9-1-1 Police Dispatchers - What we do

9-1-1 Police Dispatchers receive and process both emergency and non-emergency calls. Their role is to quickly prioritize, and accurately process calls to ensure police and public safety, resulting in safer communities.

A 9-1-1 Police Dispatcher has two primary roles:

  • Call Taking: Answering the calls from public.
  • Dispatching: Directing police officers to respond to a specific location or event.

Call Takers receive and process all emergency and non-emergency calls for police services from the public. They are trained to accurately instruct the caller as to what they should do in any given situation. They must quickly and accurately obtain all the required information so an appropriate level of response can be provided as effectively as possible.

A Call Taker is responsible for obtaining all relevant information as soon as possible from the caller, such as:

  • Where is it happening?
  • What is happening?
  • When did it occur?
  • Who is involved?
  • Are there weapons?
  • Are drugs and alcohol involved?
  • What is the subject's description?
  • What direction are they going?
  • Is the person on foot or in a car?
  • What is the vehicle description?

Dispatchers function like an orchestra conductor responding to calls, coordinating police officers, and finding help when and where it is needed.

Police officers depend on the Dispatcher to ensure they have all the relevant, accurate and timely information to keep themselves and the public safe.

9-1-1 Police Dispatchers have to know and understand the police officer's role and be able to anticipate the next move — what will the police officers need next and who else needs to be there to support them, such as Police Dogs, Air Service, or Negotiators.

Quick-thinking is a must for potentially life-saving scenarios. It takes an impressive amount of mental clarity, dexterity, and laser-sharp focus to do this job.

Call Taking and Dispatching are done in a unique, highly structured and collaborative work environment which includes:

  • Working shifts during the day, evening, night, including weekdays, weekends and public holidays.
  • Listening through headsets connected to the police radio and telephone systems for long periods of time.
  • Being prepared for every type of call that could result in a critical or major event.

Where we work

The RCMP has dispatch centres in every province and territory in Canada. In the province of Alberta, the 9-1-1 Police Dispatch Centres receive emergency and non-emergency calls for service from the public.

9-1-1 Police Dispatch Centres are fast-paced, intense, and dynamically changing environments, operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Dispatchers have the responsibility to respond to rapidly emerging situations.

There are two RCMP 9-1-1 Police Dispatch Centre locations in Alberta:

  • Edmonton
  • Red Deer
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