Wow - now THAT'S an understatement if I've ever read of one, Malice. I wonder if the person who called it in was as vague? That brings up a good point; sometimes I imagine it's the dispatcher that destroys an otherwise good communication. Do you see that often?
Your words matter when talking to 9-1-1, choose wisely
- Thread starter TexasRifleman
- Start date
- Status
tnieto2004
Member
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2007
- Messages
- 1,389
That is crazy .. I can see why the cop was upset..
MASTEROFMALICE
member
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2007
- Messages
- 711
The problem seems to be that the information goes through way too many people before it reaches me.
The caller calls 911, and he may not even be the original complainant. The calltaker at dispatch types everything up on a screen which then goes to a radio dispatcher who then relays the information to us.
This is the primary reasoon why it takes so long for us to respond. Travel time is usually just a couple of minutes, but we may not even get the information for ten minutes.
The biggest issue seems to be the calltaker. You would think that even if the caller wasn't giving enough information, the calltaker would at least know what to ask.
I was dispatched to Walmart for four black males who had stolen a computer and gotten away in a gold Japanese compact. We check the area, while another officer goes to the manager to get details.
The details he got? The four black males we were looking for were actually one white male. The freak probably drove right past one of us and was wondering why we werent chasing him.
The caller calls 911, and he may not even be the original complainant. The calltaker at dispatch types everything up on a screen which then goes to a radio dispatcher who then relays the information to us.
This is the primary reasoon why it takes so long for us to respond. Travel time is usually just a couple of minutes, but we may not even get the information for ten minutes.
The biggest issue seems to be the calltaker. You would think that even if the caller wasn't giving enough information, the calltaker would at least know what to ask.
I was dispatched to Walmart for four black males who had stolen a computer and gotten away in a gold Japanese compact. We check the area, while another officer goes to the manager to get details.
The details he got? The four black males we were looking for were actually one white male. The freak probably drove right past one of us and was wondering why we werent chasing him.
Davo
Member
Very often Ive wondered how a "fully engulfed vehicle with multiple occupants entraped"...turned into a passed out drunk sleeping at the wheel in a parking lot.
It almost makes me want to call up the call taker.
It almost makes me want to call up the call taker.
oldcop1971
Member
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2006
- Messages
- 49
Deputy goes to check on a wreck call....
locates it, and tells dispatch
"the man hit a dog on a motorcycle"
he didnt' say if the dog was wearing a helmet or if it had a motorcycle license
oc71
locates it, and tells dispatch
"the man hit a dog on a motorcycle"
he didnt' say if the dog was wearing a helmet or if it had a motorcycle license
oc71
cracked butt
Member
Wouldn't be much confusion in the middle of the night in my house...
Dispatcher: who has the gun?
Wife: my husband, he's the 300lb naked guy holding the shotgun
Dispatcher: who has the gun?
Wife: my husband, he's the 300lb naked guy holding the shotgun
TallPine
Member
Listening to our county dispatch is always good for humor value.
It amazes me how our whole emergency response system (leo, fire, ambulance) revolves around folks who are making only a pittance above minimum wage
It amazes me how our whole emergency response system (leo, fire, ambulance) revolves around folks who are making only a pittance above minimum wage
MASTEROFMALICE
member
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2007
- Messages
- 711
Oh, Jesus! Not ANOTHER 300lb naked guy with a shotgun call! I've already had two this week!
Piece of cake. "Caller states he was run off the road by a drunk driver. Complains of neck and back pain. Airbag deployment burns"
Heheheh
I was a volunteer EMT in Virginia Beach for 10 years.
You could always tell the new, fresh out of school EMTs....
"Bayside Base, Unit 220"
"Go Ahead 220"
"I have a 21 year old male with an echymosis of the left lateral malleolus"
From the Old Hands.....
"Bayside Base, Unit 220"
"Go Ahead 220"
"I have a 21 year old male with an boo-boo on his left ankle"
tacmedicp94
Member
this was a real call i had ab out 1yr ago
dispatch: medic 1, respond priority1A (life or death) female and son stuck together with sex toy times 3 days.
my response: uuhhh thats clear
the laughter started approx .25 sec after clearing the radio along with "i gotta see this" etc.
actuall call was an 87 year old lady that fell and broke her femur. i have been trying to get the call logs from this call so i can find out exactly what was said to our dispather. no luck yet
dispatch: medic 1, respond priority1A (life or death) female and son stuck together with sex toy times 3 days.
my response: uuhhh thats clear
the laughter started approx .25 sec after clearing the radio along with "i gotta see this" etc.
actuall call was an 87 year old lady that fell and broke her femur. i have been trying to get the call logs from this call so i can find out exactly what was said to our dispather. no luck yet
Green Lantern
Member
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2006
- Messages
- 1,665
If the cop told the guy just how close he came to shooting him, to save the "hostage," it's a good bet the guy did EXACTLY that! (I know *I* would!)
kd7nqb
Member
am I crazy or does this wife sound anti-gun. NONE of us would use the word hostage.
