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SOP-SSD-17 Processing Landline and Wireless 911 CallsSupport Services Division SOP-SSD-17 Date Issued: 2/10/2009 Date Revised:10/14/2020 SUBJECT: Processing of E9-1-1 Landline, Wireless Calls and Text to 9-1-1 Calls PURPOSE AND SCOPE: The purpose of this procedure is to provide guidelines for answering and responding to 9-1-1 calls. DEFINITIONS: 911D: Incident entry code describing a call received on 911 where the call is disconnected prior to the dispatcher being able to determine if emergency services are needed. 911M: Incident entry code describing a call received on 911 that is dialed in error. 911O: Incident entry code describing a call received on 911 when the line remains open and the dispatcher is unable to make voice contact with the originating party. 911S: Incident entry code describing a call received on 911 where the line remains open and the dispatcher can hear suspicious noises in the background. 911T: Incident entry code describing a call received via Text to 9-1-1. 911W: Incident entry code describing a call received on 911 where the call is received from a wireless phone. Automatic Location Identifier (ALI): The automatic display of the location of the telephone from which a 911 call originates. Automatic Number Identification (ANI): The automatic display of the telephone number dialing 911. Call for Service (CFS): A call where officers or firefighters are dispatched to assist the caller. Government Code Section 53100: Warren-911 Emergency Assistance Act. Purpose of the act is to establish the number 911 as primary emergency telephone `number for use in this state and encourage the development and improve emergency communication procedures and facilities. Landline 9-1-1 calls: 9-1-1 calls that are received via a landline connection. Lat/Lon: Latitude/Longitude. Latitude is measured from the equator, with positive values going north and negative values going south. Longitude is measured from the Prime Meridian (which is the longitude that runs through Greenwich, England), with positive values going east and negative values going west. Phase 0 Calls (W9-1-1): The delivery of a wireless 9-1-1 call to a designated answering point; the telephone number display comes from Caller-ID, so if the caller has privacy on their number, it will not display. The callback phone number will show “(9-1-1)” as the area code. These phones are disposable or old cellphones with no service but the capability to call 9-1-1. The call is routed to the Primary PSAP based on the cell site location. There is usually no way to call back. Phase 1 Calls (W9-1-1): The delivery of the caller’s ANI regardless of privacy on their number. The call is routed to the Primary PSAP based on the cell site and the sector coverage area of that cell site. Geographical longitude/latitude is not provided. Phase 2 Calls (WPH2): Displays originating telephone number, address, longitude/latitude, distance and degree of certainty. PSAP: Primary Public Safety Answering Point VOIP: Voice Over Internet Protocol, digital voice transmission using broadband. IP address assigned to user’s telephone number may be fixed/static (tied to a specific address) or dynamic/nomadic (able to update location information). User registers preferred address with VSP (voice over service provider) and is required to initiate a correction with VSP when location changes. Text to 9-1-1: Text messaging to the PSAP via website software or via integrated into AT&T CPE equipment (Vesta). PROCEDURE: I. Answering 9-1-1 Calls (Landline and Wireless) 1. Any ringing 9-1-1 line shall be the highest priority for answering 2. 9-1-1 lines should be answered “Rohnert Park 9-1-1, where is your emergency?” 3. In most cases, the Automated Number Identification (ANI) and Automated Location Identification (ALI) for the caller will be displayed on the 9-1-1 screen. 4. The dispatchers will always verify the ANI/ALI information and verify the location the emergency exists. Confirm the address the caller has provided by repeating it back. a. If the call is abandoned, if there is a hang up, or if the caller is unable to speak, the ANI/ALI information will be assumed to be correct. 5. If it is necessary to transfer the caller to another agency, the dispatcher shall stay on the line with the caller until the call is answered at the other agency and advise the other agency that this is Rohnert Park transferring a 9-1-1 call. Provide the responsible agency with the location and nature of the call prior to disconnecting. A call for service will be created when appropriate. II. Answering Landline 9-1-1 Calls 1. When a landline 9-1-1 call is received from a residence and no one responds (open line), the dispatcher shall use the TTY option to attempt contact with the caller. 