We all dread having to call 999 in an emergency. It can be incredibly difficult to relay accurate information when under pressure, with adrenaline pumping through your veins. Fortunately, a police call handler is on the other end of the line, waiting to take your call.

A police call handler is incredibly able to help under extreme pressure. They are all trained to deal with the situation which presents itself. But what happens when you make a 999 call in an emergency and how can that result in police assistance?

The first thing that happens when you make a call is a choice for you; you will be asked which service you require. If you select the police service then you will be redirected to the police communications division for the area in which you live. This is where the police force's response is managed and how the relevant members of the police are informed.

To give you a rough idea of how busy the work of a police call handler is: West Yorkshire police receives over 11,000 999 calls per week. Around 25% of these calls will require an immediate response. According to one study, as many as two thirds of all calls received by a police communications department are not emergencies.

Despite awareness campaigns, many members of the public still insist in calling the police even if their services are not actually required. A police call handler must remain professional when this happens and make a good judgement on whether an immediate response is required. Failure to get this right can have deadly consequences and thus it is treated professionally by one of the many highly trained operatives.

Of course, answering a 999 call promptly is of great importance, if may even be a life or death situation. As this is such an important issue, many police forces have set targets in their policing pledge regarding the answering of 999 calls. In most cases, the call is to be answered within ten seconds by a member of the local police force. In addition to this, if the call requires an immediate response then this is to be realised within ten minutes of the 999 call being made.

Police forces across England and Wales are continuously looking for ways to improve their service. In this way, they are also endeavouring to find new ways of making the 999 call system as effective as possible. New technology and computer systems are paving the way for success in this area.

The job of a police call handler is a very difficult one. There is a large amount of pressure placed upon them and they will be constantly expected to make important decisions in double quick time. Their job remains pressured and their work largely appreciated by the police forces. 999 calls will continue to flood in and must be dealt with around the clock, seven days a week, 365 days a year – and long may this continue.


 

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