COUNTYWIDE : Behind-the-Scenes Talk on 911 Slated

Operators who handle 911 calls often have hysterical people on the line.

That is when operators try to be as calm as possible, said Linda Shamblin, senior communications operator who will present a program on what happens behind the scenes of 911 at 7 p.m. today at Ventura police headquarters.

“We try to confirm the location and find out what is going on,” Shamblin said. “Often when we try to get answers to questions from them, they become more hysterical, and that’s when we tell them officers are on the way, which seems to have a calming effect.”

Shamblin, a seven-year veteran with Ventura police, will tell what happens when a 911 emergency call is received in the department’s dispatch center, reviewing the step-by-step procedure of how the call is handled.

The dispatcher will discuss calls ranging from robbery to prowlers to life-threatening situations, and will pass on tips on how to report criminal activity. Recordings of actual 911 calls will be played.

The presentation is part of the Police Department’s ongoing crime prevention program and is free to the public. The meeting will be held in the department’s training room at 1425 Dowell Drive.