What Telecommunicators
Need To Know
Sgt. Brett Audilet – Liberty County Sheriff’s Office
Who I Am
 Sgt. Brett Audilet
 Liberty County Sheriff’s Office
 936-346-2860
 [email protected]
 Patrol Deputy for 21 years (Hold a Master Peace Officer License)
 Firefighter for 30 years
 Medic for 17 years
 TCOLE Instructor
 Firefighter Instructor
 Advanced SWAT certified
 K-9 Deputy
 Dispatcher
 Numerous other state certifications
What Telecommunicators Need To Know
This discussion today is not meant to replace your
agencies policies and procedures. Make sure you
always follow the policy and procedures, directives, or
orders that your agency has in place.
What Telecommunicators Need To Know
What we will talk about today
 Complacency – Do you do this for the money? I think you are overworked and
underpaid
 Stress – Does the job stress you? It does me. Don’t be afraid to talk about the stress
 Things that LE, Fire, and EMS need to know
 Where
 What
 Who
 How
 When
 Weapons
What Telecommunicators Need To Know
 Complacency – noun – a feeling of quiet pleasure or security, often while
unaware of some potential danger, defect, or the like; self-satisfaction or smug
satisfaction with an existing situation, condition, etc. - Definition from
Dictionary.com
 Its easy to become complacent. Each shift you work, could ultimately, determine
if someone lives or dies that day.
 No two calls are alike. Same scenario, but all calls are different.
 Information you gather or don’t gather can place the callers and or first
responders in danger of loosing their life.
 I think we all agree we are not at our jobs because it will make us rich. We do
what we do because we like to make a difference in peoples lives. Don’t
become complacent – bad things could happen even on the most routine call.
Expect the Unexpected Don’t Be
Complacent
What Telecommunicators Need To Know
 Don'ts
 Don’t sit in the chair aggravated that you are taking the same types of calls
daily
This could be the “verbal disturbance” that turns deadly
 Don’t get minimal info to just fill out a call for service slip then disconnect
Ask all questions and try to get as much info as possible
 Don’t have the mindset that this is the 20th time we have sent someone and
everything is always ok
This “Prowler Call” could be the one that a prowler makes entry into the
house and rapes the caller
 Don’t get an attitude with the first responders even when they are snappy or
short
You are their life line they need to know that you are calm and level
headed to be able to get them help if needed
What Telecommunicators Need To Know
 Stress – noun – on shift dispatcher, counselor to
partner, deputies, and complainants, phones ringing
non-stop, 911 going off, deputies being needy on the
radio, fire and ems constantly asking if LE is enroute to
a wreck, supervisor coming in and out always asking
questions that do not pertain to the calls working,
eating a cold meal, bladder about to explode
because its been 6 hours since emptied, deputies
wanting their paperwork now. All in a 5 minute time
span that just keeps reoccuring over and over –
Definition from the Brett Audilet dictionary.
What Telecommunicators Need To Know
What Telecommunicators Need To Know
Stress- noun – physical, mental, or emotional strain or
tension – Definition from Dictionary.com
What Telecommunicators Need To Know
 Common immediate effects of stress include:
Behavioral – Overeating and excessive alcohol consumption
Physiological – Heightened muscle tension, elevated blood
pressure, and rapid heart beat
Emotional – Heightened anxiety, depression, and anger
Cognitive – Increased distractibility and decreased
concentration
What Telecommunicators Need To Know

Common long-term effects of stress include:
Behavioral Disorders – Obesity and alcoholism
Medical Disorders – Headaches, hypertension, and heart disease
Emotional Disorders – Chronic anxiety, depression, phobias,
personality changes, and mental illness
Cognitive Disorders – Memory problems, obsessive thoughts, and
sleep disorders
What Telecommunicators Need To Know
 Take a break for a few minutes to clear your head some
 Talk to counselors – We have a group of Chaplin's, that volunteer their time to the
Sheriff’s Office, that have been through Critical Incident Stress Management
training
 Talk to others in the agency about bad calls
 Leave work at work. Go home to refresh – family and friends usually do not
understand the stress you go through, unless they do the same thing
 Eat healthy and drink lots of water
 Sleep – Not enough sleep can cause your brain to work more slowly than normal,
simple tasks become more difficult, and it can be more challenging to remain
calm in a frustrating or problematic situation.
What Telecommunicators Need To Know
 At the end of each day, it is important to remember that you
are a 9-1-1 dispatcher, a job that comes with a lot of
responsibility, but also a lot of rewards. You, as a first
responder, play an important role in hundreds of emergency
situations per week, making a difference in an enormous
amount of lives. In order to continue playing this important
role, it is important that you take time each day, whether it is
before, during or after your shift, to deal with the stress that the
job will inevitably cause.
