. The information files associated with taking
calls and dispatching units is explained in the CAD Trainng Guide. The other files
are:

Notes -- This file includes over 125 topics, including call-out lists, personnel
rosters, and policies and procedures for all types of extraordinary incidents.

Employee-- This file contains the names and home telephone numbers of all police
department personnel.

Telephone Books

Local telephone directories are available in the comm center. Directories for other
cities are available from the Warrant Bureau in Service Division. The directories
are useful for obtaining telephone numbers of businesses and their owners and
persons needing police contact.

A directory of City of Oaktown and police department numbers is also available for
referring callers to other city departments or police units.

Reverse Directory

A directory with listings by address is available for Oaktown and surrounding

cities. You may use the directory to obtain the telephone number for a known
address or to confirm the name or address of a person. Most commonly, officers in
the field will identify an address, then request the dispatcher to determine a
telephone number for that address.

A directory with listings by telephone number for most of the East Bay is available
from the homicide detail or the UC Police dispatcher. You may use the directory
for determining the address of a known telephone number. Most often, you will use
it to locate a person or place when you only have the telephone number.

Alarm Books

The owner of every business with a police alarm connection has been asked to fill
out a form listing persons to call in case of emergency and their telephone numbers.
The forms are filed by module number in green binders. The forms may be used to
locate responsible persons when a premises has been the subject of a crime or
damage.

"No Response" List

Premises which experience more than three false burglary or robbery alarms within
90 days may be fined by the city and police response denied. A list of premises
which do not receive any police response to alarms is published by the Crime
Prevention Bureau monthly and entered into the CAD premise file with an "E"
code. When receiving an alarm, check for the presence of a premise alert "E"
before accepting the alarm from the calling party.

Questions regarding fines, payments or the no-response policy should be directed

to their officer during weekdays.

Business License File

Periodically, the the city's Tax & License unit will print out a listing of all
persons/businesses issued a Business License. The listing runs several hundred
pages and lists the business name, address, owner and associated telephone
numbers which can be used to contact a person responsible for the premises.

The list is useful for locating a business address from only the name, for contacting
the owner of a business and for verifying addresses.

Restraining Orders

At the request of an attorney or citizen, the courts may issue restraining orders for
specified periods of time, naming specific persons who are prohibited from
performing specific acts. In most cases, the orders pertain the maintenance of the
peace and include sections which prohibit a person form coming within a certain
distance of a residence, business or person.

When a restraining order is signed by a judge, the holder of the order may choose
to file a copy of the order with the local police department. It is not required that
they do so and failure to file such a copy does not invalidate the order.

When a restraining order is filed with Oaktown, Service Division will telephone the
comm center, request that a facecard be time-stamped and a case number assigned.
The number is written on the order and a copy is then routed to the comm center.

When the order arrives in the comm center, it is filed in a binder under the last
name of the primary party. In addition, you should write the secondary party's name
on the appropriate index page so that both names may be found.

Press Releases
A copy of all police department press releases is kept on a clipboard in the comm
center, to be used when responding to inquiries from the press or public about
incidents. Further inquiries should be directed to the police press officer at the
number listed on the release.

BOL's

Officers and other agencies will periodically issue "Be On the Lookout" bulletins
(BOL's), describing persons or vehicles wanted by the police. A copy of most
bulletins is kept in a file adjacent to the #1 console, to be referred to when an
officer inquiries about a wanted vehicle or person.

Crime Analysis Bulletin

A bulletin describing most wanted vehicle and persons, fugitives and general
department notices is issued by the police department twice-weekly. A copy of all
bulletins is kept on a clipboard in the comm center, to be referred to when an
officer inquiries about persons or vehicles.

Computer Sources

Oaktown has access to several useful computer systems via computer terminals.
You will learn to operate the terminal and many of codes which permit you to
obtain information from computers in Oakland, Sacramento or Washington, D.C.
within five seconds of the request. Information on operation of specific computer
systems and their commands are described in another manual.

Access and use of any information from computer sources is strictly controlled by
state law. Police department and comm center rules and procedures limit access and
use of information from police reports or any local information files. Information is
available only to authorized persons who have a need to know, and it may not be
divulged to any unauthorized persons. Violation of state law is a misdemeanor.
Violation of local rules or procedures may result in discipline or dismissal. Several
sections of the Penal Code pertaining to release of criminal history information are
included in the Appendix

Manuals for all the computer systems are kept on the bookshelf contain information
on making inquiries and updates to the files.

PIN-- The Police Information System (PIN) contains warrant, parole and probation
information filed by police agencies in the nine-county Bay Area. Information is
available from a person's name or vehicle license number. In addition, this
computer system provides a connection to the state and federal computer systems
listed below.
CORPUS-- The "Court-Oriented Records Unified System" contains criminal
histories, court and jail records for the county. It contains records of all arrests,
court activities and is used to administer the handling of prisoners in jails and
courts throughout the county. Information in available from a person's name or
numeric identifiers.

DMV-- The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) maintains information about

licensed drivers and registered vehicles, including citations, Vehicle Code section
arrests and official actions. Information is available from a person's name or
driver's license (DL) number, and license plate or vehicle identification number
(VIN).

Department of Justice-- The Department of Justice (DOJ) maintains computer

files of lost, stolen or recovered property of all types including vehicles, firearm
registrations, wanted persons and a state file of criminal histories. Information is
available from a person's name or numeric identifier, property serial number or
license plate number.

FBI/NCIC-- The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) maintains the National

Crime Information Center (NCIC) for warrants, stolen or wanted vehicles, certain
stolen property and missing persons. Information is available from a person's name
and birthdate, license plate or property serial number.

Badge/Name Rooster

A list of all police officers is available by last name, badge number and assigned
platoon. The list is useful for determining if an officer is or will be working when a
citizen inquiries, for determining an officer's name for typing on the Bulletin and
for determining in what unit the officer works (Patrol, Service, DD, etc.).

Comm Center Procedure Manual

The training manual for the comm center contains procedures and techniques with
which all dispatchers should be familiar.

Comm Center Reference Manual

The most pertinent lists of names, telephone numbers and procedures are contained
in binders which are kept at the #1 and #7 consoles. The books also contain the
latest copy of on-call personnel in the Detective and Administrative Divisions. You
may refer to them for call-outs and special situations.

Laws

Copies of the State Penal Code, Vehicle Code and the City Ordinances are
available on the bookshelf.
Maps

Maps of Oaktown showing the police beat and federal census boundaries are posted
on the walls. Maps of adjacent counties are contained in the map book.

Equipment

The Public Safety Communications Center is on the third-floor of the Hall of

Justice building. It contains several rooms, each with a specific purpose and with
different equipment. The main comm center contains seven dispatchers' consoles
and a supervisor's office.

There are adjacent rooms housing telephone equipment and tape recorders. During
your tour of the Hall of Justice, your trainer will point out the various rooms and
the equipment they contain.

RADIO

The fire department's radio system allows quick access to both apparatus and
individuals. All fire department apparatus have radios, fire officers carry portables
radios and other key personnel carry pagers.

The fire radio console has controls for the fire, police and local government radio
channels. The dispatcher can receive or transmit on one or more of these channels
in any combination. Some of the channels can be connected together to allow intra-
channel broadcasts.

Operation

The dispatch console contains all the equipment for communicating with radio
equipped field units. The controls for each police channel are contained on
individual "modules" and overall operation is is controlled at a master panel. This
console arrangement allows flexibility in broadcasting or receiving on one or more
channels, via speaker or headphones.

Individual Modules

XMIT button red, broadcasts on an individual channel whether it has been

SELECTed or not; press to transmit; press to transmit

SELECT button green, prepares channel for transmitting; moves receive audio
from UNSELECT to SELECT speaker (or headphones if plugged in) and sets the
volume to full level, regardless of the setting of the individual volume control;
permits the operator to transmit on the master XMIT button; cancels any other
channel(s) selected unless you use SIMUL button; press to SELECT a channel
SELECT light green, indicates the channel is selected

CALL light red, flashes when a radio broadcast is being received on the channel,
stops 3-4 seconds after a broadcast ends

TRANSMIT light red, lights continuously when you transmit on a channel

BUSY light yellow, not used

VOLUME button disables the volume control and sets the channel audio to full
volume; depress to disable

VOLUME control adjusts the audio level on UNSELECTed channels

VOLUME light yellow, indicates that volume control is active

PATCH button green used for cross-patching fire channel 1 with police channel 1;
depress to connect channels; see operation below in Techniques

UNSELECT white, not used

REPEATER ENABLE white, not used

F1/F2 orange, on channel 2 module only, allows channel 2 transmitter to transmit

and receive on channel 1 if that channel's transmitter is out of order; depressed is
channel 1, extended is channel 2; normal position is F2; associated lamps lights to
show chosen channel

MONITOR white, on consoles #1 & #2 only; depress to use Tilden Park receiver
site

CHANNEL 1,2,3,4 white, on consoles #1 & #2 only; depress one button to monitor
that channel from Tilden Park receiver site

Master Control Panel

XMIT (transmit) red, broadcasts on channels that have been SELECTed at the
individual modules; press to transmit

MONITOR white, deactivates the special "filter" which cuts out interference and
nearby stations on Oaktown's police channel. It allows other departments to
temporarily be received at the comm center; press on, press off

INTERCOM CALL button orange, allows local conversation among all the
dispatcher positions; press this button, then touchpad for number of console, then
"I'COM TALK" button
I'COM TALK button orange; used to communicate with another dispatcher after
alerting them with INTERCOM CALL button

SIMUL select green, allows the operator to select more than one channel for
simultaneous broadcasts; press this button WHILE pressing, one at a time, the
SELECT buttons of individual channels you want to group together conversation
will be broadcast on the radio

ALL MUTE white, reduces the volume of all unselected channels to a preset level,
regardless of the volume of the individual channel volume control; press to begin
all mute timing, press again restore full volume

ALL MUTE light yellow, lights when ALL MUTE timer is lowering volume

PATCH/XMIT button transmits on both of the PATCHed channels

PATCH/XMIT light indicates that two channels are patched; flashes 30 seconds
after all activity has stopped on the two PATCHed channels

ALERT tone orange, used during dispatches to gain attention; it is broadcast

ONLY on the SELECTed channel(s); press to sound the tone

VPA button orange, turns on Voice Privacy Adaptor, which scrambles the radio
transmissions to prevent eavesdropping; the mobile unit must be similarly
equipped; used only by certain police mobile units

VU meter shows the strength of the outgoing voice signal VOLUME controls....for
both SELECT and UNSELECT speakers; when headphones are plugged in, they
are controlled by the SELECT volume knob

FIRE button sounds tone in fire dispatcher's console, used by complaint dispatcher
to alert radio dispatcher of incoming fire call; only at rear, CD positions

To transmit--You must first prepare one or more channels by pressing a SELECT

button on an individual module. That channel's SELECT light will light and the
channel's audio will be routed to the SELECT speaker or the headphones if they are
plugged in. Once SELECTed you may transmit on the channel by using the
module's XMIT button, the master panel XMIT button or the right footswitch. You
may SELECT more than one channel by pressing the SELECT button of the
channels you wish to group together WHILE holding down the SIMUL button on
the master panel.

To receive--Incoming broadcasts are heard either thru the SELECT or UNSELECT

speakers or the headset if it is plugged in, depending on whether the channel has
been SELECTed or not.
The volume of incoming broadcasts may be controlled in several different ways.
All channels have a volume control at the individual module. This volume control
is disabled when you SELECT the channel or it may be manually disabled by
extending the button. When enabled, a green lamp lights and you can control the
channel's volume. When disabled, channel volume is switched to full.

Volume to the speakers may be controlled by knobs at the SELECT and

UNSELECT speakers. Thus, you may control the combined output of several
channels you have SIMULed together.

You can temporarily lower the volume of all channels by pressing the ALL-MUTE
button on the master control panel. To reset normal volume, press the button again.
A lamp lights when the channels are muted.

Lastly, you can control the volume of SELECTed channels thru the headset by a
knob at the headset jack.

FIRE CHANNELS

The Fire Department uses four channels, or frequencies, to dispatch equipment and
co-ordinate activities. All channels were authorized by the FCC at one time and are
identified with the single call sign KZZ 888. All fire channels are available at all
consoles.

CHANNEL 1 is the main frequency and is used for all routine and emergency
voice communications with mobile units. All department apparatus and portable
radios have the ability to use this channel. The actual frequency is 154.01 MHz.

CHANNEL 2 is the alternate communications channel for Oaktown. If a large

emergency occurs, units will handle it on Channel 1 and all other routine fire
incidents would be handled on Channel 2.

CHANNEL 3 is the frequency for transmitting coded tones to each fire station, to
dispatch them to emergency calls. Communication is designed to be one-way only-
-from the comm center to all fire houses; however, several of the newer portable
radios have the capability to use this channel. On occasion, one of the assistant
chiefs may use channel 3 to transmit confidential information from the scene of an
incident to the fire dispatcher. The base transmitter is low-power and is designed to
cover only Oaktown. The frequency is 153.83 MHz.

CHANNEL 4 is the state-wide mutual aid frequency (the "white" fire channel),
used during major Oaktown emergencies and for inter-department co-ordination.
Also, the A/C may use this channel to relay "confidential" information from a fire
scene to fire alarm. When using this channel, preface all unit designations with
"Oaktown 1" such as "Oaktown 1 to Oaktown chief 3..." At the conclusion of each
set of transmissions, identify the station by broadcasting the call sign "KZZ 888."

The Channel 4 module has a selector switch that allows the module to transmit
either on the fire white channel or OFD Channel 1 as a back-up transmitter.

All department apparatus and portable radios have the ability to use channel 2.
Virtually all fire departments in the state have radios on this channel, too. The
frequency is 154.28 MHz.

Some Oaktown apparatus and all of the chiefs' vehicles have additional radio
channels as follows:

Mapletown 154.325

Pinetown 154.285

County Mutual Aid 154.070

Oaktown's portable radio's have the following channel capability:

Channel 1 Oaktown main 154.100

Channel 2 mutual aid 154.280

Channel 3 station paging 154.830

Channel 4 Pinetown Fire, channel 2 154.355

Channel 5 Albany Fire, channel 1 154.385

Other public agencies have some of the same channels which Oaktown has, as
follows:

Agency Channel 1 Channel 2 Others

Pinetown chiefs base,mobiles any channel,chiefs

Mapletown mobiles base,mobiles

County fire

Parks District mobiles mobiles

Coast Guard helicopters helicopters any channel

University Police base,Sgt's base Med-Net,base

Channel 1 & 2 Operation

You are required to have fire channel 1 SELECTed and routed to your headset at
all times. You may also listen to other channels thru the headset, but they should
never interfere with incoming transmissions. Whenever apparatus has been
dispatched, it is a good practice to SELECT only fire channel 1 and switch any
other channels to the UNSELECT speaker so you are alert for calls from fire
officers thru your headset. If units are in the field, the receiver panel should indicate
that all receivers are ON.

Channel 3 Operation

In addition to the individual radio controls associated with channel 3, the radio
console allows fire station paging on channel 3. The controls include a eight station
tone buttons and a transmit button.

To page one or more stations, press the associated station tone button. The station's
pager ID appears in the radio console display. To page all stations, press the ALL
CALL tone button.

After selecting one or more stations, press the XXXX button. The pager will
automatically select channel 3, transmit the pager tones and then re-select the radio
channels previously selected.

During the time that the pager tones are being transmitted, you will not have
channel 1 audio available in your headset. The tones typically take less than 4
seconds to transmit, so you won't usually miss an channel 1 transmissions.
However, if channel 1 is very busy, you should turn up the UNSELECT radio
speaker so you can hear any channel 1 transmissions during the page.

In the firehouse(s), the receiver will be activated and a tone will alert the
firefighters that information is about to be broadcast.

Typical Console Set-up

The most common way to set up the fire dispatcher's console is to have:

--fire channel 1 and 3 SELECTed and routed to headphones

During very quiet periods you may also wish to monitor police channel 1 or 2 in
your headphones. However, if you do, you must then use the module XMIT button
when broadcasting on fire channel 1. You should monitor any police channel thru
the headphones, as output from a speaker could cause feedback from the nearby
police dispatcher's console.

Terminology
The fire department does not use codes in any of its radio transmissions. Instead, all
broadcasts are in "plain English"--what you say is what you mean. However, you
should avoid using terms such as "drunk" or "crazy" on the radio. Most firefighters
understand the legal term "51-50" to mean a psychiatric patient and the medical
abbreviation "ETOH" for an intoxicated person. For other situations, you might be
able understand the circumstances of an incident from the fire officer's abbreviated
description, without his saying "We have a crazy drunk down here. Send the
police."

When identifying fire department units on the radio, it is important that you be
clear and unambiguous. You shall use the following format when addressing field
units on the radio:

Engine 5, are you in-service?

Techniques

There are often high noise levels associated with fire department field operations
which make radio reception difficult. Also, there is no volume control associated
with transmitting. So, proper positioning of the headset mouthpiece is very
important. The tip of your microphone should be placed just above or below your
mouth, about 1/2" away from your face. Do not place the microphone in front of
your mouth, as breath noises will distort your transmissions.

Your radio voice should be slow and steady. You should always listen before
transmitting so as not to interfere with other broadcasts. A common mistake is not
synchronizing your speaking with pushing the transmit button, which cuts off part
of your radio broadcast. You should push the transmit button, wait a moment, give
the broadcast, wait a moment, then release the transmit button.

Whenever you need to broadcast letters of the alphabet and wish to avoid any
misunderstanding, use the "phonetic" alphabet. This technique uses peoples' names
for each letter, such as Adam, Boy, Charles, David, Edward, Frank, etc. You should
learn the complete phonetic alphabet in the Appendix.

When calling a field unit, use just that unit's designation, for example "2246." You
may acknowledge calling field units by saying "Check" or the unit designation and
"check", such as "Check, 2245" or "Check, 45." Identify yourself as "Oaktown one"
during all transmissions. For example...

"Oaktown one, twenty-two forty-six is on the scene."

"Chief 2, Oaktown one."

When a field unit calls you, they may use two different forms....
Clearance.....[Oaktown one, twenty-two forty-six.] Go ahead, twenty-two forty-six.
[Twenty-two forty-six in-service.] Check, Twenty-two forty-six.

Non-Stop.....[Twenty-two forty-six in-service.] Check, Twenty-two forty-six.

The choice of method is made by the field radio operator and depends on the type
and amount of other radio traffic. If the channel is busy, they will precede their call
with a clearance request. At non-busy times, they will broadcast their message in
one transmission.

If another public safety agency uses our frequency, they will preface their
communications with their agency name. If another comm center calls, they will
use the term "control" to indicate it is a base station. You should use the same
terminology when calling other agencies on any channel. For example...

"Oaktown one, UC-23" UC police mobile calling comm center

"Oaktown one, UC control" UC police base station calling comm center

"County fire, Oaktown Fire" Oaktown calling county fire base

"Twenty-one forty-one, Oaktown fire" Oaktown calling other city mobile

All normal fireground radio traffic is handled on channel 1. During a greater alarm,
all units dispatched to the major emergency work on channel 1, while units
working unrelated emergencies should work on channel 2. If an major emergency
occurs bordering another city, all Oaktown units should use channel 1, but the A/C
may co-ordinate out-of-city units on channel 2. In these cases, the fire dispatcher
should monitor channel 2 to receive requests for assistance.

Quite often it is important to distinguish between the apparatus and the officer who
is away from the apparatus with a portable radio. Use the suffix "X" to denote the
officer using a portable radio. For example...

"twenty-two forty-five-X, do you need the police there?" or "Chief 3 to Engine 6-

X, take you men to the south side."

Other Considerations

Never acknowledge a field unit on the radio unless you fully understand their
broadcast. If you did not hear or understand any part of it, ask them to repeat, for
example....

"twenty-two forty-five, we copy you need a truck company. What else did you
need? [wenty-two forty-five, we need a police officer here.] wenty-two forty-five,
check.
When two units are calling at one time, avoid replying "Unit calling repeat," as
both units will again broadcast simultaneously. Try to determine one unit's identity,
tell them to stand-by and ask the other unit to repeat, for example...

"twenty-two forty-five stand-by. Other unit calling?"

At times of simultaneous emergencies, you may have to direct the radio

transmissions to allow priority broadcasts. In these cases, ambulance radio traffic
usually takes precedence, unless the nature of the fire traffic is of a life-threatening
nature.

If a field radio is shorted out by water or the `transmit' button is held down
accidentally, the continuous radio signal may block out other radio transmissions.
This is called an "open mike." Reception of other radio broadcasts depends on the
strength of their signal, which varies with distance location and if it is a portable or
mobile radio. For example, an open mike on a portable radio will block other
portable broadcasts to comm center, but not radios from apparatus, which have
more powerful transmitters.

Because of the way radios are designed, the person with the open mike radio does
not receive any radio broadcasts. If you broadcast that there's an open mike, the
person with the open mike will be the one person that doesn't hear you. However, at
an emergency where there is more than one radio, the affected firefighter might
hear your broadcast from another, nearby radio. So, if you have an open mike,
sound the alert tone once or twice, then broadcast "All units check your mikes. We
have an open mike." If the problem persists, you may contact the on-scene chief or
another unit to physically check radios or you can have units switch to channel 2.

In some cases, two field units cannot hear each others broadcasts and you will have
to relay, as follows:

twenty-two forty-five, wenty-two oh-fourcannot hear you. We'll relay. [Check. Tell
wenty-two oh-four the engine is stalling. Can we go to the corp yard?] Twenty-two
oh-four, Twenty-two forty-five's engine is stalling. Can they go to the corp yard?
[Twenty-two oh-four, that's affirmative.] Twenty-two forty-five, twenty-two oh-
four says affirmative.

Note that you do not have to acknowledge the calling unit's broadcast. Simply re-
broadcast the message as you hear it. When relaying broadcasts, avoid saying
"Twenty-two oh-four, did you copy?", as he invariably will say "No." Simply
repeat the message and wait for the field units to acknowledge.

If you intend to broadcast a lengthy piece of information to a field unit, ask them
"Are you clear to copy?," so they may prepare to write down the information.
Whenever you need to use channel 2, tell the field unit "Switch to channel 2."

The radio console is capable of cross-patching fire channel 1 and Oaktown police
channel 1 and UC police channel 1. To do this, press the PATCH button on both
the fire and police channel 1 modules. This will connect the two via a voice-
activated transmit relay and light the PATCH indicator lights on both modules. The
dispatcher may transmit on both the patched channels by using the PATCH/XMIT
button on the master console panel. To use the patch, mobile units on either
channel begin each transmission with the keyword "fire", if calling a fire unit, or
"police", if calling the police unit. Since the link is voice-activated, this will turn on
the other channel's transmitter. When broadcasting, mobile units should not pause
long between words, as the patched transmitter will turn off. At the end of
receiving a transmission, a unit should wait 1-2 seconds before beginning a reply.
During a transmission, all communications is one-way. At the end of patched
communications, press the PATCH button again to break the connection. The
PATCH/XMIT light will begin to flash after about 30 seconds if the patch is active
and no communications have taken place.

Channel patching is done only with the permission of the A/C and only for
emergency co-ordination of fire and police units. The channel patch to UC police is
one-way only---UC transmissions are repeated on the fire channel but fire
broadcasts are NOT heard on UC's radio system.

If it is necessary for you to use a police channel during co-ordination of joint

emergencies, use the term "fire dispatch" to designate yourself, for example...

Adam-six, fire dispatch. [Adam-six, go ahead.] Meet the fire officer behind the
house to take the report. [Adam-six, check.]

Note that the format for police broadcasts is different than used by the fire
department. The order is "(called unit) from (calling unit)." You might try mentally
putting of the word "from" between the two unit designations in order to make the
order clearer to you.

Oaktown's channel 1 and 3 are identified on the half-hour by broadcasting the call
sign "KMA 704." During the evening hours when the marina attendant is on-duty
and the comm center is monitoring the local government channel, identify that
frequency with the call sign "KMK 859."

You should use the following standard radio phrases as appropriate:

"You're unreadable" radio unit calling cannot be heard clearly

"Units are covered" two or more radios are calling at once

"You're loud and clear" radio reception is okay during radio tests
"Unit calling, repeat" you did not hear or understand, repeat

POLICE CHANNELS

The police department's radio system allows quick access to all units and
individuals. All police department vehicles have radios, police officers carry
portables radios and some key personnel carry pagers.

The police radio consoles have controls for the fire, police and local government
radio channels. The dispatcher can receive or transmit on any of these channels in
any combination. Some of the channels can be connected together to allow intra-
channel broadcasts.

The police radio is a repeated type of system. This means that incoming radio
transmissions from field units are received and then simultaneously rebroadcast by
the base station to other field units. This method improves portable-toportable
transmissions and insures that each field unit hears all broadcasts.

There are number of satellite receivers throughout the city which pick up
transmissions from field units and relay them via telephone lines to the Hall of
Justice. The radio system compares all incoming signals, picks the best one and
sends that signal to the radio console. These remote receiver sites permit better
reception of weak signals from inside buildings, "shadow" areas of the city and
from portable radios.

Each radio channel actually consists of two frequencies--one for mobile

transmissions and one for base station transmissions. Therefore, the base station
and field units can broadcast independently of one another and at the same time
without interference. However, field units broadcasting at the same time will
interfere with each other.

The base station equipment is arranged so that the dispatcher may transmit and
receive at the same time. Therefore, even tho you are broadcasting on a channel,
you can hear a mobile call you. Mobile units do not have this arrangement and may
only hear a broadcast when they are not transmitting.

CHANNEL 1 is the main frequency and is used for all routine and emergency
voice communications with mobile units. The actual frequency is 460.100MHz.

CHANNEL 2 is the tactical and car-to-car frequency. All department vehicles and
portable radios have the ability to use channel 2. The frequency is 460.200 MHz.

CHANNEL 3 is a special car-to-car frequency that shares one of Channel 2's

frequencies. It bypasses the normal radio repeater and allows direct
communications with another unit, so the range is limited to about 5-10 blocks,
depending on surroundings. The channel is monitored only--you cannot transmit
using the Channel 3 module. To broadcast on Channel 3, XMIT on Channel 2 and
listen on the Channel 3 receiver speaker. The frequency is 460.300 MHz.

Incidentally, mobile transmissions that are rebroadcast on channel 2 are also

received on the Channel 2 module. The channel 3 receiver is disabled during base
station transmissions on channel 2.

CHANNEL 4 is used for inquiries to Telecomm for computer checks on warrants,

vehicle registration, stolen vehicle checks, etc. It may also be used for mobile-to-
mobile and base-to-mobile communications and special events. The frequency is
460.400 MHz.

LAWNET 3 is a state-wide net which allows police departments throughout the

state to communicate with each other. It is not currently used by Oaktown, altho
you may hear transmissions among other departments. The frequency is
156.075MHz.

LEMARS is the state-wide police mutual aid frequency. Although no Oaktown

radios have this channel, most other state departments have the capability to
operate on this channel. In some cities, such as Oakland, the channel is used as a
car-to-car frequency in addition to mutual aid operations. The frequency is 155.55
MHz.

Channels 1 through 4 are assigned the radio call sign KZZ 889 and are available at
all consoles. Channel 5's call sign is KZZ 890 and Channel 6's is KZZ 891.

Oakwood Transmitter Site

receivers for 1 and 2, but they feed the voting system

receiver for channel 3 routed directed to module

small transmitter site

Normal Operation

You are required to have police channel 1 SELECTed and routed to your headset at
all times. You may also listen to other channels on the UNSELECT speaker, but
they should never interfere with incoming police calls. In most cases, you will
listen to channel 2 for officers call Control on that channel.

Typical Console Set-up

The most common way to set up the police dispatcher's console is as follows:

--channel 1 selected --both speaker volumes up slightly

--channel 1 and 2 module volumes up slightly

--other channels turned down

This set-up insures that, regardless of what channel you have SELECTed, you will
hear channel 1 and 2 from the speakers. You can also monitor any other channel
merely by turning up its individual volume control.

Terminology

The police department uses codes in all of its radio transmissions. You should be
familiar with the 10-code and various law sections in order to effectively
communicate with officers on the radio.

When calling police officers units on the radio, refer to them their badge number.
For reasons of security and professionalism, never use officers' names on the radio.
The Oaktown badge numbers are...

1 to 90 officers

S-1 to 10 sergeants

L-1 to 5 lieutenants

C-2 to C-3 captains

C-1 chief of police

It's important that you be clear and unambiguous when calling field units on the
radio. The proper format for radio traffic is "(called officer) FROM (calling
officer)". When control calls a field unit the broadcast would be:

Adam-six, from Control

In most cases it will be obvious that the base station is calling the mobile unit and
you may omit the word "control" when calling a field unit, saying simply "55." If
there might be a misunderstanding, such as when several units have just called an
officer, use "55, Control" to indicate who is calling the field unit.

When calling an officer, you may use just the officer's badge number, for example
"55." You may acknowledge a calling field unit by saying "10-4" or the badge
number and "check", such as "10-4, 55" or "Check, 55."

Officers calling control will use the same format, such as "Control from 55." In
most cases, they will omit the "from" and simply use the two unit designations,
such as "Control, 55."
The field unit may use two different forms, either calling Control or just
broadcasting their badge number. For example, "Control, 55" or just "55". In
addition, the officer may request clearance or just begin broadcasting, as follows:

clearance.......Control, Adam-six. [Go ahead, Adam-six.] I'm 10-8 from my stop.

non-stop........Control, Adam-six. I'm 10-8 from my stop.

The choice of method is made by the field radio operator and depends on the type
and amount of other radio traffic. If the channel is busy, they may precede their call
with a clearance request. During non-busy times, they may broadcast their message
in one transmission.

Techniques

There are often high noise levels associated with police department field operations
which make radio reception difficult. Also, there is no volume control associated
with transmitting. So, proper positioning of the headset mouthpiece is very
important. The tip of your microphone should be placed just above or below your
mouth, about 1/2" away from your face. Do not place the microphone in front of
your mouth, as breath noises will distort your transmissions. The radio volume
should be loud enough to hear but low enough that it doesn't produce "feedback"
into the microphone.

Your radio voice should be slow and steady. You should always listen before
transmitting so as not to interfere with other broadcasts. A common mistake is not
synchronizing your speaking with pushing the transmit button, which cuts off part
of your radio broadcast. You should push the transmit button, wait a moment, give
the broadcast, wait a moment, then release the transmit button.

Whenever you need to broadcast letters of the alphabet and wish to avoid any
misunderstanding, use the "phonetic" alphabet. This technique uses peoples' names
for each letter, such as Adam, Boy, Charles, David, Edward, Frank, etc. You should
learn the complete phonetic alphabet listed in the Appendix.

If another public safety agency uses our frequency, they will preface their
communications with their agency name. If another comm center calls, they will
use the term "control" to indicate it is a base station. You should use the same
terminology when calling other agencies on any channel. For example...

"Oaktown, U-23"............University police mobile calling control

"Oaktown, University control".......University police base station calling control

All incident dispatching and normal co-ordination is handled on channel 1.

Lengthy, non-urgent and car-to-car communications should be made on channel 2.
Special detail co-ordination, surveillance and other non-patrol activities may also
use channel 2 as necessary.

Sometimes it is important to distinguish between an officer using a vehicle radio or

a portable radio. Use the suffix "X" to denote the officer using a portable radio. For
example...

"Adam-six-X, are you Code 4?" "Control, Adam-six-X, send me an 11-98, please."

Never acknowledge a field unit on the radio unless you fully understand their
broadcast. If you did not hear or understand any part of it, ask them to repeat, for
example....

"Adam-six, I copy you need a tow truck there. What else did you need? [Adam-six,
I need OFD here for a washdown.]