Double Naught Spy
Sus Venator
You know, I don't think this is about choosing one's words wisely. I agree with the officer. The woman doesn't know what the word "hostage" means. It is hard to choose words wisely when you don't know the correct definitions for the words.
I don't think she sounded "anti". No, I'm thinking 5:00 a.m. She was sleeping. She was awaken to some scary sound. The husband went to check it out and darned good thing he took a firearm. Now, triple the fear-factor coming face-to-face with a criminal in their own house?! To be certain her wording didn't help, but that was a whole lot of stress.
People should practice their emergency drills. Some people in a crisis become calm and deliberate; yet others go nuts and get a flighty. Take a close watch of any Tactical or Advanced Tactical Shoot course. The instructor will ramp up the stress and pace to the point that people begin to make silly mistakes. Like what? Oh, say fire 2 of 17 shots and drop the magazine for a reload?! I've seen it. Or, they are commanded to fire 3 rounds and they practically empty the magazine. I've seen that too. Stress effects people different ways.
This is a good thread!
People should practice their emergency drills. Some people in a crisis become calm and deliberate; yet others go nuts and get a flighty. Take a close watch of any Tactical or Advanced Tactical Shoot course. The instructor will ramp up the stress and pace to the point that people begin to make silly mistakes. Like what? Oh, say fire 2 of 17 shots and drop the magazine for a reload?! I've seen it. Or, they are commanded to fire 3 rounds and they practically empty the magazine. I've seen that too. Stress effects people different ways.
This is a good thread!
The Lone Haranguer
Member
"What-if" question
If there are clear signs someone is trying to forcibly break into your home and you are on the phone with 911, is it wise to tell them at this point that you are armed?
If there are clear signs someone is trying to forcibly break into your home and you are on the phone with 911, is it wise to tell them at this point that you are armed?
Kimber1911_06238
Member
I would have been pissed too. The poor use of vocabulary could have caused the officer to take the wrong actions. Good thing he took the time to clarify the situation or something bad could have happened.
apollosmith
Member
- Joined
- Sep 3, 2007
- Messages
- 53
My brothers LEO in a small town. One day a guys concealed carry gun fell out of it's holster in the local grocery store. A woman sees it, panics a bit, and tells an employee, who tells a manager who calls 911. By the time the details got through the dispatcher to my brother, it was transmitted as, "A CRAZY MAD MAN IS RUNNING AROUND THE STORE WITH A GUN!!!". Needless to say, he went in with pistol drawn to a bunch of curious shoppers. The mad man was paying for diapers and the woman was probably home already.
Bailey Boat
Member
My first real job in life was being a Trooper so I can speak with some degree of accuracy when I say that a GOOD dispatcher is as important to an officer as anything he carries on his belt. A SORRY dispatcher will get you killed or worse, cause you to take improper actions. My tenure was pre 911 so the calls were answered BY the dispatcher or at least someone in the dispatch office.
Vicky Williams was the absolute BEST at getting the right information, remaining calm while giving it to me and then checking back on a REGULAR basis while I was out of the car. We had "code words" back in those days and if you didn't respond with the correct word, backup was coming around the corner before you could smoke a cig..... She was (and hopefully still is) the best of any I ever worked with.... HAT'S OFF TO THE DISPATCHERS!!
Vicky Williams was the absolute BEST at getting the right information, remaining calm while giving it to me and then checking back on a REGULAR basis while I was out of the car. We had "code words" back in those days and if you didn't respond with the correct word, backup was coming around the corner before you could smoke a cig..... She was (and hopefully still is) the best of any I ever worked with.... HAT'S OFF TO THE DISPATCHERS!!
Rottresq
Member
Info isn't always what you think it is.
I retired in 2004 from a fairly large municipal P.D. in southern California after 26+ years all but two spent in patrol. No, not because I had to be in patrol because I wanted to be there. Plenty of opportunities to xfer, all declined. Trained for a couple years until I realized supervision was not listening to me. I preface my comment with this personel employment history to show that I have probably responded to 1,000's if not 10,000's of 911 calls.
As to be careful what you say on 911, of course. Contrary to what other posters say, most 911 systems give the address on the phone your calling from and the name of who pays the phone bill. So, (at least in CA) if you dial 911 and drop the phone on the floor, they will send someone to invstigate a "open 911 call, unknown problem". Other jurisdictions, maybe just the number, kinda depends on how much taxes you paid for your P.D. to invest in a quality syatem. Just before I retired they were testing a system that would connect the responding officers MDT (mobile data terminal) to the 911 call and he could hear and talk to the caller same as the dispatcher. Be aware that the cop responding does not know your house/apt, if you live in the "back" say so, if your "upstairs", say so. If you have dog say so, so the cops don't shoot it. A good dispatcher will ask these things, but good dispatchers (like the one I'm married to) are like good cops kinda hard to find.
