City of Sheridan : Cellular Do's & Dont's

Cellular Do's & Dont's

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COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION & PSAP
(Public Safety Answering Point)
CELLULAR 911 WIRELESS PHASE II LOCATE
THE NEXT STEP IN TECHNOLOGY FOR CELL PHONE USER IN SHERIDAN COUNTY.

For more information on Cellular 911 call Communications Supervisor Joey Williams at 672-2413.

FOR EMERGENCIES DIAL 911

CELLULAR 911 INFORMATION PHASE II
This brochure is intended to inform and educate the public on how Cellular 911 Phase II works. Cellular emergency calls, although similar to landline or hard line regular calls, differ in several aspects. Cellular Carriers in the Sheridan area will most likely be using a “handset” solution to locate callers dialing 911. This means that the cellular phone will have a GPS (Global Positioning System) chip in the phone that is turned on during an emergency call. This will give the 911 call-taker Latitude and Longitude coordinates that will be shown on a map. The call-taker can then send a response to the correct location. A handset solution involves enhanced GPS capability in the phone itself. Phase II technology does not work with older cellular phones without GPS capability. In addition, the cellular phone must have cell tower coverage for Phase II technology to work. For calls “on the move” the 911 call-taker can “re-bid” to get an updated location during a situation where the caller needing emergency assistance is unable to stop. This can be done while remaining on the phone call with the 911 center.

911 CELLULAR PHASE II CALL TIPS
TELL THE CALLTAKER WHAT KIND OF EMERGENCY YOU HAVE AND YOUR CALLBACK NUMBER IN AS FEW WORDS AS POSSIBLE. You could be disconnected due to cell tower coverage without notice AND your callback number may not be automatically displayed on the dispatcher’s screen. IF THE CALL TAKER CALLS YOU BACK, BE COOPERATIVE WITH PROVIDING INFORMATION AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. Whether it is an unintentional call or a real emergency, the call taker’s time is very limited. The sooner information can be conveyed between the caller and the dispatcher, the sooner a problem can be resolved or assistance be provided. AN EMERGENCY RESPONSE WILL BE SENT UNLESS THE 911 CALL-TAKER CAN ASCERTAIN THERE IS NO PROBLEM. Even if you have no emergency and the 911 call was made in error the call taker has no way of knowing that 911 was dialed in error without first reaching the person who made the call.

Sometimes, a person has a real emergency and can’t talk, or the connection is lost. The Sheridan Police Department E911 Center is diligent with 911 calls for that reason, and the dispatcher’s intent is to ensure that there is no real emergency. As with regular 911, the emergency call feature should not be taken lightly. WHEN DIALING 911 DURING AN EMERGENCY TRY TO REMAIN CALM AND ALLOW TIME FOR THE CALL TO REACH THE 911 CENTER. Both landline and cellular 911 calls are routed through various equipment including a selective router located in Cheyenne. The selective router gives the call-taker the available information whether it is location, callback number or other pertinent information depending on the type of call (Phase I, Phase II, or Landline). There can be several seconds of delay that may mean you will hear several rings even though our 911 operators pick up 911 calls on the first ring the vast majority of the time. STAY ON THE PHONE. HANGING UP AND DIALING AGAIN WILL DELAY THE CALL FURTHER. For further info call the Sheridan Police Department at 672-2413.

MORE CELLULAR DO’S AND DON’T’S
Be aware that if you have an old cell phone or Trac Phone that is no longer in service that the 911-dialing feature may still work. Our call center has had several prank 911 calls from children who were given an old cell phones to play with. Giving these to children should be avoided. It should be noted that we get no callback number with these phones. Unintentional 9-1-1 calls from wireless telephones have also been a real problem for our PSAP. Unintentional 9-1-1 calls typically occur when an auto-9-1-1 feature is unknowingly activated by pressure on either the 1 or 9 buttons. This feature is built into the set software, and can be deactivated. With Phase II and a GPS equipped phone these calls may be able to be tracked but if they are false they are a huge waste of Emergency Services and Law Enforcement Resources. Try to avoid talking on a cell phone while driving. This takes the drivers attention away from the road even if he or she is using hands free technology. Please consider pulling off of the road if possible.

The Sheridan Police Department Communications Division takes emergency calls and dispatches emergency services for ALL of Sheridan County. This includes the Sheridan Police Department, Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office, Sheridan Fire & Rescue, Ranchester Police Department, and 5 Fire Districts: Big Horn Fire, Clearmont Fire, Dayton Fire/Rescue, Ranchester Fire, and Story Fire.

The Sheridan Police Department Communications Division strives to provide the most effective and professional public safety dispatching. We also try to attain and implement the most modern technology available to better serve all Sheridan County residents. This includes Cellular 911 locate Phase I which now provides our communications center with a callback number and Cellular 911 Phase II which will provide a cell phone callers location to a GIS (Geographical Information Systems) map in our Communications center. Phase II service is now available with Verizon and Western Wireless (Cellular One). This will better serve those in need of emergency services when they are unsure of their location or are unable to speak.