When two units are calling at one time, avoid replying "Unit calling repeat," as
both units will again broadcast simultaneously. Try to determine one unit's identity,
tell them to stand-by and ask the other unit to repeat, for example...

"Adam-six stand-by. Other unit calling?"

At times of simultaneous emergencies, you may have to direct the radio

transmissions to allow priority broadcasts. In these cases, crimes in progress have
first priority. Other priority broadcasts include car and ped stops, calls from officers
checking alarms or at domestic disturbances, etc.

If the `transmit' button is held down accidentally on a field radio, the continuous
radio signal may block out other radio transmissions. This is called an "open mike."
Reception of other radio broadcasts depends on the strength of their signal, which
varies with distance location and if it is a portable or mobile radio. For example, an
open mike on a portable radio will block other portable broadcasts to comm center,
but probably not vehicle radios, which have more powerful transmitters.

Because of the way radios are designed, the person with the open mike radio does
not receive any radio broadcasts. If you broadcast that there's an open mike, the
person with the open mike will be the one person that doesn't hear you. The base
station can transmit over the open mike but, if static or background noise from the
open mike is excessive, other field units may not hear your transmissions.

If there's a chance that the officer with the open mike is near someone else with a
radio, you should sound the ALERT tone once or twice and broadcast "All cars,
check your mikes. We have an open mike." You should also all-call the station on
the intercom in case the officer is in the Hall of Justice. If the problem persists, you
should have all units switch to channel 2, and then give each officer a "ring" to
insure that they have properly switched channels. Once the open mike is located or
clears, switch back to channel 1 and give rings again.

If you intend to broadcast a lengthy piece of information to a field unit, ask them
"Clear to copy?," or "10-63?" so they may prepare to write down the information.

Do not use the radio INTERCOM between consoles during any police radio
transmission, as your conversation will be transmitted on the police radio. You do
not have to be pressing the transmit button yourself. Any radio broadcast while you
are using the INTERCOM will cause your conversation to be transmitted over the
radio.

Oaktown's police channels are identified on the half-hour by broadcasting the call
sign "KSL 359." You may use the SIMUL function to broadcast the ID on all
channels at once or simply ID one channel at a time.

You should attempt to use the following standard radio phrases when appropriate:

"You're unreadable (10-1)"...radio unit calling cannot be heard clearly "Cars

covered.........two or more radios are calling at once "You're loud and clear"....radio
reception is okay during radio tests "Last car (unit) (10-9)"...you did not hear or
understand, repeat

LOCAL GOVERNMENT RADIO

The police department console has the capability to operate on Oaktown's "local
government" (LG) radio system, used by public works, parks and marina, electrical
and other city agencies. These two channels, designated UHF and VHF, are
monitored only from 1700 to 0700 daily and 24-hours on weekends and holidays.
For further information, see the LOCAL GOVERNMENT RADIO section in this
manual for LG procedures.

TELEPHONES

Each dispatcher position has a 100-line console with business, emergency and
direct telephone lines. Each set of telephone lines is used for a specific purpose and
is handled differently by the dispatcher. You must be aware that you may receive
emergency calls on ANY of the public numbers. Also note that not all these
telephone lines are available at all of the rear dispatcher positions.

Business Lines

All police department business offices have direct, Centrex lines. However, the
numbers 644-6743/8 are maintained for citizen calls who do not have the correct
Centrex number or who are reporting non-emergency incidents. These lines are
shared with the fire department and shall be answered "Oaktown Police and Fire."
Calls on these lines from outside numbers can be transferred to other Centrex
telephones. Callers using this number to reach officers, units of the police
department or other city administrative offices should be given the new Centrex
number and then transferred. You may use these lines to make local, outside
business calls.

Emergency Lines

While over 90% of department emergency calls are received on 911 lines, you may
also receive fire and medical emergencies over 644-6161/8. These lines should be
answered "Oaktown Police and Fire." Only calls received on the -6161 line can be
transferred to other telephones.

If you receive a non-emergency call on these lines, tell the person it is an

emergency line, give them the proper Centrex number and ask them to call the
number directly.

Business Lines-Fire

Most fire department business offices have direct, Centrex lines. However, the
numbers 644-6743/8 are maintained to answer citizen calls who do not have the
correct Centrex number. These lines are shared with the police department and
shall be answered "Oaktown Fire and Police." Calls on these lines from outside
numbers can be transferred to other Centrex telephones. Callers using this number
to reach firehouses, firefighters, fire prevention or other administrative offices
should be given the new Centrex number and then transferred. You may use these
lines to make local, outside business calls.

Dispatch Lines-Fire

The "dispatch" telephone line links all fire houses and the ambulance quarters with
the comm center. It is not part of the public telephone system but works in a similar
way. It is to be used only for dispatch-related conversations.

Each point in the system has been assigned a number or symbol as follows:

01.....station 1
02.....station 2
03.....station 3
04.....station 4
05.....station 5
06.....station 6
07.....station 7
0*.....Rescue 12
0#.....Rescue13
8.....comm center
09.....all-call

To reach a station(s) on the system, lift the handset. You will not hear a dial-tone.
Press the number(s) or symbol(s) you wish to reach--to reach more than one
station, just press another number or symbol. There will be no ringing. The officer
answering will identify the station. To call all stations on the circuit dial 0 (zero)--
you don't need to dial all station numbers individually--and wait for all the station
light to appear.

The DISP telephone rings until someone picks it up or until a preset period of time
elapses. If the station does not answer within 30-40 seconds, redial the station(s)
again to re-start the ringing process.

Beside the dispatch line button are nine buttons labeled with the station numbers 1
thru 7 and 12 and 13. These buttons are not connected to any telephone lines.
Rather, they light up when the dispatch line is answered at the particular house,
providing a positive indication of who is on the line during an all-call.

The DISP telephone system has a fuse which protects the circuit from an overload.
If the fuse blows, an alarm will be received on module #33 of the police alarm
board. If this occurs, notify the radio technician either at the Corporation Yard or
via the answering service.

Administrative Lines-Fire

The two Centrex lines 4-6768 and 4-6788 are used by fire officers and firefighters
who want to contact the fire dispatcher for business purposes. Other public safety
agencies may also call on these lines during emergencies. This line should be
answered "Fire dispatch" and should not be used for making outside calls.

Special-Fire

The unlisted Centrex telephone numbers 644-6252 and 644-6725 have been
reserved for incoming emergency calls by fire chiefs in the event that all other lines
are busy during an emergency. Dispatchers should answer this line with "Fire
dispatch" and should not give out this number to anyone. Do not make outside calls
on these lines.

Tip Line

This line is reserved for anonymous information and tips by citizens. Callers can
simply dial the (888-0001) to reach the police department. This line should be
answered "Oaktown Police." You should not insist on obtaining caller identity
information, altho they may give it if they wish. Do not make outside calls on this
line.
Direct

The department is linked to several public safety agencies and alarm companies by
"ring-down," direct telephone lines. When these lines are picked up, they
automatically ring the telephone at the other end. To place a call on one of these
lines, simply lift the handset and wait for the telephone to ring at the other end.
These lines should be answered "Oaktown Police and Fire."

The direct lines are:

Honeywell
Alarmco
Kask
Red Alarm
PFE
Transit District police
University police
city elevators

Some of these companies maintain fire alarms only and are contacted only by the
fire dispatcher. Some, like ADT, maintain both fire and burglary/holdup alarms and
might be used by all dispatchers.

If you inadvertently pick up the handset while a direct-line button is depressed, it

will start the ringing process at the other end. Even if you quickly switch to another
telephone line, the distant telephone will continue to ring. The other party will then
answer and find no one on the line. However, their answering will initiate the same
process again--- a "ring back." To avoid this, always disconnect from a direct line
after yo use it.

These lines are tested at least every 12 hours by the alarm companies, which
maintain a record of the tests and mail them to the Fire Prevention office each
monthly.

PBX System

The city has a centrally-operatd PBX. It allows special dialing features which
permit calls to be transferred, conferenced or put on hold. Virtually all city offices
have telephones on this special exchange, which has the prefix 881-.

Because telephone numbers were in short supply, the telephone company also
assigned residences and businesses telephones with the 888- prefix. Do not assume
that because the phone number begins with 644- that it is a City PBX number.

The four fire department PBX lines terminating in the comm center should be
answered "fire department." You may use these lines to make local and toll calls.
All fire department offices, firehouses and chiefs' homes have PBX numbers. The
PBX numbers to the chief's homes should not be given out to the public. Only the
fire department office and firehouse PBX numbers are public. See Appendix C for
a list of Public Safety telephone numbers.

How to Use

Outside callers may call police department offices directly using the 7-digit Centrex
number. Callers using Centrex lines dial only the last 5 digits, for example.....

outside to PD unit..............888-6158

PD unit to PD unit................8-6158

To transfer an incoming, outside call received on a Centrex line, press the

RECALL button and wait for the new dial tone. Dial the number and await the ring
or busy signal. You may complete the transfer by hanging up the telephone or, if
you wish to regain the original call, press the RECALL button again. You may then
talk to the caller again or retry the transfer with an alternate number.

To conference a call between an incoming call, a second party and yourself, use the
above transfer technique, then simply press the RECALL button after the third
party answers and stay on the line.

To hold a party while you confer with another party, use the transfer technique
above. When the third party answers, confer with them and, at the conclusion of the
call, press the RECALL button to regain the original caller.

Calls between Centrex extensions cannot be transferred. Give the caller the new
police department Centrex number.

911

The County has installed an "enhanced" nine-one-one (911) emergency telephone

system. It allows callers to dial just three digits to reach all public safety agencies
from anywhere in the county. It allows callers from telephone booths to make
emergency calls without using a coin. Features of the system include a display of
the caller's telephone number (Automatic Number Identifier, ANI) and address
(Automatic Location Identifier (ALI), the name if a business, simplified transfer to
other public safety agencies or any 7-digit numbers and a foreign language
translation.

Each address in the county has a designated Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP)
which handles all emergency services for that area, or directly refers emergency
requests to the proper agency. When a call is placed via 911, the telephone
company computer determines that number's PSAP and then routes it there.
There are seven incoming 911 emergency lines in the Comm Center. When a 911
call is received, the calling party's telephone number, address is displayed. The
screen also shows if the premises is a residence, business, city sidewalk (CSW), a
coin phone, a PBX or Centrex. The public safety agencies serving the address are
listed at the bottom of the screen. The display remains visible until another call is
received (the old information then "scrolls" off the screen) or you press the RESET
button on the base of the display.

A caller on 911 may be transferred to another nearby public safety agency by

pressing a button on the transfer box. Call may be transferred to any 7-digit number
by pressing "ADD," waiting for a dial tone, then entering the number on the
telephone's Touch-Tone pad. If you make a mistake or the number is busy, you
may regain control of the original call by pressing the CAN button and then try
again.

You may also transfer calls to certain jurisdictions using special two-digit numbers.
To do this, look up the two-digit number, press ADD, then enter the two-digit
number. You may also reach these jurisdictions yourself on 911 lines by simply
entering the two-digit number when you hear the dial tone.

The one-button transfers for the 911 system are as follows:

 other cities one-button transfer to other agencies

 ADD allows dispatcher to transfer 911 call to any 7-digit number; press
ADD to get dial tone, dial number, when distant party has answered,
continue 3-way call or hang up to complete transfer
 ALM resets the audible trouble signal and displays the system error code;
displays clock when system normal
 CAN cancels a transfer operation, control of the call is returned to the
dispatcher
 RPT ALI re-interrogates the automatic location database and redisplays the
information; used when the original display was garbled or incomplete
 CRNK transfers caller to recording which warns that misuse of the 911
system is a misdemeanor
 TRAN connects caller with translation service; you must stay on line to
receive translated information

Above the transfer buttons are three "windows" which displays numbers. The first
window displays a two-digit trouble code. The next window displays the first three
digits of the telephone number, the third window the last four digits of the
telephone number.

All 911 call time information is recorded on a printer in a room adjacent to the
comm center. The print-out includes the console number, calling party's number,
the time the call was received, answered, transferred (if transferred to another
agency) and disconnected. You can have your supervisor refer to this printout when
trying to recontact callers.

You should record the calling party's number on all police dispatch cards. You
should never make outside calls on the 911 lines. These are used for both fire and
police incoming calls, so these lines should be answered "Oaktown emergency."
State standards require that you not say just "Oaktown Police" or "Oaktown Fire."

Elevator Lines

The emergency telephones in several elevators in city buildings are connected to

the comm center by direct, ring-down lines. There is also a direct-ring telephone in
the city council chambers, inside the school administration building, 2140 Main St.
Callers may be reporting crimes or medical problems or that they are stuck in the
elevator. If the line goes "off the hook," dispatch a police officer to investigate.
These lines should be answered "Oaktown emergency."

Tacphone

The county maintains a microwave-based telephone system linking all county

public safety agencies. It is termed the "Tacphone" and all numbers are three digits.
The police department uses this telephone for communications with other police
agencies and with the county during times of disaster. It does not connect to
adjacent cities in a different county. The Oaktown police and fire departments have
separate Tacphone numbers, but either may used when making outgoing calls. This
line should be answered "Oaktown Police/Fire."

Station Private Lines

Firefighters in each firehouse have installed telephones at their own expense for
their private use. The telephones are billed separately from the department and are
usually used by friends and relatives. The telephones numbers are not ordinarily
given out to citizens. However, friends or relatives requesting the private line
number to a firehouse may be given the number. In an emergency, you can use
these telephones to reach a firehouse.

Local

There is one line used for local calls between telephones in the comm center. It is
labeled "ICM" and the position's number. There is no dial tone and you do not hear
the dialed number ring. Each position has a one or two-digit number which sounds
a buzzer at the called telephone.

Screening, Forwarding-Fire
When you receive a call for another person or department, you should handle it as
follows:

 firefighter ransfer to firehouse Centrex line

 office transfer to office
 fire prevention transfer to FP

A/C if during office hours, transfer to A/C's office; if after hours, ask who is calling
and announce call to the A/C

The Console

All telephone lines terminate in a 100-button station built into the console. Each
telephone line is connected to one button. To connect to a telephone line for
answering or originating a call, push the button. To disconnect or hang up from a
line, push the button again. Only one line may be active at a time, so you may have
only one button depressed at a time. If you engage a second button, that line will
not become active until you disengage the first line.

A light behind each button indicates the status of the line---steady if the line is in
use, slow flashing if a call is incoming, fast flashing if a call is on hold. A low-
volume warble tone signals an incoming call.

To the right of the 100 buttons are five control buttons and a Touch-Tone pad. To
put a line on hold, press the HOLD button, then press the line button to disengage
it. When you press the hold button, it will light as red and the line button will flash
quickly. You must disengage a line on HOLD before using any other line.

To transfer Centrex calls, press the RECALL button to obtain a second dial tone
and then dial the number. Disengage the line button to complete the transfer. For
instance, you answer a call and the person wants Fire Prevention. Press the
RECALL button and you will receive a dial tone. Dial 4-6189 and the distant
telephone will ring. Disengage the line button to complete the transfer.

Toll Calls

Dispatchers should attempt to minimize the cost of toll and long-distance calls by
using the proper routing method, as follows:

 local Centrex, dial 9 and number

 toll (within 415) Centrex, dial 9 and number
 long distance (within Ca.) Centrex, dial 8 and number long distance (outside
the state.)...Centrex, dial area code, number
No personal toll calls are permitted on any city telephone lines. If a personal
emergency demands that you place a toll call from the comm center, notify your
supervisor, who will arrange for you to place the call.

If you reach a wrong number while making a toll call, you should immediately call
the telephone company operator and give them the information, so that they may
correct the billing.

Phone Security

Whenever you receive a call on a public line, you cannot assume who the caller is.
However, if you receive a call on the Tacphone or ring-down lines, you can safely
assume that the call is coming from a public safety agency. Whenever anyone
reports an alert, requests mutual aid or requests official information, you may have
them call on one of the private systems or request a call-back number, to insure that
the request is authentic.

Personal Use of Telephones

Dispatchers shall not use any comm center lines for either in-coming or outgoing
personal calls except in urgent cases with the permission of their supervisor.
Personal use of city equipment or making personal toll calls is not allowed.

In addition, many people listen to the comm center tapes on a regular basis,
including the Police Review Commission, judges, private investigators, private
attorneys, Internal Affairs and the Public Defender's office. It is unprofessional and
often embarrassing for these people to listen to personal telephone calls while
reviewing the logging recorder tapes.

ALARM BOARD

The alarm board on the west wall of the comm center is the receiving point for
alarms installed in Oaktown banks and other businesses. Each business is
connected to a module by a telephone line. The module shows the status of the
alarm, an alarm light and a switch to silence the audible alarm. The modules are
arranged in three banks, with each bank having a master alarm light.

When an individual alarm module is activated, the module meter moves to the
"ALARM" or "TROUBLE" position, the module alarm bulb lights, the group
master alarm indictor lights and a tone sounds. To silence the alarm, simply turn
the toggle switch on the module to the UP position. The master light will go out,
the tone will be silenced but the module light will remain on until the alarm is reset
at the business. There is no way that the alarm system can be reset from the comm
center.

The meter on each module indicates the status of the alarm circuit, as follows:
  reset green, no alarm; system is working
 trouble black, alarm; system/telephone line trouble
 alarm red, alarm; system has been activated

It is important that all alarms be reset as quickly as possible after activation to

insure the safety of the business. If an alarm shows trouble for an extended period
of time, you should notify your supervisor, who will attempt to notify the business
owner to have the system reset or repaired.

Procedures for handling alarms received from this board are contained in other
sections of this manual.

JAIL ALARMS

There are two panels associated with the 3rd floor police jail:

 Fire alarm indicator panel with area lights. This panel duplicates one inside
the jail office. Any alarm from this panel should be immediately confirmed
by telephone or radio with the jail personnel.
 Jail door override buttons and alarm. This panel allows comm center
personnel to override the interior jail door controls and to unlock one or
more jail security doors.

These buttons should only be used in an emergency and only after directing officers
to provide security to the northside jail fire escape and other exits.

This panel also contains an alarm, and an alarm "on-off" switch. This switch should
always be in the "on" position unless directed to turn if off by the jail supervisor.

RADIO ALARM

To combat particular burglary problems, the Property Crimes unit may temporarily
install a radio alarm in a premises. The alarm consists of a metal box containing a
motion detector and a radio transmitter set to channel 2. The alarm is usually turned
on by the owners as they leave work and then turned off again when they return to
work, and they will notify the comm center when this occurs to verify the alarm
being tripped.

If the alarm senses motion within the area where it's set, it broadcasts a series of
particular tones on channel 2 for about 10 seconds. The tones identify which alarm
(1-4) has been activated. A panel at comm center console #4 senses the tones on
channel 2 and lights up a push button indicating which alarm has been received and
sounds an alert tone. To silence the alert, push the lighted button. You may have to
push the button several times, as the panel will continue to sound as long as the
alarm is transmitting--about 10 seconds.
TAPE RECORDER

All telephone and radio traffic at each position in the comm center is constantly
recorded. Telephone calls are recorded both on a instant playback machine (ECHO)
at the telephone dispatcher's consoles, and on a 24-hour logging recorder in an
adjacent room. A "beep" on the telephone line every 15-seconds indicates that the
conversation is being recorded. All radio channels are recorded on the logging
recorder.

The ECHO recorder is used to record all calls for immediate playback. It is readied
for operation by pressing the RWD button until the end-of-tape (EOT) lamp lights,
pressing STOP and then pressing the REC button. Now, whenever you pick up the
telephone the conversation will be recorded. It records on a 30-minute, continuous
loop of tape. It places a marker "beep" at the end of each conversation. To play
back the last conversation, merely hit the RECALL button. The tape will be
rewound to the last marker "beep" and begin playing. To replay the next previous
conversation, press the REPLAY button again. You may continue to do this until
you reach the first conversation. When the recorder reaches the end of the
conversation being played, it will stop automatically and resume the record mode.
The two arrow buttons are momentary rewind and fast forward, the STOP button
stops the tape drive and the FWD button is fast forward. The volume control turns
the recorder on/off and adjusts the speaker output.

The logging tape recorder continuously records on 24-hour reels of tape. It is

mainly used for replaying radio and telephone conversations days or weeks old.
However, in the event of a instant-playback malfunction, it is possible to replay
logging recorder tapes to verify addresses.

Two copies of tapes are produced on the recorder--one is kept for seven days, the
other for 100 days. The tapes are changed each day at about midnight, labeled and
kept in a locked storage cabinet. Complete instructions for changing the tapes are
displayed on the tape storage cabinet.

GENERATOR TEST

Each Monday morning the Electrical Division of the city tests the emergency
generator which provides power to the Hall of Justice and the comm center. During
this test, they will cut power to the building and the generator will then
automatically start. The generator will run for three to five minutes and then main
power is restored.

During these tests, there may be periods of 1-3 seconds when there is no power at
all. Most of the comm center electrical equipment is not affected by this outage, but
some are.
The logging tape recorders have a tension sensor which continually feels the tape.
During the power interruption the tape may stop and sag somewhat. When power is
restored, the tension sensor will not allow the recorder to restart. No trouble audible
signal is given when this occurs. So, after each generator test, you should check all
four logging recorders to insure that they are all moving. If you is not, simple move
one of the reels to tighten the tape path and press "Record" and "Run" at the same
time.

The radio consoles allow you to listen or transmit on several channels at once with
the SIMUL function. In some cases after a power outage, the console will lose the
SIMUL'ed channels and revert back to only channel one. In this case, simply reset
the channels that you want to hear using the SIMUL button.

The EOC

The room directly north of the main comm center is used as the Emergency
Operations Center during large incidents or disasters. It has provision for operating
on fire channel 1 and police channels 1, 2, 3 and 4. It has several telephones with
their own telephone numbers, as well as connections to the Tacphone. There are
large-scale maps of Oaktown for plotting movements of persons and equipment.

The EOC also has one telephone which connects to each of the seven positions in
the main comm center. This telephone may be used by EOC personnel to monitor
incoming calls during an emergency. It may also be used by supervisory personnel
to assist during training during other times.

PROBLEMS

You should tell your supervisor about any equipment problems as soon as they are
discovered. The problem will either be reported to the proper agency immediately
or to the 2nd platoon supervisor for follow-up.

In addition, you may fill out a Defective Condition form, kept on a clipboard on the
west wall, and route it to the 2nd platoon supervisor for action.

Radio

Common comm center problems include broken headphones, knobs or push

buttons, and burned-out indicator lights. Infrequently, you will not be able to
transmit or receive, usually at a particular console.

In the field, common problems include broken microphones or antennas, weak or

exhausted batteries or water-logged portables and problems at the remote receiver
sites. Mobile radios are usually very reliable, while portables are subject to more
abuse and fail more often.
For all comm center or field radio problems, notify your supervisor who will
probably have you contact the radio technician either at the Corp Yard or thru the
city's answering service.

Telephone

Common comm center problems include broken or loose connections, stuck

buttons and burned-out indicator lights. Infrequently, you will have circuit
problems that disrupt outgoing or incoming calls. Electronic problems with the 911
equipment may disrupt your ability to receive or transfer calls. These problems are
either related to the instruments or the telephone lines.

For EQUIPMENT problems the City of Oaktown Electrical Department has

responsibility. Contact them either at the Corp Yard or thru the city answering
service.

For LINE or 911 problems, Pacific Bell has responsibility. For regular lines,
contact them at 611. For 911 line problems, contact the special service number
listed.

If the line problems involve the 911 system, incoming emergency lines or the
dispatch lines to the fire stations, you should tell the repair operator that repair is a
priority. Obtain the operator's name and get a specific commitment for the repair. If
there is any question about the time it will take for repairs, notify your supervisor.

Recorders

On occasion, the logging recorders may detect "dead spots" on the tape and give an
audible signal. When this occurs, simply press the red RESET button on the
recorder, press STOP, then restart the machine by pressing RECORD and RUN at
the same time. If the problem is not cleared, you should notify you supervisor for
assistance.

The city radio technician has responsibility for any problems with the
instantplayback or logging recorder. Contact them at the Corp Yard or thru the city
answering service.

Other Equipment

For problems with other equipment contact your supervisor, who will notify the
proper person for repairs.

Call-Taking

VOICE QUALITY
You should speak slowly and clearly on the telephone and with adequate volume. If
callers cannot hear or understand you, you will have to repeat your questions,
which wastes time.

You voice should project authority and knowledge, backed up by a certainty of

what you are telling the caller. If you are hesitant or seem unsure, the caller will
probably question your answers or your ability to help.

Use plain, everyday language with the public--never use the Ten Code, legal terms
or law enforcement jargon.

TELEPHONE GREETING

Because all calls to the comm center are potential emergencies, you must promptly
answer all incoming calls. If you are not able to immediately handle the call
because of other incoming calls, radio traffic, etc., ask the caller "Do you have an
emergency?" If the caller says "No", tell them "Hold on, please." If the caller
indicates they have an emergency, ask them "What is the emergency?", then
proceed to handle it if necessary.

Different telephone lines are answered somewhat differently, as indicated in the

previous section on Equipment. For review, this is the way you should answer
incoming lines:

 -8181/8243 "Oaktown Police and Fire"

 911 "Oaktown emergency"
 -8300 "Oaktown TTY line"
 -8400 "Dispatch" or "Police dispatch"
 -8500 "Fire dispatch"
 -8550 "Fire dispatch"

ANSWERING PRIORITY

The possibility of capturing a criminal increases as the response time decreases. A

response to emergency medical calls must be made within four minutes, as that is
when the irreversible effects of a heart stoppage begin. Response to fires must also
be rapid. Therefore, a response to an emergency calls must be made as soon as
possible. For this reason, calls received on the 911 or the -6161 emergency lines
shall always receive top priority over other comm center activity. Calls on the
direct lines should be answered next, then the business numbers.

Dispatchers must answer all emergency line calls immediately and determine if an
emergency exists. If so, handle the call. If not, ask the caller to hold or transfer
them to the appropriate department, agency or person. If other calls are "ringing in"
while you are handling a non-emergency call, you should ask the person "Hold on,
please," put the person on hold and answer the other incoming call. Ask the caller
"Do you have an emergency?" If they say "No," you should then return to the
holding call as soon as possible. You should not answer calls by simply saying
"Please hold" and putting the caller on hold. You must determine the priority of
each call by asking each caller, "Do you have an emergency?"

If you put a caller on hold after obtaining some information about their problem,
remember or write down the information so they won't have to start over when you
return to them.

If you encounter a call that you cannot handle or refer within a short period of time
(2-3 minutes), refer the call to your supervisor for resolution. It is important that
you remain available to answer emergency calls.

ETIQUETTE

When dealing with all callers, you are required to maintain a polite and friendly
tone. You are not expected to tolerate profanity or other verbal abuse from callers,
but neither are you permitted to be profane or verbally abusive to them. If the caller
has a legitimate request of the police department, dispatch an officer and do not
become involved in an argument. If the caller clearly does not have a police
department problem but persists on talking, refer them to the proper agency and
then say that you have other calls to answer.

If you determine that you cannot provide a service to a caller, explain to them why
can't. Tell them the department's policy on the subject, that the nature of the
incident is handled by another agency, etc. Never simply tell a caller "We can't do
that." Tell them why, too.

You should use the person's name when addressing them, especially if you must
put them on HOLD. This will impress the person that you have not forgotten them
and that you remember their call.

You should always maintain a business-like attitude when taking calls, even if the
situation seems humorous or funny. You should sound sympathetic and never make
light of a caller's situation. Don't make jokes or relate funny stories to illustrate a
point--the caller may not get your punch line. If the caller comments that the
situation is funny or odd, you might agree with them, but never make them feel
foolish.

You shall not make remarks critical of any race, class or group of people. The
Police and Fire Department provide service to anyone who has a proper need,
without regard to other factors.
You should not attempt to educate a caller in terminology or the law--you may just
make the caller feel dumb or start an argument. For example, if a caller says they've
been "robbed," don't feel compelled explain that it's really a burglary. Instead...

"Someone broke into your house while you were gone?"

"Yes."

"We can send an officer out to take a burglary report. What is your address?"

You are required to give your last name or operator number to any citizen who
requests it. Many abusive callers try to put the dispatcher on the defensive by
asking for their name. If the dispatcher refuses, the caller then takes advantage of
the dispatcher's defensive position to make further complaints. The easiest way to
handle these callers is to immediately give your name and to offer to connect the
caller to a supervisor to resolve any complaint.

If a caller is upset, hysterical, hostile or angry, tell them "I understand that you're
angry (upset, etc.) about this, but I need to ask you some questions so that an
officer can respond. What is your address?...." This will demonstrate that you
understand the situation, that you intend to send assistance and need to obtain
certain information to do it.

If the caller is abusive and it's obvious you cannot interact with them, ask them to
hold and refer the call to a supervisor or another dispatcher. In most cases, "double
teaming" with another dispatcher will resolve the initial conflict.

Many times, a sincerely-made apology for a dispatch delay, previous

misunderstanding or another dispatcher's actions will satisfy the caller and put the
call "back on track." You should never feel defensive about admitting a previous
mistake. Apologize, give them the correct information and then move on to helping
them with their problem.

You may receive complaints from citizens concerning your courtesy or handling of
their telephone call. You are subject to discipline for verified complaints, including
oral or written reprimands or days off without pay.

CONTROL OF CONVERSATION

It's important that you maintain control of all telephone conversations, so that you
obtain all the necessary information in the least amount of time. Talkative or
insistent callers are difficult to question and may take a longer time to handle.

The caller usually knows what occurred, but not how to report it to the police. It's
up to you to direct the caller's knowledge into meaningful answers. You may tell
the person "Slow down for a moment. Let me ask you some questions," or "Take a
deep breath, sir, and let me ask you some questions." Anything that will
momentarily divert them, yet let them know that you are going to help them, will
assist in maintaining control.

The most effective tactic is asking short, specific questions, such as their name,
address, telephone number, where they are, etc. The questions should obtain
relevant information and should maintain a "flow" free of interruptions. If you
pause too long or become sidetracked with other duties, control of the conversation
will end and you'll have to re-establish it.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE CALLERS

If a caller on an emergency line does not speak English, you must have the
conversation translated. If the call is on 911 and the caller speaks Spanish,
Cantonese or Vietnamese, press the ADD button, wait for the dial tone and then
dial 800+448-3003. You must stay on the line while the translator obtains the
necessary information and relays it to you. If the caller speaks another language,
you must find a person who speaks that language among station or field personnel.
Several police officers speak foreign languages including Spanish, Japanese,
Chinese, French, Italian and German.

COLLECT CALLS

The fire and police departments do not accept collect calls from citizens except in
extraordinary circumstances. If an operator calls and asks if you will accept a
collect call from a citizen, tell them, "This is the Oaktown Police and Fire
Department. We can't accept collect calls. If the caller is in Oaktown and has an
emergency, tell them to hang up and dial nine-one-one."

You may accept collect calls from a police officer or firefighter, whether on-duty or
not. However, it's expected that such calls would only be made for urgent matters.
If you accept a collect call and believe that it was for a routine purpose, notify your
supervisor.

In certain situations, the police or fire department administration will prearrange

acceptance of collect calls from department members who are out of the city. In
these cases, you will be given the names of those persons from whom you may
accept collect calls.

CHRONIC CALLERS

Each call to the police department should be carefully screened, even those from
persons who call very frequently with non-dispatch incidents. Chronic callers can
and do have legitimate requests of the police. You must question them each time to
determine the situation before you dispose of the call.
You should ask specific questions of the chronic caller to learn what the problem is
and if it's one the police handle. If the caller does not describe a problem, tell them
"That's not handled by the police" and that you have other calls to answer. If the
caller describes a problem handled by another government agency, give them the
telephone number and ask them to call.

