CA POST Dispatcher cheat sheet

Every call record contains, at minimum: nature of the incident, location with cross street and apartment/unit, callback number, caller name, and time the call was received.

Location is verified before details: street number, street name, directional, city, and nearest cross street. An unverified address invalidates every other detail collected on the call.

Begin with open-ended prompts ('Tell me exactly what happened') to capture the caller's own account, then use direct questions to close specific gaps.

Wireless 911 location arrives as Phase I (cell site and sector) or Phase II (latitude/longitude); neither replaces an address confirmed verbally with the caller.

Weapons detail: type, who possesses it, where it is, and whether it has been used. This is broadcast to responders before the full narrative is complete.

Suspect description order: number of suspects, race, sex, age, height, weight, hair, clothing, weapon, direction of travel, then vehicle description and plate.

Medical calls are triaged with the agency's approved emergency medical dispatch protocol; instructions are not improvised outside the protocol sequence.

On a TTY/TDD call the call taker presses the space bar to interrupt the caller's typing, replies in short phrases, and stays on the line until the exchange is complete.

The caller remains on the line until information is complete or units arrive; safety directions are given before release when the caller is in danger.

Standard broadcast order: unit identifier, location, nature of the incident, pertinent details, time. Units can act on the first three elements alone if the channel is busy.

Clear text replaces 10-codes and signals; NIMS requires plain language so mutual-aid and multi-agency units understand all traffic.

Pause briefly after keying the microphone and speak across the face of the mic to prevent clipped first syllables.

Emergency traffic (Mayday, officer needs help, shots fired at an officer) has absolute priority: all other units hold traffic, the transmission is acknowledged, and the dispatcher stays with the unit.

Assign the closest appropriate unit - one trained and equipped for the call type - rather than simply the nearest unit.

Time-stamp every status change (dispatched, en route, on scene, available) in CAD; a missing status breaks the incident timeline used in later review.

A unit is 'available' only after clearing the previous incident and not while committed to a report, transport, or out-of-service activity.

Extended incidents such as pursuits, barricades, and multi-casualty events are moved to a separate talkgroup or channel to keep the primary channel clear.

Addresses, plate numbers, and names are read back phonetically and confirmed; identifier accuracy outranks transmission speed.

Life-threat priority covers violent crime in progress, a person armed with a weapon, life-threatening medical emergencies, officer needs help, and child abduction.

An in-progress incident outranks a delayed report of the same crime type because the suspect may still be present and evidence is fresh.

Dispatch on initial information; a time-critical call is not held while remaining details are gathered - units are sent and updated afterwards.

Safety-critical updates (weapon, suspect still on scene, number of subjects) go to responding units immediately, interrupting routine traffic when necessary.

Prior violence, threats to kill, access to weapons, stalking behavior, and the presence of children are escalation indicators that justify raising the priority level.

A safety check is initiated when a unit misses a status check, an incident escalates, or the unit is out of contact beyond the expected interval.

A BOLO states what the subject is wanted for, a full description, direction of travel, and whether the subject is armed.

Time on scene is tracked for high-risk calls and cover units are assigned based on the nature of the incident, not only on request.

New information that changes the scene picture (a caller reporting shots after the initial report) is acted on and rebroadcast rather than held for the report.

Paraphrasing and summarizing confirm understanding; critical data such as address, plate, and callback number are repeated back verbatim.

One question is asked at a time and silence is allowed to work; stacked questions produce unusable answers from an stressed caller.

Lower pitch, slower rate, and short sentences reduce a caller's arousal and increase comprehension.

Emotion is acknowledged before direction is given ('I can hear how frightened you are. Now I need you to move away from the door.').

Codes, jargon, and idioms are replaced with plain words when speaking to the public; instructions are concrete and sequenced.

The standard phonetic alphabet (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie) is used to spell names and plates; invented words create ambiguity across agencies.

Traffic to field units uses short declarative sentences stating facts; speculation and editorial comment are omitted.

Closed-loop communication - sender transmits, receiver repeats back, sender confirms - is required for dispatched addresses and suspect descriptions.

A qualified interpreter is used for limited-English or hearing-impaired parties; family members and bystanders are not used for sensitive matters.

A report answers who, what, when, where, why, and how, plus the CAD incident number, reporting party, and disposition.

Narratives are written in first person, past tense, and active voice, with actions stated in the order they occurred.

Direct statements are recorded verbatim inside quotation marks; everything else is paraphrased and attributed to its source.

Observed fact is separated from inference: describing a subject's behavior is factual, while labeling a state of mind is opinion.

24-hour time and the agency's standard date format are used consistently throughout the report and CAD entries.

Handwritten errors are corrected with a single line strike-through that leaves the original legible, then initialed and dated; erasure and correction fluid are prohibited.

The CAD narrative is a discoverable public record, so entries are factual, professional, and free of slang, opinion, and personal commentary.

Names with uncertain spelling are written phonetically and annotated with the source of the information.

Times, unit identifiers, and dispositions in the report must match the CAD record exactly; discrepancies are explained, not left silent.