2. If there is no response to the TTY, a 911O CFS will be created in CAD and the line shall be left connected with the dispatcher periodically checking the line for activity until an officer arrives on scene. 3. If there is a landline 9-1-1 hang up/abandoned call, a 911D event will be created in CAD and the dispatcher will attempt phone contact at the phone number indicated on the ANI. 4. Officers will be sent to the location if no contact is made. 5. If contact is made, the dispatcher will determine if a call for service needs to be created. 6. If a 9-1-1 misdial is received, the dispatcher will create a 911M event in CAD. If the call is from a business, the dispatcher may close the event with a log disposition. If the call is from a residence and contact is made, handle as appropriate for the situation. III. Phase 1 Wireless 9-1-1 Calls 1. Open Line, Abandoned or Hang Ups – NO indication of duress a. Create a CAD event to document call as 911W b. Make two attempts to contact the 9-1-1 caller at the telephone number listed on the screen. c. Leave a voice mail message (if that service is available) referring the caller to 707-584-2612 if they have any questions, or to dial 9-1- 1 if they do have an emergency and stay on the line for a dispatcher. d. If contact is made, handle as appropriate for the situation. e. Document all action taken in the remarks and close the event. 2. Open Line, Abandoned or Hang Ups - DURESS indicated a. Create a CAD event as 911W or 911S (priority 1) b. Attempt to determine the home or other address of the caller c. Notify the patrol shift supervisor, providing your assessment of the duress heard d. Contact the Wireless Service Provider (WSP) 24x7 telephone number and request the WSP do an account search for the subscriber’s address. e. Dispatch police units to the address provided by the WSP, or locations found by researching our records databases. f. Take any other reasonable measure to locate the caller. g. If contact is made, handle as appropriate for the situation. h. If the location is outside of our jurisdiction, notify the appropriate agency per normal procedures. i. Document all action taken in the remarks of the call and close the event. IV. Phase 2 Wireless 9-1-1 Calls 1. Open Line, Abandoned or Hang Ups – NO indications of duress a. Create a CAD event as 911W using ANI/ALI spill to populate the address. b. If contact is made, handle as appropriate for the situation. c. If no contact is made, use the Update button on ANI/ALI screen to get most recent polling location d. Make two attempts to contact the 9-1-1 caller at the telephone number listed; if no answer, leave a voicemail message (if that service is available) referring caller to 707-584-2612 if they have any questions or call 9-1-1 again if they have an emergency e. If the location is outside of our jurisdiction, notify the appropriate agencies per normal procedures. f. Document all action taken in the remarks of the call and close the event. 2. Open Line, Abandoned or Hang Ups – DURESS indicated a. Create a CAD event as 911W or 911S (priority 1) b. If contact is made, handle as appropriate for the situation c. If no contact is made, use the Update button on the ANI/ALI screen to get most recent polling location. d. Make two attempts to contact the 9-1-1 caller at the telephone number listed; If no answer, leave a voicemail message (if the service is available)asking the caller to dial 707-584-2612 as soon as possible or 9-1-1 again if they have an emergency e. Notify the patrol shift supervisor, providing your assessment of the duress heard f. Dispatch the beat officer to check the vicinity of the lat/long coordinates. g. Check for supplemental location data via RapidSOS* website – as of 2019 some cellphones have this added location data available via the website https://rapidlite.rapidsos.com/. h. Contact the Wireless Service Provider (WSP) 24x7 telephone number and request the WSP do an account search for the subscriber’s address. i. Responding patrol units shall be updated with subscriber’s address. j. Attempt to locate an address within our records databases by searching the phone number, and provide that information to responding officers. k. If the location is outside of our jurisdiction, notify the appropriate agencies per normal procedures. l. Document all action taken in the remarks of the call and close the event. V. Incorrect ANI/ALI If a 9-1-1 call for another jurisdiction is received, assist the caller with providing the appropriate number for that agency or transfer via 9-1-1 if an emergency. a. After the caller is assisted, fill out a 9-1-1 misroute form (or print the ALI/ANI record at the printer at the 9-1-1 rack). b. Note correct ANI or ALI information c. Note correct PSAP call should have been routed to d. Fax it to Sonoma County 9-1-1 Coordinator’s Office (fax 565-3009) e. Note time/date it was faxed and your ID number and file it. This file can be purged quarterly. VI. Manual ALI Lookup The following guidelines are to be followed when determining if the Manual ALI function may be utilized. PSAP's may obtain ANI and ALI information for callers that have called the PSAP on a seven-digit number if: 1. The caller is requesting emergency aid as specified in Govt Code Section 53100. 