Emergency Calls Across Vermont

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Created on Thursday, 14 April 2016 19:28
Written by Dylan Clark

911signAround the NEK- In cases of emergency, we have always been taught to call 9-1-1, and with this week being National Emergency Telecommunications week, we took a look at how 9-1-1 calls are handled across Vermont.

 

In the Green Mountain State, initial 911 calls are handled by six public safety point, which are also known as PSAP (Public Safety Access Points), located throughout the state.

According to recent statistics, about seventy-five percent of 911 calls made in the state are handled by the Williston and Rockingham State Police call centers, leaving the remaining 25 percent spread out in the five other PSAP points which are located in the Hartford, Shelbourne and Saint Albans Police department as well as the Lamoille County Sheriff.

However what if a call isn't answered? In those cases if a call goes unanswered in a certain amount of time, the call is then transferred to another PSAP.

In cases where there is fire or EMS needed to be involved, the call is routed to the Saint Johnsbury dispatch center, which is responsible for dispatching thirteen fire departments and two EMS agencies.

According to Saint Johnsbury police chief Clement Houde, each dispatch call is unique in how the situation should be handled.

"Each of the fire departments have a unique way of responding, some of the departments are volunteer fire departments, so they aren't full time, so they want out of a particular call, they want something done differently then a different agency," stated Houde.

With the uniqueness of each agency, Houde says that is what makes a call particularly difficult, with not knowing how to handle the call.

"It's the uniqueness from each department that makes it difficult on a particular call to know what type of apparatus and how each agency wants to handle the situation."

Despite the uniqueness of each agency, and the amount of calls a center can receive, dispatchers continue to rise to the occasion.

"Being part of fire and rescue, we are there first hand, we get the hugs and the praise, dispatch basically sits in a room, they send the entities out there, they're the unsung hero's of public safety."