Northwest CT Public Safety requires that each address or location be asked and verified to the following standard:

• Street Address
• City
• Unit #/ Floor
• Repeat all Information.

Please provide the dispatcher with the address as well as any additional location details or access instructions as soon as possible. This may include how to enter your home, lock box instructions, better location info inside a large complex or business. Also, do not be alarmed when the dispatcher asks you to repeat location information. This ensures help is sent to the correct location.

To be better prepared for possible future emergencies write down your information, along with your phone number, and place it somewhere where it can be found easily and quickly for someone who may not be familiar with the exact location of your home or business such as a babysitter or a customer.

If at all possible, use a landline instead of a cell phone. When calling from a landline the address information will automatically come up on our screen. Cell phone location technology is improving but still has a large margin of error and could be off by 2 or 3 houses.

Northwest Connecticut Public Safety (NWCTPS) dispatchers are all certified State of CT Telecommunicators and certified Emergency Police, Fire and Medical Dispatchers by the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch. NWCTPS dispatchers will ask a series of questions in a prescribed order to get you the best help for your situation.

When answering the questions, it is best to get straight to the point and state the reason why you decided to call 911 right now and the dispatcher will clarify as needed. Based on your statements, the dispatchers' training, and our line of questioning, the dispatcher will determine the best “nature” of the emergency.

For medical calls, it is generally best to be right next to the patient if possible as the dispatcher may ask you real-time information on the patient’s status as well as give you critical lifesaving instructions, so we can provide help prior to the arrival of the responders.

For fire and police incidents calls should always be made from a safe location but also be prepared to answer detailed questions about the event.

Please let dispatchers take the lead on asking questions as this saves time and prevents questions from being repeated that may have already been answered.