2. The caller has given the PSAP dispatcher his/her telephone number. 3. The PSAP dispatcher determines that an emergency condition does exist. 4. The caller is unable or has failed to give the dispatcher sufficient information to facilitate a proper emergency response. PSAP's are prohibited from obtaining the ANI and ALI information for calls that do not meet this criteria and are prohibited from using the ANI and ALI information for any other purpose. VII. 9-1-1 Service Enhancements RapidSOS: Added January 2019. RapidSOS has partnerships with various connected device companies (wearables, connected car, connected home, smartphones). In an emergency, precise location and rich data (when available) is transmitted to the NG 9-1- 1 Clearinghouse from enabled devices. Example data sources include Apple, Uber and Waze. When someone is calling from an enabled device, the 9 -1-1 center will receive the device location from the NG9-1-1 Clearinghouse. To be able to receive this information, the PSAP needs to be integrated with the Clearinghouse or RapidLite. RapidSOS is not a replacement for the ALI – whether a device is enabled or not, telecommunicators will still receive the ALI information they are used to. Only when the agency: 1. Has an integration with the Clearinghouse or RapidLite and 2. The caller is calling from an enabled device will the device location be received on the screen (or website). RapidSOS cannot guarantee that supplemental location will be available for each call. The location provided is a supplemental service and there are no guarantees or liabilities that the location, when provided, is exact. This service is a best effort solution based on the information available at the time the call is placed. Please refer to the user guide for specific directions on obtaining location information through the RapidLite website. Text to 9-1-1 As of September 8, 2020, several agencies within Sonoma County implemented Text to 9-1-1 via Comtech text.comtech9-1-1.com/ . As with standard practice in the Communications Center, Text to 9-1-1 is for official business and will fall under the same standards for recording and retention. PREPARING TO RECEIVE TEXT MESSAGES 1. Ensure the volume is set to an audible level on the console computer speakers. An audible tone will alert Dispatchers that an incoming text message has arrived. Volume control may not be turned down or silenced as it is one of the indicators that a new 9-1-1 text message has been received. 2. Sign on to ComTech Text to 9-1-1 website at the dispatch position. Each Dispatcher will have an individual login and must log in when their assignment includes Text to 9-1-1. 3. During breaks, meal periods, change of assignments, or at the end of a shift, the Dispatcher will ensure that their relief is available and they will log off the ComTech Text to 9-1-1 system to avoid receiving a Text to 9-1-1 call that may go unanswered. During periods of shift change, it is incumbent upon both Dispatchers to provide and receive briefings or call information that is relevant to any active calls for service. 4. All queues are to be checked at shift change. PROCESSING TEXT TO 9-1-1 CALLS To establish and maintain a uniform method of handling Text to 9 -1-1 calls, the following procedures in this written directive will be followed. It is the policy of the Communications Center to follow the procedures outlines in this standard operating procedure and any associated Policy and Procedures for communications received via Text to 9-1-1. All 9-1-1 calls are processed equally without regard to hierarchy and Text to 9 -1-1 lines will be accepted and answered immediately. All calls shall be prioritized based on the nature of the call, whether voice or text. 1. A new text message will be indicated by an audible tone and a phone number will appear in the “Unassigned Queue” section of the COMTECH TEXT TO 9 - 1-1 screen. 2. The COMTECH TEXT TO 9-1-1 screen will display the number associated with the device used for texting. The latitude/longitude coordinates will be the location of the cell tower, not the caller’s location. The map feature in the COMTECH TEXT TO 9-1-1 product does not produce a reliable location for the text-caller; the Dispatcher must always verify the location with the text- caller. 