Welcome to the Emergency Communications Division of the Franklin Police Department.
When you have an emergency the women and men in the dispatch center will likely be the first person to answer the call.
The dispatch center is responsible for the following types of communications activities:
- Answering 9-1-1 Calls
- Dispatching Police, Fire and EMS to calls for help
- Monitoring Radio traffic from units in the field
- Answering non-emergency calls.
- During nights weekends and holidays: answering calls for power outages, water and sewer problems,
- Taking and dispatching Animal Control Calls
With all these responsibilities it is extremely important to know WHEN to call 9-1-1
- 9-1-1 is for emergencies only
- You should only dial 9-1-1 if someone is hurt, in danger or in immediate need of police, fire or medical assistance.
Know where you are.
This is probably the most important information you can provide as a 9-1-1 caller, so try to be aware of your surroundings. Make a real effort to be as detailed as possible. If you are outside and don’t know the street address, take a look around and try to find landmarks or cross streets. If you are inside a large building or one with multiple levels, you can help emergency services by letting them know which floor you are on, which apartment you are in, etc.
Stay calm.
When you are on the phone with 9-1-1, you are their eyes and ears. Even though you may want to, try not to panic. If you are crying or yelling, it can be hard for the 9-1-1 operator to understand you. The more you are able to stay strong, pull yourself together, and answer all of the 9-1-1 operator’s questions, the faster they can get the right services to your location.
Never hang up.
You may have called 9-1-1 by accident, or your situation may have resolved itself, but it is important to let the 9-1-1 operator know this. If you end the call abruptly, the folks at the 9-1-1 center are going to assume that something has gone very wrong and will call you back and send help anyway. This will take away from the 9-1-1 center’s ability to take calls and dispatch services to on-going emergencies, so make sure the 9-1-1 call taker tells you it is ok to disconnect before you hang up. And keep in mind that the call taker can dispatch responders to your location without disconnecting from the call, so, until you are instructed to do otherwise, make sure to hold the line so that you can provide any necessary information or assistance to the 9-1-1 operator.