As to what to say...Well have you done anything illegal? If you have I'd give my name/address/phone and meet the officer outside on my lawn UNARMED. Say "I feared for my life and I would like to speak to my attorney"
Then he will need an exigent circumstance or a warrant or consent to enter your home, if its your home and not friends or other relatives. Be advised exigent circumstances only have to exist in the officers mind, not yours. I've entered many homes and recovered evidence while the homeowner was screaming at me to leave, and I never lost one in court, becaue I could articulate why I did it.
Now if you havent done anything illegal, do exactly the same. Don't try and explain it, resist the temptation to babble. Do not ever touch anything..leave it exactly as it fell, dropped, or splattered. Unless its your family and its bleeding, do not touch it. I mean it! They will know if you did. No matter how embarrasing. If you were surfing internet porn and had ur pants down and a guy busts you patio door in and you plug him..leave it on the screen. I have testified in more cases than I can remember and the smart-alec who thinks he can shade the truth gets caught, cops included. DA's and juries like honest self depracating witnesses. And whatever you do DO NOT LIE, ever for any reason.
Basically there are two ways to deal with an authority figure, be totally honest, or politely decline to answer and ask for your attorney. Holds true for a traffic ticket or a shooting. A couple of last reminders. You shoot to stop the threat, if the threat stops being a threat, stop shooting. Never, ever shoot for a property crime, no posession is worth a life, even a dirt bags. Loose the smart alec "I'll just drag'em back inside" attitude. It will only cause you grief, trust me I know. Use something big enough to do the job, as my training officer told me, "you only want one version of the shooting, yours"
Get trained, by accredited people. That way you can testify to how seriously you took the posession of a weapon and its use. Rather than "I shoot at tin cans in the backyard".
Don't have anything illegal in the house, guns dope (even a baggy) nuthin! They are gonna search and they will find it, metal detectors, dogs, you name it. Be a good neighbor. The cops are gonna canvas the neighborhood and interview everyone. If you talk tough about guns and "what your gonna do" it will haunt you in court. They will track your last addresses and contact those local cops and with all the CAD systems (computer aided dispatch) they will know if a neighbor 12 years ago called in another city-state whatever, on your loud stereo and that guys name/add/phone.
Lastly, YOU WILL BE SUED I promise you. Even if the DA clears you and gives you the local assist the police medal. I promise you. Everybody and I mean BODY is attached to someone, the coroner will find them. They will get the cause of death. They will get a contingency fee lawyer who has a P.I. working for him (prob a retired cop) who will find out what you own and sue you for it. Remember civil juries only need 51% not beyond reasonable doubt. They know you have homeowners insurance and they want a settlement. A photo of the dirtbag you shot in his boyscout uniform when he was 12 blown up to poster size will sit staring at you during the trial.
All that said, all those dire predictions, would I still shoot? If forced to yes. But I would not enjoy it. And it would have to be as a last resort. Ask any cop (a real one w/more than 5 minutes experience PLZ) who has ever been involved in a shooting if he wants to do it again, ask a vet who's been in combat. If they tell you the glory of shooting another human being, they need counseling.
Yes, just before I retired I was involved in a shooting. No I did not shoot but a man lost his life right in front of me and it did not need to happen. He did not deserve it, he'd done nothing wrong. He died because someone close to him lied to the police. Simple as that.
Don't look for it, if your forced to shoot/act some-how, be reasonable and get to your attorney ASAP. The cops are not your enemy or your friends, they are the government and they have a job to do, do not hinder it, but if your the "suspect" don't help them either.
Be safe, lock your doors/windows have security lighting, let your 117lb Rottweiler sleep on your bed and keep that 12ga pump with the light attachment next to the night-stand. No guarantees but keep the odds on your side.
I retired in 2004 from a fairly large municipal P.D. in southern California after 26+ years all but two spent in patrol. No, not because I had to be in patrol because I wanted to be there. Plenty of opportunities to xfer, all declined. Trained for a couple years until I realized supervision was not listening to me. I preface my comment with this personel employment history to show that I have probably responded to 1,000's if not 10,000's of 911 calls.