CALLS FROM JUVENILES/ELDERLY

You should be particularly sensitive to calls from children and the elderly. They
may initially seem confused as to why they're calling and may not express
themselves completely. Never assume that they are merely pranksters or senile.
You must ask specific questions to find out why they are calling the police
department.

Always obtain a child's name, address and telephone number first. Use their name
when talking to them. You may ask them "Is your mother or father there?", but be
aware that they may be calling about a problem involving their parents and won't
want to give the telephone to them.

You may have to talk to an elderly person for several minutes to obtain sufficient
information. Details such as where they live (a resthome, hotel, hospital?), if they
are alone, and the location of persons they might mention will give clues to why
they are calling.

If you have any doubt as to the welfare of a child or elderly person, complete an
appropriate dispatch card--fire, medical or police--explaining the circumstances of
the call.

INCOMPLETE TELEPHONE CALLS

On occasion a caller will hang up, be disconnected or simply drop the telephone
before giving you all the information you need. This may be due to a medical
problem, panic or an accident. Never assume that incomplete calls are pranks or
persons reaching a wrong number. From the information you were able to obtain,
you must then decide whether an emergency actually exists. If so and the caller was
able to give you a location, dispatch normally. If you have no location but do have
a telephone number, start the tracing procedures. If the caller hung up, try to call
them back to obtain more information.

Calls received on the emergency lines (not 911) often come thru an operator who
stays on or monitors the line during the call, and who can give you the caller's
telephone number. If you receive a call on a regular emergency number and the
caller hangs up, do not hang up. Wait for the operator to come back on the line,
then ask for the caller's number.
In all cases, you are required to diligently follow-up on incomplete calls, as
follows:

--if no one on the line when you answer, and

+the phone number is displayed on 911, then call back

+the phone number is not displayed, then take no action

--if caller hangs up while talking, then call back

+if no answer, decide based on the information you were able to obtain initially

--if interrupted while talking and you have...

+address, then dispatch normally

+no address, start tracing operation

Remember that a caller may have been interrupted by the very fire or medical
problem that caused them to call for assistance. Never assume that the call was
malicious or false.

911 CALLS

Upon taking a call on 911, you should immediately scan the video display for the
caller's address and telephone number. If no information is displayed, press the
RPT ALI button one or twice. If no information appears, check the telephone
number display on the transfer box. If you receive the message "RECORD NOT
FOUND", the computer does not have address information on file for the listed
telephone number.

You should check the bottom of the video screen to see what public safety agencies
are listed. If Oaktown is not listed, check the address carefully for the proper city. If
the caller is reporting an emergency in another jurisdiction, transfer them to the
proper agency.

Whenever the primary 911 answering point is busy or not functioning, the 911
system will route the call to a designated, adjacent agency. If you receive a call and
the telephone number on the transfer box is flashing, the call has been
automatically routed to Oaktown. You should attempt to transfer the caller to the
proper agency. If you cannot, take the information and relay it via the Tacphone.

Lastly, do not rely on the address information displayed on the screen. Always ask
the caller their address. The telephone number is electronically derived and is
always correct, unless there is a major equipment problem. However, the address
information is based on entries made by Pacific Bell and may have been changed or
entered in error.

RECAP

 Answer telephone calls within 3 rings if possible

 Answer with the appropriate phrase and your dispatcher ID number
 Listen attentively and ask questions politely
 Use Mr., Mrs. or Ms. with the caller's name
 Use "Thank you" and "You're welcome"
 Don't put the caller on hold for more than 60 seconds at a time
 When you come back on the line after holding, say, "Thanks for holding"
 Determine if the call requires a police/fire dispatch, is for another unit or
another city agency
 If a transfer is required, give the caller the extension or number, and say "I'll
transfer you"
 Determine and give the proper advice if no dispatch is required
 If a dispatch is required, ask all appropriate questions and enter into CAD
 Obtain full descriptions and locations so that field units will have no
unanswered questions
 Near the end of the call, ask the caller, "Is there anything else I can help you
with?"
 If a dispatch will be made, tell caller, "We'll have an officer come out and
speak to you," and give them an approximate ETA
 Offer your dispatcher ID number without question when asked,
 Refer callers to your supervisor when asked
 If an incident is undispatched for more than 30 minutes, call the citizen back
with an explanation, ask if service is still required/desired; restate that
police/fire will respond

Complaint Taker

The first level of comm center personnel are the complaint dispatchers. Their
primary duty is to answer telephone inquiries from the public, take incident
information from them, and enter it into CAD. However, they also perform many
other duties to assist the police officers and firefighters, such as telephoning
citizens, tow companies and utilities.

Complaint dispatchers handle all types of incoming telephone calls--administrative,

emergency, police and fire. The following section describes the responsibilities of a
complaint dispatcher who is handling a police-related call.

GENERAL DUTIES
The police complaint dispatcher's main duty is to answer incoming telephone calls,
record citizen complaints on IBM cards and to forward them to the radio
dispatcher. The complaint dispatcher also monitors the radio channels for requests
from field officers, listens for alarms received on the comm center board, sorts and
routes the dispatch cards, and types the bulletin.

ACCURACY

It is vital to the safety of each officer on the street that you be accurate in your
work. The is especially true when taking information from callers reporting crimes
and suspects. The suspect description you broadcast or the details of an incident
which you write on an incident card could be used by an officer in the field to
detain a suspect, search a vehicle or to use deadly force. The consequences of being
careless could be disastrous.

When receiving calls it is essential that your listen and hear everything that the
person is saying. It takes a bit of practice to listen and write at the same time--and
to do both tasks well. Don't make assumptions from the callers statements. Let the
statements speak for themselves and then ask questions that clarify the caller's
statements. For instance, if a caller says that he just heard several gunshots, don't
assume that the noises were gunshots. Question the caller on exactly what he heard
and why he thinks they were from a firearm.

Don't let the caller use general words like "harassment," "bothering," "hanging
out." Ask them, "I don't know what you mean by harassment. Exactly what is
he/she doing?" Narrow down the activity by asking specific questions.

When you record the information on the card, try to express the caller words
exactly. You can't and shouldn't try to write the caller's words verbatim. But you
should also not make conclusions. For example, if an alarm company telephones
with an alarm and tells you "The business should be closed," don't put "Closed" on
the alarm card. Write "Co. says the business should be closed."

HANDLING AGENCY

If the caller is reporting an incident which needs to be handled by a police

department, you must decide if the Oaktown Police is the proper agency and, if not,
what agency does handle it.

First, Oaktown does not usually investigate incidents which occur outside of the
city limits. Two exceptions to this rule would be credit card fraud occurring
elsewhere involving a Oaktown victim and when a victim is transported to
Oaktown after crimes in another jurisdiction.
Second, Oaktown does not investigate incidents on university or transit district
property. However, in-progress or urgent situations will be handled jointly with the
proper agency.

Next, by agreement with all County police chiefs, missing person reports are
handled by the agency in which the missing person lives.

Lastly, if the caller is unsure of the location of the offense, such as lost property,
the crime should be reported to the agency where the victim lives.

If you are not sure if the address given by the caller is within Oaktown, check the
fire dispatcher's Response Guide for Oaktown's street number range. If the victim
knows the crime location, but it's near the city line, dispatch an officer to pinpoint
the exact location to determine jurisdiction. Do not argue fine points of jurisdiction
over the telephone with the victim.

SCREENING

The task of the dispatcher handling police calls is to obtain the necessary
information, route the caller to the proper person or agency, or to dispatch the
proper emergency response. At the same time, the dispatcher screens out those calls
not appropriately handled by the police department or which are not considered
emergencies. To do this, the dispatcher asks a series of questions that elicit the
most information in the least amount of time.

Citizens call the police department for many reasons--to report crimes, to ask legal
advice, to ask directions, to ask for services provided by other city or private
agencies. The dispatcher must know what services the police department provides
and which they do not. Further, you must know what group within the department
handles each reported situation.

It is often difficult to determine why a person is calling. The first questions you ask
should seek to determine if they have a QUESTION or want to TELL you
something.

Questions

Questions from citizens should be answered by the person most knowledgeable to

answer them. If the question is general, simple AND you know the answer, you
may give the citizen the answer. If the question involves specialized knowledge and
a bureau and unit is on-duty, direct the caller to that unit. If the question is about a
previously reported incident, direct the caller to the original handling officer or the
DD bureau which handles such incidents.

A dispatcher is not permitted to give legal advice--giving a caller an opinion on the

best course of action involving a legal matter. You must refer callers to an attorney
for specific interpretations of the law, advice or opinions. However, you may tell a
caller what provisions of the law may apply to an incident and explain police
department procedures for a situation.

Information

Callers may report information about previous incidents or new incidents. If the
incident has already been reported and a report taken, further information should be
directed to the original handling officer or the proper DD bureau. If the incident is
new and the incident is one handled by the police, then you will complete an
incident card and dispatch a patrol officer to investigate and report it. Incidents not
handled by the police are referred to another city or private agency. See the
Appendix for a list of city agencies handling citizen problems.

Then, the general form of questioning is as follows:

+ Question? police incident

-by dispatcher
-by handling officer
-by DD bureau
-other agency incident
-refer

+ Information
-previous incident
-handling officer or
-DD bureau
-new incident
-complete incident card
-dispatch patrol officer

Once you've determined the person has a situation requiring a police response, you
should be able to decide what that response will be. You can now start asking
specific questions to obtain the information necessary to dispatch an officer. Do not
let the caller simply give you information. Ask specific questions to obtain only
that information that you need.

Non-Emergency

If the caller is reporting a non-emergency situation, you must determine if it is

handled by the police department. If it is, you will complete a dispatch cad and
forward it to the radio dispatcher. If it is not handled by the police, you will
determine what public agency or private company handles the situation and refer
the caller to them. When making referrals, you should give the caller the exact
telephone number or sufficient information so they may determine the number
themselves, for example, from the telephone book. See a list of referral agencies in
the Appendix.

Emergencies

When a person telephones the police department to report an emergency, it is the

first link in a chain which may ultimately lead to prison for the person responsible.
The first call may also be the last call. The person's statements and demeanor may
be very significant to the police officer who responds and to a prosecutor standing
before a jury trying for a conviction. The dispatcher should be attentive to every
word, the caller's demeanor and background noises which may give important clues
as to what is happening.

If the caller has an emergency situation, you will complete a dispatch card as
detailed below and forward the call to the police or fire radio dispatcher. In cases
where another public safety agency has jurisdiction, such as transit district police,
university police or the highway patrol, you will transfer the caller or give them the
proper telephone number.

In many cases the caller doesn't know what is happening or what to do. They
simply know certain facts. In these cases it's up to you to determine if they are
reporting a crime or need some assistance. Never let the caller decide if the police
or fire department is needed---judge for yourself based on the facts as described by
the caller. If the caller doesn't ask for an officer or sounds like they're only asking
for advice, and yet the circumstances indicate that an officer should respond,
complete a dispatch card and send one.

Take charge of the conversation at the beginning--don't simply listen to what the
person is saying. Ask them questions which will quickly obtain the most useful
information. While you should not echo everything they say, do repeat the address
or location information so there is no misunderstanding. Ask them the following
questions:

1) what happened?
2) weapons?
3) when did it occur?
4) where did it happen?
5) suspect description
6) vehicle description
7) direction of travel
8) reporting person (RP) information, including where they are now

Write down everything significant that they are saying--don't rely on your memory.
If necessary, tell them to slow down, to take a deep breath and to continue telling
their story.
While it is never a requirement that a caller identify themselves in order to request
police service, crimes require identifiable witnesses to point out the victim, location
and/or suspect. It is important to know who is calling and where they are. Ask the
caller for their name. Tell them that the police need a named person to report the
crime so that the police department may take direct action--make an arrest,
prosecute, etc. Attempt to assure the person that they will not be identified in the
field, but never tell them "You won't have to go to court." If they are reporting a
crime in progress, ask them to stay where they are so that a police officer may
contact them.

Telephone numbers are an important tool for the police. They permit citizens to be
located if the officer cannot locate the address, to be recontacted for more
information before dispatch and may provide valuable to investigators following up
on the case. Always get the caller's telephone number. Ask for their home number
in all cases. If they are not at home, ask for the number where they are, too.

Locations are important to the police, as well. A crime's location determines if it

occurred in Oaktown and what officer will respond. A precise location also means
that an officer will know where go immediately or where the criminal might have
fled. When you talk to a caller, find out where the crime occurred, where the caller
is now, where the responsible is and where the witnesses are now. And remember
to ask if there's an apartment. Many callers don't volunteer that information.

If the person is calling on 911, you will normally have a video display of their
telephone number and address. However, never rely on that display for the correct
address of the person calling, as telephone company records may not be completely
up to date. Confirm the person's address by asking "You live at 1905 Blake?" In
cases where a person moves and keeps the same telephone number, the telephone
company records may not have been updated and the ALI will show their previous
address. Reassignment of numbers also may cause confusion over the actual vs.
displayed address.

In all cases, repeat the locations for the caller to verify. "You're at 1444 Stannage,
number 3?" and "The people fighting are in the yellow house on the corner?"

Never assume that the incident has been previously reported--make out a card with
complete information. Even if the incident has been reported, you may be talking to
the only witness who can identify those involved. So always try to obtain the
caller's name, address and telephone number for every call that you handle.

LOCATIONS

The first information you should try to obtain for any incident is the location.
You cannot enter an incident into CAD until you have entered a valid location, that
is, one that CAD recognizes. Information about verifying incident with CAD is
contained in the CAD Training Manual.

Never depend upon the 9-1-1 display for the caller's location. Ask every caller for
their address. The 9-1-1 database of addresses is sometimes in error or ambiguous.
You should verify the 9-1-1 caller's location to eliminate the possibility of using an
incorrect location.

For purposes of responding to an emergency, it's vital to obtain the precise location
where the incident occurred or is occurring--

 What's the exact street address or intersection

 Occuring at a specific location or in the area?
 What area? Westside, northside, close, far away?
 Inside or outside?
 Near what business or building?
 On the sidewalk, in a driveway, standing in a doorway, etc.?

The ability of the police officers or fire units to go directly to the location of an
incident is a critical part of saving lifes and protecting property. You should ask
sufficient questions to narrow down the location as precisely as possible.

TYPE OF INCIDENT

The next required piece of information for CAD entry is the type of activity. After
hearing the caller's description of what is happening, you should select the closest
appropriate CAD activity type code and enter it into CAD. Information about the
actual entry process is contained in the CAD Training Manual.

Activity types have been created using two methods--the ten-code (10-53, 10-33,
etc.) and the various sections of state law from the Penal Code, Vehicle Code,
Health & Safety Code, etc. (10851, 245, etc.).

There are two basic types of activity type codes--the incident is occurring now
(highest priority) and the incident occurred previously and the situation requires a
report (lower priority). The lower priority codes are suffixed with the letter "R".

For many code sections, there are two activity type codes, one for high priority and
one for low priority. The high priority codes appear just as the in the code, such as
"345" or "802." The lower priority codes appear as "266R" or "440R".

There are currently over 180 different activity types. You should become familiar
with them so you can quickly enter activity type codes into CAD.

DESCRIPTIONS
An important element of police work is complete, accurate descriptions of people,
vehicles and places. These descriptions are vital for locating, identifying, assisting
and prosecuting the people with which the officers come into contact. The
dispatchers are the important first link in obtaining these descriptions from callers
who have first-hand experience.

Because descriptions are used so frequently, the form and content has been
standardized to make using them easier. Its essential that you use this standard
order when obtaining or giving descriptions of people or vehicles

When obtaining descriptions, take into account the circumstances of the incident
and ask questions which will obtain the most useful description. For instance, if the
suspect is escaping in a vehicle, don't ask for an eye color, color of pants, etc.
Instead, concentrate on the vehicle description, race of the suspect and upper
clothing/body description---things which could readily be seen when the person is
sitting in the vehicle.

People

Consistent descriptions of persons are important, as it simplifies the officers'

visualizing suspects. You should always attempt to use the back of the incident
card to record descriptions, as follows:

race sex height weight hair eyes shaven clothing (top to bottom)

A person's race is stated either as a code when written or a word when spoken. The
acceptable codes and words are as follows:

O...Asian
B...Black
L...Latino
W...White

When asking about a suspect's clothing, start with the colors first and then the type
or style of clothing. Generally, descriptions of clothing work from top to bottom--
red hat, green shirt, blue pants and black shoes--again, to aid the officers to
visualize the suspect.

Once you've finished the physical and clothing descriptions, ask the witness about a
hat, glasses, tattoos or was the suspect carrying anything. Sometimes they will
remember small things while talking to you just after the crime and will then forget
them by the officer arrives.

Vehicles

Descriptions of vehicles should follow the following format:

  year
 color
 make
 model
 license
 unusual, damage

If the license isn't a state plate, you should make note of that on the dispatch card.

When dealing with autos you should ask exactly where it is--on the street, in a lot,
etc., if it's occupied and which way it's facing. These facts will help the responding
officers decide on their approach strategy.

Weapons

Never assume that weapons aren't involved because a caller doesn't mention them.
Ask "Do you see any weapons?" Rely only upon what the caller sees. If they say a
gun is involved, ask them "Do you see a gun?" Determine who has the weapons,
where they are placed (in belt, pocket, drawer) and what they are doing with them
(waving it, holding it, shooting it). Obtain their full identifcation of the caller for
possible contact by an officer.

Don't rely solely upon the word of an anonymous caller to make a report of "man
with a gun." However, don't let this prevent you from broadcasting the call. If the
caller won't say who they are, ask more specific questions about the gun --what
does it look like, is it a handgun or rifle, what color is it, it the person holding it in
their hand or is it in a pocket? These answers, besides being helpful if there is a
gun, will usually reveal whether the caller actually has seen a weapon.

CRIMES IN PROGRESS

When you receive a report of a crime in progress, it is the start of a very dangerous
chain of events. Officers are sent to a unknown situation to deal with persons who
may be violent or armed. The dispatcher's primary goal is safety --both for the
involved citizens and the responding officers. To do this, the dispatcher must ask
specific questions which obtain the necessary information and then accurately relay
that information to the responding officers.

Any breakdown in communications during a crime in progress could have

disastrous results. For instance, if you do not determine that weapons are involved
or fail to relay the getaway car's description or direction, arriving officers may be
put into jeopardy. Likewise, if you misunderstand a caller's remarks and tell
officers that a weapon is involved, and it is not, innocent citizens could be put in
danger.
The incidents which are considered "hot calls" and which should be entered into
CAD immediately are:

 civil disturbance, weapons involved

 collisions w/fatalities or major injuries
 high speed pursuit
 kidnap/hostage situation
 murder or assault with a deadly weapon, in progress
 officer needs help
 other life-threatening situations
 rape, in progress
 residential/commercial burglary, in progress
 robbery, in progress - shots fired just prior

A caller reporting a crime in progress shall be kept on the line until officers arrive.
During this time, additional information should be obtained on the location,
description of the responsibles and their direction of flight. The information should
be entered into CAD as you obtain it from the caller. If the suspect has left the
scene, you may calm the caller and direct them to lock the door, stay inside, etc.
When an officer makes contact with the caller, tell them to hang up and talk to the
officer.

Callers are often in fear of their lives and very excited. Your initial task is to
quickly obtain the location and basic information about the incident, broadcast the
information on radio channel one and keep the caller on the line until the police
arrive.

Ask the caller their address, even if they call on 911 and an address is displayed.
Ask them what is happening. Ask them how many persons are involved and where
they are now. Tell them "Stay on the line, don't hang up." Do not put the caller on
hold, but simply enter the information into CAD.

Return to the caller and tell them "Officers are on the way, but I want you to stay
on the phone with me while they are responding. Don't hang up."

After the initial questions, you can then ask the caller for a more complete
description, any weapons, direction of flight, vehicles seen, etc. as detailed in
earlier sections of this manual.

Continue to ask the caller for more information, including where the responsible(s)
are now, what they are doing, if there are any weapons involved, how may persons
and their descriptions. Again, enter the information into CAD while keeping the
caller on the line. Repeat this process until you have broadcast everything the caller
knows.
Each time you question the caller, you obtain more specific information that
narrows down the nature of the incident and the involved persons. Continue to talk
to the person until the police arrive or take control of the incident.

TELEPHONE REPORTS

Not all incidents handled by the police require that an officer take the report in
person. In cases where an in-person report is not required by police and the caller is
in another city or requests a telephone report, the dispatcher should fill in the
"NOW AT" space with current telephone number and indicate "10-21 REPORT"
on the card conspicuously.

By Caller Request

If the caller requests only telephone contact by an officer, you should evaluate the
nature of the incident and advise the caller accordingly. If the incident is clearly
one where personal contact is necessary, tell the caller "We need to have an officer
contact you in person to take a report." If the incident doesn't appear to require
personal contact, take the caller's telephone number and tell them "An officer will
call you."

In some cases the officer who telephones the victim may not be able to take the
report via phone. However, you should leave that decision to the officer. You
should honor the caller's request for telephone contact and take the information.

By The Field Officer

In many cases, it is advantageous for an officer to talk to a crime victim in person

in order to assess the person's demeanor, truthfullness, to examine or collect
evidence or to interview other witnesses. However, when there are no suspects, no
evidence to collect or other persons involved, a field officer may choose to make
the report by telephone. Usually the telephone dispatcher will not be aware of this,
as the officer will inform the radio dispatcher upon being dispatched.

By A Report Officer

The police department has a program of "Differential Police Response", during

which an officer will be assigned to take certain reports via telephone. The officer
will work from the comm center and handle types of reports specifically designated
for the unit to handle. You will receive a bulletin detailing which reports the officer
may handle and which must be handled by a patrol officer.

CALL DISPOSITIONS

After hearing the caller's situation, you must determine how to handle it. Perhaps
you will refer them to another police or city department. Perhaps it is a civil
problem and you'll suggest they consult an attorney. Or you may decide that the
police can help and you'll forward an incident card to the radio dispatcher.

In every case, the caller should be certain of what response, if any, the police are
going to make. If the situation is not handled by the police, inform the caller and
tell them who does handle it and give them the telephone number if you know it. If
the situation is handled by another city department, give them the extension number
and attempt to transfer them, such as:

"That's something handled by Animal Control. Hold on while I transfer you to that
number."

If the situation is handled by the police, tell them "We'll send an officer out out to
talk with you (and take a report)."

If the situation is handled by another police agency, give the caller the number and
ask them to call. If the caller is reporting an emergency, you may either transfer
them (on 911 only) or take the information and relay it to the appropriate agency.
Do not give emergency callers another agency's telephone number and to call
themselves--transfer them on 911 or relay the information yourself.

If a caller asks when the officer will respond, you should tell them only "As soon as
an officer is available" and give them your most reasonable estimate of the
response time. Then tell them, "However, this may change depending on what else
is happening in the city." Never tell the caller "An officer will be there in 5
minutes." Too many events can occur which will change that estimate. A citizen's
satisfaction with response times is related less to the actual time, than it is to the
time estimated by the dispatcher. Short estimates will disappoint the caller and
cause them to telephone every 15 minutes for a reason why an officer hasn't
arrived.

If the caller wants to know why the response time is so indefinite, explain that
several calls are pending, that priorities are constantly changing and emergency
calls are dispatched first. In most cases, citizens will understand the delay if it's
explained to them and they won't mind waiting.

If they decide that they want to postpone police service, because they cannot wait
or that they want to think about it, do not complete an incident card. Ask the caller
to re-call the police department when they return or decide to file a police report.
Do not take a "reservation" for an officer to respond later. Make sure the caller
realizes that they must initiate another call to obtain service. If the caller postpones
service because they cannot wait for an officer now, explain that a delay is common
and they should call back when they are going to be at one location for an hour or
more.
MONITORING THE RADIO

While taking telephone calls, the dispatcher should also be monitoring the radio --at
least channel 1, and perhaps channels 1 and 2. You should be alert to officers
calling to order tows, to call RP's or alarm companies or to look up information in
one of the comm center files.

HANDLING SPECIFIC CALLS

It's important to obtain complete and proper information and put it on the incident
card so that the radio dispatcher may properly prioritize the call and give the
responding officers complete information. If information is left out, it may mean a
critical delay in locating the victim, losing the suspects or providing timely service
to a citizen. The following sections summarize the more important pieces of
information to obtain for different types of incidents and the necessary actions of
the complaint dispatcher.

In most cases the dispatcher will note the information on a card and forward it to
the radio dispatcher. Incidents which are considered "hot calls" are broadcast
immediately on channel one, as detailed above.

Alarms

Alarms may be reported by private companies or citizens, or they may come

directly to the comm center alarm panels. These alarms may report a break-in (459)
or a hold-up (211). All reports of alarms go on a pink alarm card.

If an alarm is reported by a PRIVATE COMPANY, the dispatcher should obtain:

 name of the alarm company

 address of the alarm
 name of the business or occupants
 type of alarm or specific area covered
 whether 211 or 459
 whether audible or silent
 alarm company call-back telephone number if not a local company

All panic or robbery alarms are considered hot calls.

If an alarm is received on the police alarm board, the following should be done:

 Dispatcher nearest the alarm board notes the module number and the alarm
condition, either TROUBLE (black) or ALARM (red), and silences the
alarm
 Dispatcher #2 stamps card and fills in info as read from alarm module by #1,
forwards to radio dispatcher
  Dispatcher #1 or #2 looks up the premises' telephone number, address,
business name and type of alarm, calls premises
 211 alarms from the alarm board are considered hot calls

Receiving an alarm and dispatching it quickly is a team effort. If two or more

dispatchers are free to handle the incoming alarm, it can be received, relayed to the
patrol officers while the call is being placed to the premises.

When calling the premises, ask the person who answers "Hello. Is there a problem
there?" If they sound puzzled, tell them "This is the police department." Ask them
not to put you on HOLD while they determine if there is a problem. If they report a
crime in progress or just prior, immediately broadcast the information to the
responding units. Then return to the caller and obtain specific details.

If the person reports that there is no problem, obtain the person's name and ask
them to step outside to talk to the officer who will respond to verify that the alarm
was accidental.

All alarms received on the jail alarm board are considered hot calls. If you receive a
personnel alarm from the jail, the complaint dispatchers should immediately do the
following:

 Dispatcher nearest the board notes the location, male or female jail, where
the alarm was activated
 Other dispatcher immediately broadcasts alarm information on the intercom
all-call to officers in building
 Any dispatcher broadcasts alarm information on radio channel 1. If no
officers are in the Hall of Justice, the radio dispatcher should assign officers
in the field to the call.
 Any dispatcher takes jail keys stored at position #1 to north door of the
comm center, where a passing officer will take them into the jail
 The keys should be returned to the comm center after the incident

If an audible alarm is reported by a citizen, the dispatcher should obtain:

 the name, address and telephone of the caller

 the specific location of the alarm sound
 the name of the business or occupants
 if the caller sees any activity at the premises

If the citizen sees any suspicious activity, it's considered a hot call.

By ordinance, premises with more than six false alarms within 90 days may be
fined and police response denied. After receiving an alarm via the alarm board, a
citizen or an alarm company, always check the "no response" list for the address. In
all cases, complete an alarm card and mark it "NO RESPONSE" at the bottom.

If the alarm was via the alarm board, telephone the premises to determine if the
alarm is genuine. If not, inform them that an officer is not responding and file the
card. If the alarm is via an alarm company, inform the company that the police are
not responding and that they should notify the premises owner.

Officer Needs Help

Occasionally a citizen will call and say that an officer needs help or assistance. You
should immediately determine the location and if the an officer is asking a citizen
to call for help or the citizen is only observing an incident. All such incidents are
considered hot calls.

If the officer requested that the citizen call the police, you should immediately
broadcast "All units, officer requests 11-98, location." The radio dispatcher will
then take over co-ordination of responding officers. If the citizen is on-viewing an
officer-involved fight or other disturbance, you should broadcast "All units, 11-99,
location." The radio dispatcher will then attempt to identify the officer, obtain a
status check from him/her and will co-ordinate further response.

Assault

Reports of assaults may be received from many sources--such as passersby on the

street or by family partners from a house. The caller's relationship to the assault and
the location may give you clues to the possible nature of the assault and its priority.

Callers reporting fights in domestic situations should be questioned as to who is

fighting, how they are fighting and where the people are now. Many times callers
will say "They're fighting" when they really mean that the people are arguing.

The presence of weapons, number of persons involved and possible injuries are
very important elements when questioning callers. Descriptions of the persons
involved and their direction of flight should be obtained to assist the officers in
locating the combatants or the suspect fleeing the scene.

All assaults in progress, with or without weapons, are considered hot calls.

Notifications

Citizens may call asking that we go to a Oaktown location to provide notification

of an urgent or emergency situation. Generally, the police will provide this service,
altho on a non-priority basis.
Obtain the caller's complete name, address and telephone number, the Oaktown
person's complete information, including telephone number. Tell the caller that we
will tell the person to telephone, but that we generally won't provide a more
detailed message, such as "There's been a death" or "Your grandfather has died."
Explaint to the caller that the notification may take up to two hours, depending on
other pending incidents. If the caller wants to know the results of the notifcation,
tell them that the police will not call them, but they should call back within an hour.

Prowler

Callers reporting noises or persons in their yard may only hear or see something.
Often they cannot directly attribute the noise/figure with a person. Question the
caller to determine the exact nature of the noise (scratching, pounding, rattling, etc.)
and the exact location, either the window, door, area or side of the house. If a
person a prowler is entering or has entered the building, handle as a 459 PC.

 name, address, telephone

 nature and location of noise, sight
 location of RP

All prowlers in progress or just prior are considered hot calls.

Suspicious Circumstances

Citizens report all types of events to the police when they think that something
illegal is going on. Usually the event is innocent, but only personal evaluation by a
police officer can determine this is so. Callers who say "I see a suspicious
person/car/etc." should be questioned as to WHY they feel it is suspicious. A good
description and location is necessary for the responding officers to evaluate the
danger of the situation and to locate the suspicious persons/cars, etc.

 name, address, telephone, location

 location of suspicious event
 why it is suspicious
 description of person, car, house, etc.

Try to avoid simply putting "sus circ" on the card without an explanation of why
it's suspicious. Explain the suspicious activity on the card as described by the caller.
Write down what the caller saw and let the field officers draw their own
conclusions.

Loud Reports

Citizens hearing loud reports often say they hear "gunshots." Question the caller as
to the location - inside/outside, in a building or on the street--and why they think it
was a gunshot. Ask them if they see anything on the street -vehicles or persons -
and their description. Finally, ask them how many reports they heard, if in groups
and if they were in quick succession.

Do not use the term "gunshots" or "shots fired" either on the card or on the radio.
The only term for a citizen hearing loud, sharp noises is "loud reports."

Loud report(s) accompanied by persons down or other suspicious circumstances are

be considered a hot call. Try to obtain additional suspect information and the
witness' identity.

Bomb Threat

If you receive a call from someone who warns of a planted bomb, you should
attempt to obtain details on the bomb from the caller, as follows:

 Where is the bomb?

 What does the bomb look like?
 When will the bomb go off?
 Why did you place the bomb?

In some cases the caller will immediately hang up after calling. Other times the
caller may answer you questions. If the caller stays on the line, ask them questions
about their motivation and specifically about the bomb's appearance and structure.
Make short notes about the caller's race, sex, any accents or speech peculiarities.
Note any background noises or identifiable sounds.

You should immediately notify your supervisor after handling a bomb threat call so
that the incident will receive priority treatment and that the necessary persons are
notified.

Burglary

Callers reporting a burglary often use the term "robbery" instead. You should
question callers carefully to determine what exactly happened--was property taken
from them or was their home or auto entered?

Next, you should determine when the crime occurred. Callers often consider that
they were "just burglarized" when, in fact, they just discovered the crime. If the
crime is occurring or just occurred it's considered a hot call. If the crime occurred
much earlier, take complete information for a normal dispatch.

