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 The Staff of the Communications Division of
Hamilton County Emergency Services are the FIRST first responders
to your call for help.
Located in the 911 Center on Amnicola Highway, we
utilize the latest in skill and technology to respond rapidly to any
call for help, realizing that in an emergency seconds may make a
difference.
Our staff consists of 24 highly trained and
dedicated Telecommunicators all of whom are certified Emergency Medical
Dispatchers (EMDs). An EMD
is specifically trained to calm, focus and aid callers reporting medical
emergencies. The EMD is
also able to provide valuable, life-saving instructions over the
telephone, helping you help the patient until skilled rescuers arrive.
Our Staff:
A typical shift in Communications consists of the
following assignments:
-
EMS
Dispatcher
-
Fire
Dispatcher
-
EMD
Call taker
During known high call volume times we staff an
additional position known as the Tactical Dispatcher.
This individual is used to back-up other team members and can be
assigned at the discretion of the Shift Supervisor.
We provide dispatch services for the following
agencies:
-
Hamilton
County Emergency Services
-
Hamilton
County Emergency Medical Services
-
Hamilton
County Hazardous Materials Team
-
Chattanooga-Hamilton
County Rescue
-
Tri-Community
Volunteer Fire Department
-
Dallas
Bay Volunteer Fire Department
-
Mowbray
Volunteer Fire Department
-
Highway
58 Volunteer Fire Department
-
Sequoyah
Volunteer Fire Department
-
Sale
Creek Volunteer Fire Department
-
Volunteer
State Water Rescue
-
Hamilton
County STARS (Special Tactics and Rescue Services)
-
Flat
Top Mountain Volunteer Fire Department
-
Walden’s
Ridge Emergency Services
-
Hamilton
County Command Post Coordinators
-
Hamilton
County Emergency Operations Center
-
Red
Bank Fire Department
-
East
Ridge Fire Department
All combined these agencies respond to almost
40,000 calls a year.
What happens when you dial 911?
-
Your
call is answered by the police agency having jurisdiction in the
area the call is made from.
-
If
you are reporting a fire or medical emergency your call is
transferred on the 911 system to us.
-
Our
EMDs will determine where you need help.
-
We
will obtain a callback number from you in case we are disconnected
or need to contact you again.
-
We
will ask detailed questions concerning the nature of the emergency.
-
These
questions are used to discover the severity of the emergency and
to determine what you can do to help the patient / situation until
skilled assistance arrives.
-
These
questions are NOT to determine if you qualify for a response, in
most cases help has already been dispatched while you talk to the
EMD.
-
As
soon as the location and type of emergency is known the call is
entered into our Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system.
-
While
our EMD call taker assists you on 911 the dispatcher is already
sending help to you. Our
standard is to have help on the way in less than 60 seconds.
-
In
case of a serious problem or unstable condition our EMD call taker
may stay on the line with you until help arrives. In most cases the call is ended once all the necessary
information is obtained.
What can you do to help?
-
Call
from a landline (non-cellular) phone if one is readily available.
-
Know
the address where help is needed.
-
Stay
calm and listen to the EMD call taker.
-
Answer
the EMDs questions. These
questions are not an interrogation, they are designed to determine
what type and how much help to send, the severity of the call, and
what instructions to give.
-
Follow
the EMDs instructions. They
are meant to help the patient.
-
Don’t
hang up until the EMD says you can.
-
If
the situation changes before help arrives, call back.
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