81A- Communications Center - 2019

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Policy & Procedure Page 1 of 20 Lexington Police Department Subject: Communication Center Policy Number: 81A Accreditation Standards: Reference: 74.1.3; 81.2.2; 81.2.3; 81.2.4; 81.2.5(a)(b)(e)(f); 81.2.6; 81.2.8; 81.2.11; 81.2.12; 81.2.14; 81.3.2 Effective Date: 3/11/13  New  Revised Revision Dates: 1/24/19 By Order of: Mark J. Corr, Chief of Police The Municipal Police Institute, Inc. (MPI) is a private, nonprofit charitable affiliate of the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association. MPI provides training and model policies and procedures for police agencies. This policy is an edited version of MPI Policy 2.14, “Communications.” GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS AND GUIDELINES The primary function of the communications center is to convey information. Communications personnel are a vital link for members of the public who request information or services, employees who respond to calls for assistance, and for other law enforcement, fire and public service agencies. The speed and accuracy with which information flows through Communications to the person who needs it is a measure of the Public Safety Dispatch Centers capability to respond to the needs of our employees and the community we serve. The Combined Public Safety Dispatch Center is the E-911 answering point for the Town of Lexington and the primary communications medium for Police, Fire, and EMS operations. It is the policy of the combined dispatch center for the Town of Lexington to: • Provide access to emergency services throughout the community. • Maintain an efficient flow of information essential to the functions of the department(s) and the community it serves; and • Continually assess the effectiveness with which the department utilizes available information technology in fulfillment of the department’s missions.