Dispatchers receive special active shooter training
Local 911 dispatchers received special training on how to handle active shooter situations Monday.
The training course, held at the Cathedral City Police Department station, was open to all public safety dispatchers, some even traveled from as far away as Sonoma County and San Diego to be a part of the course. The course is touted as being the first of its kind in the country, and this was the first time it was offered in the Coachella Valley.
The training was held by Kim Turner, LLC, a private training and consulting company specializing in training 911 dispatchers. Kim Turner, the founder of the company and law enforcement professional with 28 years experience, says agencies are failing when it comes to adequately prepping our dispatchers to handle those critical first moments.
“Seriously just the lack of dispatcher training…we’re the first of the first responders but there is little training throughout the state and the country that genuinely speaks to our role in field outcomes,” said Turner.
“Unfortunately, we haven’t provided them with the necessary training to understand just how valuable their job is,” said Chief Travis Walker of the Cathedral City Police Department.
Dispatchers participated in exercises, reviewed 911 calls, and learned what specific questions have the ability to impact shooting scenario outcomes the most.
“Dispatchers can change the outcome of an active shooter critical incident by asking additional questions. We train them in the academy to ask who, what, when, where, why and weapons…but asking additional questions can cut down on the amount of investigation time,” said Brian Barnes, co-instructor and Tactical Dispatch Supervisor.
In certain scenarios, making an audible phone to 911 might not be a favorable option — as it might give away your location or tip off the shooter. Some cities across the nation have begun implementing the option to text 911 instead. Local cities that have the ability to receive texts to 911 in emergencies include Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs, Beaumont, Banning, CHP Inland Empire, Palm Springs and Indio.
Turner added that the San Bernardino County Sheriffs and 22 allied agencies in the Inland Empire were the first to implement the 911 texting service in the state of California beginning in October 2015, and many of the Coachella Valley cities have added the texting service within the past 18 months. If you are unsure if your city has this option, authorities say you should contact your local police department.
For more information on Kim Turner, LLC, visit the company website here and the company Facebook page here.
Tune in tonight at 5:30 on CBS Local 2 and 6 on KESQ News Channel 3 for more on what dispatchers learned, including what the best practices for getting information and keeping people safe on the scene.
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