Natick Public Safety Communications

Dial 9-1-1 ...
TO SAVE A LIFE
TO STOP A CRIME...
TO REPORT A FIRE...

The Natick Police 9-1-1/Communications Unit operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Dispatchers are the unseen partners of police officers, firefighters and medical personnel and receive specialized training in communication skills, handling critical incidents, and multi-tasking, so that they may effectively serve the needs of the community. Using state of the art communications equipment, dispatchers take calls for service by phone, radio, from lobby walk ups and radio calls and teletypes from other agencies.  Trained to ask callers specific questions designed to gather critical details in limited time, they field the information to the public safety personnel on the road.  In many cases, it is the skill of the dispatcher that enables an officer to stop a crime or save a life.   The ability to multi-task is an extremely critical part of the Dispatchers position.  The dispatcher is frequently listening to someone on the phone, assisting someone at the window, communicating to officers and firefighters, monitoring multiple radio frequencies, all at the same time.   Sorting out the information and prioritizing takes skill and a unique ability.  The public is always welcome to visit the Natick Public Safety operation at 20 East Central St and observe through the lobby window.

The Dos and Don'ts of the 911 Emergency Number

The 9-1-1 Rules You Need To Know

Dial 9-1-1 only for an emergency

An emergency is:                                                                                                                       
Any serious medical problem (chest pain, seizure, bleeding)          Any type of fire (business, car, or building)                                       Any life threatening situation (fights, person with weapons, etc.)
Any crime in progress (whether or not a life is threatened)
Any alarm activation
Any incident that you feel may be an emergency

For non emergency services call:
508-647-9500 for the Police Department
508-647-9550 for the Fire Department

Non-emergency incidents include crimes that are not in progress or past situations
Any business inquiry calls for Police, Fire or Medical services

Do not program '9-1-1' into your telephone's speed dial
You won't forget the number, and programming the number invites accidental dialing.

If you dialed 9-1-1 in error, DO NOT hang up the telephone
Instead, stay on the phone and explain to the dispatcher that you dialed by mistake and that you do not have an emergency. If you hang up, for your safety, police officers will be dispatched to the caller's address to confirm that there are no emergency services needed. This will needlessly take resources away from genuine emergencies. The Public Safety call-taker must confirm the information on their 9-1-1 screen for accuracy in case you ever have a real emergency. There is no charge or obligation incurred for this misdialed call.

When the dispatcher answers, briefly describe the type of incident you are reporting and exactly where the emergency services are needed
For example, "I'm reporting an vehicle fire at…," or "I am reporting a motor vehicle crash that just occurred at …." Then stay on the line with the dispatcher, do not hang up until the dispatcher tells you. In some cases, the dispatcher will keep you on the line while the emergency units are responding to ask additional questions or to obtain ongoing information.

Let the call-taker ask you questions
Dispatchers have been trained to ask very specific questions that will help prioritize the incident, locate it and dispatch an appropriate response.

Your answers should be brief and responsive. Remain calm and speak clearly. Be specific. What is happening and where, If you are not in a position to give full answers to the call-taker stay on the phone and the dispatcher will ask you questions that can be answered "yes" or "no."