The Dartmouth Police Communications Division is a state-of-the-art law enforcement/public safety communications center. The center is operated by a team of highly trained and certified staff. The Dartmouth Police Department Communications Center not only receives 9-1-1 calls, it also coordinates emergency and non-emergency radio, telephone and teletype communications for law enforcement, ambulance, fire/rescue and harbor emergencies for the Town of Dartmouth.
The Communications Division is equipped with three emergency consoles which allow the Dartmouth Police to have a vital link between our community and emergency responders. It is the job of these men and women to field calls for help and initiate the proper resources. With the recent implementation of Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) all dispatchers are now able to give pre-arrival instructions to callers suffering from any medical emergency.
Our Dispatchers are dedicated to the service of the community and work hard to be there for you when you need us the most. When you call, try to remain speak clearly. It is very important for us to get the correct information to determine the best way to assist you so speaking clearly is a very important element. Listen, our dispatchers are trained to ask pertinent questions to assist with determining the correct response for your situation; listening and answering our questions assist us in providing quick and accurate information needed in getting our responders to you as fast as possible. It may appear as a delay, but these questions are essential to the safety of our responders and will not delay the response. While one dispatcher is entering the information into the call the other dispatcher is sending responders while updating them with the information you provide. Please stay on the line if asked and help us update our responders with any changes you provide.
Remember, the call-taker’s questions are important to get the right kind of help to you quickly. Be prepared to follow any instructions the call-taker gives you. Finally, do not hang up until the call-taker instructs you to.
If you dial 911 by mistake, or if a child in your home dials 911 when no emergency exists, do not hang up—that could make 911 officials think that an emergency exists, and possibly send responders to your location. Instead, simply explain to the call-taker what happened.
For more information, contact communications@dartmouthpd.org.
