If it is a medical emergency, pre-arrival instructions might include CPR instructions, unlocking the door for the responders, or how to control bleeding. For a fire, this might include getting out of the building, flagging down the responding units, and dealing with other occupants. The Call-Taker will also provide "Pre-Arrival Instructions".
The remaining questions are asked in order to provide more detailed information to the responding personnel, so that they can be thinking of what to look for and how to deal with your particular emergency.
The Call-Taker will still ask many questions, but don't worry the response units and personnel are already on their way. But, don't hang up yet!!! A Fire Department Dispatcher has been watching the building of the CAD card and as soon as the type and priority is determined, they determine the appropriate resources and dispatch them. The EPFD Call-Taker will ask the nature of your emergency, reconfirm the address and phone number, and determine the type and priority of your call. If the call is for a Fire or Medical Emergency in the City or County your call is transferred to the El Paso Fire Department. If the call is for law enforcement for the County of El Paso, the call will be transferred to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office. A separate Police Department Dispatcher views the CAD card and will determine the appropriate response to the incident. If your emergency is of a law enforcement nature in the City of El Paso, the 911 Call-taker will take your information and build a Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) computer card for the event. A 911 Call-taker will answer the call, by standard, in less than 30 seconds and state "911, what is your emergency?" They will ask for your address and phone number to confirm and in case there is an interruption in the call. How it worksĪs soon as you dial 9-1-1, a computer at the 911 Center detects your phone number and the location of that phone. The purpose of the El Paso Fire Department Communications Division is to receive emergency calls, determine the appropriate response of emergency resources, dispatch resources, and provide updated information to the responding resources. The City of El Paso and the County of El Paso provide the staffing for the 911 Center and all radio equipment and some software. The El Paso County 911 District provides the 911 Center telephone switching equipment, software, Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) hardware, and assists in funding other associated projects. The 911 Call-Takers, El Paso Fire Department Call-Takers/Dispatchers, El Paso County Sheriff call takers, and El Paso Police Department Dispatchers are located in this facility. The 911 Center is located at the Emergency Communication Center at 6055 Threadgill Ave., Suite A107 El Paso, TX 79924. The El Paso County Enhanced 911 System is a cooperative effort of the El Paso County 911 District, City of El Paso, and County of El Paso. The El Paso Fire Department retains responsibility for radio equipment. The El Paso Fire Department manages the call taking, dispatching and radio monitoring for the El Paso Police Department. The El Paso Fire Department has consolidated its Communications Division with the El Paso Police Department.