Frederick Ryan, Chief of Police
112 Mystic St.
Arlington, MA 02474
For Immediate Release
Friday, April 6, 2018
Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net
Arlington Police Implement Program that Directs All Wireless 911 Calls to Department’s Dispatch Center
New System Allows Police to Respond to Emergencies Faster
ARLINGTON — Chief Frederick Ryan is pleased to announce that the Arlington Police Department has made the move to a more modern system that will direct all wireless 911 calls dialed in town directly to the department’s dispatch center.
This week, Arlington Police transitioned to the State 911 Department’s Wireless Direct program — a new system the department has long advocated for that will shorten public safety response times during emergencies.
Arlington Police now receive all Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint 911 calls originating from cell phones in Arlington, rather than having them first go through a regional dispatch center. The change reduces the amount of time it takes to initiate a police, fire or emergency medical response while only slightly increasing the department’s daily call volume.
“Research clearly indicates that if we can reduce the number of call transfers and instead receive calls directly, we can get front-line public safety resources to the critical incidents faster,” Chief Ryan said. “In emergency situations, seconds count, so the sooner first responders arrive on scene, especially in instances where there may be an active shooter, the quicker the threat is stopped.”
The Arlington Police Department is one of just a handful of police departments to have made the switch to the wireless direct program.
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