Overview
The Communications Division of the Sheriff’s Office operates the Marin County Public Safety Communications Center located in the Hall of Justice in San Rafael. The center provides service to the Sheriff’s Office, five police departments, ten fire departments, six paramedic service areas, Marin County Department of Public Works, and many other city and county government service departments. The Communications Center is the primary 9-1-1 public safety answering point for all unincorporated areas of the county, as well as Mill Valley, Belvedere, Sausalito, Tiburon and Ross.
When a citizen dials 9-1-1 from any of these areas a dispatcher in the Marin County Public Safety Communications Center answers the call. The center provides Emergency Medical Dispatch services for the entire county. Dispatchers use specially designed protocol cards to question callers reporting medical emergencies in a standardized manner. Dispatchers provide pre-arrival instructions for emergencies such as CPR and childbirth over the phone, and dispatch the appropriate response based on the requirements of the emergency.
9-1-1 Call Taking
Dispatchers never know what the next call will bring. It could be an armed robbery; an infant not breathing; a house on fire; a vehicle accident with injuries, or a minor noise complaint. Dispatchers are trained to obtain information and dispatch help for any emergency.
If you call 9-1-1 the dispatchers need to know:
- What is happening?
- Where is it happening?
- What is the callers’ telephone number?
- Who is involved?
- Are there any weapons?
- When did it occur?
You may be asked to stay on the line so the dispatchers can get more information as a situation changes.
The Communications Center is the law enforcement mutual aid coordination point for the entire county, and it is the intra-county coordination point for fire and rescue. The center broadcasts law enforcement all points bulletins, and acts as the warning point for large-scale catastrophic events. The communications center provides call out and dispatching services for the Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team (commonly known as SWAT), Critical Incident Team (hostage negotiators), Dive Rescue Team, Search and Rescue Team, and Fire Investigations Team.
Sheriff’s Office dispatchers have rewarding and exciting jobs helping the public and working with emergency personnel. If you are interested working in a fast paced environment that is challenging and rewarding, contact the communications center at 415-507-4123 or 415-473-5311 for job openings and additional information.
