Police Dispatch

A Croton police Dispatcher is a New York Civil Service position and must pass the civil service examination.  A dispatcher will receive professional training throughout their career along with additional training at the Croton Police department.  Along with training in computers and dispatching, training includes the additional topics of first aid, Naloxone, AED, CPR, blood borne pathogens, workplace harassment, sexual harassment, bullying, hazardous communication, 911 Diversion, DCJS, Emotional crisis, active shooter, Ejustice, and advanced dispatch.  Croton’s dispatcher is also a trained and certified Notary.

While many think of dispatchers as simply answering the telephone, the job is far more stressful, intense, and complicated.  A dispatcher’s job is one absolute discretion and the necessary strength of character to never disclose confidential information. It is a job of high responsibility, with often only their voice, mind, and compassion to provide much needed help until an officer can arrive.  A dispatcher’s is the first voice someone will hear when in desperate need.  Dispatchers must have strong communication skills, be able to speak calmly and clearly, and understand callers who might be incoherent. The caller may be under tremendous stress, frightened, seriously ill or hurt, confused, under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or unable to think clearly.  A dispatcher must use all their skills and training along with quite a bit of empathy and compassion to calm a person down in order to learn all relevant information to be able to send assistance.  A dispatcher may be the voice of empathy when someone calls to report a loved one has passed away.  During a chaotic moment such as a car accident, a dispatcher’s voice may sound like an island of calm in a world gone awry.  A dispatcher will need to know what if any medical aid to send, what the police, fire, and EMS response should be, and determine the nature of the call so that the officer can determine if it is an emergency or the officer need not drive lights and sirens. At times, a dispatcher will stay on the line with a caller, providing verbal assistance and directions while the caller awaits the arrival of an officer.   A caller might be driving through Croton, not know the names of streets, or might be unsure of their location along Route 9, and it is the job of the Dispatcher to use their knowledge of the area to ascertain the caller’s exact location to send an officer.  At times callers might not divulge an entire truth to a dispatcher about their circumstances out of fear of getting in trouble.  A dispatcher must work through this gather enough relevant information to send an officer to the correct location and provide the responding officer with as much information as possible.  Along with emergency calls, sometimes calls involve children or adults calling to hear a friendly voice.  A moment of human contact in a lonely world.

Along with sending relevant help to a situation, the dispatcher must be mindful of where all officers are at all times.  The Dispatcher will know the officer’s voices and be able to identify them by their voice and understand their stress level by carefully listening for clues in the officer’s voice.  An officer relies on his dispatcher to ensure that the officer has needed backup and will receive help, even when the officer might not be able to relay the need for such.  An officer will rely on the dispatcher to glean important information such as if there are weapons in a home, if someone has a pre-existing medical condition, has emotional challenges and a host of other information so that the officer can best help the caller. One such example might be that an officer will turn off lights and sirens prior to arriving at a call if the dispatcher learns that the person in need of aid will be further alarmed or agitated by the lights and sirens.  At another call, an officer arriving at a domestic disturbance, fight, or threat of self-harm, will want to know if there are any weapons present. The dispatcher will always keep an eye on a clock and know when an officer has been “quiet for too long” and might be in trouble, quickly checking to ensure the officer is indeed oaky. 

A Dispatcher is the in the main hub of the department and will answer all calls, whether an emergency or a non-emergency question.   If a Dispatcher does not know the answer to a question, it is their job to find an answer, refer a caller to the proper services and to ensure the caller is satisfied prior to hanging up.  All calls are recorded, and a video recorder is always recording any activity at the desk area.

Dispatchers must multi-task well, while being polite, friendly, kind, and at times firm.  Frequently, a Croton dispatcher might be on the telephone, answering the police radio, and assisting a resident who came to Police headquarters for help.  In many departments, the dispatcher sits in a separate area to answer calls but in Croton, the dispatcher is at the main police desk and is responsible for initially assisting all people who come to headquarters.  At times a dispatcher will do all the previous work and need to notify the Fire Department, Emergency Medical Services, electric, cable or phone companies of service disruptions and notify the Department of Public Works of hazardous conditions. Along with communication skills, dispatchers must be well versed in various computer programs. When not busy on a call, dispatchers must complete information requests from officers and receive and send EJustice information.  Dispatchers are also responsible for assisting officers who are in the building, all while keeping an alert ear for the officers on patrol.  Croton’s female dispatcher also serves Matron duty for all females in the department’s holding cells.

Due to the immense responsibility and extreme stress that dispatchers often work under, they too might need a voice of calm.  Croton participates in a Westchester County wide peer-to-peer counseling program for first responders, The Putnam Westchester Peer Support Team.  Professionally trained first responders are available to assist with the emotions and stress of other first responders throughout the county. First responders work with members of other agencies but not within their own departments. First responders assisting each other is a program that gives each the comfort of talking with someone who completely understands their emotions and difficulties. Peer-to-peer counselors are also trained to assist in referring someone to additional professional resources as needed. 

While being a Dispatcher has its challenges, it is an immensely rewarding career for people who like to help others and provide a professional and vital service to their community. Dispatchers are the lifeline for the public and police officers. They are the backbone of any department, and their work is invaluable.  

This article was written by members of the Police Advisory Committee as part of the Community Information Project.