SAMPLE
SILENT CALL HANDLING POLICY

Purpose.

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that call taking personnel effectively recognize and respond to “silent”, open line and TTY calls where the caller is unable or unwilling to communicate by voice. In order to ensure that all TTY calls are properly identified, call takers must be able to recognize TTY tones and/or query every “silent” or open line call with a TTY greeting. 

Procedure.

When the call taker answers a 9-1-1 call with the standard spoken greeting and receives only a silent or open line, the call taker should repeat the standard question slowly and clearly, “9-1-1, what is the address of the emergency?”

Listen for 2-3 seconds for any background sounds which may give an indication of what is happening.

If your questioning gets no verbal reply, a TTY message shall be transmitted to check for the possibility of a TTY user. The call taker should manually place the APU in TTY mode and send out the programmed message “9-1-1 WHAT IS THE LOCATION OF YOUR EMERGENCY Q GA”. If no response from the caller, send the TTY greeting a second time.

If a TTY response is received, the APU will detect the signal. The telecommunicator must open the TDD tool to receive and send TTY messages. Utilize the pre-programmed TTY messages to communicate with the caller and/or use the keyboard to type questions and responses. Utilize the common TTY abbreviations to save keyboard time and improve caller understanding. 

If attempts to communicate via TTY mode fail to elicit a reply, switch from TTY mode to DTMF mode to visually see numerical pad responses that the caller types in response to questions from telecommunicators.

Verbally advise the caller to press any button on their keypad to indicate that they can hear you. If they respond, advise the caller:

•	“If you need the Police, Press 1 “
•	“If you need the Fire Department, Press 2”
•	“If you need an Ambulance, Press 3”

Listen for a response and watch your screen for the digits being pressed by the caller. If the caller is responsive, gather as much information as possible by asking YES or NO questions and advise the caller to:

•	Press 4 for YES and 5 for NO

If none of these procedures elicits a response, contact the designated law enforcement agency shown on the ALI screen and give notification of the silent or open line call. If any doubt exists as to the status of a call or the safety of the caller, always send POLICE to check on the well-being of the caller.

While awaiting units to arrive, keep the line open and repeat the questions periodically. Continue to listen for sounds from the caller or background noises. Reassure the caller that assistance is being sent. Inform responding units of any changes in caller or location status.

The sole exception to the above procedure is when the ALI indicates that the silent call is from a bank or retail store.  In that case, notify the local law enforcement agency immediately. The open line may indicate that the facility and/or staff are the victim of a robbery or other threat. 

In order for call takers to effectively communicate with TTY callers, all personnel are required to be trained and familiarized with the use of the TTY equipment and TTY protocols prior to call handling assignment. Following initial training, all call takers should participate in periodic refresher training. 

Refresher training may include practice calls, reviews of agency “silent” call policies, reading applicable state & federal ADA guidelines and attending meetings with local members of the deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired public to better understand the deaf culture and their needs. 

In order to maintain call taker TTY skills, ensure proper equipment and system functionality and achieve statutory compliance, each call taker should periodically practice sending and receiving both “silent” TTY calls and calls which transmit an initial TTY tone. The tests should be both planned and unannounced, utilizing the various features of the TTY equipment. Statute requires that each 9-1-1 position be tested no less than monthly and operators be tested no less than quarterly. Messages should include the use of common TTY abbreviations as used by the deaf community. 

Test calls may also be conducted by calling actual members of the deaf community in the agency’s jurisdiction to improve public relations and education in the availability of 9-1-1 as the approved TTY emergency number.

The agency should maintain records of all call taker training and record the results of all test calls conducted to include, at a minimum; the date and time of the test call, identification of the call taker and position, and whether the call was a “silent” or transmitted tones, along with notations of whether the call was processed acceptably according to the agency’s procedures.   

(Note:  This sample policy is for guidance and reference purposes to assist Public Safety Answer Points (PSAPs) in developing individualized policies.  Any policy adopted by a PSAP should be tailored to its specific situation and resources and comply with all applicable laws and regulations, including, without limitation, workplace safety and anti-discrimination laws.  Where appropriate, PSAPs should consult with legal counsel.  The State of Maine makes no representations with respect to the appropriateness of this sample policy as it pertains to individual PSAPs and assumes no liability with respect to any third-party claim.  This sample policy is of a general informational and educational nature.  This sample policy is provided with the understanding that it is not legal advice or intended to create an evidentiary standard, or a standard of care or safety that is not otherwise established in the industry.)

4/1/2019