BOTETOURT COUNTY 911

OPERATIONS CENTER

The goal of Botetourt County 9-1-1 Operations Center is to provide the most effective link possible between the caller, the dispatcher and the emergency responders.

Botetourt County 9-1-1 Operations Center dispatches calls for:

Botetourt County Paid and Volunteer Emergency Medical Services

Botetourt County Volunteer Fire Departments

Botetourt County Sheriff's Office (including Animal Control)

Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries

84,868 calls went through the Botetourt County 9-1-1 Operations Center in 2007.  Of those calls, 15,052 were 9-1-1 calls and 8,726 came from cell phones.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is an emergency?

An unexpected, serious occurrence or situation urgently requiring prompt action (according to Webster's dictionary).  Basically, any situation that needs IMMEDIATE attention, especially if the situation is life threatening.

Don't they have a map to show where I'm calling from?

Most calls that come into the 9-1-1 Operations Center do provide caller information; however, sometimes the call may be coming from a location different from the location of the emergency.  In addition, sometimes the best systems fail; therefore, the dispatcher will always ask where you are and where the emergency is located.

Why do the dispatchers ask me a lot of questions when I call?

Telecommunicators have special training and policies they must follow.  The questions they ask are to help get the proper assistance and personnel to the emergency.  Telecommunicators are trained to multi-task and can dispatch the call while getting additional information.  Botetourt County dispatchers are certified in Emergency Medical Dispatch so that they may also give you medical instructions that may assist you in helping the sick or injured person until professionals arrive.

If I call from a cell phone in Botetourt County, will I get the Botetourt County 9-1-1 Operations Center?

Depending on what tower your cell signal goes to, most likely the call will go to the Botetourt County 9-1-1 Operations Center.  However, make sure you listen and/or verify that you are reaching the agency you intended to call.  Many cell phones are equipped with GPS equipment and will show the dispatcher where you are if all equipment works properly.

How long will it take for help to arrive?

Response times vary according to locations in the county, how many other emergencies are going on at the time of the call, and the priority of the emergency.  There are currently seven volunteer fire departments and six volunteer rescue squads located throughout Botetourt County.  Botetourt County also has the luxury of at least one paid paramedic on duty 24 hours a day, and sometimes during the day (when many volunteers have to be at their jobs) there are as many as five paid paramedics on duty.  Paramedics can provide Advance Life Support measures.

For law enforcement calls, there are generally six deputies on each shift in addition to investigators.  The county is divided into four districts with an officer assigned to each district to reduce response times to calls.  Other officers patrol the entire county and provide back-up to district officers when needed.

Most vehicle accident calls are transferred to the Virginia State Police.  Botetourt County has no control over the response time of troopers.