Public Safety Answering Point

The Town of Newington Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) is staffed by a team of 7 highly trained communications specialists. These Public Safety Dispatchers who are responsible for receiving, prioritizing and sending appropriate assistance to the citizens of Newington, have been trained to handle a variety of Police, Fire and Medical emergencies.

When to Call 911

The Center has been serving as the Town’s Public Safety Communications Center for Police, Fire, and EMS services since 1946. In order to best serve the public, the Communications Center asks that you use the 911 emergency line only when there is immediate risk to life or property. Some examples of times when it is appropriate to dial 911 are:

• Any medical emergency
• Crime that is in-progress or has just occurred
• Any crime involving weapons (guns, knives, clubs, broken bottles)
• Domestic violence, in-progress or threatened
• Any vehicle accident involving injuries
• Anytime a suspect is still in or near the area

When You Call 911

To help dispatchers prioritize your call and provide responding officers with the information they need, everyone is asked a standard set of questions. Your dispatcher will need to know:

Location of the problem

Even though your telephone number and address should display on the dispatcher’s console, she/he needs to confirm that the address is correct. Also, you might be calling from a location that is different from the address where assistance is needed. Be sure to give your telephone number and extension to the dispatcher.

Important Note: If you are calling 911 from a cellular telephone, your call is automatically routed to the Newington Police Department if you are within the town and your phone is equipped with the updated hardware/software. If not, your call will be routed to the Connecticut State Police who will direct your call to our Communications Center. You must advise the State Police Dispatcher of your location and type of emergency so that your call may be rerouted to the proper 911 agency.

Type of Problem

The Dispatcher must determine if the event that you are reporting qualifies as an emergency. You will be asked for a basic description of what occurred and, if applicable:

• When the incident happened.
• Description of the suspect, including clothing.
• Whether a weapon was involved and, if so, what type.
• Description and direction of travel of any vehicle(s) involved.

Give the Dispatcher all the information that is available to you. Do not leave out information because you think that it may not be important. The more we know about an incident, the more effective we can be in helping you.

If You Call 911 by Mistake Do Not Hang Up!

Tell the Dispatcher that you called by mistake and that you do not have an emergency. Any time a Dispatcher receives a 911 “hang up”, the caller must be contacted to be sure that no actual emergency exists. This requires that an officer be dispatched to your home or office in order to ensure the well being of all persons and property there.

Note: If a person does not speak English the 911 system allows calls to be transferred to interpreters who can translate many different languages.

TDD/TDY

If a person is using a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) the 911 system will automatically detect the TDD equipment and open a TDD display screen for the dispatcher when the call is answered. The dispatcher will require the same information as listed above.

Non-Emergency

If you are calling to report a crime that occurred at some time in the past, or to ask a question, please call the Non-Emergency number of 860-666-8445. This direct number to the Communications Center is available 24 hours a day to handle calls for the Police, Fire and EMS services. Some examples of times when it is appropriate to use the Non-Emergency number:

• Past auto theft
• Past vehicle burglary
• Past theft of property
• Noise problems (parties, music, etc.)

If you need to ask a general information question you can call 860-666-8445

Additional information on the 911 Service for the State of Connecticut can be found on the Office of Statewide Emergency Telecommunications (OSET) website.