While it's not required, you may ask the caller the means of entry and what was
taken in the burglary, then include that on the dispatch card. This will make a later
disposition easier for the radio dispatcher.

Suspected Child Abuse

Occurrences of suspected child abuse may be reported many ways--by next door
neighbors who want to remain anonymous, by county agencies, by schools or by
the police department Juvenile Bureau.

In all cases, obtain sufficient location information so that responding units may
identify the residence in question. Ask if the caller knows the names and ages of
those involved. Ask exactly what the caller hears or sees and how long they have
observed the activity. Even with anonymous callers, this information can be
important to justifying police involvement.

HAZMAT Incident

The Fire Department is in charge of all incidents involving hazardous materials

(HAZMAT) within the city. The police department responds to assist with traffic
and crowd control, and possible evacuation.

Callers reporting a HAZMAT or suspect material should be questioned as detailed

in the Fire Telephone Dispatcher section. If the suspect material is on a roadway or
a confirmed HAZMAT situation is reported, a police incident card should be
completed.

Domestic Disturbance

According to FBI statistics on officer deaths, the most dangerous incident is the
"domestic disturbance." Disputes involving couples or families can range from
simple disagreements, to loud arguments, to out-and-out fights involving weapons.

Reports of 415f's may come from neighbors who hear the disturbance or from the
involved parties. In the former case, the caller usually wants to remain anonymous,
while in the latter the caller almost always identifies themselves.

If the caller is a neighbor, you should ask them what they see and hear, if they
know the persons' names and if they know if weapons are involved. Assure the
caller that you don't need their identity, but that you still want to obtain complete
information.

If the caller is involved, obtain the names of those involved, in case the officers are
familiar with them. Don't ask about the source of the disturbance, because the caller
may then begin a lengthy explanation of their problems. Just ask for names, the
address, the telephone number, if weapons are involved and what exactly what the
invovled persons are doing now--sitting down, throwing things, waving a knife,
etc.?

Noise Complaint
Perhaps the most common complaint next to parking problems, the noise complaint
it the result of living in an urban environment. Callers often do not want to identify
themselves and are vague about the nature or location of the noise.

There are two legal remedies to noise complaints, Penal Code section 415 and
Municipal Code sections on noise abatement. In most cases, however, patrol
officers can quiet noise without resorting to either section. Nevertheless, you
should be familiar with both laws and their specific prohibitions

Noise from barking dogs is handled by the police. An officer will respond to the
location and try to talk to the reporting party and the owner of the dog. If the
problem is chronic, the officer will write a report which is forwarded to the city's
Animal Control office for follow-up.

 name, address, telephone

 location of noise, inside/outside, street or yard, apartment or room
 nature of noise, music, loud talking (argument?), repair work, construction,
vehicle
 how long?

Vehicle Accidents

Accidents are a common occurrence in Oaktown, especially during rush-hour or

rainy weather. When a caller reports an accident involving a vehicle, bicycle or
pedestrian, you should determine the following:

 location
 is anyone injured?
 --are all persons still at the scene?
 if not, what are the descriptions of the vehicles that left, direction?

Hit-and-run accidents which just occurred are considered hot calls.

As a matter of policy, Oaktown investigates accidents according to the following

 Non-injury accidents: if the vehicles are still at the scene

 Injury accidents: within 24 hours of the accident

Note that an officer does not take a report if both parties have completely left the
scene and are now at home, another city, etc. An officer will take a report if both
parties are still at the scene but have simply moved their cars out of traffic, to the
next intersection, etc.

If a caller asks if he should have an officer take a report, tell them the legal
requirements for reporting and "If you'd like us to take a report, we'll send an
officer out." Do not suggest that the persons exchange information and report it to
their insurance companies--let the caller decide what they want to do based on
information you give him/her.

Dead Body

If a caller reports a dead body, you should never assume that the person is dead. If
there is any doubt, immediately dispatch the fire department. Only when the caller
reports a gross injury or a decomposed body washed up on the shoreline may you
presume that the person is dead.

In most cases, the caller is a relative, neighbor or passerby and the death is from
natural causes. In a few cases of homicide, what the caller says on the telephone
may have significance in later investigations. You should identify the caller
completely and determine the circumstances of their finding the body. Ask them
their relationship to the person and when they found the body. Ask them to leave
the scene and preserve it until the police arrive.

Civil Advice

In general, the police department does not handle civil law investigations--it
handles only violations of criminal law. However, you will receive many questions
about civil matters and sometimes it's not easy to determine where civil law ends
and criminal law begins.

You may not give legal advice on the telephone, civil or criminal. However, you
may give callers information on the resources available to them to handle civil
matters, such as an attorney, small claims court, civil court and the various
government agencies handling civil matters.

Most civil matters which the police do handle also involve a potential disturbance
of the peace, such as:

 landlord-tenant disputes; especially tenant lockout, seizure of tenant

property, removal of doors, turning off utilities, landlord trespass
 repossessions
 evictions; handled only by county sheriff

You should advise the caller that the police do not take reports of civil matters, to
be used later by the caller in a court proceeding. Advise them that the police can
only investigate any associated criminal matters, such as:

 vandalism
 violation of court order
 trespassing
 theft
 assault or battery
When taking information from persons requesting a civil standby, there may be
three different addresses:

 home address of the caller

 -ocation where they will meet officer
 address where the standby is needed

Lost/Found Property

There is no requirement that a person losing property make a police report, but it
may be done to facilitate returning it or as an insurance requirement. Callers
reporting lost property should be asked if they want an officer to contact them to
take a report. Explain that you cannot simply take the information on the property.
Obtain the person's complete information so they may be contacted in person or by
telephone.

If a caller reports finding property, obtain their full information and a description of
the property. Determine where and when the property was recovered and under
what circumstances, for example, simply found, a person threw it from an auto,
someone left it in their front yard, etc. This information should be put on the card
for the radio dispatcher, for the incident may connect to something currently
occurring.

Fire Investigation

All fires are investigated jointly by the fire and police departments. If a caller
reports a fire, then the appropriate fire apparatus should be sent. If the arriving fire
units request a fire investigation, then a police incident should be generated and
dispatched.

If a caller reports an extinguished fire of suspicious origin, a police and fire

incident should be generated. You should indicate on the fire card "Extinguished,
non-emergency." Indicate on the police card that the fire department is responding.

Disturbing Telephone Calls

Citizens reporting annoying, obscene or threatening telephone calls should be asked

if they know the caller or why they are receiving the calls. They should be asked if
they want an officer to contact them and take a report of the calls or if they simply
want advice.

If the citizen wants a report, obtain the information and complete an incident card.
If the citizen wants advice and the annoying caller is unknown, give them the
following suggestions, designed to minimize inconvenience to the citizen:

 don't answer the telephone for 1-3 days

  answer only during certain hours
 arrange a special ring signal for important callers
 use an answering machine for several days to screen calls while at home
 change the telephone number

Advise them that tracing a call or tapping a telephone line, done by the telephone
company only at the request of the police, is done only in special cases where the
personal threat to the citizen is very great.

Parking Problems

Perhaps the most common complaints received at the police department pertain to
parking problems. Oaktown has some of the most congested streets in the area.
Street parking spaces are difficult to find and off-street parking rents for monthly
rates up to $50 per month. Renters are very protective about their space and very
knowledgeable about their rights. Dispatchers should be sensitive to callers with
parking problems because, to the caller, the problem represents lost time and
money, and inconvenience.

Complaints of cars illegally parked on private property or blocking a driveway

must have a named reporting person in order to tow, as liability for towing is the
responsibility of the victim. If the tow is later found to be improper, say if the
owner was actually a tenant authorized to park in the lot, then the person requesting
the tow would be civilly liable for the amount of the tow. Other problems (double-
parked, fire hydrant, crosswalk, handicapped space) do not require a named
complainant. Persons reporting parking meter violations should be told that these
violations are handled usually by Parking Enforcement personnel.

Because stolen vehicles are often dumped in illegal parking spaces or simply
abandoned, every such vehicle should be checked for stolen by running an SQ on
the terminal in the comm center. If you are unable to contact Telecomm, the
computers are down, etc., circle but don't check the box and the handling officer
will then check it later.

Several state laws and city ordinances are directed to the proper parking of vehicles
on the streets and in private parking lots. To efficiently handle these, the dispatcher
should ask the following:

 the caller's name, address and telephone

 the exact location of the vehicle; address, space number, driveway, etc.
 the description of the vehicle, including make, color, license
 the reason the caller wants the vehicle cited and/or towed
 if the car is to be towed, will the caller be available to point out the vehicle
to the officer
Questions pertaining to the city's preferential parking ordinance should be directed
to the city's Finance Department, 881-6470, where the appropriate stickers are
issued to residents of the affected area.

Trespassing Vehicle

It is illegally for persons to park their vehicles on private property without

permission if the property is posted to that effect. However, the police department
does not handle citing or towing cars from private property, including apartment
house garages, in driveways, etc. The property owner can have the vehicle towed,
simply by telephoning a tow company.

Blocking Driveway

It is illegal to park on the street blocking a driveway. The car may be cited or towed
from the street. A named complainant is required to personally point out the vehicle
IF a tow is requested.

Blocking Sidewalk

Parking in driveway so as to block city sidewalk; the vehicle must be within the
driveway and blocking the line of the city sidewalk.

Abandoned on Street

It is illegal to leave a vehicle parked on any street which has not moved within 72
hours. A named complainant is required to mark the vehicle make a report. After 72
hours have elapsed, an officer will re-check the vehicle to see if it has been moved.
If not, the vehicle is cited and towed.

 name, address, telephone

 location of vehicle
 how long there
 vehicle description; year, make, model, color, license

Double-Parked in Street

It is illegal to park a car on a street so as to block the traffic lane. The vehicle may
be cited and towed. No name complainant is required for any action.

Public Information

You may give out to the public or press only that information which is contained in
a departmental Press Release. Further statements shall be referred to your
supervisor or the police department's Press Officer at 644-6684.
Tows

The City of Oaktown contracts with three towing companies to remove those
vehicles cited for towable offenses. A log of all towed autos is kept in the Comm
Center and all vehicles towed are entered in the state AUTO-STATIS computer
system. Because towing a vehicle is really confiscating the property of a person, the
procedures are very specific and must be followed in each case.

If a citizen calls on 888-1111 or another number inquiring if a vehicle has been

towed, try to determine the license number or address of the vehicle and when the
vehicle was towed. Check the comm center tow log for an entry. If you find it, give
the caller the telephone number of the towing company. If you do not find it but
have the license number, you can run a computer inquiry and give them the license
plate to determine if it's been towed and by whom. If you cannot find an entry and
the caller does not know the license plate, tell them that you must have that
information in order to determine if the car has been towed.

Other police agencies within Oaktown also tow vehicles, including university
police and transit district police. Ask the caller exactly where the car was parked
and then determine if area is university or transit property. If so, direct the caller to
the proper agency.

Vehicles towed for certain offenses cannot be released to the owner until authorized
by the police, as follows:

 outstanding tickets proof of payment of all outstanding tickets, front counter

 unregistered proof of vehicle registration, front counter
 stolen vehicle by Auto Theft, Detective Division during office hours, front
counter at other times other crimes...DD or the Patrol officer handling the
case

If the citizen doesn't want to pay the ticket associated with a towed vehicle, but
would rather take the matter to court, explain to them that they must retrieve the
vehicle and then--

1) Go to Parking Violations, post bail and set a court date to see the Traffic
Commissioner
2) During the court hearing, explain the circumstances why the ticket should be
dismissed
3) If the commissioner dismisses the case, the bail and cost of tow/storage will be
returned to the citizen

If an officer cites a vehicle for a tow, he/she will contact the dispatcher on channel
2 to request a tow. Display the incident information and make sure the necessary
information has been entered--make and color of vehicle, license plate, violation
and exact location.

To order a tow, look on the tow log and determine which of the three companies is
next in line to respond. Enter all the information onto the tow log and then enter the
tow company name in the comments of the CAD incident. Telephone the tow
company and give them the information on the log. If necessary, ask them how
long it will take for them to respond. If the officer has requested an "expedite" tow,
tell the tow company.

It's important to keep the tow requests even between all three companies. If a
company refuses a request or cannot respond, mark the date and time and indicate
the situation on the tow log, then move on to the next company. If one company
tows two vehicles in a row, simply skip them on the next rotation to catch up.
Likewise, if one company falls behind, call them twice on the next rotation.

If an officer requests a "non-pref", or no preference tow, check the tow log for the
next-up towing company. Call that company and give them the information but do
not mark them on the tow log. Citizen requests for tows do not count as a police
tow.

If an officer relays a citizen's request for a specific tow company, call the company
and give them the information. In most cases, these requests are for AAA or
National Auto Club.

Tows for city vehicles are handled either by the Corporation Yard, during weekday
office hours, or Fred's Towing during other hours. However, always check with the
Corp Yard, for the availability of a mechanic to respond before requesting a tow
from Fred's. In most cases, the Corp Yard will want to know the nature of the
problem and the officer's vehicle number.

Missing Persons

There are several policies that you must consider when taking calls reporting
missing persons. First, there is no policy which requires a citizen to wait 24 hours
before reporting a missing person. Some departments have such a policy which
applies to all age groups and circumstances. Oaktown's policy is to consider each
case individually.

Second, jurisdiction of missing persons belongs to the police agency where the
missing person resides. Callers reporting missing persons who work in Oaktown or
have some other Oaktown connection, but who live in another city, shall be
referred to the resident agency. Assure the caller that, upon request of the other
agency, Oaktown will assist with the investigation, but that primary responsibility
rests with the outside agency. After explaining this, you should take a description
of the person and forward it to the radio dispatcher for an information broadcast.

Some callers simply want to know if a person has been arrested or involved in an
accident. You may give them the telephone numbers of Oaktown Hospital so they
may check the emergency rooms. You may also transfer them to the Service
Division so they may inquire if the person has been arrested.

If a caller wants to report a person missing, it's not up to the dispatcher to decide if
the person is actually missing. Simply determine the facts regarding age and
residence of the missing person, where they were last seen and any other pertinent
circumstances. Tell the caller that an officer will contact them.

Callers reporting missing juveniles should be questioned about the circumstances

of the disappearance to determine if the child has run away or should be considered
missing. A four year-old child who disappears from a fenced backyard might be
considered missing, while a 16 year-old who left the house after a argument might
be considered runaway.

Welfare Check

Citizens may call to request that an officer check on the welfare of someone
residing in Oaktown. They may fear a medical or criminal problem, or the person's
telephone may just be busy. You should question such callers carefully and fully to
determine why they believe something is wrong.

Obtain full name, address and telephone information for both parties. Ask the
victims's age and any prior medical history. Question the caller on what facts lead
them to believe that something is wrong. Your questioning should narrow down the
priority of the incident, not just whether the police should respond or not.

Enter the incident so the circumstances are clear enough that the radio dispatcher
may properly determine the incident's priority.

Extra Surveillance

While it's impossible to maintain surveillance on every unoccupied house or

business in Oaktown, the comm center does take requests for extra surveillance
from citizens. Callers making such requests should be asked the location, the
reason for the surveillance, the times involved and who might have access to the
premises during their absence. Advise the caller that you will pass the information
along to the officer assigned to that beat. Create a CAD incident with the
information.

Messages for Officers

If a citizen calls for an officer, first determine if the officer is currently working. If
so, and the officer works in an office assignment, transfer the caller to the officer.
Officers' home telephone numbers or addresses are never given out to citizens.

If the officer works patrol, you'll need to know where the officer is. Check the
status board to see if he/she is in-service. If so, call the officer on channel 1, "102,
holding a phone call." The officer should then tell you where to transfer the call or
for you to take a message. If the officer is "10-7," explain to the caller that the
officer is "not available to a telephone" and offer to take a message. If they question
further, explain that patrol officers do not have office hours or a desk where they
may be reached and that the easiest way to contact an officer is by leaving a
message. Once you have taken a message, route it to the radio dispatcher, who will
give it to the officer on the radio at the earliest opportunity.

If the officer is not on-duty, offer to take a message and route it to the officer's
RMS mail box. If the caller indicates an urgency to the call, ask questions to
determine who else in the department might help. In some cases callers have
questions about previously reported crimes which could be answered by DD
personnel.

It is policy that the home telephone numbers of police officers, judges, deputy
district attorneys and others involved in law enforcement not be given out over the
radio. If you recognize the person calling as an officer or the person indicates they
are in law enforcement and that they are home, conspicuously state that in the mail
message so that the radio dispatcher will not broadcast the information on the radio.

ETA's

It is common for persons who have already placed a call for service to call again,
asking when the officer will arrive. If time permits, you may put the caller on hold
and inquire of the radio dispatcher when the call will be dispatched. During busy
periods, simply tell the caller that the incident is awaiting dispatch and you cannot
determine how long it will be.

In either case, do not guess at an ETA and then give the caller a definite ETA. If
you are not sure how long it will take, tell the caller that. If you're able to determine
from the radio dispatcher that the call will be definitely dispatched next, you may
give the caller a more definite ETA.

If the caller further questions the delay, explain that the police have to prioritize
incidents and that many other things are going on in the city. Tell them that it's
difficult to give ETA's because of the rapidly changing nature of events in the city.

In no case should you tell a citizen that "we don't have enough officers to handled
calls like this" or make any reference to budget cutbacks or personnel shortages.
You may, however, explain that there are very many calls for service and that you
will dispatch an officer as soon as one is available.

Cancellations

Many times citizens will call back to say that they no longer need police service.
When this occurs, it's important to determine the nature of the original call and that
the person calling is the same as the person who called.

During domestic disputes, it's common for one person to want the police and for the
other person to not want them. Therefore, you may not accept a cancellation of a
call for a 415f from a person other than the one who originally called. Even then,
you should be alert to the caller's demeanor, in case they are in distress.

Cancellation of response to alarms may come only from the alarm company who
transmitted the alarm. You may not accept cancellations from employees or others
at the scene of the alarm. This prevents criminals from breaking in and then simply
telephoning the police department to cancel the alarm.

For all cancellations, display the original incident, confirm it's the same location
and incident mentioned by the caller. Then enter comments to indicate who
cancelled the call and why. Update the incident so the radio dispatcher will be
alerted that the incident has been updated.

If convenient, verbally tell the radio dispatcher that the incident has been cancelled.

Alarm ETA's

After alarm companies make their initial report of a burglary or holdup alarm, they
will call back to give us an ETA for a responsible person. When they call, display
the original CAD incident and add the ETA information to the comments.

Officer Complaints

If a citizen calls wishing to file a complaint against any Police Department

employee, you should refer them to the Internal Affairs Bureau's telephone number
and advise them to call 8:00a.m. to 5:00p.m. on a weekday. If the caller insists on
speaking to a supervisor immediately, you should notify a sergeant on the same
shift as the involved officer. The sergeant may have you transfer the call or take a
message.

If a citizen wants to complain about a comm center dispatcher, immediately notify

your supervisor, who will handle the complaint.

Person Down
Callers often report that "a man is lying on the sidewalk" but don't know if the
person requires medical aid. Sometimes the circumstances of the incident will
provide a clue and you will dispatch the fire department immediately. However, if
the caller does not indicate that the person is in distress, that nothing has just
occurred to the person, you may decide to create a incident so a police officer can
investigate.

You should remember that, depending on other calls, police dispatch of the call
could be delayed and that the fire department might be a more appropriate,
immediate response. However, if the caller did not indicate a medical problem, do
not send the fire department simply to get someone there quickly.

Callers reporting persons down should be asked the exact location, if on the
sidewalk, in the street, in a yard, etc., the description of the person, if they talked to
the person and any observable symptoms. This information will help the radio
dispatcher properly prioritize the call.

Information Broadcasts

Telecomm, other police departments or officers may request that a "Be On the
Lookout" (BOL) to all units. When they contact you, create a CAD incident,
classify it as INFO and enter all the details.

For all broadcasts, you must determine why the person or vehicle is wanted and
what action to take if the person/vehicle is found, including arrest, stop and ID, info
only, etc. As always, complete descriptions should be obtained for all vehicles and
persons mentioned. The time and location of all offenses mentioned should be
obtained, too.

Trespassing

When a caller reports that someone is trespassing on their property, you must
quickly determine if the trespasser is a burglar or simply someone looking for a
place to sleep. Sometimes the caller will be able to give you a sense of the
situation. If the caller tells you that they see the person(s) in the yard and that it is a
common occurrance, that he/she recognizes the persons, that they have sleeping
gear, etc., you may decide that they are trespassers. If the caller is very excited,
says that the person(s) are inside or attempting to break in, you should treat the
incident as a prowler call (10-70) or burglary (459) as described above.

Callers reporting 602L's should be asked the number of persons involved, their
exact location and their description. You should also ask the caller what they would
like the police to do--arrest them or move them along.

Stolen Vehicles
Callers reporting stolen vehicles usually know only one thing--they can't find their
vehicle. Most times, however, the vehicle isn't stolen, it's just been towed,
repossessed or misplaced. It's up to the dispatcher to question the caller to
determine if the vehicle is actually stolen.

You should ask callers several basic questions to narrow down the location of the
vehicle:

 Where did you park it? Are you sure?

 Does anyone else have the keys? Could they have taken it?
 Do you own it? Could it have been repossessed?
 Do you want to make a police report of this?
 Are you in Oaktown, because an officer must make personal contact?

Obtain complete information on the owner and the vehicle, including year make,
model, color and license number. If the caller doesn't know the license number, ask
them to determine that while the officer is responding.

After recording all the information, you should check the following records to
determine that the car was not towed or legally taken:

 comm center tow log

 SQ on the computer terminal

Note that if a known person takes a vehicle without permission, or with permission
and is overdue, the vehicle may not be considered stolen. Instead the violation is
801(b) P.C., "joyriding". If there is an indication that joyriding is involved, note
that in the comments of the incident.

Stolen Vehicle Recovery

In most cases stolen vehicles are recovered without the involvement of the
complaint dispatcher. However, sometimes callers will report that they have found
their own or someone else's stolen vehicle. When this occurs, obtain complete
information on the caller so that he/she may be interviewed by the handling officer.
If the caller refuses to identify themselves, try to determine how long the vehicle
has been parked there and if anyone was seen driving it. Obtain complete
information on the vehicle.

ABANDONED AUTO FOLLOW-UPS

Officers who are assigned to mark abandoned autos are required to follow-up on
them four days later. If an officer finds that a marked vehicle has not moved, he/she
will radio the dispatcher on channel 2 and request a tow.
The officer will give you the original CAD sequence number. Display that incident,
and confirm that it's the same vehicle and location being reported by the officer.
The officer will give you the mileage--enter it into the comments section of the
incident.

After you have all the information, call one of the tow companies to remove the
vehicle. See TOWS.

Tip Line

In co-operation with Crime Prevention, the comm center has installed a special
telephone number for anonymous crime tips. Callers on this line are not required to
identify themselves to obtain police service, but may do so if they wish.

If a caller is reporting a current offense or incident, obtain as much information as

possible, create a CAD incident, classify it as "DRUGS", "SUSPER" or whatever is
appropriate. In the "RP" space, enter "Tip Line."

Other City Agencies

Citizens may call the police department for service when they are unable to reach
other city agencies. The problems they report may include street lights or traffic
signals not operating, backed up sewers, loose dogs, fallen trees, flooded streets or
hazards on the streets or sidewalks.

If a citizen calls during the week, refer them to the proper city agency. After 1700
on weekdays, and on weekends and holidays, you should first determine if the
situation is an emergency or urgent problem. If so, you may create a fire or police
incident for their response. If the problem is non-urgent, you should give the citizen
the city's answering service telephone number, 888-0001, and ask them to call.

The following city agencies are responsible where indicated:

 Streets and Sanitation sewers, streets, garbage pickup

 Electrical traffic signals, street lights
 Radio shop fire and police radio equipment
 Building Maintenance city buildings, repair and maintenance
 Equipment Maintenance city vehicles, repair and maintenance
 Parks & Marina all problems in city parks and the marina all problems
involving city trees
 Health all fires involving foodstuffs (restaurants, grocery stores, etc.) assists
with HAZMAT incidents Community noise ordinance
 Animal Control loose animals, trap lending, dogbite follow-ups
 Parking Violations issues most parking tickets, administers payments and
court dates
  Finance issues neighborhood parking stickers

Request for Officers' Telephone Numbers

By policy, police department employee telephone numbers are given out only to
other employees of the Oaktown Police Department. When someone calls
requesting an officer's telephone number, they should identify themselves. If they
do not, ask them who they are. If you do not recognize the voice, do not hesitate to
challenge them--in a polite way.

You may ask another dispatcher if they know the caller and have them identify the
voice. You may ask the caller his/her telephone number and then compare it with
the current list. You may ask the caller their badge number and/or work unit--
Service Division, Warrant Bureau, etc. Members of the department understand this
procedure and will not mind being questioned politely.

If you cannot verify the caller's identity, tell them that you will have a supervisor
call them back with the information, then obtain a telephone number where the
caller can be reached.

The Bulletin

The police department daily bulletin is an up-to-date record of the department's

patrol activity and is used daily by virtually every officer. It is typed by PSD's in
the comm center and its accuracy, legibility and completeness are very important.

As each page of the bulletin is completed, you should make nine copies and
distribute them as follows:

 original squadroom arch file

 three copies DD mailbox (includes Crime Analysis)
 one copy Service Division
 one copy RTB mailbox
 one copy comm center file
 one copy Chief's mailbox, (to Crime Prevention)
 one copy Reserve sergeant's box
 one copy property room

During times of infrequent incidents, you may have to make a copy of a partially
completed page and give it to the on-coming patrol sergeant so that the latest
information may be read at the platoon meeting. You may then return the original
to the typewriter and complete it before distributing it. Remember to destroy the
temporary copy on the squadroom file when you distribute the completed copy.

Platoon meetings are held at 0645, 1445 and 2345. You should anticipate these
times and have as many incidents as possible typed on the bulletin for
distribution.The task of a dispatcher handling fire-related telephone call is to obtain
the necessary information, route the caller to the proper person or agency, or to
dispatch the proper emergency equipment. At the same time, the dispatcher screens
out those calls not appropriately handled by the fire department or which are not
considered emergencies. To do this, the dispatcher asks a series of questions that
elicit the most information in the least amount of time.

NON-EMERGENCIES

If the caller asks for a particular person or division in the fire department, give them
the telephone number and then transfer them. If the caller requests information
provided by another city agency, give the caller the telephone number, then transfer
them to that number. In some cases, you will need to refer the caller to an outside
agency. Determine the number and give it to the caller. If you can find no telephone
number, give them as much information as you can so they may find the number
themselves. Note that some numbers are unlisted and may not be given out to the
public.

Note that some telephone numbers are unlisted and should not be given out to the
public. If you have any question if a number should be given out, consult your
supervisor.

To determine what fire department person or department handles a particular

subject, consult the RESPONSIBILITIES chart in the Appendix.

EMERGENCIES

The goal of the dispatcher handling an emergency call is to obtain the needed
information quickly and completely. You must often calm the caller and take
command of the situation by telling an excited person to calm down, and then by
asking the person specific questions.

For emergencies of all types, an exact location is crucial for quick response.
Precious minutes can be spent by firefighters finding the correct address and the
proper apartment number.

Locations

Callers reporting emergencies may not be able to stay at the telephone. For this
reason, always determine the LOCATION first by asking the caller the exact
address. If the caller is not sure of his/her location, coach them for a location---ask
what business they are at, are they near a store, school or other identifiable
landmark, what's next door? Once you have the location, it is policy that you
REPEAT it back to the caller and ask if there is any room or apartment number. For
example...
Caller: There's a fire here.
Disp: What's the address?
Caller: I'm at 1511 Blake.
Disp: That's 1511 Blake?
Caller: That's right.
Disp: Is there any apartment number?
Caller: It's number four. Disp: OK.......

If the call is received on the 9-1-1 system, the dispatcher shall enter the party's
telephone number in the incident record for possible later reference. If the caller is
telephoning from a business, get the name of the business, as that will usually be
more identifiable to the responding units than a address number.

Sometimes the caller is at a distance from the actual incident and may not be able to
give a specific location. In this case, question them on the direction they are
looking---compass directions, toward the Bay or hills, toward Oakland or Albany.
Use landmarks or visible buildings to narrow down the location, such as "three
houses east of the school" or "on the north side, three houses up from the
intersection." For example...
Caller: I'd like to report a fire.
Disp. : What's address---------------------> get location first!
Caller: I'm at 1902 Blake St.
Disp. : 1902 Blake? Is there any apartment number?-------> repeat address
Caller: No, it's a house, here.
Disp. : What's on fire?------------------> will determine equipment to send
Caller: Well, I don't know exactly.
Disp. : What do you see?------------------------------> personal knowledge
Caller: I see flames coming from a building.
Disp. : What's the address of the building?---------------> location again!
Caller: I don't know exactly.
Disp. : Is it across the street, or where is it from you?
Caller: Yes, it's directly across the street from me.
Disp. : Okay, we'll be right there.---------------------> positive response

Proper Addresses

While talking to the person reporting the emergency, you should try to determine if
the street and/or street number is valid for Oaktown. There are several Oaktown
streets that are duplicated in surrounding cities but that have different block number
ranges. If the street guide shows that the incident is in another jurisdiction, transfer
them to that city or take the information and relay it to the other fire department.

Oaktown responds to incidents only within Oaktown, except for those areas served
under standing mutual aid agreements. You may not dispatch firefighting
equipment outside of the city, except under these limited mutual aid agreements,
without the authorization of the on-duty A/C. However, if a fire unit is in the field
and sees an incident occurring in another jurisdiction, they may respond to it.
However, you should immediately notify the affected jurisdiction for their
response.

FIRES

The primary information to be obtained by the dispatcher on fire calls in

the location of the incident and the NATURE, so that the proper equipment may be
sent directly to the scene. The dispatcher must then determine the
proper equipment to send.

The decisions of the dispatcher depend a great deal on the accuracy of the
information obtained from the caller, and how the caller is viewing the situation.
You must remember that you are dealing with persons in a stressful situation who
may not be able to see or understand fully what is happening. They may exaggerate
or underestimate the situation.

It is essential that an adequate number of firefighters and equipment be sent on the

first dispatch to handle a fire emergency. Because of this, the basic rule of fire
dispatching is--- do not to take anything for granted. If you are in doubt, dispatch
apparatus. If you are in doubt as to the severity of the situation, send too much
equipment rather than too little.

Nature

Determine the nature of a fire incident by asking the caller, "What do you see?" If
they see smoke or flames, ask them, "Where is it coming from?" Narrow down the
source of the smoke or flames as much as possible. If they are reporting smoke, ask
them the color, how long they have seen it, and if they see flames with it. If the
caller says the smoke is coming from a building, ask if from a window, door,
chimney, etc. Ask them if they see anyone near the smoke or fire---a clue that it
may be a barbecue or illegal burning. For example...
Caller: The dryer is on fire.
Disp. : What do you see? Do you see flames?
Caller: Well, I'm up here in my apartment, so it's hard to see.
Disp. : Did you go down to the laundry room?
Caller: Yes, I was down there a minute ago.
Disp. : What did you see then?
Caller: I saw flames coming from the dryer.--------> personal knowledge
Disp. : 2309 Piedmont. Okay, we'll be right there.---------> repeat address

If the caller is reporting a vehicle fire, ask them where vehicle is parked ---in the
street, in a garage, etc., and what type of vehicle it is--- car, truck (what kind?), van,
etc. This information indicates how serious the fire is and will help you determine
what equipment to send.
Rely only on what a caller can see or smell personally and not upon their suspicions
or conclusions. Ask them specific, physically-related questions, such as "Is the door
hot?", "Do you see sparks?" or "What's the toaster doing now?"