3. When a Dispatcher clicks on the phone number in the “Unassigned Queue” the text message will appear. The message will remain in the “Unassigned Queue” until the Dispatcher responds. Once the Dispatcher responds to the text message, the “Conversation” moves to the “My Active Sessions”. 4. It is imperative that the location is obtained at the earliest convenience. Routing for location accuracy varies between cellular providers. For practical purposes, it should be treated as a Phase 1. The Dispatcher will send the pre-scripted message “Rohnert Park Police and Fire 9 -1-1. What is the location of the emergency?” 5. Dispatchers should ask the caller if they can safely make a voice call by sending the pre-scripted message “If possible, are you able to make a voice call now to 707-584-2612?” If the text-caller indicates they are unable to make a voice call, the Dispatcher will continue to gather information via text and will generate the call for service. 6. Text sessions may only be initiated by callers and may only be ended by the Dispatcher. 7. Documentation should be included in the initial narrative section of the call for service that the call was received via Text to 9-1-1. All call taking procedures will be followed, including verifying the address and phone number. 8. There are several frequently asked questions designed as pre-scripted messages that the Dispatcher may use to ease the processing of the text conversation. The pre-scripted messages should be used whenever possible to both expedite the call taking process and to maintain consistency between calls. The flow of the text conversation should emulate those of voice 9 -1-1 calls. 9. To avoid a misunderstanding with text-callers, Dispatchers will not use texting lingo, police jargon, abbreviations, or acronyms. All correspondence will b e in full-length form except for common map acronyms such as: a. St for Street b. Rd for Road c. Ave for Avenue d. Hwy for Highway e. CA for California 10. The Dispatcher shall ask for clarification of any ambiguous messages or phrases sent from the text-caller and will not assume to understand abbreviations or slang. 11. In Progress Calls: The conversation will be kept “open” for all in-progress calls that require updates until an officer arrives. If the conversation is “ended” the text-caller can only be re-contacted via a phone call. If the Dispatcher is in an “open” conversation and is not actively having a dialog with the text-caller, they can continue to handling other duties (ex. answering other phone calls). The Dispatcher will still be responsible for monitoring the dialog in a timely manner regardless of other duties being performed. 12. End Text Session: Before ending the call, the Dispatcher will advise the caller that the requested assistance is being sent to the address that the caller provided. This will help confirm that the address of the incident location is correct. For example, “Officers will be dispatched to 500 City Center Drive in Rohnert Park.” Once all the necessary information is obtained from the text-caller, or the officer has arrived, the Dispatcher will make it clear to the caller that the text session is ending. The Dispatcher will then utilize the “End Session” feature on the COMTECH TEXT TO 9-1-1 screen. This will send a final message to the caller that the session has ended. 13. Voice Call Back: The Dispatcher should ask the caller if they can safely receive a voice callback if necessary. A voice call should not be made to a text-caller in cases where their safety, or the safety of another, is in question. However, if a field unit requests that a callback be made on a call for service that was initially received via Text to 9-1-1, the Dispatcher will inform the officer of such. If the field unit still requests a callback at that point, the callback request will be honored with sergeant approval. 14. Text for Non-Emergencies: Text-callers who are not hearing and/or speech impaired and whose requests do not constitute a true emergency will be advised to make a voice call to the non-emergency number. 15. Non-English Text to 9-1-1 Messages: If the Dispatcher is unable to explain to the text caller that they need to call 9-1-1 due to a language barrier, the Dispatcher will send the pre-scripted message to call 9-1-1 to obtain an interpreter. 16. If there are no indications of an emergency, or the Dispatcher determin es no emergency exits, no further action is required. A CAD event will be made for documentation purposes, using the call-type 911T. The Dispatcher will use the location on the map for the location of occurrence and document all attempts made to contact the text-caller. The on duty sergeant will be advised of all no response to Text to 9-1-1 calls. 