Laclede County Sheriff's Department Reaffirms Commitment to Public Safety Call-Handling Support

MADISON, Conn., March 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Laclede County Sheriff's Department, MO has reaffirmed their commitment to public safety call-handling support by further integrating PowerPhone's Total Response solution into their 911 operations.

PowerPhone provided additional training and support to help Laclede County better understand and use the Total Response Solution. Certification and recertification in both Law Enforcement Dispatch and Fire Service Dispatch were included as part of the training for all dispatchers.

Knowing that support is important to successfully implementing Total Response, PowerPhone sent Implementation Manager Deb King on-site to work with and train the staff. Cheri Moore, Operations Coordinator 911 for Laclede County, credits that visit with helping to facilitate the onboarding and refresher training.

"Everyone's on the same page and she's to thank for it," said Moore."You couldn't ask for a better trainer. Deb took her time, sat with us and explained what everything was about. Everyone seems to love it. She went above and beyond what was expected from her."

The ability to review call-handling processes is another important part of the Total Response Solution.  Call Assessment empowers Laclede County with objective processes to review call-handling performance throughout the agency, monitor how effectively they're meeting agency-defined standards, identify opportunities for continued improvement, and provide a means of scenario-based training to promote improvement. Three of Laclede County's senior dispatchers completed Call Assessment Certification to incorporate this process. 

An essential component of the Total Response solution is Computer-Aided Call Handling (CACH) software that provides integrated call-handling protocols focused on the chief complaint. Through the questioning process, users quickly gather vital information to identify the priority of the call and the responder skills needed. Users share this critical information with responders and provide pre-arrival instructions to callers when necessary.

"Everything's right in front of you," with CACH, said Operations Coordinator Moore while explaining the benefits of structured support. "The primary questions are the best because we're not having to think of them off the top of our heads, or to fly by the seat of our pants on what questions to ask."

Moore says 911 callers have most benefited from the question-and-answer support and overall call-handling consistency in place since every dispatcher adopted the system.

As proof, Moore points to an early February multiple-vehicle incident involving eighty-four vehicles and a fatality that shut down I-44 for hours. "With Total Response, everything was right there," says Moore of the incident which prompted two-hundred and ninety-four calls in two hours, "the consistency was key" to handling such a high volume of incidents in an efficient and professional way.

About PowerPhone:

PowerPhone is a champion of innovation and career development in public safety communication. PowerPhone's Total Response solution ensures consistent call handling and focuses on YOUR agency's standard of care. As the first organization to develop integrated protocols for police, fire and emergency medical dispatch, PowerPhone has helped raise standards for public safety call-handling throughout the world. For more information, visit www.PowerPhone.com.

Contact:
Chris Gaffney
203.364.5264
[email protected]

SOURCE PowerPhone

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