It is very common for excited persons to relate two, separate events or observations
and to conclude that they are connected. For example, a person smells an odor and
their lights won't work. Ask them, "What makes you think the odor is related to the
lights not working?" Their answer might reveal what they are actually observing
and provide details upon which to base your dispatch decision.

Safety Advice

Callers often have no experience in dangerous situations and do not realize how
perilous the situation is for them. If the person is reporting a hazardous materials
incident or a structure fire where they may be in danger, advise them to
immediately leave the area or building. If their oven is on fire, tell them to leave the
oven door closed. If a pan is on fire on the range, tell them to turn off the burner
and to try to cover the pan.

Never let the caller's lack of concern dictate your response. Dispatch a company
even tho the caller feels that "the fire was real small and I think I put it out." Fires
can smolder for hours or days and flare up later, especially in stuffed chairs,
couches and beds.

In all cases, tell the caller to send someone outside to wait for the fire apparatus and
assist them in finding the location promptly.

MEDICAL EMERGENCIES

The Objectives

The fire department provides emergency ambulance service to the City of Oaktown
and the County using two ambulances designated Rescue 12 (Station 2 at 2029
Oaktown Way) and Rescue 13 (Station 4 at 1802 Pine). Ambulance operations are
supervised by an EMS Director, who holds the rank of Captain. Ambulance
operating procedures are contained in General Order 15.5.

A medical emergency is defined in General Order 15.5 as one "requiring immediate

medical attention by reason of injury or illness." If the call is an emergency, the
dispatcher will send the nearest engine or truck company, and the nearest
ambulance, both responding Code 3. If the call is not an emergency, you will refer
the caller to alternate transportation (taxi, bus, friend or private ambulance).

The objective of the dispatcher taking a medical call is to evaluate the seriousness
of the victim's SYMPTOMS and to send an appropriate response of equipment,
while maintaining sufficient equipment in reserve for additional calls.
To be able to send the nearest ambulance, the dispatcher shall constantly maintain
the status and location of the ambulances on the display board. Ambulances not in
quarters should report their location when outside their home district. Ambulances
may sometimes request that they be assigned "second up," meaning that the other
ambulance should be dispatched first, regardless of district. Once the other
ambulance is dispatched, you should notify the second -up unit that they are now
"first due."

Methods of Questioning

It is impossible to diagnose a person's medical problem from symptoms described

over the telephone. However, using proper techniques of questioning, it is possible
to determine the seriousness of a person's symptoms and if that person should
immediately be transported to the hospital.

The key to this method of questioning is to concentrate on the victim's symptoms

and not the underlying medical problem causing them. You should attempt to talk
with the victim directly to obtain them, if possible. However, in cases where the
victim is a a distance or is incapacitated, you will have to rely on a third party for
information on the symptoms. You are never required to speak to the victim before
dispatching an ambulance.

Quite often, the circumstances of an incident will indicate the seriousness of the
victim's condition and you will not have to ask questions about his/her symptoms.
For instance, a person fell from a second-story window or was struck by a car. In
other cases, you will have to ask a series of specific, symptomrelated questions to
determine the seriousness of the victim's medical problem.

Questioning should proceed from the general to the more specific. If the caller's
first answers do not indicate an emergency, continue to ask questions until you are
sure of the situation. Remember, usually something specific occurred that made the
caller phone for an ambulance. Your questioning should try to determine what that
"something" was.

It is not uncommon to receive calls from persons who are very excited and who use
profanity or insults. It is important that you don't take these words personally or
make a decision based on your reaction to them. The situation should always be
judged on the facts presented by the caller. It is up to you to calmly question the
caller to obtain the facts in these cases.

Here is a diagram showing a method of questioning which has proved successful in

the past.
What's the problem? . . .
What symptoms does--------> not breathing he/she have? bleeding . heart problems . poisoning
What is he/she doing? burn . unconscious . pain
 How long? seizure . fever .
What happened?----------> auto accident . fall . assault . allergy Conscious? medication . sports injury
Personal information------------> age . condition . sex .
Medical history-----------------> conditions medication hospitalization treatment

Note that your first questions should be about the person's symptoms. If the caller is
unsure or cannot describe the symptoms, you must then ask about what happened
to the victim. If nothing specific occurred, then your next questions should be about
the victim's past medical history, age, etc.

You ask other questions which may give a clue to the seriousness of the medical
problem. Can the victim walk? Is he/she talking and what are they saying? Has
something happened in the last 10-15 minutes that made you call? Have you talked
to the victim's doctor and when? Have long have you been with the person?

Callers may report that someone is "having a heart attack" or other conclusive
condition. They should be questioned about what specific symptoms they observe
and asked, "What makes you think it's a heart attack?". When you talk to third-
parties, try to determine their distance from the victim. Usually, the accuracy and
completeness of the problem is related to the distance--- if close the information is
accurate, if from afar the information is more general.

If at any time you determine that the caller does not know anything further about
the circumstance and you cannot speak to the victim, don't question the caller
further or delay a possible dispatch while information is relayed. Base your
dispatch decision on what you already know.

EMD Cards

The city of Salt Lake City has devised a procedure for screening medical
emergency calls. The protocol separates emergencies from non-emergencies and
also determines what type of medical response will be sent. It provides for
dispatchers to provide pre-arrival instructions to the caller which often relieve the
victim's symptoms or distress. The full system is not used in Oaktown; however,
the cards are available and may be used to provide you with questions to ask
callers.

The SLC questioning results in four pieces of information that are passed on to the
responding units--if the person is conscious, if breathing, the victim's age and the
chief complaint.

The cards are organized into a flip-file with headings of the chief complaint. When
you receive a medical call and learn the chief complaint, flip to that heading and
note the "key questions" listed on the left side of the card. The possible causes are
listed directly above the main card. Pre-arrival instructions are listed to the right
and the dispatch priorities are listed at the bottom of the card.
Oaktown does not give pre-arrival instructions to callers. Also, the dispatch
priorities listed pertain to a two-tiered level of medical service, such as EMT and
paramedic service which is not used in Oaktown.

Dispatches

Mandatory

An EMS dispatch is MANDATORY if any ONE of the following symptoms is

described by the caller:

 breathing problem
 bleeding, substantial, or minor if very old or young
 heart problems, including pain/history, arrest
 poisoning
 unconsciousness
 burn, serious or covers extensive area of the body
 fracture
 dislocation
 emergency childbirth

An EMS dispatch is also mandatory if requested by an on-the-scene doctor, nurse

or public safety agency (highway patrol, fire, police, transit district). The dispatcher
shall only question the reporting agency to obtain an adequate location for the
incident.

Others

An ambulance will be sent to the report of a Condition B fire. The ambulance

should be dispatched Code 2 and will be considered out-of-service, altho they will
NOT be reported out-of-service to the county unless they transport someone from
the fire scene.

On rare occasions, a hospital emergency room will request a Code 3 transfer of a

patient to the other hospital. Dispatch the nearest ambulance only and treat it like
any other incident. Oaktown does not, however, transfer non-critical patients.
Direct such requests from hospitals to the A/C or EMS Director.

Under written agreements, Oaktown's ambulances also respond to incidents in other

cities within the county. Requests from cities other than Albany (who calls directly)
will come from the county comm center. They will indicate the problem, the
address, the Code 11, the patient's call-back number and, if you ask them, the
reporting agency (Liberty, patient direct). When dispatching Oaktown ambulances
to outside cities, attempt to give the ambulance the nearest crossstreet and the
quickest route. If one of Oaktown's ambulances is out-ofservice, do NOT dispatch
the remaining ambulance into another jurisdiction.

By policy, Oaktown's ambulance will respond to transport persons being committed

by Transit Police. In the case of an emergency, they will request an ambulance and
engine; in nonemergency cases they may request only an ambulance for transport.

Police procedures require that the fire department ambulance stand-by during a
Barricaded Subject/Hostage Negtiation Team (BS/HNT) operation or any incident
involving an explosive device. When requested for a BS/HNT incident, determine a
safe stand-by location, assign an incident number, dispatch the ambulance Code 2
and notify the A/C. Because these incidents may last several hours or even days,
the A/C may arrange relief for the ambulance crew. When requested for an
explosive device incident, dispatch the ambulance Code 2 to a safe stand-by
location and remind them that radio transmissions are prohibited within 300 feet of
the scene.

Alternate Transportation

If you determine that the caller does not have an emergency, explain that the fire
department handles only life or death emergencies and, "From what you describe,
this isn't a situation the fire department handles." If appropriate, you should agree
with the caller that the victim needs to see a doctor or go to the hospital, but
suggest alternate transportation, such as...

 taxi
 bus
 friend with car
 private ambulance from the Yellow Pages

Do not suggest specific ambulance companies to callers, but refer them to the
"Ambulance" section in the telephone book. You should not contact a private
ambulance company directly, as they will assume the fire department is officially
ordering the ambulance and bill accordingly. Rather, have the victim or caller
contact the ambulance company. Tell the caller to tell the ambulance company that
it is not an emergency transport, but a routine transport.

Do not use the police department as an alternative method of transportation for

medical incidents, due the uncertainty of their response time. The police should be
sent only to those cases which you believe are NOT medical emergencies and
which involve crimes, incidents on/with city property or in those cases where the
nature of the entire problem is unknown.

If the victim has had a continuing illness and is being treated regularly by a doctor
and the situation is clearly not an emergency, you may suggest that the caller
contact the victim's doctor for advice. Tell the caller, "If the doctor thinks the
person should go to the hospital, then contact a private ambulance company in the
Yellow Pages."

Chronic Medical Caller

Most persons use fire department services only once--because of an accident or

sudden medical problem. However, there are many persons who have chronic
medical conditions which require periodic attention by a doctor or hospital and who
call the fire department for assistance. In some cases their problem may be an
emergency. Other times they may simply need transportation. But, after receiving
several calls from them, it may not be possible for the dispatcher to determine if the
situation is an emergency or not.

For these reasons, the Fire Department's policy is that you may not refuse service to
chronic callers based on their frequency of calling. If they express any degree of a
medical problem, you shall dispatch apparatus. Of course, you should still screen
the call for appropriateness--for instance, the fire department would not respond to
raise a window shade or get a person a drink of water.

If the caller has called more than three times within 30 days, the responding fire
officer will make a report to the EMT Director, who will contact the city's Health
Department for assistance. In most cases, the person's medical problem can be
solved without the need for continual fire department response.

Advice Nurse

Nurses at Oaktown emergency room will answer basic medical questions from the
public. If a caller has a NON-emergency medical problem, but you feel they may
require medical treatment, direct them to an emergency room to talk to the advice
nurse. Do not use the advice nurse to determine if the caller has an emergency, but
rather only for advice on the treatment of non-emergency medical problems.

Response Areas

Oaktown ambulances are first-due in all areas of Oaktown except the Strawberry
Canyon area, which is covered by Pintown Volunteer Fire's ambulance. Requests
for an ambulance outside of this area should be referred to the proper agency,
unless the county or another jurisdiction is requesting mutual aid. In that case, refer
the request to the Assistant Chief for his action.

Special Situations

If a caller says that the injury resulted from a fight or use of a weapon (gun, knife,
club), a bicycle or auto accident, or any injury resulting from or occurring on city
property (any sidewalk, city buildings, parks, etc.), obtain complete information on
the caller (name, address and telephone) and create a police incident for their
response. If a crime is involved, you should relay complete information to the
responding fire units using the following standard phrases:

 "police are responding" police are on the way

 "police are on the scene" police are there, situation unknown
 "the scene is secure" police are there, safe to enter
 "the scene is not secure. Hold up a block away" police are there but it is not
safe. Hold at the designated location until advised by the dispatcher to enter

If a caller requests that the fire department respond without red lights or sirens,
explain that a quick response is necessary and that policy requires the red lights and
siren. If the caller insists, tell them that you will relay the request to the ambulance-
-but don't argue with the caller. In the comments section of the CAD incident, enter
"Caller requests Code 2" and the radio dispatcher will give that information to the
responding units.

Often the caller will say that the victim does not want to go to the hospital, but that
"something must be done." Explain that the fire department cannot treat or
transport anyone without their permission. Determine the person's symptoms and, if
it sounds as if the victim does require hospitalization, complete create a police
CAD incident. Explain to the caller that police will come to evaluate the person to
see if hospitalization can be ordered for the person. If the police decide to legally
commit the person, dispatch the engine and ambulance to transport.

In some cases the caller will indicate only that the victim is "upset" or is "acting
strange," and there are no obvious physical injuries. The caller should then be
questioned about the person's prior medical history. If it can be determined the
person is mentally ill, create a police police incident for dispatch.

You should always be aware of background noises, the caller's demeanor and
voice, the caller's location relative to the victim, the time of day and other
information that might indicate the true nature of the incident.

You should avoid using the term "drugs" when questioning callers, as they are
often reluctant to admit that legal or illegal drugs are involved. Ask the
caller/victim if they have been taking any "medicine" or "medication."

All serious industrial accidents requiring more than 24-hours hospitalization must
be reported to Industrial Safety as soon as practical. See the RESOURCE
MANUAL.

Patients with medical insurance may be transported by Oaktown's ambulance and

will still be covered by the insurance plan if the situation is an emergency. If you
receive a call from a Kaiser patient, dispatch normally and the ambulance crew will
determine the patient's status. If the patient is stable and does not require immediate
transport, the ambulance crew will have the patient notify Kaiser and then will
stand-by to await the arrival of their ambulance.

The lack of any medical insurance is never a factor in the fire department's
transportation or the hospital's treatment of an emergency victim. Emergency
patients without insurance of any kind will be treated immediately and then
transferred later to a county facility. Callers who indicate a non-emergency and
who say they have insurance should be directed to alternate transpor-tation.

Oaktown's ambulances do not transport to hospitals outside of the city. If a caller

indicates they have a non-emergency transport, refer them to a private ambulance
company in the Yellow Pages. If the caller describes an emergency but insists on
going to an outside hospital, explain that "This sounds like an emergency that
should be transported to the nearest hospital. Do you want us to repond?" If the
person still refuses, refer them to a private ambulance company. However, in some
cases you may wish to dispatch an engine company to evaluate, especially when
the caller does not seem to understand the serious-ness of the victim's injury or
illness.

Sometimes other public safety agencies will contact the county to request an
ambulance. Usually this involves the highway patrol and interstate vehicle
incidents. When the country receives such a call, they determine the jurisdiction
without regard to any local mutual aid agreements. If the county calls with an
incident bordering Pinetown and their ambulance is in a better position to handle,
accept the dispatch and then notify Pinetown for their response.

When a private ambulance company such as Acme receives a citizen's request for
an ambulance and the situation sounds life-threatening, county procedures require
that they immediately give the information to the county medical dispatch, who
will notify us. Sometimes the urgency of the call is difficult for Acme to determine,
yet they relay it to the county and do not ask the caller to hang up and dial 911. If
the county refers an emergency call from a private ambulance company, proceed as
follows:

 ask the county for a call back number

 if supplied, call to determine actual situation
 if emergency, dispatch apparatus
 if non-emergency, refer patient back to private and notify the county of non-
response
 if no call back number, dispatch apparatus

If arriving units discover that the victim is already dead and they do not administer
CPR, they will radio, "We have a DOA here." The dispatcher should then create a
police incident. Only after an investigation by the police will the police officer
request that the coroner be called. The engine or ambulance will stand-by to await
the arrival of the police officer.

County Medical Alerts

The county will periodically issue alerts, either red or yellow, to indicate a possible
or actual medical emergency. They are handled as follows:

yellow alert limit non-emergency runs, notify EMS Director and A/C

red alert dispatch equipment as requested by the county and as authorized by the
A/C

Confidential Information

All medical information concerning ambulance incidents is considered confidential

and MAY NOT be divulged to anyone. Citizens looking for relatives may be told
the location and disposition (first aid, transport, CPR, etc.) of any incident, but they
should be directed to General, Mercy or Children's Hospitals for any medical
information.

Fees

The fire department charges fees for ambulance transports based on distance and
medical supplies used. However, the ability to pay is NEVER a requirement for a
response. Inquiries about fees or bills should be directed to the ambulance billing
office, 888-9001

Common Medical Incidents

An analysis of hundreds of ambulances requests reveals these common symptoms

or circumstances with which you should be familiar:

 bleeding
 unconscious
 fall
 auto accident
 chest pain
 seizure
 breathing prob.
 pain
 sports injury
 cardiac history
 overdose
 diabetic
 allergy
  emphysema
 dislocation
 burn
 dialysis problem
 paraplegic problem

In addition, you might hear the following medical terms:

 pacemaker
 asthma
 hypertension
 insulin shock
 quad
 quadraplegic
 emphysema
 Valium
 Dilantin
 Librium
 lithium
 Quaalude
 codeine
 insulin
 Talwin
 Darvon
 digitalis
 cocaine

COMPLETING THE CAD ENTRY

While talking to the caller on the telphone, you should enter the information into
CAD.

The comments that you enter should be specific enough to allow the radio
dispatcher to determine what fire apparatus to dispatch. If a fire, indicate what is on
fire or exactly what the caller saw. If a medical problem, indicate the age, sex and
chief complaint or major symptom of the victim. For example....

"25M, breathing problem"

"baby, seizure"
"flames from 2nd floor"
"trash fire on corner"
"auto accident"
"wall socket electrical short"
"oven fire"
"water control, hydrant"
The call-back number shall be included if the call was received on 911 or the
person is reporting a HAZMAT incident.

When designating the location of an incident, you may use the standard
abbreviations "N/T", for next-to, "IFO" for in-front-of, "A/F" for across-from or
"R/O" for rear of.

POSITIVE RESPONSE

It's important that the caller not misunderstand about the department's response to a
call. If you intend to dispatch equipment tell the caller, "We'll be right there" or
something similar. If the situation is not a fire department situation (sewer problem,
plumbing problem), tell them "That's not something the fire department handles"
and refer them to any city department that does, or tell them that they must contact
a private company.

If you are not dispatching anyone tell the caller why not and what they should do.
For example, "We can't send you an ambulance for a non-emergency. If the person
cannot go to the hospital in a car, then you should call a private ambulance."

If a caller requests an ambulance and then, during the call decides that everything is
okay or otherwise changes their mind, ask the person "So you don't want us to
come out?" When they answer "yes", tell them, "Okay, we won't be responding."
This type of questioning will eliminate misunderstandings and prevent any later
complaints about our response or lack of it.

In all cases where you intend to dispatch equipment, ask the caller to send someone
outside to the street to meet the apparatus and guide them to the proper location.

FIRE SERVICE CALLS

The fire department also responds to certain non-emergency calls to provide

specialized equipment or expertise. A response to a non-emergency shall not be
made if several fire units are out of service or if there are several emergencies in
progress. Consult the A/C if you have any question about sending equipment to a
non-emergency.

 lock-in engine or truck (eng. has ladders to reach 2nd floor)

 lock-out eng/truck, if something on stove or infant inside
 water control engine
 aid to invalid engine, engine/truck if large person
 leaking roofs no response, refer to private companies
 water in basement engine to shut off utilities only; private co.'s for pumping
out water
 falling trees engine to check utilities
  landslides engine to check utilities
 animal in tree no response
 elevator rescue engine and truck; building maintenance if City facility

If the caller's situation falls outside of the fire department's area of responsibility,
tell them, "This is not something the fire department handles." Suggest what other
agencies, if any, would handle the situation and give them the proper telephone
number. See the RESOURCE MANUAL.

MUTUAL AID

The fire department provides firefighting and ambulance assistance to several

surrounding jurisdictions under mutual aid agreements. Several of these are
standing agreements and receive a response as if the location were in Oaktown. All
other responses to locations outside Oaktown must be approved by the on-duty
A/C, Deputy Chief or Fire Chief.

The standing mutual aid agreements are for fire or medical incidents:

 in Oak Park
 on Ridge Peak
 on the interstate in Pinetown
 a single ambulance to an adjacent city at the request of the county

All other requests for mutual aid from other cities or the county should be directed
to the on-duty Assistant Chief, who will give you dispatch instructions. You should
know the specific mutual aid procedures as described in the county Mutual Aid
Plan binder, General Orders 15.14, 15.15 and the Resource Manual.

HAZMAT INCIDENTS

Any incident involving the release of a toxic material shall be considered a

HAZMAT incident. Specific procedures have been developed for handling these, as
outlined in General Order XX.x and the Resource Manual. Basically, you should
dispatch the nearest engine company to investigate and, if they confirm a
HAZMAT incident, you will then dispatch the HAZMAT team of Truck 2 and
Engine 2. If requested by the A/C, you will notify county, state or federal agencies
for their assistance. Specific procedures are outlined in the RESOURCE
MANUAL.

Police Radio Dispatching

SUPERVISION
While performing the duties of radio dispatcher, the PSD is under the authority of
the senior PSD. However, in matters pertaining to field operations, the requests and
orders of all patrol sergeant shall be honored immediately. If the request is in
conflict with any policy, procedure, regulation or law, you should consult the
comm center sergeant--if immediately available--for his/her advice. If no comm
center sergeant is available and the situation is not critical, you may choose to
consult with a patrol sergeant about the matter on channel 2. However, never
jeopardize the safety of citizens or officers by delaying a dispatch--send officers
and consult with a sergeant later about the proper procedure.

AUTHORITY

The PSD performing radio dispatch duties has the sole authority to make incident
assignments using the guidelines provided in written rules, regulations or
procedures. While officers may question or challenge assignments, they should do
so only thru a supervisor. However, if their question is one of beat assignment or
jurisdiction, they may ask you directly and you should politely handle the question.

RESPONSIBILITY

The radio dispatcher has responsibility for establishing priorities for all calls for
service, dispatching calls via radio, co-ordinating field officers and their radio
traffic, maintaining status of all units, disposing of all incidents and handling
requests for service from field units.

The radio dispatcher must constantly scan the CAD display of unassigned incidents
and determine which call to dispatch next, checking on the status of officers and
maintaining radio contact with them. During emergencies, the radio dispatcher is
the officer's officer's sole link to other officers and assistance.

During the radio dispatcher's tour on the "desk", he/she must devote complete
attention to the radio and remain alert for every transmission. Often the radio
reception is poor and the dispatcher must understand a transmission just from
hearing part of a broadcast. Your proficiency directly bears upon the safety of every
officer in the field. Any error or lapse of attention could have the gravest of
consequences.

This attention and concentration establishes a positive control of the radio channel.
It insures the safety of the officers and maximizes the use of police resources.

Just as important, there are many things that the radio dispatcher does not do,
including calling for tows, notifying alarm companies, etc. You should learn to
delegate such duties to the PSD's working as complaint dispatchers. If field officers
ask you to order a tow, politely tell them "Channel 2 for dispatch."
The radio dispatcher sets the pace and tone for the entire patrol platoon. If you are
short, "grouchy" or otherwise express your emotions on the radio, the patrol
officers will begin to mirror those feelings. If you consistently ask officers to "10-
9" or explain themselves, the officers will begin to feel they are "out of touch."
Morale will suffer, productivity will go down and the job will generally become
very unpleasant.

All transmissions should be business-like and use the minimum of words. You
should never be argumentative, sarcastic or defensive. Conversation and personal
names should not be used on the radio. Instead, you should use the codes, short
standard phrases and badge numbers.

Remember that you simply provide information to the officers about what is
happening and where. You do not "order" officers to go somewhere or to do
something. This should be reflected in the tone of your voice and the words you
use. For example...

Good--Impersonal --- "55, a 242 at 1918 Blake."

Poor--Authoritative --- "55, go to 1918 Blake and take a 242 report."

The radio dispatcher does not supervise the patrol forces and should not be critical
of their behavior. You should not be concerned with how long an officer takes to
complete a case, if their lunch period runs longer than 30 minutes, etc. If an officer
is rude on the radio or refuses to handle a case, refer the matter to your supervisor,
who will handle the matter with the patrol sergeant.

If an officer points out that you made a mistake, simply make the necessary
correction without comment. Don't engage in a long explanation of how it
happened or who is really to blame. For example..

"95, a 415e."
"Go ahead."
"At 1922 Blake, a neighbor reports a loud radio."
"That's on beat 11. I'm on beat 6."
"Well, the dispatcher put the wrong beat on it, so <------Wrong!
10-22 for now and I'll get the right officer to take it when she comes 10-8."

"95, check. 72 a 415e." <------Right!

"72, go ahead....."

If you feel it's necessary to discuss an incident more fully, have the officer call on
the telephone when you have finished working Control for an explanation.

The dispatching operation often moves very quickly, so you should try not to dwell
on one thing very long. As you make decisions, move on to the next operation.
Don't ponder over the CAD screen or radio transmission. The quicker you can
transition from one event to another, the more efficient you will become.

However, no matter how quickly things move, you will find that you do have a
maximum speed. You should try to regulate on-going events to match your speed
of operation. Use spare moments to do non-priorities so that, when an officer calls
on the radio, you can answer immediately. Defer certain tasks until activity
decreases. Delegate tasks to other dispatchers. Using a combination of these
"tricks," you can easily keep up with the flow of activity.

PRIORITIES

A large part of the radio dispatcher's job in dealing with incidents and radio traffic
is resolving the different levels of importance which exist. By policy, the police
department establishes priorities for the handling of critical incidents--those
involving weapons or potential injury to a citizen or officer. In many other cases
the radio dispatcher must determine the priority based on current staffing, activity,
location of officers, citizen information, location of the incident and the dispatcher's
prior experience.

While you work you should remember that it is important which incident you
dispatch first. It is vital which officer you tell to "stand by" on the radio. You
should realize that the priorities you initially establish may have farreaching effects
on citizens and/or officers several minutes or hours later.

Priorities for dispatching incidents are officially classified from 1 to 4, as follows:

1 top priority, dispatch immediately; emergencies, potential emergencies or urgent

calls

2 important, dispatch as soon as possible; cold reports of crimes, tows

3 routine, dispatch when possible; parking matters with no tow, abandoned autos

9 very routine; dispatch when possible

Some questions about priorities are answered in this manual. Other questions can
only be answered by your trainer when the situation occurs. Experience will be the
best help in learning that priorities play an important part in police work and how
you can make the right choices.

GEOGRAPHY

As explained earlier in this Manual, geograph is not essential, but it makes the job
significantly easier. As a police radio dispatcher, you should be familiar with the
basic geography of Oaktown, including the location of major landmarks, the Bay,
the hills and the Oaktown University campus. You should have a sense of "where"
the streets are generally located. You should be able to visualize a city block as a
square surrounded by four streets.

With experience, you will learn the exact locations of streets, buildings and other
landmarks. If you live in Oaktown or visit often, you'll begin to remember specific
stores, restaurants and other public places which are visited by the police.

WORK AREA

Telephone

Most calls handled by the radio dispatcher will be from patrol officers wishing to
obtain or give information about the cas they are currently handling. Only in rare
cases will the radio dispatcher handle calls from citizens.

Radio

All channels of the radio shall be used only for short, essential messages. Lengthy
or non-priority messages should be made on the telephone or in person. you should
think before you broadcast, choosing and limiting your words so that they convey
the message in the shortest transmission time, while not being cryptic. Don't repeat
a field officer's transmission unnecessarily, but only if you want to confirm the
message or to insure that other units have heard it.

Long Form--Wordy Short Form--Preferred

"55, 10-4. I copy you're 10-8
"55, check"
now."
"18, you're 10-97 at the scene." "18, check"
"28, what's your exact location" "28, 10-20?"
"98, do you have enough
"98, are you Code 4?"
officers"
"19, I show you 10-19 on your
"Check 10-19 on your x."
"19, check"

You should never use names or familiar conversation on the radio, but rather badge
numbers and business-like transmissions. For example...

Familiar--Not Acceptable
Acceptable
Codes
"Bill, are you going to arrest with 55, will you be 10-15 with
some drunks from there?" 657f's?"
You should use the phonetic alphabet (see Appendix) for license numbers,
apartment numbers and other single-letter identifiers. Use the words "affirmative"
and "negative" instead of "yes" and "no."

The VU meter next to the master XMIT button indicates the volume of your radio
transmissions. A deflection of the needle to the center of the scale indicates that
you have sufficient volume to be heard. If the needle consistantly moves lower,
field units may not hear you. If the needle moves higher, your voice may be
distorted by the radio system and you won't be understood.

CHANNEL USAGE

Radio channel 1 is reserved for essential dispatching and co-ordination.

Transmissions on channel 1 should always be short, to the point and pertain to
business. Dispatchers should remember that officers may have an emergency at any
time which would require a clear channel.

It is possible for an officer in the field to broadcast and be heard while the base
station is transmitting. However, two field units cannot be received at the same
time. Field officers should be encouraged to use channel 2 or the telephone to make
lengthy transmissions. When using channel 1, officers should be encouraged to
break their broadcast into smaller segments, with a short pause between them
which would allow another officer with a priority to break in.

Channel 2 may be used for car-to-car broadcasts and any transmissions which are
lengthy. It may also be used if channel 1 is inoperable because of a technical
problem or an open mike.

Channel 3 is not designed to be used by the comm center, but rather between field
units. However, you can use this channel by broadcasting on channel 2 and be
listening on the channel 3 monitor speaker. In most cases, the reception range of
channel 3 by the comm center is limited to less than one mile or about the central
one-third of the city.

Channel 4 is used for telecomm inquiries and for non-priority car-to-car broadcasts,
similar to channel 2.

Console Setup

The control dispatcher should have police channel 1 SELECTED and turned up to a
suitable volume in the earphone. Channel 1 and 2 may be turned up on the
UNSELECT speaker, if desired, but they should never distract from broadcasts on
channel 1.

Officer Radio Setup

Most officers in the field have two radios available to them--their patrol car radio
and a portable radio. While in or near their car, they can listen to two channels at
once from the two radios. This occurs quite often when they use channel 4 to obtian
warrant or registration information on a vehicle.

Once they leave their car, they usually can hear only one channel. If they make a
field stop on a car and switch to channel 4 on their portable radio, they will hear
only channel 4 broadcasts. Sometimes officers will open their passenger side door
while on a car stop so they can hear channel 1 on the car radio and channel 4 on
their portable radio.

You should try to visualize the officers radio setup so that you'll understand how
they might hear you and on what radio, and why they might not hear you.

Attention to Radio

All transmissions, including sounds of static or clicking, on channel 1 are to be

acknowledged immediately, regardless of what else you are doing. The
acknowledgment can merely be "Stand by", "last unit unreadable" or it may be a
complete message. If you continue to receive unreadable transmissions and you
cannot account for them, you may need to give every patrol officer a "ring."

If you receive simultaneous transmissions, you should tell one officer to stand-by
and tell the other to "Go ahead." However, you should consider which officer to tell
"Stand by," depending on what assignment they are on, where they are, if they have
cover, etc. The officer in the least, current jeopardy should be told to stand by. If
you're unsure, ask one officer "Do you have priority traffic?" If they answer "No,"
tell them to stand by and let the officer broadcast.

It's mandatory that you acknowledge the message and not tell the officer to
"standby" for car or pedestrian stops, calls for cover or pursuits. If it becomes
necessary for you to concentrate your attention on a radio channel other than
channel 1, or on the telephone for a short period of time, you should tell officers
"Hold all but emergency traffic. I'm on the phone (or on channel 2)" so you will not
miss an important transmission.

Codes

The police department uses codes when talking on the radio, in order to shorten the
transmissions and to improve clarity by standardization. You should learn this "ten-
code" and be able to fluently express yourself with it.

A complete list of the ten-code is contained in a booklet which your instructor will
give you. Most of the codes are self-explanatory; however, several are listed here
for further clarification.
Code 1, 2 & 3 refers to the speed of response by an officer to an incident.
Explanations and examples are given later in this section.

