Communications Section

The Communications Section is responsible for providing immediate, accurate and comprehensive dispatching in response to emergency 9-1-1 calls and non-emergency requests for police and fire/emergency medical services. Section personnel utilize a Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) System and an 800 Megahertz Radio Communication Network to respond to all such requests by dispatching the required assistance in a timely manner. The Communications Section is also equipped with Phase II Enhanced 911 capabilities.

The CAD system indicates that a particular patrol unit be dispatched to a call for service and tracks the call from the time it is received to the time it is completed. An in-car, mobile laptop computer (MDT) allows an officer in the field to receive a dispatched call by reading it on the laptop screen at the same time that he or she hears the call being verbally dispatched over the mobile radio. This MDT also allows the officer to run routine computer inquires such as driver’s license, vehicle registration and wanted persons checks. The 800 Megahertz Network is being used by every law enforcement agency in Central Florida and by most of the larger agencies in the State. This radio network system allows these agencies to call or be called for assistance with just the push of a button.

Personnel of the Emergency Communications Section utilize the Florida Crime Information Center (FCIC), the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms System (ATF) and the Statewide Criminal Justice System (CJNET) to enter, modify, cancel and retrieve existing data from all of these data bases and from all of the data bases that interface with them. These data bases reveal information on driver licenses, vehicle registrations, vehicles and articles that have been reported stolen, firearm purchases, registrations and histories, existing warrants, court orders and a host of other crime and other law enforcement related data. These systems usually provide an officer with a response to a request within seconds of the entry of the request into a system by a communications operator.

A City-owned 28-foot mobile command vehicle is available to the personnel of this Section for receiving calls for service and for directly dispatching from the scene of a man-made or a natural disaster or from the location of a special event attended by many people. This mobile vehicle serves as the City Command Post and as the Police Department Headquarters at the location of such events.

For further information, please feel free to contact Vonda Jones, Communication Manager at 407-599-3460 or yjones@cityofwinterpark.org.