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Dispatch and Records
The basic function of the Yuba
County Sheriff's Office (YCSO) Communications Center (Dispatch)
is to satisfy the immediate information needs of the law
enforcement agency in the course of its normal daily activities
and during emergencies. Our Communications center is also the
primary access center for local fire and medical services within
our jurisdiction.
The Communications Center provides
24-hour telephone service to the public for information or
assistance that may be needed in emergencies. The ability of
citizens to telephone quickly and easily for emergency service
is critical. The Communications Center provides access to the
"911" system for a single emergency telephone number. The
two-way radio capability provides continuous communications
between the Communications Center and the Deputies on duty.
The Communications Unit is
comprised of 15 Dispatcher positions, a Communications Records
Supervisor position, and a Records Clerk. Numerous STARS (Senior
Team of Active Retired Seniors) assist on a rotational basis
with Records duties. The unit is under the management of the
Support Services Division.
Communication Dispatchers are
fully competent to perform sheriff, fire and medical emergency
communications and dispatch work within the established
guidelines. Dispatchers have the ability to make decisions and
act appropriately in stressful situations. Dispatchers must work
in cooperation with various public safety agencies located
throughout the County to coordinate the most effective response
to requests for assistance from the public.
Radio Communications
The Communications Center utilizes
a Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) program which offers a wide
variety of options and ease of use. CAD simplifies the call
taking and dispatching functions. The application incorporates a
Graphical User Interface which provides an environment that is
intuitive and easy-to-see. It features drag and drop
dispatching, command line entry, and use of basic Windows hot
key functions to provide telecommunications with flexible call
taking alternatives to increase productivity and reduce response
times. The Windows standard, coupled with a consistent
application interface across all components of the product,
makes it easier for Dispatchers to fully exploit the
capabilities of the system and enables them to learn the
software and become more productive in a short period of time.
The Communications Center radios
are multi-capable. Dispatchers have the ability to talk to YCSO
and local law enforcement agencies, fire agencies, local
government, and state agencies directly through radio
communications. Dispatchers also have the ability to talk to
Fire Rescue and Medical responders directly through radio
communications. Fire agencies include Wheatland/Plumas Brophy
FD, Olivehurst FD, and Linda FD. Dispatch also can request, and
pass on information to the CA Department of Forestry (CDF) via
landline to Grass Valley CDF. The Communications Center can talk
via radio to these Fire Departments via three primary channels.
Bi-County Ambulance is also dispatched on these channels.
The YCSO maintains reciprocity
agreements for CLETS (see below) with Wheatland PD, Yuba College
PD, Yuba County Code Enforcement, Yuba County Superior Court,
and the Yuba County District Attorney's Office.
Deputies in the field are
utilizing Mobile Data Browsers (MDBs) which allows them
computerized connectivity to any Yuba County computer system
including the Dispatch Center. They are able to send and receive
their criminal reports from the field. Software and hardware is
currently being installed in all patrol cars which allows Global
Positioning System (GPS) tracking on each vehicle. The base
features of the MDBs are:
Enables easy access to federal,
state, and local databases.
Contains National Crime
Information Center (NCIC), and National Law
Enforcement Telecommunications System (NLETS)-compatible
screens.
Provides optimized data entry
and review screens for all queries and responses supported by
CAD and which are custom configured.
Stores thousands of messages.
Stores partially completed forms
for later recall, completion, and transmission.
Provides real-time distribution
of roll call information.
Provides system administration
with extensive configuration capabilities.
State Connectivity
The Dispatch Center is connected
to the State of CA through computers and can access State
databases such as CA Law Enforcement Telecommunications System
(CLETS), NLETS, and NCIC, as well as many others.
Local Government
The Communications Center has the
ability to talk to local government agencies on the Local
Government radio channel(s).
Emergencies
The Communications Center is
staffed 24 hours per day, 365 days per year and is the Primary
Service Area Provider (PSAP) for Yuba County, except for the
City of Marysville. In cases of emergency, the YCSO and the YCSO
Communications Center has several ways to notify residents of
information.
In person
Via telephone
Via helicopter utilizing mutual
aid
Via loudspeaker
Via the "WARN" (Wide Area Rapid
Notification) system which is a computerized program in
combination with SBC. Emergency messages can be sent to numerous
citizens who have a telephone at the same time in a specific or
non-specific area. This system has automatic redial and will
"roll-over" and redial any numbers where a person did not pick
up the telephone. It does not recognize answering machines.
FCC Compliance
YCSO radio operation are conducted
in accordance with Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
procedures and guidelines.
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