El Camino Community College
Police Department
Communications & Records
Flex Day Presentation 2010
TALK TO ME!
Emergency Communications!
What Are We Going
To Talk About??
What is the Communications Center
 What is it that we do
 Important numbers to have
 When to/not call 9-1-1 and/or Police
 What information do we need when
you call

What is the Communications Center?
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The center is responsible for taking calls and dispatching
personnel for both the Torrance campus and the Compton Center
Campus Police dispatchers are the initial contact from the public
for the police department.
The dispatchers answer:
• Incoming telephone calls from 10-digit non-emergency business lines
• 9-1-1 emergency phone lines
• Multiple police radio frequencies and monitor several non-police
campus frequencies.
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The Communications Center monitors other surrounding agency's
radio frequencies for the purpose of providing mutual aide.
ECC Campus fire alarm system is monitored at the
Communications Center.
The police dispatchers also handle the records management
function for the department by processing crime reports, citations,
as well as other police record keeping tasks.
What is the Communications Center?

Staffing
• Center is staffed:

24/7 360 days a year
• 4 Full-time
• 2 Part-time
• 4 Part-time Student
Workers
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Equipment
•
•
•
•
12 Phone Lines
4 9-1-1 Lines
2 Support Lines
4 Radio Frequencies
What is the Communications Center?
Statistics
2009
Total
2009CEC
2009ECC
Calls for Service
18760
3773
14987
Officer/Cadet Initiated
26926
7764
19162
Total CAD entries (Non Admin Codes)
45686
11537
34149
1439
320
1119
Total Reports Taken
Total Calls through Comm. Center
51,289
2,765
48,524
Calls to 9-1-1
9,391
606
8,785
Total Calls (3100/2999)
41,898
2,159
39,739
Important Numbers

Torrance
• Emergencies

Dial 9-1-1
• From any campus Cisco Phone
• From any campus pay phone
• Emergency Poles/Red Phone
• Non-Emergencies & General Information

Dial 3100
• From any campus Cisco phone

Dial 310-660-3100
• From any other phones or off campus
Important Numbers

Compton
• Emergencies

Dial 9-1-1
• From any campus Cisco phone
• From any campus pay phone
• Non-Emergencies

Dial Ext 2999
• From any campus Cisco phone

Dial 310-900-1600 Ext 2999
• From any other phones or from off campus
• General Information

Front Desk Ext 2790
Examples of when to call 9-1-1
When you see smoke or fire.
 When someone’s life and/or property
are in immediate danger
 When you see a crime being
committed
 When rescue or emergency medical
assistance is needed
 When you are not sure

• Call & let trained personnel decide
Examples of when not to call 9-1-1
Buildings or rooms are still locked
 Left belongings in buildings
 Your computer is not working
 Toilet is over flowing
 Permit machine is not working
 Unable to find parking

Who Do I Call If I Don’t Call 9-1-1

Unless you need an immediate
response to a fire, medical or police
emergency call the Non-Emergency
number at:
310-660-3100 (Torrance)
 310-900-1600 ext 2999 (Compton)

• Using the non-emergency number keeps
9-1-1 available for true emergencies.
What Will The Dispatcher Ask You
When You Call 9-1-1?
All callers are asked a standard set of
questions which will help the
dispatcher prioritize your call
 Provide the responding personnel
with information before their arrival
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The following are just some of the
questions we may ask you:
What Will The Dispatcher Ask You
When You Call 9-1-1?
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LOCATION of the problem:
• Where are you and where did the incident happen
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This is important in case the phone is disconnected for
some reason
Even though the 9-1-1 screen in dispatch should have the
phone number and address of the phone you are calling
from, the dispatcher will ask you the address where the
problem is, as well as what campus you are calling from, to
verify the information on the 9-1-1 screen.
You may be calling from an address other than the one
where the problem is.
• It is important to give any building names, building
numbers, unit or suite number.
• Be as specific as possible. Avoid using "left" and "right"
as directions. This is often confusing.
What Will The Dispatcher Ask You
When You Call 9-1-1?