Code 4 indicates that no further assistance is needed at the scene of an incident. If a

suspect is still in the area, the officer will indicate. Code 5....indicates that an
officer is observing a location for possible criminal activity and advises other units
to avoid the area.

Code 33 with or without radio tone, restricts radio traffic to emergencies only
during a critical incident, such as a pursuit or crime in progress

Code 34 indicates that normal radio traffic may resume after a Code 33

901 indicates that an officer is in plainclothes, usually in an unmarked unit, such as

"55, I'm 901 in the area."

10-0 indicates that the officer(s) should use caution because of information
received on the premises or subject, such as "19, 10-0. The RP says that the subject
has access to a handgun."

11-99 officer needs help, all units respond Code 3.

BEAT CONFIGURATION

For purposes of establishing job responsibility, the city has been divided into four
patrol districts, with either two or three beats in each district. Depending upon the
time of day, one or more officers are assigned to each beat.

Beats boundaries usually run down the center of streets, which means that an
incident occurring in the street could be in one beat or the other. At some
intersections, four beats boundaries meet, making it necessary to determine in
which quadrant the incident occurred before assigning a beat number.

The patrol districts are numbered from one to four in a clockwise fashion,
beginning with the northeast quadrant. Beats within each district are lettered from
A to C. Individual beats are identified by both their district number and beat letter.
For example, 1A, 3C, 4B, etc.

During the period 0200 to 1100, only one team is on patrol. During all other times
there are two teams patrolling. A typical day goes like this--

Midnight two teams patrolling

0145 one team goes off-duty, one team remains on patrol
0645 one team goes off-duty, one team comes on-duty
1100 one team comes on-duty
1545 one team goes off-duty, one team remains on patrol
2045 one team goes off-duty, one team remains on patrol
Midnight two teams patrolling

UNIT IDs

There are two methods of identifying units, both for calling them on the radio and
for entering them into CAD. The first method uses a letter (A-Z) and the officer's
badge number, such as M123 or F18. The second method uses both letters and
numbers to create a three-part ID, according to the following--

 A number from one to seven, corresponding to the patrol team number

 The type of unit is indicated by a letter from A to Z, according to the
following:

A one-officer patrol unit

B two-officer patrol unit
F foot patrol unit
M motorcycle unit
R reserve officer
T tactical unit

 A number from 10 to 48, indicating the exact beat the officer is working,
according to the following:

11-12 1A 31-33 3A
13-15 1B 34-36 3B
21-23 2A 37-39 3C
24-26 2B 41-43 4A
27-28 2C 44-45 4B

Then, an individual patrol unit ID might be 7A11, 2A23, 3B44, etc.

From 10:00a.m. to 2:00a.m. the 16-beat plan is in effect. The city is divided into 16
beats and the status board reflects that. From 2:00a.m. until 10:00a.m., when fewer
incidents are handled and fewer officers are on the street, the 10-beat plan is in
effect. In this configuration, beats are numbered from 1 to 16, but some adjacent
beats are combined so that not all beat numbers are present. The accompanying
maps show the beat plans for the two time periods.

PATROL TIMESHEET

During each patrol team meeting, one of the patrol sergeants will fill out a sheet
showing what officers are working and where they will be assigned. A copy of this
"timesheet" is given to the radio dispatcher at the beginning of the shift so that they
may be entered into CAD.
The timesheet lists the officers assigned to the team, their beat assignments, any
officers working overtime and any leave, trades, etc. taken by the officers.

TAKING OVER

Whenever you take over the police radio position from another PSD, you should
exhange information on the status of all officers and any special incidents which
have occurred. Consistancy of operation is especially important after a shift change,
so that you can understand the status of all officers and incidents.

If you are going off, explain what each officer is doing. Point out any special cases,
such as officers who are out of the city, are going home early, etc. You should
insure that officers on vehicle stops have understandable locations. If there are
incidents with special circumstances awaiting dispatch, explain them to the on-
coming PSD.

If you are taking over the position, quickly familiarize yourself with each officer's
status, noting the location and type of incident. Quickly display the unassigned
incidents for priority Make sure you understand everything before the off-going
PSD leaves.

KEEPING STATUS

In order to efficiently assign officers to incidents, it is vital to know the status and
location of every patrol officer at all times. The CAD status screen helps you keep
track of status. But you must also rely on your memory to provide more
information about an officer's location, the nature of the incident and the officer's
exact location.

Whenever the status of an officer changes, you should immediately reflect it by

entering it into CAD. When you assign an officer to an incident, you should
immediately enter the appropriate CAD commands to assign the officer to the
incident.

INCIDENT DISPATCHING

Scanning Unassigned Incidents

When an unassigned incident is displayed on the screen, you should quickly display
to read the comments and determine its priority. The location and beat of the call
are scanned next, to determine if the beat assignment is correct and if the beat
officer is in-service. The incident is then either dispatched immediately or added to
the other incidents awaiting dispatch.

The amount and quality of information broadcast has an immediate and vital
bearing on the safety of responding officers. It could also form the basis for a
pedestrian or vehicle stop, which could lead to an arrest, a charge by the District
Attorney and a trial. It might even become the basis for an officer using his/her
gun, resulting in the injury or death of a suspect. It is therefore vital that the CD
obtain complete and accurate information and for the RD to broadcast it completely
and accurately as entered in CAD.

Planning Ahead

Once you've scanned the unassigned incidents, dispatching officers is not simply
seeing who's in service and who has a call pending. You must take into account the
incident's priority, who will be coming in service shortly, who's on Code 7 and may
be coming 10-8, who is close to the incident, who's taken off-beat cases, etc.

Try to think several incidents ahead, like a chess match. Determine what incident
should be dispatched next and how many officers should be sent. Check the status
screen for available officers. If officers are available, dispatch the call. If no
officers are available, check what other officers are doing. Are they on car stops or
10-17? Will they be returning from Code 7 shortly? Are they handling a non-
priority parking matter? If so, they may be assigned to the call now or as they
become available.

After you've planned the current call and before you dispatch it, look at
the next call. Do you have officers for that incident? Again, ask yourself if officer's
will become available shortly. Can the officers you're sending to the first call
handle the second call after they've finished?

Your trainer will explain the fine points of planning ahead for dispatching
incidents. It's an important skill for a good dispatcher who intends to efficiently
manage the resources that are always in short supply at the police department.

Sending Officers

You should develop a consistent, standardized format and terminology so that the
field officers understand you and know what to expect. For single-officer incidents,
the form of the dispatch is--unit(s) due, location, nature of call, as follows:

"23, a 459"
"23, go ahead."
"1902 Blake, number 4, Carol Briggs reporting a 459 night prior."

Note that the officer is first called by badge number and is given the type of
incident that will be dispatched. This allows the officer to tell you to go ahead or
allows the officer to get to a position to write the dispatch information on paper.

The address where the officer should go is always given first, then the details of the
incident. If other locations are involved--the crime occurred somewhere else or
another person is involved, don't confuse the officer with those addresses during the
dispatch. Simply give the address where to contact the citizen.

When more than one officer will be assigned, a crime is in progress or the
responsible in still at the scene, control may use the single broadcast method of
dispatch as follows:

"For 99 and 83, 99 and 83. A 10-33, 1108 Alameda, 1108 Alameda, the
Brook's residence."
"99 copy."
"83 copy."

In either type of dispatch, if an officer does not acknowledge the dispatch, continue
to call until a response is received from that officer, such as "22, do you copy Blake
Street call?" If the call is urgent and the assigned officer does not answer within 20-
30 seconds, then an alternate officer should be assigned immediately.

When only a single officer is available for a call requiring two officers, control
should use the following format to obtain a cover officer:

"For 99 and any car, 99 and any car, 1108 Alameda, a 10-33 from the Brook's
residence." or

Once the first officer has acknowledge, Control must continue to obtain a cover
officer, as follows:

"Any car (to cover 99), 1108 Alameda, a 10-33 from the Brook's residence." or

When no officers are available to handle a priority 1 incident, the call should be
broadcast "flat" to all officers, as follows:

"Cars in the [northeast], a 10-33 audible from 2708 Buena Vista, the Clark
residence."

Such a broadcast might solicit a response from officers which will be coming in
service shortly and will alert out-of-service officers to a nearby crime in progress. If
no officers respond to the initial call and no officer becomes available to handle it,
it should be repeated as necessary until officers are available to handle the call--
perhaps at 3-4 minute intervals for an alarm, more often for a crime in progress.
Note that only emergencies should be broadcast flat.

Descriptions and Information

Once the initial broadcast has been made assigning the officers to an incident and
they have acknowledged, you may then give a follow-up broadcast with additional
information, such as the presence of any weapons, suspect description, previous
history, prior calls, the RP's name or other anything else important for officer
safety.

"...99 check." "Cars responding to Blake Street, the responsible is described as a

WM, 5-9, 160, long blond hair, wearing an green Army fatigue jacket and blue
jeans."

You should try to translate the description in CAD into the proper order as you
broadcast it, that is, race/sex, age, height/weight, clothing (shirt, jacket, pants,
other), as follows:

Wrong Right

"Responsible is a WM, blue tennis "Responsible is a white male, 35 years,

about 35 years old, white blond hair, white beard, white T-shirt,

T-sht, green pants, white beard green pants, blue tennis shoes.

Note how the description goes from top to bottom and the race, sex and age are at
the beginning.

Priority Codes

Statistics show that the quicker police arrive at a crime scene, the higher the
apprehension rate. Therefore, it is important that calls be dispatched quickly.
However, because of the volume of calls for police service that are received, it's
necessary to establish priorities.

The CAD software displays unassigned incidents in priority order. Each incident' s
priority is based on its activity type code, which has pre-determined by the police
and fire departments. For example, burglaries in progress are classified as Priority
1, while parking problems are classified as Priority 3. All fire incidents are
classified as Priority 1.

However, it's common that several incidents with the same priority will be waiting
for dispatch. In this case, the radio dispatcher has authority to determine which call
to dispatch first. The senior PSD has the authority to over-ride that decision at any
time, consistent with other policies.

On calls with the same priority code, the first call received first should be
dispatched first, altho you may consider the caller's situation, such as standing by
on a street corner, waiting at home, waiting in an isolated area, etc. when deciding
which call to dispatch first. You should not make a distinction between traffic and
criminal matters which have the same priority.
All reports of crimes in progress shall receive first priority (Priority 1), without
regard to the nature of the offense. Within this category, crimes against persons
have priority over crimes of property. However, the presence of weapons, number
of persons or potential dangers to citizens shall always be considered by the
dispatcher when determining incident priority. Examples of priority 1 calls are:

 robbery report just prior or alarm, shots fired

 fight, disturbance
 suspicious person, vehicle, circumstances
 potential injury to citizen
 casualties, medical emergencies, injury vehicle accident

Calls not requiring immediate response but still important shall receive next
priority (Priority 2) such as:

 11-82, vehicles still on the scene

 missing person, especially a juvenile
 cold report of a crime
 parking problem, tow requested

Priority 3 calls are those which can wait for a period of time without jeopardy, such
as:

 abandoned auto
 parking problem, cite only
 other service-type calls

The Response

The basis for establishing response is partly based on previous crime experience
and partly on the facts as described by the caller. The complaint dispatcher should
enter enough details in CAD to allow the radio dispatcher to easily determine a
call's priority. Factors such as presence of weapons, number of people, prior violent
history and the extent of the area to be covered will determine how many officers
will be dispatched.

Generally, any time a crime is reported in progress or just prior, weapons are
involved or there are several responsibles involved in an incident, send two or more
officers.

The following minimum policy is to be followed:

 crime in progress 2 officers

 domestic disturbance... 2
 suspicious person/vehicle 2
 an alarm 2
Depending on the nature of the crime and availability of officers, additional officers
may respond to assist.

Despite these rules, the primary officer assigned to the incident may choose to
respond without cover by advising control "Code 4." However, if other officers are
available, a cover car shall be told respond to the general area in case a problem
develops, such as:

"For 99 and 102, 99 and 102. 415f in the street, 1902 Blake. One-nine-oh-two
Blake, 415f, no descriptions." "99 check. I'll handle Code 4." "Check 99, Code 4.
102, can you just stay in the area?" "102 check."

You should always be alert for additional requests for assistance by an officer on a
car or pedestrian stop or who is handling an incident. Such a broadcast may take
several forms and might be made only once, depending on the situation and the
individual officer, such as:

"11-98"
"11-99"
"Send me another unit"
"I'll take one"

On those occasions when no officers are not 10-8 to provide cover, you may need
to reassign officers currently on another assignment to respond to the cover. In
these cases, determine which officers are on non-priority, report-only cases and
which might be close enough to respond. Then assign the officers as:

"63, break your 459 and respond to cover 99 at 1123 Blake." "92, break your car
stop and cover 99 at 1123 Blake."

Who Goes?

Once you have determined the priority and the number of officers to respond, you
determine which officer(s) should be dispatched, as follows:

+beat officer in-service...........dispatch the beat officer

+beat officer out-of-service, hold for beat officer, except:

--if priority 1, send closest 10-8 beat officer

--if priority 2 and beat officer will be 10-7 for 20 minutes or more, send closest 10-
8 beat officer

--if priority 3 and beat officer will be 10-7 for 60 minutes or more, send closest 10-
8 beat officer
You should always attempt to dispatch a specific officer or officers to an incident.
Avoid dispatches of "Any officer to respond" or "Any officer to cover."

When sending officers to a return call of a family fight, attempt to dispatch the
same officers or have the handling officer talk to the previous officers on channel 2.

Off-Beat Cases

Whenever a beat is not assigned an officer, or "open", other officers will have to
handle incidents occurring on that beat. The Control dispatcher should make these
assignments based on who is closest, who is 10-8 and what other cases surrounding
officers have already handled. When an officer handles an off-beat crime report, a
notation should be made on the status board, such as a black "tick" mark. The
marks should be used to insure that all officers are handling an equal number of
cases on the open beat.

Normally, beat officers handle all cases on their beat. However, cases should be
reassigned after a certain period of time as follows:

 priority 1 case reassign immediately

 2 after holding case for 20 minutes
 3 after holding case for 60 minutes

If the beat officer is on Code 7 or you can determine that he/she will become
available shortly, you may hold the case until the officer comes 10-8. Also, if after
you reassign the case to an off-beat officer, the beat officer requests you to hold the
case, you may do so.

When assigning the officer, you should indicate why they are taking an off-beat
case, such as:

"32, on open beat 4, a 459 at.... "19, for the beat 7 officer who's Code 7, a 10851
at...

Response Code

Officers dispatched to incidents shall respond according to the necessity of arriving

quickly and the safety of the public and themselves. The official code responses
are:

Code 1 Routine. Take this call next

Code 2 Urgent. Expedite, but obey all traffic laws. Use of red light and siren is not
authorized.
Code 3 Emergency. Proceed immediately using red light and siren within the
restrictions and provisions of Section 21007, Vehicle Code.

By policy, you shall only dispatch an officer Code 3, and officers may only respond
as directed by the comm center--

 When the situation involves imminent potential for serious injury to persons.
 In order to prevent a crime of violence.
 When a Code 3 response will enhance the likelihood of apprehending a
felon.

You shall take into consideration the above guidelines, the number of officers
available to respond and their distance from the incident when determining the
response code. You must be able to articulate these reasons for dispatching an
officer Code 3, if requested. Unless additional circumstances exist, you shall
dispatch officers according to these general guidelines:

 when OFD is responding Code 3, police units Code 2

 into another police agency's jurisdiction (highway patrol, OU), code 2
 only one officer responds Code 3, usually beat or nearest officer, all others
Code 2

More specifically, you should dispatch as follows:

 auto accidents code 2, unless vehicle into water or on fire and persons are
trapped
 medical incidents code 2
 242, 245, 261 code 2
 shots fired code 3
 11-99, expedite cover code 3

In some cases the field officer will choose to respond Code 3 based on information
you, other officers or citizens have given. In these cases the radio dispatcher shall
co-ordinate the response of other officers to the incident to insure safety by
restricting which officer are responding Code 3.

Whenever an officer declares a Code 4 at the scene of the emergency, you should
rebroadcast the location and "Code 4" so that any officers responding Code 3 may
reduce their response.

Police General Order 2.05 pertains to the operation and dispatch of police vehicles
and code responses.

Delays in Dispatching
In most cases it is impossible to assign an officer to a cold report of a crime
immediately. Most citizens understand this and do not expect a quick response.
However, after 30 minutes, many citizens worry that we've "forgotten" them or lost
their incident.

To reassure them, you or a complaint dispatcher should attempt to call back victims
if you cannot assign an officer within 30 minutes. Tell the person "I'm sorry, but we
don't have an officer available to take your report. We still have your information
and we'll send an officer as soon as one is available." If there are specific reasons
for the delay, such as a shooting, accident, etc., briefly explain them to the victim--
most citizens will be quite understanding.

You should never ask the person if they want to cancel their call. If they ask how
much longer it will be, explain the system of priorities the comm center uses and
that any time estimate you give could change. If you can give them a rough
estimate of response time, do so. But in all cases, let the citizen decide if they
cannot wait for service.

After you talk to the original reporting person, note their response in the comments
section of the incident record.

Use of Reserves

Police reserve officers may be assigned to handle certain cases and may provide
assistance and cover at all incidents. General Order 8.0 specifies which cases a
reserve officer may handle.

Reserve officers are most commonly assigned as the second or cover officer for
alarms, domestic disputes, to handle minor traffic accidents, to standby with
prisoners or witnesses and to cover open beats. However, the GO's do specify many
types of reports and incidents that they may handle, either when regular officers are
not available or when there are more incidents than officers.

Reserves assigned to special details such as the marina, football games or other pre-
assigned events may not be used for patrol functions except at the direction of a
sergeant.

10-97

When the first arriving officer reports "10-97", change the officer's status to
"arrived."

Victims, RP's

The incident may contain a victim's name, a reporting party or simply "unknown
refused." Sometimes a name, address and telephone number will be given but the
person requests "no contact." You should make it clear to the handling officer if the
name of a person is in CAD or if the caller was "unknown refused" (U/R). You
should tell the officer if the person specifically wants contact or doesn't want
contact, as indicated in CAD.

If the caller is the victim of a crime, you may assume they want contact and a report
taken. If the caller is a witness only, contact will depend on what the officer finds at
the scene and the caller's preference as stated in CAD--"no contact" means just that.
If a crime is involved, the officer will probably want to contact the witness to
obtain information. If the incident does not amount to a crime, the officer may
choose not to contact the witness.

You should use discretion when broadcasting a victim's or witness' name and
address on the radio once the officers are on the scene of an incident. If an officer
has stopped a suspect or may be near other citizens, you should ask the officer to
switch to channel 2 and then give the information. In some cases, you may ask the
officer "Are you 10-36?" before broadcasting the information.

Case Numbers

Master Cases

At the beginning of each year, a block of case numbers is set aside for certain types
of incidents, such as those involving other agencies (highway patrol, University
PD, transit PD, etc.), training activities and other administrative incidents. A list of
these numbers is kept on the bulletin board for the infrequent times that you may
need to refer to it.

In certain cases of continuing offenses, a single case number is used to identify all
subsequent offenses. Master case numbers are usually identified by the Detective
Division and do not apply to normal vehicle burglaries or thefts by the same
person. If DD identifies a master case number, it should remain posted near the
radio dispatcher's position for future reference.

Prior Cases

Callers will sometimes request advice of an officer concerning a previouslyreported

crime or incident. After handling the call, the officer will indicate that it pertains to
a prior case and will give the incident number. Enter the number in the comments
section of the CAD incident.

Dispositions

When the handling officer reports "10-8" from an incident, enter the proper
disposition code in the CAD incident record. The only possible dispositions are:
  FC, facecard, law violation
 NCR, Non-Criminal Report
 MIS, Miscellaneous incident, known RP

Each incident must have the offense, name, address and telephone number of the
victim in the appropriate spaces of the CAD incident. It is important that you scan
each incident as the officer goes 10-8 to determine that the information is complete
and that complete victim is included. In addition...

If a burglary, indicate if it's of an auto, the means of entry (window smash, open
door, lock pick, door smash, etc.) and generally what items were taken (wallet and
ID, stereo, TV and clothes, etc.).

If an auto accident, indicate the exact location, either at an intersection or "Terrace

Ave. 200 S. of Wilson St." If an injury accident, include the name, address and
telephone of the victim.

Because the daily bulletin is printed from information in CAD, it's important to
include any suspect vehicle or person or descriptions of stolen or lost property. In
particular, confirm the license plate, year and make/model of stolen vehicles and
include them in the incident comments.

The dispatcher shall see that the time of occurrence and location are complete. If
the incident occurred at an intersection, the quadrant (NE, SE, SW, NW) shall be
indicated.

Change of Shift

The hour surrounding officer shift changes can be very busy and often results in
confusion if the radio dispatcher fails to keep track of all field officers and their
status.

Officers going off duty should not be assigned crime reports within 15 minutes of
their returning to the station. However, they may handle noise complaints, other
MSC calls or NCIR's. They may also be assigned to cover in-progress crimes and
to standby at incidents requiring a report until an officer coming on-duty can arrive
to handle.

About five minutes prior to the change, the radio dispatcher should check the status
of all officers going off duty. Pending incidents should be examined for
completeness. If the name of the victim or person arrested is missing or the
disposition is not indicated, the dispatcher should ask the handling officer on the
radio to call the comm center with the information.

Just before clearing the officers to come in, the dispatcher should close ut any
remaining incidents, again insuring they are complete.
The off-going shift comes in at forty-five minutes past the hour. The on-coming
shift breaks from their team meeting on the hour. Sometimes this will be delayed
because of training or lengthy discussions. During this period 15-minutes period,
there is only one team patrolling the streets. If a Priority 1 incident is received, you
must dispatch one or more officers from the remaining team to handle until the on-
coming team hits the street.

If there is a "hot" call in progress, a block cover, chase or other situation at shift
change that requires officers to stay in the field, delay calling in the officers. This is
true even if no off-going officers are involved. The situation may change or
something else may occur where you need them. Wait until the priority situation
has been resolved before calling the officers in.

Once you've decided to call the officers in, they should be given "rings" in the
following format:

"Oaktown 3rd platoon cars, let's go with your rings. 54? [54, check.] 19? [19,
check]........3rd platoon cars you're clear 10-19, 10-10."

Don't forget to give rings to the sergeants, the lieutenant and any reserves working.
Officers on code 7 or who have already come in should receive rings, such as:

"Car 7 clear 10-19" or "99 is Code 7"

If an officer is still in the field, do not give him/her a ring, but continue to keep
status on them until they advise you that they are enroute to or at the Hall of
Justice. Likewise, don't skip an officer just because you believe they are off duty or
at the H of J.

After shift change, purge the officer's ID from CAD.

You should then confer with the PSD who will assume radio dispatching, giving
the status of the officers, any special situations (officer at hospital, standing by at
the hospital, etc.) and an explanation of any incidents you are leaving behind. You
should also tell the PSD of any special incidents which occurred and point out any
"look out" messages or suspect descriptions.

SPECIAL SITUATIONS

Officer Emergencies

A critical function of the Comm Center is the coordination of field units for the
preservation of life and the safety. At any time, a situation may arise in which the
life of an officer or citizen is dependent upon the accurate and expedient response
of personnel after a radio broadcast or a telephone call.
If a field officer is in trouble and needs assistance, he/she will use the radio code
"eleven ninety-nine." This may be the only words the officer can say, altho they
may be able to give their badge number and location, too. The radio dispatcher's
immediate response to an 11-99 is to broadcast the officer's location and repeat
"11-99." If the officer is not assigned to a case and no location is known, the
officer's last known location should be broadcast as "last location, ......."

The Code 33 tone should be started. The officer's location shall be repeated, as well
as any business name, apartment number, floor, cross-street or other information
which will expedite finding the officer. An incident should also be created in case a
report is required as a result of the incident.

The complaint dispatcher shall immediately broadcast the 11-99 on the intercom
all-call so station officers are aware of the call.

When an 11-99 is broadcast, all officers respond Code 3, regardless of their

assignment or status and it is not necessary for the radio dispatcher to specifically
assign officers to respond.

Once a 11-99 is requested, only the officer who made the request may announce
"Code 4." This insures that responding officers actually have reached the officer
who needs the assistance. For example:

"92, 11-99" beep-beep-beep "1912 Blake, 11-99" [Code 33 tone] "All cars, 11-99,
1912 Blake, apartment 3, cross street of Martin Luther King."

"92, Code 4 now, Code 4."

"Check 92. Code 4, 1912 Blake. All officers not at 1912 Blake, 10-22. It's Code 4."

If a citizen reports an officer needs help and no broadcast has been received from
the officer, the complaint dispatcher taking the call will broadcast the location and
"11-99." The radio dispatcher should immediately determine what officer(s) might
be at the location and ask them for their status, such as "32, 11-97." If no answer is
received, you should repeat the 11-99 request, the location and the nature of the
original call, if any.

You should distinguish between an officer asking a citizen to call for help and a
citizen reporting that an officer needs help. In the former case, you should
immediately assign an two officers Code 2 to the location. In the latter case, the
complaint dispatcher will broadcast an 11-99.

Code 33

Whenever it is necessary to restrict the use of a radio channel to emergencies,

control or field units may request a Code 33. On channel 1, control should
acknowledge the Code 33 by repeating the location and type of call and by
activating the tone signal on all channels. If the officer requests a "silent" Code 33,
do not activate the tone signal, but simply broadcast the location and call type. For
example:

"23, Code 33 here. "All cars. Code 33 for 1508 Russell, 459 in progress." OR "23,
silent Code 33 for Russell Street." "All cars. Silent Code 33 for 1508 Russell, 459
in progress."

Once a Code 33 is in effect on channel, most officers will switch to channel 2 and
monitor it for other assignments. If you have another priority call during the Code
33, broadcast on channel 1 "19 and 23, 10-6 to channel 2." When the officers
answer on channel 2, give them the incident information normally.

If the Code 33 situation becomes lengthy, say over 15 minutes, the officers may
prefer to switch to channel 2, leaving channel 1 open for routine traffic. You should
then switch the officers by saying, "All officers on Blake Street, 10-6 to channel 2."
Then, give each involved officer a "ring" on channel 2.

There is no Code 33 tone signal available for channel 2, so simply broadcast the
Code 33 on channels 1 and 2 as:

"All cars. Code 33 on channel 2 for 1508 Russell, 459 in progress."

You should then assign a telephone dispatcher to stop answering telephone calls
and to monitor channel 2 to co-ordinate any requests from the officers and to listen
for any problems.

You may need to periodically re-broadcast the Code 33 to remind officers on

channel 1 who do not hear the Code 33 tones. You may also have to remind
officers on channel 2, where there is no tone, to use channel 4 for non-priority
broadcasts.

Co-Ordination

Normally the radio dispatcher does not indicate a direction of approach for officers
responding to an incident. However, when the caller can give information that
would suggest a particular method of approach, that information shall be relayed to
the units, who shall then determine how to respond. As the units indicate from
where the are responding, and to where they are going, control should mark their
numbers on the map.

Once at the scene, control can take some responsibility for co-ordinating units,
supplying them with information on cross streets, unit locations and additional
units responding. For example...
"102 and 15. A 459 in progress. 2602 Hillegass, #302, two NMJ's no further
description, seen entering the rear window. [102 check, I'll take the north. 15 check,
I'll take the south.] Check 102 and 15.......[102, 10-97. Can you get someone to
cover off the west side?] Check 102. 48, can you take Regent south of Parker? [48
check.]

Note that control did not assign officers to specific locations but, upon request of
the responding units, did assign additional units to another location.

The most common approach for burglaries in progress, alarms with someone seen
inside, etc., is a least one officer from opposite ends of the block and an officer at
the address behind the incident address. Additional officers could be assigned to
assist the officers approaching from the sides.

If you repeat an officer's broadcast for another officer, you must repeat it exactly as
the officer said it. If you're not sure, ask. Don't change the wording or leave words
out. The officer might have used specific words for a particular reason and your
changes could change the entire meaning of his broadcast.

Field Stop

Officer's making field stops of pedestrians or vehicles will radio an "11-94", "11-
95" or "11-96". These contacts are entered into CAD with the exact location of the
stop, the license number of the vehicle and a description of the vehicle.

Because field stops are potentially dangerous situations, these broadcasts take
priority over virtually all other activity you might be doing, including talking on the
telephone, dispatching routine incidents and taking dispositions.

The radio format for field stops is as follows:

"63, 11-95." "63, go ahead." "University and 5th on Mary, Lincoln, Edward, three
eight five, a brown Ford, Code 4."

Note that the location of the stop is given, the license number using the phonetic
alphabet, the color and make of vehicle and if assistance is needed. The officer will
also indicate if the vehicle is a motorcycle, van, pickup, truck or other special
vehicle. If the officer stops a pedestrian, he/she will indicate the race and sex of the
person being stopped.

Officers usually broadcast the stop information while they are still driving. The
vehicle being stopped may continue for some distance and stop beyond where the
officer originally stated. It is common for the officer to amend the location after
stopping the vehicle by saying "The stop will be on University at 7th St., control."
It is vital that a correct and complete location be obtained for all stops. If the officer
later requires assistance, he/she may not be able to repeat the location. If there is
any doubt about the location broadcast, ask the officer to repeat it, such as
"Confirming, you're at University and 4th?" If you missed only part of the
transmission, ask "55, letters only on the plate?"

You should create a CAD traffic stop incident with this information as the officer
gives it to you. Be careful to enter the location correctly--you may need to refer to
it later if the officer radios for assistance.

If an officer does not answer your 11-97, you should try again on channels 2 and 4.
If you after two or three calls on the radio, dispatch another officer to the last
known location to determine the welfare of the officer.

Pursuit

Pursuits or "hot chases" involving police officers and suspects are a serious hazard
to those involved and other vehicles and citizens on the road. Usually the suspect
has nothing to lose and drives without regard to traffic signals, stop signs or the
speed limit. Officers, on the other hand, must always regard the safety of others
during the pursuit.

Officers involved in a pursuit should be using their emergency lights and siren.
They will radio a Code 33, which you should rebroadcast immediately. They will
then broadcast their location and direction, then the vehicle description and reason
for the original stop. For example...

"19, Code 33." "Code 33 on channel 1." "19, I'm in pursuit west on University from
McGee, a red Mustang, unknown plate, wanted for speeding only." "10-4, a red
Mustang, west on University from McGee, wanted speeding only."

While it is the officer's responsibility to continue broadcast locations and

directions, as well as additional pertinent information about the vehicle, you may
have to prompt the officer for the information. In some cases, the second officer in
the chase will do all the radio broadcasting and the first officer will concentrate on
driving.

You or the fire dispatcher should mark the path of the pursuit on the map with
crayon for latter reference. If the chase is in the west end, you should consider
dispatching officers to the three freeway entrances.

If the chase appears heading for another jurisdiction or the freeway, the complaint
dispatcher should telephone the other agency and give them the description and
reason for the original stop.
Police General Orders prohibit an officer from blocking, ramming or otherwise
taking physical action against a fleeing vehicle. The General Orders also spell out
when an officer may fire his weapon. Therefore, under no circumstances shall you
give such permission if asked by the pursuing officer. Such questions shall be
referred to the comm center sergeant or patrol sergeant.

The principle during pursuits is for other officers to parallel the chase, rather than
forming a long line of pursuing vehicles. Officers 1-3 blocks on either side of the
vehicle have a much better chance of catching suspects who leave the car and run
into the block.

Unidentified Transmissions

Occasionally you may hear transmissions that you cannot identify. These may be
from officers with an open mike or static from many sources. All transmissions that
you hear should be acknowledged with "Last car, repeat." If the transmission had a
voice in it, you should immediately check which officers are on car stops, at
domestic disturbances, fights or other critical calls. You should then give these
officers "rings", asking "55, 11-97." If any officer does not answer, you should send
another officer to their location to check on their welfare.

