Kyle Police Department Emergency Communications Division
The Communications Division of the Kyle Police Department is a very vital division within the Police Department. The Communications Division is the first point of contact between our Police Department and the citizens of Kyle. The Communications Division is currently staffed with nine (9) Emergency Communications Specialists who provide 24/7 coverage for our community and maintain a minimum staffing level of two (2) Emergency Communications Specialists working twelve (12) hour shifts.
The job of our Emergency Communications Specialists consist of multiple duties which include answering telephones (911 and administrative lines), entering calls for service, maintaining radio traffic with on duty Officers, running drivers license, warrant checks and maintaining accurate state and national entries and records. These duties are performed consecutively, making multitasking a very important skill for anyone desiring to become a Emergency Communications Specialists. Our training consists of at least 6 (six) months of on the job training along with over 300 hours of T.C.O.L.E. classroom and online training. We are required to maintain our certifications with additional continuing education every year.
Technology is a key component to providing fast, accurate and proficient services to our citizens. We make every effort to equip our Communications Division with the industries top technology to assist in performing their multiple tasks. Due to the multiple programs and services needed for this profession, our Communication Consoles are equipped with three (3) different computers and six (6) monitors to see all information needed. One computer and monitor is maintained by LCRA and is dedicated to our 900Mhz radio system for our Division to communicate with our Patrol Officers and other agencies in the surrounding area. The second computer, provided by (Capital Area Council of Government) C.A.P.C.O.G., is used to receive all emergency and non emergency phone calls as well as our 911 mapping system. Depending on the type of call received (on 911 only) we are able to plot the position of cell phone callers between 50-250 meters of their actual location. The third computer with three (3) additional monitors are used for our CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch) program and other various programs that allow us to run Drivers License, Registration and Warrant queries. With our CAD system we enter call information allowing the Division to properly relay pertinent information gathered from the caller to our Patrol Officers.
Our Emergency Communications Specialists are dedicated to the service of the community and work hard to be there for you when you need us the most. Here are a few simple tips that you can use to help us, when calling in for assistance:
Stay Calm: We understand that you may be in the center of an emergency situation, remaining calm will help us obtain the information needed to send the correct response to you.
Speak Clearly: It is very important for us to get the correct information to determine the best way to assist you, so speaking clearly is a very important element.
Listen: Our Emergency Communications Specialists are trained to ask pertinent questions to assist with determining the correct response for your situation, listening and answering our questions assist us in providing quick and accurate information needed in getting our responders to you as fast as possible. It may appear as an delay, but these questions are essential to the safety of our responders and will not delay the response. While one Emergency Communications Specialists is entering the information into the call the other Emergency Communications Specialists is sending responders while updating them with the information you provide. Please stay on the line if asked, as this too, will help us update our responders with any changes you provide.
