Telecommunicator (what call taker dispatchers at 911 are called) means a person working with technology. What can go wrong at 9-1-1 regarding the radio, the phones, the CAD system - what is CAD? What about security? What about false calls? What about those calls that are fake and can get an officer or a resident shot? Here is a brief list of what can go wrong.

In your position at 9-1-1 you will be working with technology. Most likely you may be using ELECTRONIC GUIDECARDS. The software is offered by several different companies to 9-1-1 agencies. Whatever product the agency purchases, you will be trained to use the software. How well you use the software and how useful the training is to you will determine the effective intent the software is to SAVE LIVES. In the event the software design or functioning, call taker or the training is lacking, the technology has been known to do the opposite of the intent to improve call taking and a life can be lost These guidecards were initially offered hard copy flip charts and eventually became software. There are still agencies using the hardcopy flip charts. And example of the hard copy are shown below.

First read Tech Terms.

The video is about Priority Dispatch Corp (ProQA software) responding to a lawsuit defending software they designed to help call takers ask questions. Their software is shown for you in the Demo Guidecards video.