Welcome to Dispatch site
 
The West I-10 Fire Department Dispatch Center 
The West I-10 Fire Department Dispatch Center provides professional pre-arrival assistance to the citizens and guests of our community.

Our Dispatch Center is located at 1773 Westgreen Blvd., West I-10 Fire Station #3.  The Dispatch Supervisor for the Dispatch Center is Bill Adams.  Bill became the Dispatch Center’s supervisor in March 2006. 

Staffing includes 14 National Academy of Emergency Medical Dispatch certified dispatchers.  Out of the 14 dispatchers there are 3 full time dispatchers, and 11 part time dispatchers.  All of our new dispatchers go through a 15 week training course to provide them with an Emergency Dispatching Certification that is recognized nation wide.

The Dispatch Center handles approximately 5000 emergency calls which includes dispatching calls for West Harris County EMS.  On January 21, 2003 our Dispatch Center welcomed the new arrival of our CAD system (Positron). 

What does a 911 call consists of?
What is a Dispatcher?

Most people are not sure on exactly what a dispatcher is and what their job consists of on a daily basis.  The Emergency Service Dispatcher is the first link in the Emergency Service Response System.  They are the initial contact for the public in an emergency situation and it is through the dispatcher that the public receives assistance and immediate direction to save lives and property. 

It is important for you the caller to know what the dispatcher will be asking you every time you call 911 in an emergency.  It is very vital that the dispatcher receives the proper answers or it will delay your response.  Always remember to dial 911 when you have an emergency.  Here are the questions that will be asked:

The dispatcher will ask “What is location of the emergency?”  You must know the location so that the dispatcher can send the proper emergency units to the right location.  Try to be aware of your surroundings when your in the car or in a place that your unfamiliar with.  Most of the time the dispatcher will receive a location on their 911 screen but that is not always the case.
The dispatcher will then ask “What is the number that you are calling from?”  Again it is important that you give the dispatcher the number from which you are calling your emergency in.  A lot of times with bad connections or mistakes some calls are disconnected, without a telephone number dispatchers are unable to call you back to get more important information.

The next question the dispatcher will ask you is “How old is the patient?” A lot of times it is important how old the patient is, we can’t give you proper pre-arrival instructions for that age.

The dispatcher will ask next “Is the patient conscious?” This is important information to know in case the dispatchers need to give you instructions on how to assist the patient.  It is always best if you call while your near the patient so that you can tell the dispatcher if the patients status has changed in anyway. 

The dispatcher will ask you “Is the patient breathing?”  If your near the patient then it is easier for the dispatchers to get this information.  If the patient is not breathing, the dispatcher will instruct you on giving CPR instructions.

Never be afraid to dial 911 if you have an emergency.  The dispatchers are trained to help you in your time of need.  The dispatchers are trained to give you instructions for any emergency that you might have.

Here is an example of how a medical call will be answered:

Dispatcher: “911 what is the address of your emergency?”
Caller: “22214 Applepine Dr.”
Dispatcher: “What’s the phone number you’re calling from?”
Caller: “281-555-4444”
Dispatcher: “What’s the problem, tell me exactly what happened?”
Caller: “My grandfather fell on the bathroom floor”
Dispatcher: “How old is the patient?”
Caller: “82”
Dispatcher: “Is he conscious?”
Caller: “yes”
Dispatcher: “Is he breathing?”
Caller: “yes” 

The dispatcher will ask those exact questions for every emergency medical call that are received in dispatch. After those questions are answered, you will need to stay on the line while the dispatcher can dispatch an ambulance.  Depending on the type of call it is you will be asked a few more questions concerning the patient.  The whole process should take no more then 2 minutes. 

An emergency fire call is very similar but does not have that many steps in the process. Here are the questions that will be asked:

“What is your location of your emergency?”

“The phone number your calling from?”

“What is on fire?”

“Is everyone safe and out of danger?”

“Is there any electrical hazards?” 

Those will be about the only questions that will be asked for emergency fire calls.  It is always important that if your house is on fire, evacuate everyone and call 911 from a neighbors phone or cell phone.  The same if you were in a commercial building, get out and call from either a cell phone or neighboring business.

The 911 system is a very fast and very important. The dispatchers are on duty 24 hours a day to ensure that someone is always there when you have an emergency.  Again never be afraid to dial 911 in case of an emergency.