SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. — On perhaps the worst day of someone's life, 911 dispatchers are on the front lines prepared to answer the call.
Calls can range from a baby needing CPR, to a person shot or a hostage situation.
At the Sacramento County 911 Communications Center in Elk Grove, call takers and dispatchers answer hundreds, if not thousands of calls, coming into the center.
"The call takers will answer that call. They'll determine where your location of the emergency is at. If it's in our jurisdiction, then we'll put in a call for service," said Tammy Silva, who has been a dispatcher for the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office for about 16 years.
If the public safety answering point isn't the right one, then people will get routed to the correct agency such as the California Highway Patrol or others.
Although dispatchers are gathering information from the caller, they're still able to allocate resources.
"911 call taker being on the phone as they're receiving that information, they're typing that stuff up and they're able to still communicate with outside agencies with the fire department and just amongst themselves without having to put the person on hold or any hang ups like that," said Sgt. James Tidwell, with the Sacramento Sheriff's Office
However, the situation could be harder to deal with if it involves a crime or multiple callers. For example, the recent Highway 160 crash that left five people dead involved a carjacking and a chase that ended in Elk Grove.
"Understanding that we are a huge county and we're handling multiple calls for service at the same time -- especially when there is a scenario where you have a major incident -- understand that you're not the only one that may be calling to report it. So we may be inundated with calls that come in," said Silva.
If there's a stabbing or shooting, law enforcement has to arrive first.
At the same time, first responders can be staged outside but cannot aid help until the scene is cleared. It's an entire process put in place with everyone's safety in mind.
"I know sometimes you're dealing with your worst day, but at the same time, we're getting that information for the public, for our officers, for them and that help is on it's way," said Tidwell.
Dispatchers do about six to eight months of on-the-job training. They're trained to stay calm and have a set list of questions to ask because it helps them better respond to the caller.
They say knowing your location is key, and if there is a suspect involved, try to have a description.
The center is hiring and more information can be found on the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office website, Facebook or Instagram.
WATCH ALSO:
