Communications

The Shelburne Communications Center (SCC) operates under the auspices of the Shelburne Police Department, but we are extremely proud of our service to all Public Safety Agencies.

The SCC is often referred to as “Shelburne Dispatch” or “Shelburne PSAP” and serves as a regional Emergency Communications Center. We operate as a primary and secondary Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) and Public Safety Dispatching Point (PSDP). The Center answers 9-1-1 calls for 18 communities and dispatches for 23 agencies from 22 communities.

The SCC serves a population of approximately 52,494 residing in 23,123 homes within 21 different communities. The service area covers a land mass of approximately 643 square miles, 62 square miles of water and 1054 miles of roads.

The SCC dispatches thousands of calls yearly requiring Emergency Medical Services (EMS), including First Responders and Ambulance Crews. These calls range from:

• Abdominal Pain/Injury
• Allergic Reactions
• Breathing Problems
• Burns
• Chest Pain/Injury
• Cardiac Arrest
• Choking
• Diabetic Problems
• Falls
• Fractures
• Stroke
• Motor Vehicle Crashes

The Emergency Communications Technician (ECT) also referred to as Call-taker or Dispatcher is often the first link to a patient in a Medical Emergency, whether they call via 9-1-1, or through a non-emergency line. For all calls requiring EMS assistance, the ECT collects all pertinent information about the emergency, dispatches the appropriate resources, and then offers incident specific Medical Pre-Arrival Instructions.

All ECT’s are certified as Emergency Medical Dispatchers (EMD’s) by the Vermont Enhanced 9-1-1 Board. This certification provides the ECT with the knowledge required to properly process medical related calls utilizing the Board’s EMD Manual. The EMD Manual is divided into common medical emergencies or injury call types. Once the ECT has identified the call type, specific Medical Questions will be asked and appropriate Medical Pre-Arrival Instruction will be offered to the caller. All information obtained from the caller will be relayed to the EMS Crews, allowing for better pre-hospital patient care.

During the past few years multiple calls have been received by the SCC from callers requesting Medical Pre-Arrival Instructions only. Due to the liability of providing these instructions, the SCC will only provide Medical Pre-Arrival Instructions in conjunction with the response of the appropriate EMS Provider. If you are looking for information relating to a medical problem, please consult with your personal physician.

As needed, the ECT will offer directions to the Ambulance and First Response Crews, utilizing the Enhanced 9-1-1 computerized mapping system. The ECT is also authorized to dispatch Backup Agencies based on the call type or incident location using the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system. The utilization of these systems and the EMD Manual are designed to help reduce response times and allow for better pre-hospital patient care.