

Before she left, she gave the child her phone number if she ever just wanted to talk again.Ĭrowther told that story at the annual Tennessee Emergency Number Association conference this month, nominating Hill for the statewide Telecommunicator of the Year Award.

She went to the funeral, she sat and talked with the child and she made a friend. So, Hill sent her finest officer (and the best K-9 counterpart) to meet and talk with the caller.Īfter Hill's shift ended, she went beyond protocol. Protocol and department policy insist that if a location can be determined for 911 hang-up calls, an officer must be dispatched. She had no parents any longer to turn to," Crowther said. "This child, aged 13, was confused, distraught, sad, angry and unsure about her future. She told Hill that both of her parents had died and that she just "needed to talk."ĭuring the 22 minute call, Hill learned that the child was a sibling of the caller that reported the murder-suicide nine days earlier and that she was at her mother's funeral.

The girl on the other line was upset, barely getting out her words and clearly crying. Hill was working, and called the number back, like most dispatchers do, to make sure everything was okay. 28, when someone called the center and hung up. No one forgot, but things settled down during the following days at the center.
#Jefferson county 911 dispatch how to
Heartwarming stories at your fingertips: How to best experience the Knox News app Justin Crowther, Hill's supervisor and the executive director of Jefferson County 911, said that day and that call would never be forgotten. Within the hour, everyone's worst fears were confirmed - a murder-suicide had just left five children, from ages 7-17, orphans. Moments later, the caller's seven-year-old brother was released from the home and into the arms of a deputy outside. The first responding unit was dispatched at 1:30, and by 1:34, the first deputy arrived on scene.Īt 1:36, her father said that he had shot his wife. Hill and her telecommunications team got to work immediately. She said she knew her father had weapons and that one of her younger brothers was supposed to be with her mother. She was concerned because a family member had told her that her father had made threats to kill her mother, and after many attempts, her mother was not answering her phone calls. Dispatchers answered calls about fire alarms and sent traffic stops throughout the day, but around 1:30 p.m., Hill got a call that changed everything.Ī teenager was on the other end of the line. 19, the Jefferson County 911 call center was relatively quiet - or at least as quiet as an emergency help line could be. This number should not generally be used to request the crews respond to a Call for Service to ensure prompt dispatching and response.When Teresa Hill takes a call at work, she never knows who or what is waiting on the other line. Please note that when personnel are out of the station, this number is answered by a general voicemail box where a significant delay in receiving the message may occur. That being said, anytime you question whether or not something is an actual emergency, it is advised to error on the side of caution and utilize 911.įor general questions or business inquiries, you can call our District at 63. Abuse of 911 services is prohibited by State Law and could result in prosecution. In addition, all Calls for Service are prioritized for dispatching by Jefferson County 911 regardless of the method in which they are received so calling 911 in cases of non-emergencies will not ensure priority response.

Please remember that calling a number other than 911 in cases of emergency may result in delayed responses due to lower call answering priority at the Dispatch Center depending on incoming call volume. Traffic Crashes/Hazards with Road BlockageĪny situation where in a delay in response poses an immediate risk of injury, death or destruction/loss of real property to those involved or around the incidentĪlternatively, any requests for Police, Fire, and/or EMS response to a location that do not include one of the above conditions should be directed to the local Non-Emergency Dispatch number which for the Jefferson R-7 area is Jefferson County 911 Dispatch at 63. A common question or concern posed by citizens to public service agencies across the country is when to or not to use 911.ĩ11 should always be used when calling to report EMERGENCY situations that involve one or more of the following:
