“Five on the Fifth” is an occasional series of five lesser-known facts about well-known crime and safety issues. It is compiled and released by the Coquitlam RCMP Communications and Public Affairs Team when the fifth of the month falls on a weekday. Follow #FiveOnTheFifth on Twitter to get the latest updates.
In advance of Emergency Service Dispatchers and 9-1-1 Awareness Week (April 8 to 14), this month’s “Five on the Fifth” is dedicated to the unsung heroes who work in the Coquitlam RCMP’s Operational Communications Centre (OCC). They are the info-operators who answer non-emergency calls and handle radio communication; the call-takers who help callers who are often in distress; and the dispatchers who work with police officers ensuring they have the necessary information so they are prepared when they get to the incident.
Take a moment and learn five lesser-known facts about what they do, and how you can help keep everyone safer.
1. Practice safe dialing. In 2017, the Coquitlam RCMP received 41,083 calls for service—that’s an average of more than 113 calls per day. Approximately 6 per cent were false or abandoned 9-1-1 calls, including pocket dials and other mistakes. You can help avoid adding to the tally by locking your cellphone when it’s not in use.
2. Accidents happen; we don’t judge. If you accidentally dial 9-1-1, stay on the line to let the 9-1-1 operator know that you are okay and that you dialed in error. If you hang up, we still have to make sure that you are okay. In the best case scenario, we call you back, and you pick up and confirm that you are fine. In the worst case scenario, we call back and you don’t pick up, so we escalate our efforts by attempting to track your location and dispatching a police officer to find you. Confirming your safety can take a lot of time and tie up resources. So please, if you call 9-1-1 by mistake, don’t hang up.
3. When in doubt, dial 9-1-1. In an emergency call 9-1-1 immediately. An emergency is when lives are in danger, a serious crime is in progress, or police are needed immediately. If a crime has already been committed and the suspects are gone, or no lives are in danger and the police are not needed immediately, call the police non-emergency line for the detachment nearest you.
4. Help us help you: be ready for questions. The men and women who answer 9-1-1 calls are professionally trained to make sure you get the help you need as quickly as possible. This means asking a lot of questions, and in a crisis that can feel like it takes forever, but every one of them is necessary. The best thing you can do when you call 9-1-1 is try to stay calm and answer the 9-1-1 operator’s questions.
5. Learn more. Go to the Coquitlam RCMP’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/cqrcmp) to learn more about 9-1-1 calls.
editorial@accjournal.ca
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