Gordon Graham
Category: Law Enforcement, Public Safety

Gordon Graham here with Today’s Tip from Lexipol. And Today’s Tip deals with Below 100.

We’ve already done a telecommunicator Today’s Tip on Complacency Kills but telecommunicators can also play a huge role in applying “WIN-What’s Important Now?”

Now, I know what you’re thinking already. “Gordon, you’ve already done dozens of Today’s Tips on Below 100.” And that’s true, we have. But we still haven’t reached our goal of fewer than 100 line of duty deaths so we are going to keep hitting the topic. When we talk about below 100 our thoughts usually go straight to the officer, the deputy, the trooper in the field. But today we’re going to talk about Below 100 as it relates to telecommunicators. Yes, it’s true, our telecommunicators can play an important role in Below 100. Remember the five core tenets of Below 100: 

1. Wear your seat belt 
2. Wear your vest 
3. Watch your speed 
4. WIN-What’s Important Now 
5. Remember: Complacency Kills! 

Telecommunicators can help our officers, our deputies “watch their speed.”  “Gordy, are you losing it again…the Telecommunicators are in the ComCenter. What does that have to do with speed.” Most of the good Telecommunicators I know keep the reporting party on the line. You’ve dispatched officers/deputies to the hot call. You aren’t in the unit with them, but you know which calls generate a rapid response. When the reporting party tells you the suspect has now left the scene, update that information for the responding units so they will slow down. When you are aware that sufficient units have arrived on the scene, update that information for the other responding units so they will slow down.  

We’ve already done a telecommunicator Today’s Tip on Complacency Kills but telecommunicators can also play a huge role in applying “WIN-What’s Important Now?”  Just as with the speed issues, constantly providing updates as you obtain further information from the caller can assist that officer or deputy prioritize “What’s Important Now.”  

Below 100. Telecommunicators play a role, too. 

And that is Today’s Tip from Lexipol. Gordon Graham signing off.