Fairbanks police yet to work out kinks in automated calling system
Published Friday, November 21, 2008
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Stumble It!FAIRBANKS — Fairbanks police used a powerful new tool to help find a missing autistic boy last week.
When the 11-year-old Joy Elementary School student wandered away from the school, police used an automated telephone system to call hundreds of people in the area to keep a lookout for the boy.
“It could make the difference between a positive outcome or not,” Police Chief Dan Hoffman said of the new system.
Police installed the system, which allows them to call every number in any region of the city within minutes, earlier this year, but it has only been used a handful of times.
Hoffman said the calls go out in cases of missing children, toxic spills or other events that might be dangerous to the general public.
However, there were some kinks in the system.
Though the recorded message only directed the public to be on the lookout for the boy and contact police if he was seen, Lt. Tara Tippett, the watch commander on duty that night, said dispatchers were inundated by unnecessary calls from people asking for more information or what more they could do to help.
Such return calls are unnecessary, she said.
“Some people who get the calls don’t want them,” she said. “But if your kid was missing, wouldn’t you want the call to go out?”
The boy reported missing last week was found three hours later by a cab driver after taxi drivers had been alerted by police. However, Tippett said the department had been hit by so many calls, the driver had to call 911.
“It takes at least 30 seconds or a minute to explain what’s going on to people,” she said. “If we get 100 calls, that ties up dispatchers for an hour, an hour and a half.”
Community Discussion
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Let me get this straight, the cops send an automated call out to hundreds of people, and don't expect hundreds of people to call back.
Well, that shows yet another sign of the lack of common sense amongst our local law enforcement.
Sounds like a people problem rather than a system problem.
Seems to me that when the call goes out there should be enough info in the call to tell the person on the receiving end what type of emergency there is and what to do. In the case of the missing boy, hopefully there was a good description of the child and a message of who to call if the child was found.
I would think most people with common sense would realize you don't call and inundate the emergency system with basic information type questions during an emergency.
So I guess I disagree with BahbtheLibertarian on his/her idea of common sense. The only reason they would expect to get hundreds of calls back was if hundreds of people saw the missing child since the child had gone missing and they were able to assist the emergency workers in locating or returning the missing child.
It might help if the City work with the local media to advise our community of the program and give instructions on what people can do when this type of situation takes place. I'm sure Dermot Cole would be happy to add a few lines in his column to get the word out. I'm sure that there are a lots of parents in the community that if they new of a situation would be willing to help.
Yes Bahb, clearly our local law enforcement is ridiculous for thinking they could quickly and effectively disseminate some very important information without every person calling back. Sheesh, don't be ridiculous.
If I had received the call that day, I would have just assumed that they gave me all the information they had available and I would've probably gone looking for the boy. It IS common sense to not call dispatch asking for more info. If they had it at the time the call was made and they could pass it out, they clearly would have done so.
When using this system to find a missing child, FPD would be wise to work with the local media (tv, radio & FDNM's website) to get the word out & as well as provide additional information and constant updates.
Just so you know this system is in place for all 911 centers in the borough to use (and there are 4 - FPD, UAF, AST, andthe Airport) - and in a pinch it is a great way to get info out fast, especially if emergency evacuations are needed - the sytem, if used in conjunction with the local radio and tv stations can be a lifesaver and time saver, especially in a dispatch center that only has one dispatcher on duty (as a few in our area do). Course it is intersting to see the critics w/their posts - if you want more info on the system contact borough emergency management or one of the local 911 dispatch cemters - I am sure they would be more than happy to inform you how the system can save lives, but then again with any public service agency the critics will always be there - always looking for the chance to bash.
As a parent I cannot tell you how it felt to get that call. I was shaken up that there were parents out there that had lost their child and yes, the urgency to help was overwhelming. So we got in the car and drove around our neighborhood a couple times. On the other hand I was amazed...I had no idea FBKS had that in place and if one of my kids were missing, the fact that the community would know (and hopefully go look) was reassuring. Maybe just a DO NOT RESPOND unless you have information is needed at the end of the message? I am thankful the Automated Amber Alert is in place...THANKS FAIRBANKS!
When I first heard the Police were installing some new upgrades for the Amber Alert system, I thought they were talking about media blitzes.
I was very surprised to come to work with multiple automated messages on my desk phone about a missing child from the evening before.
Maybe a little better advertising on FPD's part explaining what their upgrades are and what to expect in the future would help prevent confusion.
-RK
Again, it's not just FPD's system, I believe it was provided by Borough Emergency Management and is used by ALL dispatch centers in the borough.
When you call FPD they could save money by having a recording telling you to come down and fill out a report instead of a live person. It's not like they send someone out.
I miss Dragnet, now there was police work! Just the facts lady.
Hey Police Chief:
There's one other little bug that wasn't mentioned. There were LOTS of calls to businesses after they had closed. All those automated calls had to be answered by after hours dispatchers and operators, effectively bogging down phone lines for people who had their own emergencies and problems.
You need to brief your announcement down as such:
This a Fairbanks Amber alert. Please press 1 to hear the information or press 3 to edit your call preferences. Thank you. (call hangs up in 5 seconds)
The information could contain a number to call in for updates and info. This would give your system the added ability to track it's effectiveness.
The opt 3, would allow people to edit a schedule of when the system can or can't call this number. For instance it will set up days of the week and times during those days, the system can broadcast an amber alert to that number. It would also let them opt out of being called at all.
This would make the system more effective and cause less disruption to other calling systems.
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