NATURE OF THE PROBLEM:
• Please use real language
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Don’t try to use lingo or slang. It will only confuse
the situation.
Just tell us briefly what is happening or what
happened.
• Is anyone injured?
• Basic description of what occurred.
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TIME ELEMENT:
• When did this occur?
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5 minutes ago, 5 days ago, last year
Has it been going on over a span of time (hours,
days, or weeks)
What Will The Dispatcher Ask You
When You Call 9-1-1?
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PERSON DESCRIPTION:
• How many people are involved?
• Race, sex, height, weight, clothing, hair color, facial hair,
eyeglasses, hat, etc.
• We like descriptions from the top to bottom, outside to
inside…
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
What is “Top to Bottom”? Hat, hair, facial hair? Shirt, coat,
pants, shoes – top of the person to the bottom
What is “Outside to inside”? Coat is on the outside, shirt is
on the inside, T-shirt inside that – outer clothing first then
to the detailed less visible clothing.
• DID THE PERSON HAVE A WEAPON?

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If so what kind
Was the person carrying anything else?
• Where did the person go?
What Will The Dispatcher Ask You
When You Call 9-1-1?

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION
• Color, make, model
• License plate number
• Number of doors
• Direction of travel
What Will The Dispatcher Ask You
When You Call 9-1-1?
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When calling 911, all you have to do is answer the
dispatcher’s questions!
Stay on the phone and answer the questions as calmly as
you can.
Sometimes it may sound as if the dispatcher is repeating
themselves with the same questions but you may give
more detail the second time.
There may have been something you've forgotten earlier.
Please don't become irritated with them. They are trying to
obtain important information and to assist you.
We know anxiety is a terrible emotion, but try to remain
calm when giving information.
Do not hang up until either the 9-1-1 Dispatcher or
the on-scene Police or Fire personnel direct you to.
What Will The Dispatcher Ask You
When You Call 9-1-1?
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
WHEN GIVING INFORMATION, DON'T EDIT OR EXAGERATE!
Give all the information that you have.
• For Example: If you don't mention that the suspect was
wearing a red hat because you don't think it was important,
you may be withholding the single most important identifier in
apprehending the suspect.
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Emergency response WILL NOT be delayed by answering
the questions.
In most instances, assistance will be dispatched while you
are still on the phone.
By answering the dispatcher's questions, the dispatcher can
relay important information to the units responding prior to
their arrival.
This increases the chances of a successful outcome to the
call!
Location, Location, Location
What If I Dial 9-1-1 By Mistake ?
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DO NOT HANG UP!
Stay on the line and tell the dispatcher
that you have dialed 9-1-1 by mistake,
and that you do not need emergency help!
Anytime the police dispatcher receives a
9-1-1 "hang-up"; the location must be
contacted to be sure that no actual
emergency exists
• An officer must then be dispatched to the
address to check
Are Pay Phones Any Different?
You may dial 9-1-1 for an emergency
at any pay phone
 You do not need any coins
 The phone number and location of
the pay phone should show up on
the 9-1-1 screen.

What About Calling 9-1-1
From My Cellular Phone?
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While we encourage people to use the
cellular phones to dial 9-1-1 in emergency
situations, people also need to be aware
that location information does not appear
on the Dispatchers screen as it does on a
call from a landline phone.
Technology is advancing in this field
• Very little information is displayed on 9-1-1
screen about the phone
• Only the the cellular company provider name
(i.e. Verizon or T-Mobile, etc.) and the phone
number of the cellular phone, and a best effort
location
What About Calling 9-1-1
From My Cellular Phone?
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Only T-Mobile calls on
the Torrance campus
come directly to us.
All others go to either
CHP, Gardena, LASO,
or Torrance and then
have to transferred to
us
System is based on
the GPS chip in the
phone as well as other
factors based on the
Cell Tower
What About Calling 9-1-1
From My Cellular Phone?
What About Calling 9-1-1
From My Cellular Phone?
Where Does It All Go…
9-1-1 is the number to dial for
the fastest possible emergency
response when you need
Emergency POLICE, FIRE or
MEDICAL ASSISTANCE in a
life or death situation
Questions or Comments

Communications Center
• Torrance – 310-660-3100
• Compton – 310-900-1600 x2999

Josh Armstrong
• 310-660-6777
• jarmstrong@elcamino.edu