Call Taking and Information Gathering
When a 9-1-1 line rings, the dispatcher controls the conversation, not the caller. The California POST basic dispatcher curriculum teaches a fixed question order so critical facts are not lost when a caller is panicked, screaming, or trying to hang up. Location first: the exact address, apartment or space number, and a cross street or landmark the caller can actually see; repeat the address back verbatim and correct it if the caller hesitates. Call-back number second: ANI/ALI can be wrong, stale, or a business main line. Nature third: what is happening right now and whether it is in progress. Only then gather details: injuries, weapons, number of people involved, suspect description and direction of travel, vehicles and plates.
Start with open questions ('Tell me exactly what happened') so the caller talks, then switch to closed questions to pin down specifics. Avoid leading questions that put words in the caller's mouth. Do not give legal advice, and give medical pre-arrival instructions only as trained. Keep the caller on the line when instructions matter: evacuating a house fire, staying hidden during a burglary, applying pressure to a wound.
Traps. Reciting 'what is your emergency' before getting the address. Trusting ANI/ALI without confirmation. Skipping the weapons question. Letting a caller disconnect without a callback number. Paraphrasing an address instead of repeating it exactly.
Rule of thumb: location, callback, nature, then details, and always repeat the address back in the caller's own words.