Orange County Emergency Communications Center (ECC) Launches Police Priority Dispatch System ™
By: Orange County Emergency Communications Center
On Tuesday, March 28, 2023, the Orange County Emergency Communications Center (ECC) celebrated the launch of the Police Priority Dispatch System ™ PPDS ™ to better serve the residents of Orange County in emergency situations.
With PPDS ™, dispatchers will follow national standards and research - based protocols to help identify life - threatening situations, effectively prioritize calls for response, provide lifesaving, and/ or safety instructions to callers and patients. In 2022, the ECC received 80,000 calls for service resulting in around 45,000 calls for service being created for our responder agencies. “ For visitors and residents, this system standardizes the way we obtain information from callers across agencies including Fire and EMS, ” said Chris Cord, Emergency Communications Center Director. In
essence, the program helps make dispatchers provide clear and consistent levels of service. “ This system makes sure we are asking the correct questions in order to better serve our callers and public safety partners, ” said Abbe Smithson, a five - year veteran of the ECC.
The Priority Dispatch System ™ (PDS ™) also includes a certification training course and continual quality improvement (QI) benchmarks. All dispatchers, who work on the new system, are certified by the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch® (IAED ™) must recertify every two (2) years, complete 24 hours of continuing dispatch education (CDE), and pass all requirements for IAED ™ recertification.
If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about our dynamic Emergency Communications Center, its services, or career opportunities, visit www.orangecountyva.gov.
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