Why do Public Safety Telecommunicators ask so many questions?

The Telecommunicators answers a 9-1-1 call with the question "9-1-1, where is your emergency?" The address or specific location is the most critical piece of information we can gather. If we do not have a location of the problem, how can we send help?

Public Safety Telecommunicators ask questions based on protocols that help determine what's wrong and how many responders need to go. The questions that are asked are to protect the public and the first responders. Remember, the Public Safety Telecommunicators work on a Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system and while they are questioning you, they are also entering the information for a Telecommunicator who is actually the one sending the first responders to you. By answering questions concerning medical conditions or suspect information, you may be able to provide the information needed to get the best response possible.

In the case of medical calls, Public Safety Telecommunicators ask very specific questions that allow them to provide pre-arrival instructions, like talking you through CPR, that may help save a life until the first responders arrive.