As to be careful what you say on 911, of course. Contrary to what other posters say, most 911 systems give the address on the phone your calling from and the name of who pays the phone bill. So, (at least in CA) if you dial 911 and drop the phone on the floor, they will send someone to invstigate a "open 911 call, unknown problem". Other jurisdictions, maybe just the number, kinda depends on how much taxes you paid for your P.D. to invest in a quality syatem. Just before I retired they were testing a system that would connect the responding officers MDT (mobile data terminal) to the 911 call and he could hear and talk to the caller same as the dispatcher. Be aware that the cop responding does not know your house/apt, if you live in the "back" say so, if your "upstairs", say so. If you have dog say so, so the cops don't shoot it. A good dispatcher will ask these things, but good dispatchers (like the one I'm married to) are like good cops kinda hard to find.
As to what to say...Well have you done anything illegal? If you have I'd give my name/address/phone and meet the officer outside on my lawn UNARMED. Say "I feared for my life and I would like to speak to my attorney"
Then he will need an exigent circumstance or a warrant or consent to enter your home, if its your home and not friends or other relatives. Be advised exigent circumstances only have to exist in the officers mind, not yours. I've entered many homes and recovered evidence while the homeowner was screaming at me to leave, and I never lost one in court, becaue I could articulate why I did it.
Now if you havent done anything illegal, do exactly the same. Don't try and explain it, resist the temptation to babble. Do not ever touch anything..leave it exactly as it fell, dropped, or splattered. Unless its your family and its bleeding, do not touch it. I mean it! They will know if you did. No matter how embarrasing. If you were surfing internet porn and had ur pants down and a guy busts you patio door in and you plug him..leave it on the screen. I have testified in more cases than I can remember and the smart-alec who thinks he can shade the truth gets caught, cops included. DA's and juries like honest self depracating witnesses. And whatever you do DO NOT LIE, ever for any reason.
Basically there are two ways to deal with an authority figure, be totally honest, or politely decline to answer and ask for your attorney. Holds true for a traffic ticket or a shooting. A couple of last reminders. You shoot to stop the threat, if the threat stops being a threat, stop shooting. Never, ever shoot for a property crime, no posession is worth a life, even a dirt bags. Loose the smart alec "I'll just drag'em back inside" attitude. It will only cause you grief, trust me I know. Use something big enough to do the job, as my training officer told me, "you only want one version of the shooting, yours"
Get trained, by accredited people. That way you can testify to how seriously you took the posession of a weapon and its use. Rather than "I shoot at tin cans in the backyard".
Don't have anything illegal in the house, guns dope (even a baggy) nuthin! They are gonna search and they will find it, metal detectors, dogs, you name it. Be a good neighbor. The cops are gonna canvas the neighborhood and interview everyone. If you talk tough about guns and "what your gonna do" it will haunt you in court. They will track your last addresses and contact those local cops and with all the CAD systems (computer aided dispatch) they will know if a neighbor 12 years ago called in another city-state whatever, on your loud stereo and that guys name/add/phone.
Lastly, YOU WILL BE SUED I promise you. Even if the DA clears you and gives you the local assist the police medal. I promise you. Everybody and I mean BODY is attached to someone, the coroner will find them. They will get the cause of death. They will get a contingency fee lawyer who has a P.I. working for him (prob a retired cop) who will find out what you own and sue you for it. Remember civil juries only need 51% not beyond reasonable doubt. They know you have homeowners insurance and they want a settlement. A photo of the dirtbag you shot in his boyscout uniform when he was 12 blown up to poster size will sit staring at you during the trial.
All that said, all those dire predictions, would I still shoot? If forced to yes. But I would not enjoy it. And it would have to be as a last resort. Ask any cop (a real one w/more than 5 minutes experience PLZ) who has ever been involved in a shooting if he wants to do it again, ask a vet who's been in combat. If they tell you the glory of shooting another human being, they need counseling.
Yes, just before I retired I was involved in a shooting. No I did not shoot but a man lost his life right in front of me and it did not need to happen. He did not deserve it, he'd done nothing wrong. He died because someone close to him lied to the police. Simple as that.
Don't look for it, if your forced to shoot/act some-how, be reasonable and get to your attorney ASAP. The cops are not your enemy or your friends, they are the government and they have a job to do, do not hinder it, but if your the "suspect" don't help them either.
Be safe, lock your doors/windows have security lighting, let your 117lb Rottweiler sleep on your bed and keep that 12ga pump with the light attachment next to the night-stand. No guarantees but keep the odds on your side.
possom813
Member
I'm not trying to be a smart arse, but isn't the Castle Doctrine designed to prevent that from happening? I'm just curious, I hadn't heard anything about the Castle Doctrine until just few weeks ago.
v35
Member
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2006
- Messages
- 910
WuzYoungOnceToo said:
Hilarious!
for the inside joke reference:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=303420
Their are reason's you're teacher learned you to spell rite. Its important. Word's mean thing's.
Ect.
- Status
Similar threads
- Locked