Multiple Calls of an Incident

It is not uncommon to receive several calls for a single incident. The telephone
dispatchers should question each caller carefully to insure that they are not
reporting a separate incident. Each caller reporting crimes should be questioned
about what they see, in the event that their observations may provide valuable
information to the officers already responding.

The radio dispatcher should carefully read subsequent CAD entries reporting the
same incident and be alert for additional information that could be broadcast to
officers already responding. In some cases, the incident may indicate an additional
victim or witness or that the original situation has changed. The subsequent calls
may indicate that additional officers need to be dispatched or, in some cases, that
officers already on the scene are in trouble but cannot radio for assistance.

If several incidents pertain to one incident, reference all them in the comments of
the original incident and all subsequent incidents.

RP Call Backs

Sometimes the officer is unable to locate the exact address or the reporting party
and will request that Control call the person back. If this occurs, call the victim's or
RP's telephone number, tell them that an officer is outside and for them to go to the
door to see the officer. Then tell the officer "Mr. Johnson will step outside."
Extra Surveillance

Extra Surveillance information should be radioed to the officer handles the location
on channel 2.

BOL's

Oaktown officers or other jurisdictions sometimes request that "Be On The

Lookout" be broadcast. Most commonly this will involve missing persons or
stolen/wanted vehicles. They will prepare an information sheet describing the
vehicle or person and send it to the comm center. The radio dispatcher shall
broadcast the information as soon as possible, taking into consideration other
pending radio traffic and officers in-service. The format of the broadcast is as
follows:

"Oaktown cars, information broadcast for 10851 (etc.)." [pause 1-5 seconds]

"All cars, (wanted, stop and ID, be on the lookout for) the following (person,
vehicle). (description)....(wanted, stop & ID, be on the lookout)."

Note that the reason for the broadcast is repeated twice--at the beginning and the
end. Any license plates or names should also be repeated so that officers may write
them down.

Block Covers

Whenever a suspect flees the police and runs into the block, the dispatcher should
immediately assign officers to take posts which surround the block, preventing the
escape of the suspect. This "block cover" consists of officers at each of the four
corners and officers at points mid-block and roving in vehicles. The dispatcher may
use the block cover forms to record the officer's ID and location of all officers
assigned to the block cover.

Immediately upon hearing that a suspect has fled into the block, the dispatcher
should assign an officer to the opposite side of the block to prevent the suspect
from escaping the block straight thru the block. The next officers should next be
assigned to two opposite corners, either NE and SW or NW and SE. Next, available
officers should be assigned to the remaining two corners, then midblock, then
roving.

Officers should then be assigned to begin a block search, usually from one end of
the block to the other. If a suspect is sighted during the search, all officers should
be told to hold their posts because, if any officer leaves, there is the possibility of
the suspect escaping.
If the suspect is able to leave the block and is spotted by an officer, the dispatcher
should move officers to cover off the new area. This is done by "leap frogging" the
officers to the new block. Officers away from the new block should be moved to
positions beyond the suspect while officers on the street the suspect crossed should
remain in position. Often, officers on roving posts will be able to assume the new
cover positions.

In cases when a block search has been unsuccessful, the suspect may leave the
scene after officers have left. In these cases, an officer may be assigned to a post
one or two blocks away after other officers have left. The unit should be in a
position to observe anyone leaving one side of the block while remaining out of
sight.

Phone Messages

Telephone messages from citizens should be broadcast to the officer as soon as

practical. In most cases, you should wait until the officer is 10-8 from a case.
However, if the message pertains to that case or is urgent, you may broadcast it at
any time. Personal messages should be given on channel 2 only. Since the officer
must write down most messages, the following format is suggested:

"59, a name and number." "59, go ahead." "10-21 Sandra Hardley. Sandra Hardley.
939-0420. 939-0420, regarding her stolen auto. "59 check."

Meal Breaks

Every patrol officer is entitled to a 45-minute meal break sometime during the shift.
This is termed "going out on Code 7". On some platoons, specific meal times have
been assigned to officers based on their beat assignment. However, cases in
progress may prevent the officer from taking his meal break at the assigned time.
Generally, if a case is pending on an officer's beat, he/she cannot go out on Code 7.

In most cases, it will be the responsibility of control to send officers out on meal
breaks, taking into consideration the time of day, level of activity in the city,
activity in beats, the number of pending cases, and other officers who are already
out-of-service on Code 7.

Generally, it is best to geographically separate those going on Code 7 so that large

areas of the city are not left without coverage. Thus, you may decide to send out
officers on beats 1 and 12, but not beats 5 and 7. You may send out more than one
officer at a time, altho during most hours you will be limited by activity to two or
three officers at a time. You may overlap the time of officers' Code 7's so that you
send one out and, about fifteen minutes later, another officer returns.
Officers may, with the approval of a platoon sergeant, take "the last 45", meaning
that they leave 45 minutes early in lieu of taking a meal break. The sergeant may
ask Control if any other officers have requested the last 45, if there are any open
beats or if it's quiet/busy.

When an officer goes out on Code 7, mark a red "X" near his badge or beat number
on the status board.

Officers on Code 7 may be required to respond to emergency calls, such as officer

needs help, or they may be recalled for major incidents or investigations. However,
this is uncommon and would only be at the request of a sergeant.

Cancellation of Call

You may be notified by the complaint dispatcher that a reporting party has called
back to cancel a call. If you have not dispatched an officer yet, enter a disposition
code of "CAN" and close out the incident.

If you have already dispatched officers, cancel their response by radioing "99 and
15, 10-22 on a callback," then receive an acknowledgement from both of them.

Covering Transmissions

When two or more officers broadcasts at the same time, either one or none of the
broadcasts is heard. The transmissions usually sounds like "Martian" talk and
sometimes you can faintly hear one officers voice clearly.

When this occurs, do not simply say "Last officer, 10-9." This will cause both
officer to repeat their broadcasts, again covering. Instead, try to identify one of the
calling officers or, if you can't do that, at least some part of one of the
transmissions. Then you should tell one officer to stand by and have the officer go
head. Such as:

"xkxleie, eilsi vmqpoe diedoe dcod 10-8."

"Officer 10-8 standby by. Other car go ahead."

When deciding which officer to have standby and which to go ahead, you should
very quickly evaluate which officer might have priority traffic. Requests for
assistance, car stops and officers arriving at incidents should be granted priority.
Those giving 10-97's, going out Code 7 and requesting non-priority information
should be told to standby.

If two transmissions cover each other but you can still understand one of them,
always acknowledge with the badge number so everyone will know which officer
you did hear, such as:
"kdwl dico wnix 55, I'm 10-8 qmcoss dybcuy."

"55, check. other car go ahead."

Open Mike

Officers sometimes place their radio microphones in such a way that the transmit
button is pressed accidentally, causing an "open mike." When this occurs, they are
unable to receive transmissions and do not know their radio is transmitting.

If this occurs, press the ALERT button once and broadcast "Cars, we have an open
mike. Check your mikes." This will alert the officer if he/she is standing near
another officer with a radio. Do not continue to repeat such broadcasts, however, as
it does little good in alerting the offending officer. Next, have the telephone
dispatcher broadcast an all-call on the intercom that there is an open mike, in case
the officer is in the Hall of Justice.

Lastly, in many cases the transmission will start and stop several times as the
button is pressed repeatedly. When the transmissions ends for the first time, press
the ALERT button quickly and broadcast "Cars, we had an open mike. Check your
mikes."

If the transmission persists and the offending radio cannot be found, switch all
patrol operations to channel 2 by broadcasting "All units, 10-6 to channel 2. 10-6 to
channel 2." After waiting about 30 seconds, give "rings" on channel 2 to all on-duty
units to insure that all units have switched. If you cannot receive a ring from an
officer, you should investigate his/her location, as they may be the source of the
open mike.

SPECIFIC CALLS

Jail Alarms

If a jail alarm is received, immediately broadcast the alarm and location on channel
1. A complaint dispatcher will broadcast the alarm on the intercom and deliver the
jail keys to the responding officers. When a Code 4 is broadcast, repeat it on
channel 1.

Bomb Threat

These calls are Priority 1. An officer and sergeant should be dispatched

immediately to the vicinity of the location. Because certain explosive devices are
subject to detonation by radio waves, expect the responding units to be off their
radio while near the scene.

HAZMAT Incidents
Incidents involving hazardous materials (HAZMAT) are Priority 1. At least two
officers and a sergeant should be dispatched to the area to meet with the fire
department incident commander, usually the Assistant Chief.

The Fire Department is responsible for all HAZMAT incidents, while the police
assist with crowd and traffic control, and any necessary evacuations.

Dead Body

Incidents involving dead bodies are Priority 1 unless the Fire Department is on the
scene and can verify a natural cause death. An officer and supervisor should be
dispatched to all dead bodies. The coroner should not be notified until requested by
the handling officer.

Out of City Victims

Oaktown will respond to other cities to take reports of major crimes, such as
kidnapping, rape, robbery or attempted murder. We will not respond to take reports
of burglary, vehicle theft or auto accidents.

This situation occurs most frequently with kidnapping and sexual assault cases
where the victim is taken from Oaktown and dropped off in another city. These
cases are handled Priority 1. You should immediately notify a patrol sergeant and
give him/her the information on the Oaktown location, the time element and
victim's current location. The sergeant will indicate how to handle the incident.

Person Down

All reports of persons down or unconscious shall be Priority 1 and two officers
should respond. If the caller reports visible injuries or other circumstances, the Fire
Department should also respond.

Missing Juvenile

Incidents of missing, not runaway, juveniles are Priority 1. A single officer should
be dispatched immediately and other officers should be assigned to assist as
necessary. You should also advise a patrol sergeant of the call.

If the juvenile is age 9 or younger, you shall immediately notify the Comm Center
supervisor so that certain notifications can be made to Detective Division
personnel.

Psychiatric Emergencies

The city's Mental Health Department staffs the Police Project from 1700 to 2200,
Monday thru Friday. Usually there are two mental health professionals on-duty and
they carry police radios to maintain contact with Control. They are designated
"MH-1" thru "MH-17."

The MH units can deal with psychiatric emergencies and problems involving the
elderly, young, disabled or others that in need of social services. They can respond
within 5-10 minutes the scene of the problem and will assist the field officer in
obtaining resources for solving the situation.

Abandoned Autos

Citizens report vehicles which have been on the street for a long period of time. On
the initial report, an officer is dispatched to mark the vehicle. On a follow-up, the
officer returns four days later to see if the vehicle is still there. If so, the vehicle is
cited and a tow requested.

Initial reports of abandoned autos are displayed as unassigned incidents like any
other incident. Assign these calls only to the designated beat officer, and according
to their priority.

You can immediately enter a disposition code of "MSC" and close out the incident.
The officer will then check and mark the vehicle some time during the shift.

Officers follow-up on all vehicles they mark four days later. If they find the vehicle
is still there, they will request a tow from the dispatcher on channel 2.

RECAP

 * Don't broadcast jokes or off-hand remarks on the radio

 * Use only the necessary number of words on the radio
 * Use an even, professional tone, showing no emotion or attitude
 * Avoid "bossy" words such as "go," "tell," etc. Just give information
 * Use standard phrases and codes, such as "cars covered," "10-1" and "10-9"
 * Don't blame CAD on the radio for problems
 * Resolve incidents in the shortest possible time
 * Maintain accurate status of all units
 * Maintain control of the radio channel
 * Always broadcast all information you have about an incident
 * Always be concious of officer safety
 * Anticipate actions that may be needed
 * Take the initiative
 * Constantly juggle priorities to efficiently handle incidents
 * Manage the Code 7s

Fire Radio Dispatching

STATUS OF FIRE UNITS

Because a timely response of fire equipment is vital for fire and medical
emergencies, the dispatcher shall maintain the current status and location of fire
apparatus and chiefs at all times. It is important to know when apparatus is out of
their assigned district--which lengthens response times--or if they are unable to
respond for any reason--which requires response from another district. Because
units are dispatched by radio, it is also important to know if a unit is in-quarters or
on-the-air.

Company officers may report several different types of status to the dispatcher.
Each one indicates their availability and how and where they are to be contacted for
emergencies.

 in quarters
 at the office
 at the drill tower
 on the scene
 at the corp yard
 at the hospital

 on the air can be reached by radio, either in-service or out of service

 out of dispatch district may not be closest unit for medical incidents, check
their location before dispatching
 full assignments only similar to above, may not be quickly available for
medical incidents, check before dispatching
 2nd up usually for ambulances, dispatch other unit first for all incidents,
notify 2nd up unit and they will return to normal status
 out-of-service not available for incidents
 in-service available for incidents
 in tandem transporting apparatus, will respond as requested with both rigs

When the status of equipment changes, the dispatcher shall immediately change the
status in CAD to reflect the new status. If you determine that a district will be
without fire or medical coverage for a long period of time, you should notify the
Assistant Chief, who may relocate units.

Units which are out-of-service shall be considered unavailable to respond to any

incident. However, whenever a emergency medical call is received, the dispatcher
shall check the status of any nearby out-of-service unit at another incident. For
example...
"Engine 5, we have a nearby incident. What's your status?" [We can be in-service
now.] Check, an unconscious person....."

"Engine 3, we have a nearby incident. What's your status?" [We're doing CPR and
will be enroute to the hospital.] "Check, disregard."

APPARATUS RESPONSES

Response to fire emergencies is based on the type of incident, the number of

buildings or persons involved, access, etc. The Oaktown Fire Department has three
common types of responses coded in CAD as follows:

Single dispatch a engine company

Fire full-assignment of 3 engines, 2 truck, paramedic unit &
assistant chief
medical emergency nearest engine or truck, ambulance

The general rule is, if any structure is involved in any way, send a fullassignment.
If the fire is small, local and does not involve or threaten a structure, send a single
company.

In all cases, you shall send a unit to investigate and report on all fires reported to
you. The fire department is mandated by ordinance to perform these duties and to
compile complete statistics on all fires within the city. Also, callers may not realize
that the fire they "put out" is still smoldering and might later rekindle into a larger
fire.

The following dispatches are mandatory under the circumstances listed:

--Single Company Dispatch

The nearest engine company shall be sent to:

 exterior trash fire, not near a building

 auto fire not in or near a garage or structure
 grass fires not near a structure
 local electrical problems, including shorts, light ballasts
 audible fire or smoke alarms when nothing is visible
 natural gas leaks; to shut off the utilities
 wires down
 private alarms from any company, with truck company
 odor investigation, where NO smoke is visible

Note that truck companies cannot handle any type of fire incident by themselves.
They have no firefighting capability and must always respond with an engine.
--Full Assignment

Three engines and one truck company shall be sent to:

 All reports of flames or smoke in or from a building. If the smoke is merely

a haze and an occupant can definitely attribute the haze to a local electrical
problem, you may dispatch the nearest engine company.
 All reports of exterior fires involving or close to any structure.
 All reports of fire or fire alarms from Oaktown Hospital.

--Medical Emergency

The nearest in-service engine or truck and nearest ambulance shall be sent to:

 All reports of medical emergencies

There is no option to send the ambulance to a medical emergency by itself--you

must send an engine or truck with an ambulance to all incidents.

There is no difference between a paramedic ambulance and an EMT ambulance for

dispatch purposes. The nearest ambulance of any type is dispatched, whether EMT
or paramedic. Also, the reported nature of the incident does not influence the type
of ambulance initially dispatched. If a serious, long-term incident occurs, dispatch
the nearest ambulance, who will request the paramedic unit if it's needed.

PRIORITY OF DISPATCH

If you receive simultaneous emergency calls, you shall dispatch any medical call
first, then fire calls, then service calls. If a unit is responding to a service call and
you receive a nearby medical call, you may divert the unit to the emergency.
However, be aware that because of the size of fire apparatus, they cannot simply
"turn around" like a auto to take the call. It may be faster if you dispatch a unit
from nearby quarters to the call.

CAD RUN CARDS

The CAD software contains a list of all Oaktown streets and intersections--a
geofile. A fire response has been defined for each entry in the geofile. When an
unassigned incident appears on your unassigned incident screen, enter the
Recommend Unit function key or press PF3. CAD will display the units that are
assigned to respond.

The CAD recommendation is based on sending the nearest appropriate fire

apparatus to an emergency. This will usually be the first in-service unit (engine,
truck or ambulance) listed on the CAD run card. However, units may be on-the-air
or in transit and may be closer than the listed unit. Whenever units are in-service
and on-the-air, check their location for possible response before sending the listed
company.

If notother on-the-air unit is closer, dispatch the units listed from the CAD
recommendation. Enter the Dispatch command or press F4 to dispatch the listed
units.

MULTI-AGENCY INCIDENTS

When you receive an incident that has been cloned from a police incident, it will
have a linked incident type code (BOTH, 11-81, etc.). Prior to acting on the
incident, you must change the incident to a valid fire activity type (SINGLE, MED,
FIRE, etc.), and update the incident.

ALARMS, DISPATCHES

The fire department uses the term "alarm" to indicate a specific assignment of
several apparatus to an emergency. The term "dispatch" refers to the dispatch of a
single engine or an engine and ambulance.

In Oaktown, the term "full-assignment" is equivalent to a 1st alarm assignment.

The levels of alarms in Oaktown are as follows:

 dispatch engine or truck

 1st alarm 3 engines, 1 truck company, A/C
 2nd alarm 2 engines, 1 truck
 3rd alarm 2 engines

A third-alarm is the highest alarm assignment in Oaktown. When more men or

equipment are needed, mutual aid is requested from surrounding cities or from the
county.

ALTERNATE RESPONSES

Fires...

 nearest engine is-out-of service next-due engine

 nearest truck is out-of-service next-due truck
 both trucks out-of-service next due engine
 first eng/truck is `2nd up' next due unit
 nearest eng/truck is `in tandem' normal response

Medical...

 nearest engine out-of-service nearest engine or nearest truck if closer

 nearest ambulance out-of-service next due ambulance
  both ambulances out-of-service Albany, Acme or LBL ambulance
 nearest ambulance is `2nd up' next-due ambulance
 nearest ambulance is `in tandem' normal response

You should remember that trucks have no firefighting capability and cannot be
substituted for fire emergencies. They can be used as an alternate on medical
emergency responses.

When the second Oaktown ambulance goes out of service, you should request
"backup" from the county. When you make this request, a Regional ambulance will
be sent into north Oaktown to standby and await any additional incidents. When
any Oaktown ambulance becomes available, cancel the backup when you telephone
the county, such as "Rescue 12 is available and you can cancel the backup."

TRUCK OUT OF SERVICE

If either of the two truck companies is out of service, the firefighters will be moved
to a engine. Their designation will be Squad 2 or Squad 5. When a squad is in
service, the CAD recommendation is changed:

 For medical calls within district 2 or 5, the squad is first-due instead of the
engine
 For full assignments, the squad replaces an engine within their own half of
the city. In the other half of the city, dispatch the in-service truck company.

For example, Truck 5 is out of service, Squad 5 is in-service. A full assignment in

north Oaktown would receive 3 engines and Truck 2. A full assignment in south
Oaktown would receive 2 engines, Squad 5 and Truck 2.

TRANSIT RESPONSES

The Transit District has over three miles of track in Oaktown, all above ground.
Special responses have been devised for aerial and underground track incidents as
well as emergencies in the stations. For fires on transit property, responses are as
follows:

 within station normal full-assignment

 in station first and second-alarm assignment; units are assigned to adjacent
stations

If you receive a report of a transit incident, you should do the following:

A) Determine the location of the incident, including:

1) In a station
a) which station? North Oaktown, Main, Wilson St.?

b) at what level? Street, concourse, track?

2) Along the trackway

a) which track? 1 or 2?

b) at what milepost? From 3.0 to 6.0

B) Determine the nature of the incident

1) Medical emergency - dispatch normal engine/ambulance assignment as indicated

in the Response Guide

2) Fire - 1st and 2nd alarm assignment

a) in station - all units to station

b) on trackway - half units to nearest station, half to trackway location

3) Service call (non-emergency) - normal apparatus response

Dispatchers should be familiar with the section of the fire department General
Orders dealing with transit district information and fire fighting procedures.

RESPONSE CODE

All responses to fire and medical emergencies shall be Code 3 (red light and siren).
A Code 2 response (no lights or siren) is permitted only in the following situations:

 request for Code 2 by an on-the-scene public safety officer

 a non-emergency service call, such as:
 water control
 lock-in or -out
 delayed fire report
 aid to invalid ---a non-emergency psychiatric transport

The dispatcher does not determine the response code but simply obtains enough
information to give to the fire officer, who will determine what code to respond. If
a caller reports an extinguished fire, the dispatcher should relay that information to
the fire officer, who will then decide what code to respond. Likewise, if a public
safety agency or citizen requests a Code 2 response, the dispatcher shall relay that
request to the responding units, who will decide the proper response code.
Callers often tell the dispatcher "We don't need any sirens," but they still indicate
they have an emergency. In cases of drug abuse or psychiatric problems, you may
honor their request and pass the information along to the fire officer during the
dispatch. Otherwise, tell the caller that the fire department responds to emergencies
with sirens as a matter of policy and reassure them that someone will be right there.

THE DISPATCH

After deciding what equipment to send, the dispatcher's objective is to quickly

notify the companies and give them the dispatch information.

Dispatch of all Single or Med incidents is by only the dispatch telephone system. If
that system is inoperative, the information would be transmitted by the radio paging
system.

Dispatch of all full-assignments is by the dispatch telephone system and broadcasts

on both channel 1 and 3.

Station Arrangement

The officer at each station is responsible for listening to each radio alarm or
answering each telephoned dispatch and writing down the correct address and
nature. While he/she is doing this, other members of the company listen to the
dispatch information on speakers installed throughout the station and then go to the
apparatus to begin responding. You should realize that the officer can drop his pen,
the ink may stop flowing, noises may garble your dispatch or he may be
momentarily distracted. Speak slowly and clearly so that he can write down all the
dispatch information correctly.

Telephone Dispatch

The telephone dispatch line is used to dispatch in-quarter companies to all types of
incidents. For Single or Med type incidents, it's the only method of dispatching in-
quarters companies.

Singe or Med

Single company and medical incidents are dispatched over the fire department's
internal dispatch telephone system. Here is the sequence:

 Depress the DISPATCH telephone button

 Press the appropriate station codes
 Wait until all fire stations have picked up the telephone, as indicated by the
numbered lights below the DISP line button.
 When the station(s) answer
 Give them the incident information, for example:
"Engine 5 and Rescue 13, we have an unconscious person, 1402 Ward, phone..
apartment #5, 1402 Ward in apartment #5. Engine 1 is also responding."

Note that you do not give the cross-street or map page number during a
singlecompany dispatch via telephone. If the officer has a question about the
location of the incident, he/she will ask you.

For Full-Assignments

All full-assignments are broadcast simultaneously on the dispatch telephone

system, and radio channels 1 and 3. Here is the sequence:

 On radio channel 1 broadcast, "All unit, switching to channel 3 for a full

assignment at (location).
 Select radio channel 3
 Press the "All Call" pager button
 Press the "Call" pager button, wait until the tones are broadcast
 Re-select radio channel 1. Radio channels 1 and 3 are now simul'd
 Depress the DISPATCH telephone button
 Press the "09" telephone keys
 Wait until all fire stations have picked up the telephone, as indicated by the
numbered lights below the DISP line button. If necessary, tell the answering
stations, "Stand by for a full assignment."
 Press the master transmit button so channels 1 and 3 are transmitting
 Give the incident information, for example:

"Sending a full assignment for fire in the apartment, 3101 Florence, number 318,
cross-street 63rd St., map 13-David. Companies due are engine 5, engine 3, engine
2, truck 1, paramedic 113 and chief 5."

 De-select radio channel 3

 Wait 30-45 seconds and give the radio verification (see below)

On the Air

If the company due to an emergency is on the air, on channel 1 broadcast "Engine

5, a code 3 run." When the company answers, broadcast the normal dispatch
information to them once. The company will repeat back the address and the
location from which they are responding. If other companies are being dispatched,
give the on-the-air unit their location so they may be alert for them at intersections.
For example...

"Engine 5, a code three run. [Engine 5, go ahead.] Engine 5, an unconscious

person, 1601 Wilson St., apartment number 5. Rescue 13 is responding from
quarters. [1601 Wilson, number 5. responding from Timber and Oak.] Engine 5
check."

Give the on-the-air unit's location to any other units responding. Again, if you send
a unit out of its district, alert them by saying "Engine 5, in district 3, an
unconscious person.....".

If all necessary apparatus due to a full-assignment is on-the-air, you should contact

them on the radio and tone all firehouses to give them the information. This will
alert the in-station units that a full-assignment has been dispatched and to stand by
for requests for additional equipment.

By Radio, Backup

Normally, all dispatching is done on the dispatch telephone system. However, if

that system becomes inoperable, you must dispatch using the channel 3 radio
paging system.

First, prepare channel 3 for paging by SELECTing it. Press the "All Call" paging
button, the the "Call" button. The tones will be broadcast and the pager ID number
will appear in the clock display. After the appropriate tones have been broadcast,
press the channel 3 XMIT button and broadcast the unit(s) to respond, the location
and the nature of the emergency on the radio twice, at a slow and steady speed,
using the format...

units due, situation, location, cross street, map page

For example...

[tones for station 5 and station 2] "Dispatching Engine 5, Rescue 12 to an

unconscious person. 2150 Lakeview, radio.. apartment four, cross street Phoenix
Ave., map page 12-David."

Note that you use phonetics for any letters that you broadcast for apartments, map
pages, etc. You should also pronounce each number in an address individually at
least once, as in "two-one-five-zero", in order to reduce confusion. Likewise, if you
dispatch to a numbered street, pronounce it without the suffix at least once, as
"1741 number six street."

Sending a unit out of its district could cause some confusion for the alerted
company. To make it clear they are being sent to another district--most likely
because that district's company is out of service--insert the phrase "in district X"
after you give the units due. For example...

radio.. "Engine 5, in district 1, water control, broken hydrant, Rive Ave. & 7th
Street......"
As each company responds, they will confirm their response on channel 1 by
saying "Engine X responding." If a confirmation is not received within about one
minutes, call the unit on channel 1 and ask "Engine 5 responding?" If they don't
reply you should then consider telephoning the station to see if they are there.

When you are dispatching on channel 3, you must continue to monitor channel 1
for radio traffic, especially if other incidents are in progress. You may do this by
turning up the UNSELECT speaker volume and the channel 1 module volume to an
appropriate level. You may also wish to broadcast a "warning" message on channel
1 prior to SELECTing channel 3 for a dispatch, such as "All units, switching to
channel 3 for a dispatch." This way field units will delay routine transmissions until
you have returned to channel 1.

Radio Confirmation

In all cases, after giving the companies the information via telephone or radio, you
will wait a period of about 30-45 seconds so all units are on the road and then
broadcast all the information on channel 1 that you broadcast on channel 3. The
channel 1 broadcast is preceded by three, one-second alert tones (single unit or
EMS run), or a single, five-second tone (full assignment) and the information is
repeated only once in both cases.

It's important that you wait until the apparatus is responding before broadcasting
this confirmation. Otherwise, they will not hear the broadcast and its usefulness--- a
double-check on the location information--- will have been lost. To help you gauge
the time to wait, try to imagine the crew going to the rig, starting up and leaving the
station. The location verification should be broadcast like this...

radio.. "Engine 5, Rescue 13, unconscious person, 1602 Wilson, apartment 5, cross-
street Grant St., map 15-David."

Each assigned company will then confirm their response by saying "Engine 5
responding." If you do not receive a confirmation, ask them on the radio once or
twice then immediately telephone the station to determine the company's status.

In the case of a full-assignment, the radio verification shall include confirmation of

each company's response. Call each company in the order dispatched, and they will
reply in turn. For example...

All companies, an apartment fire, 3101 Grant, cross-street 18th St., map 11-Boy.
Companies due are engine 5, engine 3, engine 2 and truck 1. Engine 5? radio..
[Engine 5 responding] Engine 3? [Engine 3 responding] Engine 2? [Engine 2
responding] Truck 1? [Truck 1 responding] Chief 4? [Chief 4 responding]."
If you are working a fire where there is considerable radio traffic, do not interfere
with their on-scene broadcasts by putting out a full radio confirmation for a second
incident. Merely wait about 60 seconds, then ask the unit on the radio if they are
responding, such as "Engine 5, are you responding?" They will respond normally.
If you are working a greater alarm, you should use channel 2 for subsequent,
unrelated emergencies.

INCIDENT DESCRIPTION and LOCATION

The description of the problem on the radio or telephone should be short and non-
personal but descriptive enough to allow the responding companies to plan their
approach and tactics. For example...

unconscious person auto accident breathing problem first aid investigation of...
building fire water control grass fire

The location should proceed from the general to the more specific, such as street
address, business name, floor, room number, etc. For example...

"1802 Grant , the Grant Hotel, room 402, in the bathroom..."

Avoid using the format "on Allston between Milvia and Shattuck" when describing
street incidents--it's confusing. Use a compass direction as "on Allston west of
Shattuck". This reduces the number of involved streets, the amount of writing the
officer has to do and the confusion. Also, when describing locations, give whether
rear of, across from, downstairs, in addition to any address or street information.

In addition to the basic information you give each unit about each call, certain
information shall be given when a special incident occurs, such as:

 on-the-air dispatch "Engine 5 is responding from Ridgeview & Taylor"

 crime/police-related "police are responding" or "police are on the scene" or
"standby at Taylor and Wilson" or "the scene is secure; you may move in"
 HAZMAT incident special HAZMAT response"
 Transit incident "special transit response," and give milepost of the incident

MULTIPLE CALLS

If you receive more than one call at a time, you should dispatch each one as quickly
as possible. You need not complete each task for the first incident before
proceeding to the next. Just page or telephone the units which are due and notify
them of the incident.

RADIO PROCEDURES
The dispatcher shall reply promptly to all radio calls from units in the field. Field
units handling emergency incidents shall receive priority over other units, as their
transmissions may pertain to life safety. Do not repeat transmissions that won't be
acted upon by other units; for example, in quarters, in-service, out-of-district, at the
corp yard. You shall repeat any transmission of a mobile unit...

 that may have a bearing on the movement of other units; for example,
Condition A/B, fire under control, on the scene with smoke showing (or
other condition report), unable to respond, delayed response, etc.
 as a means of confirmation when there is an question as to what the mobile
unit broadcast.

For example...

[Engine 5 in-service.] Check Engine 5 (or) Check 5.

[Engine 3 on the scene. We have smoke coming from the second story of a two-
story apartment.] Check, Engine 3 on the scene, smoke coming from the second
story of a two-story apartment building.

[Truck 2, we're delayed by a train here at the railroad tracks.] Truck 2, check,
delayed by a train at 3rd St.

[Engine 3, we need another ambulance and a truck company here.] Engine 3, you
need another ambulance and truck company at Taylor and Tyler? [That`s
affirmative, Oaktown.]

Chain of Command

You should observe the chain of command when complying with requests from
field units. At most medical incidents or single-company dispatches, the engine
officer is in charge. At full-assignment fires, the officer-in-charge may be from an
engine or truck, or it may be one of the chiefs.

For full-assignment fires and other large incidents, the department use a
"command" system of designating who is the officer-in-charge. When the first
officer arrives on the scene, he will say "Engine 5 is command" or he will indicate
who should take command, such as the next in company, the A/C, etc.

Command may be transferred from officer to another officer or to the A/C under
specific procedures outlined in the General Orders. Each transfer will be announced
on the radio and does not have to be acknowledged by the dispatcher. The
procedure simplifies things for the fire dispatcher, as he/she has only to direct all
inquiries or information to "command", without regard as to who it is.
You should comply with requests from all officers, but should confirm them with
the officer-in-charge as follows:

[Oaktown, Engine 5. Send us the truck to this accident.] Check, Engine 5. (no one
to confirm with)

[Engine 5 on the scene, Condition B, 2nd alarm.] Check Engine 5 on the scene,
requesting a 2nd alarm. Chief 5, do you copy? [Chief 5 copy, send him the 2nd
alarm.]

