9-1-1 and Dispatch Terms

FCC (Federal Communications Commission)

An independent agency of the United States government which is in charge of regulating all non-federal government use of the radio spectrum (including radio and television broadcasting), and all interstate telecommunications (wire, satellite, and cable) as well as all international communications that originate or terminate in the United States.

9-1-1 Hang up

Call received through 911 in which a caller disconnects before providing information or the call is only a silent, open line. Received from a landline phone.

9-1-1 Wireless Hang Up

Call received through 911 in which a caller disconnects before providing information or the call is only a silent, open line. Received from a wireless device, such as a cellular telephone.

Secondary Dispatch

Follow-up dispatch given after the initial dispatch that relays other pertinent information to the responding units such as directions, descriptions of persons and vehicles, direction of flight, etc.

Rebid

The action of retransmitting the location information received when a 9-1-1 call is received in order to gather latitude / longitude coordinates on the caller.

WPH1 (Wireless E-911 Phase 1)

The delivery of the wireless 9-1-1 call to the appropriate PSAP along with the call-back number and the cell site (tower the call hits) from which the call originated.

WPH2 (Wireless E-911 Phase II)

The delivery of the wireless 9-1-1 call to the appropriate PSAP along with the call-back number, cell site, and an estimate of the caller's latitude and longitude.

VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)

A technology that allows for telephone calls to be made using the Internet.

CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch)

A computer based system used in PSAPs to assist in dispatching and record keeping.

PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point)

A facility equipped and staffed on a 24-hour, 7-days-a-week basis to receive and process 9-1-1 and other emergency calls for service in a defined area.

PBX (Private Branch Exchange)

A switch that controls a privately owned group of telephone lines. This means that if a 911 call is received from Troy Regional Medical Center, the only number that will be displayed is the hospital's main phone line, regardless of which extension it is dialed from.

CYMBALS

Acronym used to assist dispatchers with remembering which descriptive information to obtain and relay pertaining to vehicles. C - Color Y - year M - Make / Model B - Body style A - Additional Information L - License Plate S - State of License Plate

TDD/TTY (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf/Teletypewriter)

An electronic device for text communication via a telephone line, used when one of more parties has hearing or speech difficulties. Teletypewriter is a device about the size of a typewriter or laptop with a QWERTY keyboard and a small screen that uses an LCD screen to display typed text.

ANI (Automatic Number Identification)

Corresponds to the subscriber's seven digit telephone number.

ESN (Emergency Service Number)

Identifies an agencies responsibility and determines which agencies are to respond to the call for service when the call is received over 911.

APCO (Association of Public Safety Communications Officials)

Organization that provides expertise, professional development, technical assistance, advocacy, and outreach among public safety communications personnel.

ALI (Automatic Location Identification)

Provides for an address display of the subscriber calling 911. Includes the subscriber's address, community, state, type of service, and if a business, the name of the business.

PCO (Police Communications Officer)

Public safety dispatchers (also known as emergency dispatchers, Tele-communicators or 9-1-1 dispatchers) receive calls from individuals who need assistance from Firefighters, Police Officers, and Emergency Medical Services. Once information is obtained from the caller, these dispatchers activate the services necessary to respond to the nature of the call for help.

Language Line

Telephone interpretation service that connects human interpreters via telephone to individuals who wish to speak to each other but do not share a common language.

Primary Dispatch

The initial dispatch relaying the most pertinent information to responding units including the location, nature of call, and weapons involved.

E-911 (Enhanced 9-1-1)

is a system which routes an emergency call to the appropriate 9-1-1 answering point (PSAP) for the caller's location, AND automatically displays the caller's phone number and address. The 9-1-1 call taker will typically ask the caller to verify the information, which appears on his or her computer screen.

NENA (National Emergency Number Association)

an organization whose mission it is to foster the technological advancement, availability, and implementation of the 9-1-1 system in the United States.