What Telecommunicators Need To Know
What Telecommunicators Need To Know
Where
What
Who
How
When
Weapons
What Telecommunicators Need To Know
Where – Where, is the most important. You
have to know where to send help to in case
the phone is disconnected and you are not
able to get the caller on the line again.
Have the complainant repeat the address
to ensure the address to send help to is
correct.
What Telecommunicators Need To Know
Questions for Telecommunicators to keep in mind
Where?
Where is it occurring at?
Get a specific address if possible
Get good directions
Get a residence description
Include vehicles in the drive
Items outside (swings, pool, gazebo etc.)
What Telecommunicators Need To Know
What – what happened for the caller to
call for help? In this case her dad fell off
the ladder and needed medical
treatment. The dispatcher immediately
ask; how old is the patient, is the patient
awake, and is the patient breathing.
What Telecommunicators Need To Know
Questions for Telecommunicators to keep in mind
What?
What is the vehicle doing?
What is the person doing?
What is giving the caller an uneasy feeling?
What Telecommunicators Need To Know
Who – who needs first responders?
Caller? Someone in the house?
Someone in the area?
What Telecommunicators Need To Know
 In the sample recording, the telecommunicator has been on the
phone just a little over 1 minute with the complainant, but she
has controlled the conversation and has enough info to be able
to dispatch the medic to the location.
 Med 1, need you enroute to, 123 Main St for a 48 year old male
who has fallen from a ladder, patient is awake and breathing.
 The telecommunicator advised the caller the ambulance was on
the way and that she was going to ask her some more questions.
What Telecommunicators Need To Know
Questions for Telecommunicators to keep in mind
Who?
How many persons?
Persons name or nickname?
Gender – Male or Female?
Race- White, Black, Hispanic, Asian etc.?
Height?
Weight?
Clothes?
Tattoos?
What Telecommunicators Need To Know
How – How did this happen.
Did he jump trying to kill himself? If so you
would need to send law enforcement also.
Is it a multi story building where he fell to
another level of the structure? If so you would
need to send fire department to package him
and bring him down to EMS.
What Telecommunicators Need To Know
 Advise the caller that help is on the way and you have some more questions.
This keeps you in control of the call and the caller is reassured that help they are
asking for is on the way.
 Remember that when you mute calls to talk on the radio or tone, the caller does
not realize what is going on. It is repetitious to you but not for them. Tell the caller
what you are doing so they do not think the line has disconnected during the
silence.
 If you don’t not use mute at your agency and you just start talking to your
partner or on the radio, it can be perceived as not caring or rude and it
confuses the caller. This can make the caller more aggravated or upset and you
loose control of the call. Always let your caller know what you are doing.
What Telecommunicators Need To Know
Questions for Telecommunicators to keep in mind
How?
How did they get in a residence?
How are they carrying items off?
How are they fighting?
With fist?
With weapons?
What weapons? Guns, Knives, other
What Telecommunicators Need To Know
 When – When did this occur.
Is it an in progress call?
Did it occur 6 hours ago and the caller just came home?
Has the caller been gone several days and just came home and
not sure when the house was broken into?
What Telecommunicators Need To Know
Questions for Telecommunicators to keep in mind
When?
When did it occur?
Is it still occurring?
If still occurring for how long?
What Telecommunicators Need To Know
Weapons – Are there any weapons?
Guns – Long guns? Pistols? BB Gun?
Why does the deputy need to know what type of gun?
What Telecommunicators Need To Know
If someone leaves the scene before L.E. arrives –
What type of vehicle?
Color – single color, 2 tone
Type- 2 door, 4 door, SUV, PC, Truck, Van etc.
Wrecked? Unusual markings? Stickers?
Direction of travel? – Deputies could be responding from
any direction. Need to know which way to head if serious
crime to try to find actor
What Telecommunicators Need To Know
 Person Descriptors
 Start top to bottom is easier so that you don’t forget
something
 Hat, Hair, Glasses, Shirt, Pants, Shoes,
 Don’t forget to ask for hairstyle along with color
 Tattoo's can help id people as well
 Backpack, purse, or bag description
What Telecommunicators Need To Know
 Example
Telecommunicator gets a description of a male subject wearing a baseball cap, sunglasses, tan
hoodie, and black sweat pants.
Deputy comes across a male subject that is walking with a backpack, short blonde hair, in a white
t-shirt, tan shorts, tattoo’s on his arms.
Is this the same person?
While running from Law Enforcement the male subject places his cap, sunglasses, hoodie, and
sweatpants in the backpack. Under those clothes he had on a white t-shirt and tan shorts. If the
telecommunicator had told the deputy the subject had a backpack the deputy could have
questioned him and figured out it was the same subject. We as law enforcement depend on
telecommunicators to get us information that can help us do our job in protecting the public and
help us better protect ourselves against the actors.
What Telecommunicators Need To Know
Questions and class thoughts