[Engine 5, Oaktown.] Go ahead, Engine 5. [This is a Condition A, Engine 5 can

handle, return the other units.] Check, Engine 5 reports Condition A, Engine 5 can
handle. Chief 3, do you copy? [Chief 3 copy, return the other units.] Check,
recalling....

[Engine 5-X to base.] Go ahead, 5-X. [We need a fire inspector here at the scene.]
Engine 5-X check. Command, do you copy they need a fire inspector? [Command
copies.]

Condition Reports Whenever a full-assignment has been dispatched, other units on

the air will maintain radio silence until the first-arriving company reports what they
find. The official reports are as follows:

 Condition A single unit can handle; officer should indicate which units to
return
 Condition B all units dispatched will be used
 Condition C additional units will be required; officer should indicate what
other units he requires

The fire officer's responsibility is to make this condition report to the dispatcher,
who will relay it verbatim to the responding Assistant Chief. The Chief will
acknowledge the report and any request that the officer made about holding or
returning units. Some typical reports are...

[Engine 5-X, this is a condition A, engine 5 can handle. Return the other units.]
Check, engine 5 reports condition A, Engine 5 can handle. Chief 5 copy? [Chief 5
check. Return the other units.] Check, recalling engine 2, engine 3 and truck 1.
[Engine 2 in-service.] Engine 2 check. [Engine 3 in-service.] Engine 3 check.
[Truck 1 in-service.] Check truck 1.

[Engine 5-X, this is condition A, food on the stove. Engine 5 and Truck 1 can
handle. Return the other units.] Check, Engine 5 reports condition A, engine 5 and
truck 1 can handle. Chief 3 copy? [Chief 3 copy.] Recalling....

[Engine 6, condition B.] Check, engine 6 reports condition B. Chief 3 copy

Condition B? [Chief 3 copy.]
Repeat the condition report exactly as the officer gives it. If he says "small
Condition B" or says "Condition A" but does not indicate which units to return,
merely relay the report given to the chief, who will probably request more specific
information from the officer.

Staging

The first unit arriving at a fire will go directly to the scene, while others will
"stage" themselves at nearby intersections, ready to lay hose. These units will
announce their arrival on the radio so that everyone will know their location and do
not require a response by the dispatcher. A typical broadcast would be:

"Engine 5, we're staging at Tyler and Wilson."

Recalling Apparatus

Recalling apparatus dispatched to an incident may be done only in the following

situations:

 public safety officer on the scene makes the request

 Oaktown fire unit on the scene makes the request
 person making the original request calls back and indicates they have
personal knowledge of the incident's circumstances and do not need a
response. Ask the person "You don't want us to come?" and have them tell
you "No."

In all cases, the decision to recall is not made by the fire dispatcher, but by the
officer or assistant chief who is responding. The dispatcher simply relay the
information to the officer or A/C and gives him the new information. The officer or
A/C will then make the decision to return units, continue all units, continue only
the first-due engine, etc. For example...

"Chief 3, the caller now and says that what he saw was a barbecue." [Chief 3,
check. Let the first-due engine continue. Recall the other units.] "Check,
recalling..."

AMBULANCE DESTINATION

All emergency patients are taken to either General or Mercy Hospital, as follows:

 Code 3 patients to the nearest hospital

 psychiatric cases to Oaktown hospital
 maternity cases to Wilsonville Hospital
 pediatric cases to Children's Hospital
 burn cases to General Hospital
  Oaktown Hospital when the patient has no choice or there are no special
circumstances

During very busy periods, either hospital may request that non-emergency patients
be taken to an alternate hospital. When this occurs, they will notify the comm
center and the dispatcher should notify both ambulances of the new destination
hospital.

AMBULANCE PROCEDURES

As soon as you have dispatched the nearest apparatus to the emergency, you should
notify the county at 888-0490. You should give them the following information:

 unit responding (Rescue 12 or 13)

 response code (Code 2 or 3)
 incident location
 nature of incident (illness, injury, resuscitator, vehicle, person down,
standby, psychiatric, other, unknown)

For example...

"County, this is Oaktown Fire. Rescue 12 is responding Code 3, 1733 Tyler, for an
injury."

The county will then give you a "code eleven" number, which is a five-digit
number identifying the incident for the county system. If both Oaktown
ambulances are out of service, you should request backup at this time.

When the ambulance arrives at the scene, record the time on the back of the
incident card. Also record the time when the ambulance leaves the scene and
arrives at the hospital. These times are used by the EMT's or paramedics to judge
when medications and treatments were given to the patient.

The ambulances use the MEDNET radio system to relay patient information while
they are enroute to the hospital. Sometimes the radio system will be unusable and
the ambulance will ask the dispatcher to relay the patient information to the
hospital. They will then give you the following information on channel 1:

 patient age, sex

 nature of injury
 symptoms, including consciousness, loss of blood, pain
 medical history
 blood pressure, pulse and respirations
 treatment, including oxygen, CPR
 estimated arrival time at hospital
When the ambulance crew has finished at the hospital, they will call you to obtain
their times and the Code 11 number. They will indicate if they are in-service or, in
cases where they have transported to Children's Hospital , that they will be in-
service when they return to the city.

When the ambulance comes in-service, call the county again and tell them that
"Rescue 12/13 is available." If you use another term, such as "in-service" or "10-8,"
they may misunderstand, as their code system is opposite from our usual meaning.
If the ambulance did not transport the victim, tell the county that it was a "dry run."
If you earlier requested backup, cancel it at this time.

MUTUAL AID

Mutual aid may either be given to another agency or requested of another agency.
All requests from another agency for fire equipment should be directed to the on-
duty Assistant Chief. Likewise, all requests for mutual aid must be made by a chief
officer (A/C, deputy or fire chief).

Ambulance requests from adjacent cities is not considered mutual aid and do not
require prior approval by the A/C. However, any request for fire apparatus (engine,
truck, HAZMAT, etc.) must be approved before dispatch.

If an incident requires more resources than are available from the Oaktown Fire
Department, a chief officer will request aid from other fire departments. The
process of requesting and utilizing mutual aid is explained fully in a binder,
"Mutual Aid Plan."

Typically, assistance would first be requested directly from adjacent cities, such as
Pineville,. If further assistance is required, a request would be made to the mutual
aid coordinator for the county (currently the Pineville Fire Department). The
coordinator would fulfill the initial request from other the county agencies, and
subsequent requests from other counties, the state, etc.

There is a form for coordinating requests for mutual aid from other agencies. The
form lists the agencies and phone numbers availalble for mutual aid. The dispatcher
should complete the form for every mutual aid request, then route it to the A/C
after the incident.

MUTUAL RESPONSE AREA (MRA)

The cities of Oaktown, Pineville and Mapletown have entered into automatic
mutual aid agreements for specific areas of the Oaktown hills, in order to provide a
sufficient initial response to reports of fire.

There are four MRAs--north, central, east and south. Maps of the areas are
available in the fire response binder.
During the dispatch of a full assignment, the A/C or other chief officer will advise
the dispatcher that the address is within the MRA and to notify the adjacent agency.
The dispatcher should then telephone Pineville FD or Mapletown FD and request a
response to the MRA.

If notified by Pineville or Mapletown, the dispatcher should notify the chief and
then dispatch 2 engines and the A/C to the other jurisdiction.

All radio communications to an MRA response are on channel 4, the white fire
mutual aid channel (154.190 MHz). The dispatcher should direct all units to
channel 4 and monitor that channel for communications.

RED FLAG DAY

When weather conditions present a high danger of fire, fire chief will declare a red
flag day. When notified of this, the dispatcher is to make certain notifications to
City of Oaktown personnel, other fire departments and UC Police. The complete
list is available in the fire response binder.

On red flag days, the response to the MRA includes an automatic response from
adjacent cities.

On red flag days the fire department may deploy one or more 2-person vehicles to
patrol the hills looking for roadway obstructions, illegal burning, smoke and other
fire hazards. These vehicles are designated "Patrol 1" and "Patrol 2."

FIRE WEATHER

During high fire danger weather, the fire dispatcher will obtain the danger level
from the assistant chief and then post that level in CAD using the phamtom unit
designation "1WTHR". The fire danger level is entered as a comment to the
Available command, such as "A,1WTHR,,VERY HIGH".

COMMON FIRE TERMS

You may hear fire service terms and phrases on the radio during major
emergencies. Many of them are self-explanatory and will not require action on the
part of the dispatcher. However, you may be required to relay, repeat or act upon
certain transmissions that bear upon firefighting operations. The following are the
most common phrases and terms used on the radio. You should be familiar with all
of them.

 we need a supply line lay hose from a hydrant to the fire

 we're laying the set-up large hose connection from a hydrant
 we're laying a big line using large (3") hose on the fire
 we're using a peanut line using the small, hard-rubber hose on a fire
  bring in some masks self-contained breathing apparatus
 we need a fan used to ventilate

More terms can be found in the Appendix of the RESOURCE MANUAL.

Responding fire units can usually tell the magnitude of a fire by the size of the hose
being laid by the first-in company. Usually, the larger the hose, the larger the fire.

FIRE DEPARTMENT NOTIFICATIONS

In most cases, you need only notify the officer of the responding company when
dispatching apparatus. However, in some cases you are required to notify and/or
obtain approval of the Assistant Chief or other personnel, as follows:

 full assignment, notify the Assistant Chief

 auto accident, crime or DOA, notify the police
 Condition B fire, notify the nearest ambulance
 HAZMAT incident, notify A/C and others at his request
 any alert (transit, county, fire), notify the A/C; you may notify the EMS
Director or others upon his request
 mutual aid request, notify A/C
 greater alarm, notify those people listed on the Emergency Recall List
 -arge area of the city without fire coverage, notify A/C
 three or more hydrants out of service within one area, notify the A/C
 injury to any firefighter, notify the A/C
 fire-related death of any civilian or firefighter, notify the A/C, Deputy Chief
and Fire Chief
 mechanical problems with apparatus, notify A/C and the department
apparatus maintenance officer

NOTIFICATION OF HAZARDS

Whenever you learn of street closures, parades or demonstrations, block parties or

police emergencies, you should notify the on-duty Assistant Chief so that he may
assess the event's impact on fire department operations. In some cases, the event
will not affect fire or medical responses. In other cases, alternate routes or
apparatus responses will have to be devised by the A/C during the event.

1-1-1's

Whenever the department wants to quickly notify all on-duty firefighters of

important information, a chief will contact the comm center and ask that you put
out a "one-one-one." The term relates to the signals tapped out on the former bell
system. To contact all stations, page all stations (04) on radio channel 3. Broadcast
the information slowly and clearly so that the officers may write down the
information for their journal books and repeat it once.

Information which should be passed along to all stations includes:

 fumigations
 hydrants out of service
 private water supplies out of service
 sreet closures

If a unit is out of the station when you make a 1-1-1, you should note it on a card so
that they may be notified when they return to quarters.

After broadcasting the information, you should record it in the "General

Information" section of the fire department journal. If a hydrant is out-of-service,
record that in the "Hydrant" section of the journal.

RADIO TESTS

Each morning at 8:00a.m. you shall all-call the stations on channel 3 and make a
radio test. You should also give any general announcements such as streets closures
or fumigations. You should also give the names of those next up for overtime (see
below). Between 8:00a.m. and 8:30a.m., the apparatus operators will test their rig
and portable radios with the dispatcher. Reply in simple English loud and clear,
very weak, scratchy, etc. On Sundays, some operators may also test Channel 2.

HIRING OVERTIME

Dispatchers working the fire desk are responsible for hiring firefighters work
overtime. This usually occurs between 0700 and 0800 for the coming day, and at
1700 for next-day overtime.

Slots for overtime are divided into a "day" segment which runs from 0800 to 1800,
and a "night" segment, which runs from 1800 to 0800 the next day. Note that altho
the two segments do not contain equal hours, firefighters working these shifts
receive 12 hours of overtime pay.

The procedure for hiring overtime is contained in the General Order 18.2 and
should be strictly followed. Questions about any hiring procedure should be
directed to your supervisor before you hire. All questions from firefighters
concerning overtime shall be directed to the comm center supervisor or the fire
department assistant chief--fire department rules prohibit them from questioning
the dispatchers directly.
Official overtime hiring policies are outlined in the General Order and they follow
these general procedures:

 The assistant chief determines the necessary overtime hiring based on who
will be on vacation, who is injured, etc., then notifies the dispatcher two or
more days in advance.
 At 0700 each morning the A/C determines the necessary overtime for the on-
coming shift based on who has reported off on sick leave that morning.

In both cases the A/C notifies the fire dispatcher, who records the overtime
requirements on the Overtime Forms kept in the fire dispatch file cabinet.

Meanwhile, the officer at station 6 takes preferences from the firefighters for the
dates they would like to work overtime, including if a day or night shift. The officer
records these preferences in a book and relays them to the fire dispatcher by 2:00
p.m. each day. The fire dispatcher also records the preferences in an overtime
preference log by shift (A, B and C) and by position (officer, A/O, firefighter and
paramedic).

Once the overtime requirements and firefighter preferences have been determined,
the overtime is hired in the following manner:

 At 7:00a.m. each day the A/C will telephone the fire dispatcher to determine
who went off on sick leave that morning. The A/C will then call back with
an overtime requirements.
 The fire dispatcher records the overtime on that day's Overtime form,
carefully noting the company, position and whether a day, night or day/night
position is needed.
 The fire dispatcher telephones the station 6 officer and relays the required
overtime, then confirms the next-up positions for the off-going shift. The
next-up person is the one directly under the red line entered after the last
overtime hiring.
 The fire dispatcher then telephones the next-up person for the required
positions and records their response (hired, refused, no contact, etc.), the
date and time contacted, and the dispatcher's badge number.
 After all the hiring has been completed, the fire dispatcher telephones the
station 6 officer and relays who has been hired for the overtime openings.
The fire dispatcher then confirms the next-up persons for all ranks.
 The fire dispatcher telephones the A/C and relays who has been hired for
each position.

 Shortly before 0815 the fire dispatcher determines the next-up persons for
the shift that has just come on-duty, telephones the station 6 officer to
confirm it, then broadcasts that information during the 0815 pager tone test
(along with any street closures).
This same process of hiring overtime occurs for vacancies that occur during the day
because of injuries, sick leave or other situations.

Advance overtime is hired by the 3rd platoon fire dispatcher begining at 1700.
Shortly before 1700 the fire dispatcher determines the next-up persons for the off-
shift, confirms it with the station 6 officer, and then begins to telephone firefighters
at the home numbers listed in the overtime book.

When contacted for overtime, you should ask the firefighter for his/her preference
for station and unit if more than one overtime slot is available. If the overtime list
shows that the firefighter wants to work days and only nights is available (or vice
versa), then no call need be made to that firefighter. Calls continue until all
overtime slots have been filled for each position.

After attempting contact, mark your number, the date and time and the code--H for
"hired", NC for "no contact", R for "refused" in the appropriate slot. If a firefighter
is hired, also indicate which slot they'll be working, D - for day, N - for night.
Continue down the list alphabetically until all overtime slots are have been hired.
When you're finished, put a red, horizontal line under the person last hired.

If a firefighter refuses overtime, fill out a "Refused Overtime" form and route it to
the Assistant Chief in charge of that firefighter's shift. Then continue hiring
overtime with the next person on the list. The form has spaces for the firefighter's
name, the date and time and the dispatchers name.

If an overtime slot is cancelled by the A/C, the person cancelled is considered

"next-up." Indicate this on the overtime list by circling the affected box in red. If
more than one slot was cancelled, circle all boxes and indicate which firefighter
should be considered next-up.

You must make personal contact with the firefighters to tell them that they are
working. You cannot leave a message with a relative or on an telephone answering
machine. Messages are sometimes lost or forgotten and the firefighter may not
know they are scheduled to work. You must let the telephone ring a minimum of 5
times before marking "no contact" and you should speak into the telephone "No
contact at (firefighter's name)" to create a permanent record of the attempt.

If the firefighter has a pager number listed, you should telephone that number first,
and enter the number "644-6768". You should then telephone the firefighter's home
number. If an answering machine answers, leave a brief message (date, time, reason
for call) and then wait one minute for a response from the previous page. If you
receive no call, mark the person as No Contact (NC) and move on to the next
person with the appropriate preference.
If a paged firefighter calls in after the overtime has been hired, they may choose
from any overtime openings that have not yet been filled. However, you
should not go back and reshuffle slots already filled to accomodate the firefighter
who just called in.

If you cannot complete the overtime hiring by offering 12-hour slots to the shift not
working the day before, go to the shift working the day before. If you still cannot
complete hiring, go back to the other shift and offer a second 12-hour shift, if
applicable, to those who already accepted. If you have made "no contacts," attempt
to telephone them again. Finally, if you are unable to hire all slots, contact the
Assistant Chief, who will give you instructions on how to hire the open slots,
possibly from the current "acting" list which is kept in the back of the overtime
books.

Assistant chiefs will usually arrange for upcoming overtime one or two days in
advance. Some vacancies may occur the morning that the shift works, as
firefighters call prior to 7:00a.m. to report off on sick leave. These vacancies must
be filled, usually from the off-going shift, prior to 8:00a.m. Sometimes, firefighters
are injured or become ill while they are working. In this case, overtime must be
hired immediately by calling persons at home.

An attempt is made to keep all three overtime lists even, allowing everyone an
equal opportunity to work overtime. To do this, firefighters may be called at home,
or they may asked while they are working at firehouses.

DISASTER PLAN

The City of Oaktown has developed a comprehensive plan which co-ordinates the
work of both emergency and non-emergency city departments during a disaster.
During a earthquake, large fire or civil disturbance representatives of all city
departments will gather at the Hall of Justice "emergency operations center"
(EOC). Requests for assistance, field reports and the dispatch of persons and
equipment will be co-ordinated by that group. The dispatchers' role will be to
maintain radio contact with field units and to relay field reports and dispatches to
and from the EOC. The Oaktown Disaster Plan should be consulted for all aspects
of dispatch operations during a major emergency.

RECALL OF FIREFIGHTERS

During a large emergency, the Assistant Chief, Deputy Chief or Fire Chief may
instruct you to recall firefighters to duty. You should then consult the current
overtime book and begin calling firefighters in the order listed, from the person
who is next up. If you reach a firefighter, his appearance for duty is mandatory. For
this reason, you should log all persons called and the result in the "Information"
section of the fire dispatch position journal. When you reach a firefighter, tell him
"You're being recalled to duty. Report to station X." If a firefighter indicates that
he/she won't come in, log that fact and call the next person on the list.

When the emergency situation is over, you should fill out a "Emergency Call-
Back" Form for each person that you called. The form contains spaces for Call-
Back" Form for each person that you called. The form contains spaces for the
person's name, time they were called, where they were assigned and when they
were relieved. After being completed, these forms should be forwarded to the
Deputy Chief.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

It is the fire department's policy to safeguard personal information about its

employees. Callers wanting to speak to on-duty firefighters shall be transferred to
the appropriate station or given the Centrex number to call.

Callers wanting to know the home telephone number of fire department employees
should be identified (friend, wife, other firefighter, etc.) and the employee's
telephone listing checked for the access code (A, F, NO). An "A" indicates that the
number may be given out to anyone with a legitimate need to know. An "F" means
that it may be given only to other firefighters. A "NO" indicates that the number
may not be given to anyone, including other firefighters, whether on-duty or not.

If the caller claims to be a Oaktown firefighter but you don't recognize the voice,
you may ask for a telephone number to call back, then check to see if that number
matches the current personnel listing. Any questions about telephone numbers
should be directed to the on-duty A/C.

The Assistant Chief may be given any telephone number after being told the access
code listed. In no case shall firefighters addresses or other personal information be
given out to anyone without the permission of the Assistant Chief.

PUBLIC INFORMATION

The only information about past incidents considered to be public is the incident
number, time, location, disposition, loss and units responded for Dispatchers may
tell callers the location, alarm level, structure type and brief condition report (just
arrived, under control, still fighting the fire, etc.) of fires in progress. You should
direct all other inquiries about current incidents to the administrative assistant chief
if on-duty or the Assistant Chief. In no case may you comment on the cause of the
fire, the statements of callers reporting the fire or other witnesses or on any
physical evidence found.
If a Public Information form is completed by the A/C on any incident, you may
give press callers the information contained on the form. Further questions should
be directed to the appropriate A/C.

Callers from insurance adjustors regularly call the comm center inquiring "Were
there any structure fires today?" You may give these caller's the same information
as other citizens--the date, time, address, listed cause and loss.

EMERGENCY BROADCAST STATION

The City of Oaktown operates an AM radio station that continuously broadcasts

information about street closures and civic events. During an emergency, the
station would be used to relay evacuation routes, street closures and other response
information. The station is low-powered but can be heard in most areas of
Oaktown. It broadcasts on 540 on the AM radio dial.

The station information can be updated by designated persons. During an

emergency, you may direct callers to tune to the radio for information.

PAGERS

During office hours, most fire department administrative personnel carry pagers
that may be activated from the comm center. If you are requested to page someone,
look up the correct pager number and enter it on the pager touch-tone pad, then
select channel 1. Press the "P"age button and, after the tones are broadcast, press
the transmit button on channel 1 and give the voice message. Be sure that you have
channel 1 SELECTed on the radio console and not channel 3 when alerting
personal pagers.

A list of current pager codes is kept beneath the glass at the fire dispatch console.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT RADIO

Several Oaktown city departments use a "local government" (LG) radio channel
which can be operated from the fire department radio console. The most common
department using the channel are streets & sanitation, parking enforcement,
electrical, parks and marina.

During the weekday hours of 7:00a.m. to 4:30p.m., the local government channel is
monitored by each individual department and is not monitored at the fire console.
However, radios in parking enforcement vehicles are equipped with a "burst tone"
device which, when activated by the operator for an emergency, brings the local
government channel to full volume at the fire console. The field operator may then
broadcast a message that will be heard by the fire dispatcher. The LG receiver is
reset to normal volume when the dispatcher makes any transmission on LG.
During the hours 4:30p.m. to 7:00a.m. daily and 24-hours on weekends and
holidays, the fire department dispatcher shall monitor the local government radio
channel at all times, either thru the headset or the UNSELECT speaker. You do this
by turning up the volume on the LG VHF module. Broadcasts on the LG UHF
channel are repeated on the VHF, so there is no need to monitor the UHF channel,
too. Control and operation of the LG channel is exactly as described for the other
radio channels.

Each city department is assigned call numbers in series as follows:

electrical 100
streets 200
parks 300
sanitation 500
radio techs 700
parking enf 800
marina 900

After office hours, you may receive calls from the city's answering service (555-
6620) requesting that we try to reach city work crews on the local government
channel. Usually this will involve the sewer crews, unit 332.

Occasionally, field units will radio the fire dispatcher after office hours to ask for
assistance locating a call, for police assistance or to report accidents or
emergencies. You should remain alert for emergency calls on the LG radio channel
and immediately dispatch the necessary help.

If citizens or fire units in the field report broken street lights, traffic signals, trees
blocking roads or other hazardous conditions handled by other city departments,
notify the city's answering service, who will notify the proper department.

OTHER FIRE COMPANY ACTIVITIES

The fire department also participates in many non-emergency activities that the
dispatcher must monitor and record.

Drill Tower Each company has a monthly schedule of training which takes place at
the fire department's training facility, or drill tower, adjacent to Station 6 at 999
Cedar. While a company is at the drill tower, they are considered unavailable for
emergency incidents. However, should a large emergency occur, notify these
companies and they will then make themselves available for further incidents. You
should make a note of a unit's in- and out-of-service times while they are at the drill
tower, as the officer will ask for them later.

Inspections
All fire companies participate in inspections of commercial buildings within their
district. During these inspections, the apparatus will be available on the air. One or
more firefighters will be away from the rig, usually inside buildings. However, the
apparatus operator will stay with the rig and will always be monitoring the radio.
Be aware that companies responding from building inspections may be delayed in
their response, as firefighters will have to respond to the rig from a distance.

Repairs

Apparatus is maintained and repaired by the city's Equipment Maintenance

personnel. Scheduled maintenance is performed after 6:00p.m. and is usually
completed by midnight. Emergency repairs may take place at any time.

Mechanics may call the comm center to leave messages that certain apparatus is
available to be picked up. If these calls are received before 10:00p.m., notify the
company officer immediately. If the call is received after 10:00p.m., make a note
and notify the company officer the following morning.

Other Classes

At times firefighters will take CPR, first aid or other classes during the day. In
some cases an entire company will be out of service during the class and will be
unavailable for incidents. At other times the A/C will juggle the staffing so that
companies remain in service. The A/C will tell you when these classes are
scheduled, if the companies are available and where the classes are being held
(General Hospital, drill grounds, etc.) in case you need to contact the firefighters.

DEALING WITH OUTSIDE AGENCIES

The fire department depends a great deal on other public and private agencies to
assist in handling emergencies. Each agency has its own set of procedures and area
of responsibility which the fire department must recognize. Listed here is a short
summary of each agency's duties. Specific information can be found in the
Resource Manual.

Power Utility responsible for all gas and electric emergencies; not responsible for
problems on private property (beyond the gas or electric meter). They have
emergency responses, ETA's depend on time-ofday, who's on-call and other
pending emergencies.

Water Company handles hydrants (not UC or Cutter Labs) and water main
problems; doesn't handle private property plumbing problems. Has emergency
responses, ETA's like PG & E. The county co-ordinates ambulance services,
mutual aid fire protection, Sheriff has diver rescue/recovery team, animal control
for emergency help with wild animals. Responds 24-hours, ETA's vary.
Oaktown Ambulance under contract with the county provides emergency service to
north and west Oakland, provides back-up when both of Oaktown's ambulances are
out of service, provides routine transport for Oaktown patients. Immediate
emergency response, routine ETA's vary. U.C. police..protects campus and off-
campus university property, patrols Strawberry Canyon hill area. Responds 24-
hours.

LBL fire protects all LBL property, responds to Grizzly-Centennial hill

emergencies. Responds 24-hours. E.B.Parks....protects Tilden Park and adjacent
wildland area. Responds 24-hours, altho winter and night response is delayed or
limited.

Coast Guard responsible for water safety in the Bay, spills of toxic material in
inland waters that end in the Bay. Responds 24-hours, altho over-water time could
be slow.

Alarm co.'s provide alarm and watchman service to private companies for a fee.
Some companies contract for "runner" service where alarm company responds with
keys, others do not. ETA's vary.

Answering Service the city contracts with a private answering service to handle
service after-hours telephone inquiries. The service is supplied with a current call
list for all city departments and have telephone and pager numbers of key
personnel. You may request them to notify other city departments and they will call
asking you to contact city employees on the LG radio.

When reporting incidents to outside agencies, it's important to describe the situation
as specifically as possible so they may determine the priority of the call and what
people and equipment to send. When asking for an ETA from these agencies,
understand that many factors determine how fast they can and will respond. Giving
them specific information insures the quickest response.

RULES & REGULATIONS

Uniforms & Badge

A PSD shall wear their uniform while on-duty. The uniform shall be clean, pressed
and in good condition. The uniform shall not visible when off-duty or outside the
Hall of Justice.

Attendance
Public Safety Dispatchers shall work each of their assigned days and report to work
at the assigned time. If a PSD expects to be late, they shall call as soon as practical,
speak to a supervisor and notify them they will be late and when they will arrive.

Sick Leave

PSDs are permitted a union-agreed number of sick days per year. A PSD shall not
abuse their sick leave, which generally involves taking more than one-half of the
accumulated time, taking sick days in conjunction with days off or other time off.
Abuse may result in disciplinary action, including suspension or termination.

Conduct

While working PSDs are expected to avoid any conduct which is distracting,
offensive or illegal. In particular, PSDs must be aware of and conform to all the
provisions of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 pertaining or sexual
harassment.

Breaks, Meal Periods

PSDs are allowed two 15-minute breaks during each eight-hour shift. Breaks must
be coordinated with the other PSDs so that no more than one PSD is absent at a
time. PSDs are allowed one 45-minute meal period during each eight-hour shift.
Lunch periods are chosen at the beginning of the shift, in seniority order, subject to
approval of the senior PSD.

PSDs on their lunch break are subject to recall by their supervisor if an

extraordinary incident or series of incidents occur.

Parking

No parking is provided for on-duty PSDs. The city's neighborhood parking

ordinance is in effect for the area surrounding the Hall of Justice, which limits
parking to two hours. Parking meters regulate parking in the block occupied by the
Hall of Justice.

All on-duty PSDs shall park their vehicle in a legal parking space. During their
shift, no PSD shall move their car from a space in the neighborhood parking area to
another space in the same area.

Personal Use of Phones

PSDs shall not use any telephones within the communications center for personal
calls except during an emergency. Personal calls shall only be made on the break
room telephone.
Personal phone calls shall only be made within the local dialing area. No toll or
long distance calls may be made, except for an emergency and with a supervisor's
approval.

Use of Breakroom

No food is permitted within the dispatch area. Food may only be eaten within the
communications center break room. Clear water in containers approved by the
communications center manager may be used within the dispatch area.

Smoking Policy

Smoking is not permitted anywhere inside the Hall of Justice.

Issued Equipment

PSDs are responsible for the safety and working condition of any equipment issued
by the department or used by the PSD.

Lockers

Each PSD is assigned a department locker for storing frequently used equipment,
General Orders and other items. The lockers remain the property of the department
and are subject to search at any time.

Building Keys

Each PSD is issued a numbered key to the Hall of Justice and the communications
center. PSD shall not give the key to or allow any other non-department employee
to use it. No PSD shall allow a duplicate of the key to be made. If an issued key is
lost, the PSD shall immediately notify their supervisor at the earliest possible
opportunity, and provide details of the loss.

Payroll Form

Supervisors are responsible for signing PSDs in and out on the daily attendance
form. Overtime, sick and other leave, and other changes in the standard shifts
should be noted.

Absence Form

Each absence from duty must be noted with completion of an Absence Form. The
form should include the PSD's name and badge number, the reason for the leave,
the duration of leave, and the dates and shifts involved. If the absence is known in
advance, the leave request (vacation, sick leave for dental, etc.) should be submitted
to a supervisor as far in advance as possible and approved by the supervisor.
Overtime Form

All overtime worked by PSDs should be recorded on an Overtime Form, which

should include the PSD's name and badge number, the number of overtime hours
worked, the date and time worked, the reason for the overtime, and if the PSD
prefers pay or time off as compensation.

Vacation Sign-Ups
In December of each year, PSDs will be allowed to pick vacation for the following
year, in order based on their city seniority. Only one PSD from each shift can be on
vacation at once.
Shift Sign-Ups

Every three months PSDs are allowed to pick their work shift, in order based on
their seniority.

Acting Positions

On those occasions when a regular supervisor is not scheduled to work, the PSD
with the highest seniority, who has been appointed acting status, shall be the
supervisor. The city pays acting personnel a 5% premium.

Evaluations

Evaluations of non-probationary employees occurs each year on the employee's

service anniversary date. The evaluation is completed by the supervisor having the
most shift contact with the PSD. PSDs should consult the city's Personnel
Regulations for the applicable policies and procedures.

Tow Log

Tow requests are made on a rotation basis only among those four companies who
have signed contracts with the city. Every effort shall be made to keep the tow
requests even. Only if a tow company cannot fulfill their response commitment or
"passes" shall a PSD call another company.

Worksite Injuries

All injuries to PSDs must be reported to a supervisor and documented on the

appropriate forms.