Jeri Williams Chief of Police |
Oxnard Police Department
R. Jason Benites Scott Whitney |
OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT
NEWS RELEASE
INCIDENT: |
Communications Center Phone Upgrade |
DATE/TIME: |
10/25/12 0846
|
LOCATION: |
Oxnard Police/Fire Communications Center |
VICTIM(S): | |
SUSPECT(S): | |
WITNESS(ES): | |
SUSPECT VEHICLE(S): | |
LOSS: | |
PREPARED BY: |
Danah Palmer, Communications Manager |
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO: |
Danah Palmer (805) 385-7784 |
DETAILS:
The Oxnard Police Department has completed a phone system upgrade in its Emergency Communications Center. Oxnard’s Emergency Communications center is a facility that handles both police and fire related calls. The project was completed in conjunction with Ventura County Sheriff’s Office and Simi Valley Police Department. This project allowed for a regional, interoperable system designed to enhance service to the communities and citizens in those response areas.
The new phone system allows public safety dispatchers to answer 911 calls from alternate locations in the event of an evacuation due to a natural or manmade disaster. If necessary, dispatchers can now relocate and handle Oxnard’s emergency calls from communications centers located in Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, or Ventura.
This project was funded by the State 911 Office as it is one of five pilot projects in the State of California. The new phone system prepares the departments for Next Generation 911 which, when the technology is available, will allow for public safety communications centers to receive text messages, video feeds, and photographs.
The phone system also enhances everyday call taking functionality, especially relating to wireless callers. This is especially important as the Oxnard Police/Fire Communications Center is one of the busiest centers in Ventura County. In 2010, the center handled 330,404 phone calls, averaging approximately 900-1,000 phone calls per day. In 2011, 72% of the 911 calls to Oxnard’s center were from wireless callers.
The Oxnard Police/Fire Communications Center is the only combined center in Ventura County, which means that it dispatches for both police and fire services for the City of Oxnard. The Dispatchers are also responsible for providing Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) instructions, such as how to give CPR or how to deliver a child, over the phone. They also dispatch for Animal Control and Code Compliance within the City of Oxnard.