About the City of Waltham 9-1-1 Center

The 9-1-1 Center is staffed with 22 full time employees.  Four Emergency Telecommunication Dispatcher, or ETDs, supervisors and sixteen Emergency Telecommunication Dispatchers (ETDs) make up four groups who work the 9-1-1 floor.  There is also a Police Lieutenant who is the division commander and the Chief Dispatcher. The four groups work a 4 on and 2 off schedule.  There are three 8 hr shifts that make up a 24 hour day. The days shift hours are 7:00am to 15:00pm ( 3:00pm ), the first half hours are from 15:00pm ( 3:00pm ) to 23:00pm ( 11:00pm ), and the last half shift hours are from 23:00pm ( 11:00pm ) to 07:00am. There are 11 dispatchers who work a last half , last half, first half, first half on four consecutive days, there are 3 dispatchers that work first half, first half, day shift, day shift on four consecutive days, and there is 5 dispatchers who work four straight days.
 The main office is the home of the Division Commander  ( Police Lieutenant ) and the Chief Emergency Telecommunication Dispatcher ( ETD)

The 9-1-1 Center has a strict minimum dispatcher policy of no less than three dispatcher working at any given time.  When the 9-1-1 center is at its minimum it leaves; one dispatcher for police dispatch, one dispatcher for fire dispatch, and one dispatcher for call taking.  During large events, or the prediction of a large storm, the 9-1-1 center might hire an extra dispatcher for the shift due to the call volume most likely doubling it's average.

The 9-1-1 center is broken down into the following six positions.  All of which have the most current Enhanced 911 technology and Computer Aided Dispatch, or CAD, programs. 

(Click on the thumbnail images for a larger view.)

Position # 1 is the main police dispatcher.  The police dispatcher is the one who dispatches the police officers to the calls over the radio.  This position relays important information such as; officer's safety information, suspect's descriptions, and other key information to the responding officers.  This position is able to run license and warrant checks on individuals for the patrol officers out on the street. This position is also able to answer calls for service, however its main priority is the dispatching of police cars.

Position # 2 has a dual role as the police dispatcher's backup and a call taker.  This position also has radio transmission capabilities as well.  This means when it gets busy ( as it often does ) the backup is able to use the radio if the dispatcher is tied up running various things for the police officers. The police backup is a key factor in making the police side of the 9-1-1 center run smoothly.

Position # 3 is also a dual position. This position is the fire dispatcher's backup as well as a call taker.   This position also has radio transmission capabilities as well.  When a major fire or emergency happens, the fire backup is utilized.  Several notifications have to be made when emergencies like these arise, this position makes these notifications for the fire dispatcher, as their main concern is monitoring the radio and relaying vital information to those responding to the major emergencies.

Position # 4 is the main fire dispatcher.  This is the dispatcher that dispatcher fire and EMS to the calls for service.  This dispatcher has many important tasks. Tasks such as monitoring all the fire boxes in the city, as well as the surrounding cities and towns box.  Waltham does send various apparatus to other communities for mutual aid.  During a major incidents, the fire dispatcher relays key information to responding pieces of equipment, as well as out of town apparatus coming into the city for coverage.  This position is also able to answer calls for service, and does so, when the main call takers are tied up on  9-1-1 or business calls.

Position # 5 and Position # 6 are both call takers positions.  Neither of these positions have radio transmission capabilities.  These positions are used to answer phones whether it may be a  9-1-1 call or business call.  Both are often used by the supervisors to do various quality control reviews.  Random calls are picked from each group and thoroughly gone over by the supervisor to assure all the right questions were asked and adequate help was dispatched.