17. Currently, anonymous texts cannot be sent. The caller must have a data plan through a wireless carrier so there will not be a truly anonymous text. 18. If there is an indication that a legitimate emergency is occurring and the caller is non-responsive, the Dispatcher will create a call for service. In addition, the Dispatcher will notify the on duty sergeant, who will follow the protocol for obtaining subscriber information. The Dispatcher will create a call for service as the situation dictates. 19. Multiple text sessions will be prioritized in the same manner as voice 9 -1-1 calls. The highest priority Text to 9-1-1 will be determined by the nature of the emergency. Each Dispatcher assigned to Text to 9-1-1 will process no more than two callers or conversations at once. 20. If multiple texts are received regarding the same call, the Dispatcher must ensure that they are related. 21. Misdirected Text Jurisdictional Boundaries: The caller is anchored to the originating PSAP until the Dispatcher ends the conversation or transfers to another jurisdiction that accepts Text to 9-1-1 calls. Upon successful transfer, the Dispatcher may end their respective session by releasing the session. 22. Callers In A Different Jurisdiction: Text to 9-1-1 is an emerging technology and it is possible to receive a text from a caller that is out of jurisdiction. If the text-caller leaves our jurisdiction, then the incident will be passed on to the proper agency, either by transferring the session or by relaying all the information by voice. 23. The Dispatcher is limited to a maximum of five opportunities to rebid for updated location accuracy. The highlighted number in the center of the map indicates the number of times the location has been rebid/refreshed. Upon transferring the text-call, the second PSAP will receive a new allocation of five opportunities to rebid the location. 24. If it is determined that fire or medical attention is necessary and the appropriate agency is capable of receiving text sessions, the Dispatcher will transfer the call via Text to the appropriate agency. 25. Once the call is released, the Dispatcher will no longer have the ability to see updates or communicate with the caller. 26. Prior to transfer, the Dispatcher will send a text message to the caller stating: “Please standby, I am connecting you to Fire/Medical services.” 27. Multimedia Message Attachments: Text to 9-1-1 cannot receive picture or video messages. In the unlikely event that a text message contains multimedia content, the Dispatcher shall not open the content, click any link, or open any dialog box containing the content. Instead, the Dispatcher will indicate in the text of the call for service that multimedia content was contained in the text and document the time it was received. 28. Every Text to 9-1-1 scenario cannot be addressed in this directive. Dispatchers should make every attempt to treat Text to 9-1-1 calls as any other call for assistance. Dispatchers should use good judgement to determine whether attempts to make a voice call to a text caller and/or to trace the wireless phone is appropriate based on the request for assistance. 29. Due to the auto correct feature on many devices, information may be accidentally changed. All event locations reported must be verified within CAD. 30. Once a Dispatcher has accepted a Text to 9-1-1 they have accepted responsibility for communication until the session is complete or the event is transferred to the appropriate jurisdiction for processing. COMTECH TEXT TO 9-1-1 QUICK MESSAGES 1. Rohnert Park Police and Fire. What is the location of the emergency? 2. Rohnert Park Police and Fire. What is the emergency you are reporting? 3. Rohnert Park Police and Fire. We received a text message to 9-1-1 with your GPS coordinates only. Do you have an emergency? 4. If possible, are you able to make a voice call now to 707 -584-2612? 5. We received a message that does not appear to be an emergency. If you have an emergency, please call or text 9-1-1. No one is being dispatched at this time. 6. Your text session with 9-1-1 has concluded. For future emergencies, call 9-1-1 if you can, text if you can’t. For non-emergencies, please call 707-584-2612. 7. Only text messages in English can be accepted at this time. This text session is being ended. Please send text messages in English or make a voice call to 9 -1- 1. 8. Los mensajes de texto en espanol no pueden ser aceptados en esta momente. Envia mensajes en ingles. Si no puede, por favor llame al 9 -1-1. Gracias.