MEDIA RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE DISSEMINATION
May 24, 2023
BLOOD TRIBE POLICE DISPATCH ANNOUNCES
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE POLICE PRIORITY DISPATCH SYSTEM
Blood Tribe Police Dispatch is excited to announce the implementation of the Police Priority Dispatch System to better serve the Blood Tribe in emergency situations.
With this new system, emergency dispatchers will follow internationally recognized standards and research-based protocols to identify life-threatening situations and to safely prioritize calls for a response. The protocols guide emergency dispatchers through a series of questions to callers to identify the specific emergency so they can send the correct help.
Emergency dispatchers will provide responders with accurate information so they can more effectively give care once they are on scene. The Priority Dispatch System supports emergency dispatchers to provide lifesaving and safety instructions to callers before responders arrive.
“Responding to an urgent call for service is always stressful. Being able to rely on a series of prompts to ask the most important questions first, dispatching the officers, and then collecting more information allows the team to respond better to emergencies,” says Tiffany Chief Moon, Dispatch Supervisor at the Blood Tribe Police Service.
The Priority Dispatch System includes software and cardsets, a certification training for emergency dispatchers, and continual quality improvement benchmarks and training. All emergency dispatchers who work on the new system are certified by the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch and must recertify every two years, complete 24 hours of continuing dispatch education and pass all requirements for recertification.
Continuous quality improvement is an important part of the PDS. This system will allow the Blood Tribe Police emergency dispatchers to assess the quality of care provided, allowing them to adjust training and support staff.
“The Police Priority Dispatch System assures everyone that scene safety information is being gathered quickly on every call and appropriate instructions are provided prior to the arrival of help,” said Jason Barbour, Public Safety Specialist, Priority Dispatch Corporation. “All callers are receiving the same level of service during their greatest time of need.”
The constantly evolving system will help provide the highest standard of care to the community, allowing Blood Tribe Police emergency dispatchers to better manage limited resources and increase the accuracy and efficiency of the dispatching process.
Four full-time Blood Tribe Police emergency dispatchers respond to more than 6,700 calls for service per year. Calls cover many different situations from public mischief to calls with high urgency such as overdoses, violence, or instances involving weapons.
With the implementation of this system by the Blood Tribe Police, community members can have peace of mind that when they call their local emergency number for assistance, highly trained emergency dispatchers will properly handle their needs with timeliness and expert care.
