The Leavenworth County Sheriff’s Office, Kansas has completed a major upgrade to their 911 Call Handling system by implementing PowerPhone’s Total Response emergency call handling system. Total Response consists of software, training and procedures providing a higher standard of 911 call handling.
Total Response is a proven, integrated approach to emergency call handling that takes the entirety of a caller’s situation into account and encourages call takers to truly listen to callers. Leavenworth County will achieve greater consistency in the call handling process and a reduction in liability through the use of training, tools and assessment in the Total Response solution.
Since the launch of Total Response, all Leavenworth County emergency communications dispatchers have completed Emergency Medical and Law Enforcement Dispatch certifications. Certification consists of a rigorous training curriculum and assessment and lasts for two years.
Implementation of Total Response includes the use of software that provides 911 operators with over eighty different call-handling protocols for different emergency types like motor vehicle accidents, fires or crimes in progress, and medical emergencies. The software communicates through an open API for a clean interface with computer-aided dispatch (CAD) software SunGard to seamlessly provide emergency responders with a call’s information prior to arrival on scene.
The Leavenworth County Sheriff’s Office provides emergency dispatch services for four law enforcement agencies, Emergency Medical Services and thirteen Fire departments within Leavenworth County. Sheriff Andy Dedeke said he was pleased that his office was able to provide this service to the citizens of and visitors to Leavenworth County. “This is another example of the Sheriff’s Office working in partnership with our community,” Dedeke said.
When calling 911 will see an immediate impact from the implementation of PowerPhone’s Total Response. Total Response call handling protocols allow 911 Telecommunicators to do a full risk assessment at the incident scene so that 911 callers get the right skills sent for their emergency situation. Additionally, Call Handlers offer important pre-arrival instructions to 911 callers prior to arrival of responders on scene. Pre-arrival instructions can range from turning on a light and unlocking the door to performing life-saving medical procedures like CPR, or even delivering a baby.
