Mission Statement

To effectively provide the vital link between emergency responders and citizens during times of need.

Statement of Fundamental Values

Accountability – We are accountable to the citizens, and accept responsibility for our decisions and actions.

Achievement – We continually strive for a higher level of excellence through training, certification, recertification, and continuing education.

Compassion – We treat all people with dignity, care, and concern. We are empathetic to the needs of others. We are respectful and courteous always.

Cooperation – We anticipate the needs of our co-workers and work together to help each other succeed for the benefit of all.

Innovation – We continually seek new ideas to improve our effectiveness, and develop existing methods to reduce redundancy.

Leadership – We are self directed and motivated. We lead by example. We quickly identify problems, produce solutions, and act decisively to ensure that our responsibilities are met and that our community remains safe.

Priority Dispatch: International Academies of Emergency Dispatch

City of Lawton Emergency Communications is proud to utilize Fire, Medical, and Police dispatch protocol systems certified by the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED).

The Academy began in 1988 as a standards-setting organization for the field of emergency medical dispatch. Since its inception, IAED has worked to develop and maintain dispatch protocols and curriculum for member use in response to emergency calls for help.

The original program, created more than 35 years ago by Dr. Jeff Clawson, was comprised of a set of key questions and instructions (post-dispatch and pre-arrival) for medical emergencies that dispatchers could provide over the telephone. High dispatcher compliance to a medically approved, standardized protocol was Dr. Clawson's concept for managing emergency service resources in critical patient care.

Today, this system of dispatch instruction has evolved into three separate protocols for Medical, Fire & Police. The protocols are based upon the same time-proven methods developed with over 35 years of research, testing, and quality assurance.

Training

All city telecommunicators are trained and nationally certified in interrogation techniques, pre-arrival instructions, and call prioritization. The training includes techniques for airway management, bleeding control, CPR, and childbirth. Telecommunicators also receive instruction for providing help to callers in danger, for example, who may be trapped in a burning building or a sinking vehicle. These types of instructions improve safety for everyone involved while allowing for a streamlined arrival interface when help arrives at the incident location.

All training is provided by International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED) instructors.

Continuing Dispatch Education (CDE) ensures that staff members remain current with procedures, updates to protocols, department policies and ever-changing technologies. CDE is accomplished through a combination of methods including on-duty training, instructor lead in-service sessions and partnering with our various public-safety partners.

Continuous Quality Improvement

We have established a comprehensive Quality Assurance program which includes the review of a random sampling of telephone calls (9-1-1 calls, emergency calls, and non-emergency calls).

The program is designed to ensure that our customers receive the highest level of service, and that departmental policies, procedures, and protocols are followed.

The Quality Assurance program works in conjunction with our training team to develop continuing dispatch education programs designed to strengthen and improve the skills and the knowledge of our personnel.

Immediate Instructions Provided to the Caller

Our department believes that safe and effective emergency services start with a consistent and professional emergency dispatch program. When you have an emergency, you call 9-1-1, but you should not have to wait minutes before you or a loved one is given medical attention.

The use of nationally recognized, medically managed and locally supported protocols ensures that each 9-1-1 caller receives emergency medical care that is consistent with current standards. Telecommunicators gather information about the problem and are able to provide instructions that have been proven to save lives. We call this a “zero-minute response time”.

For example, a person who found a suspicious package is given specific instructions for their safety and anyone else in the immediate area. Should the caller report they are trapped in a burning building, Telecommunicators will provide potentially life-saving instructions (such as ‘don’t use the elevators’). Our goal is to prevent bad situations from becoming even worse.

How it Works

The Fire, Medical, and Police Priority Dispatch Systems use a series of scripted questions designed to gather specific information to determine a priority response level as follows:

• “E” (Echo) Response: Life-Threatening Emergency — patient not breathing (choking, hanging, drowning), person trapped in sinking vehicle, active assailant, officer needs assistance
• “D” (Delta) Response: Life-Threatening Emergency — Chest pain, difficulty breathing, unconsciousness, seizures, dangerous bleeding, structure fire, serious vehicle crashes, domestic disturbance
• “C” (Charlie) Response: Potentially Life-Threatening Emergency — Difficulty breathing, non-responsive, stroke, substance overdose, diabetic problems, serious injury, fire alarms, wires down, fuel spill, suspicious person
• “B” (Bravo) Response: Unknown Situation, Serious bleeding/injury, pregnancy, psychiatric problems, outside gas leak, lightning strike, small outside fire, delayed report law calls
• “A” (Alpha) Response: Non-life-threatening situation with a likely potential for patient transport, citizen assist calls
• “O” (Omega) Response: These are calls for such things as accidental poisonings, which may be referred to other agencies, like Poison Control

Any of the above response modes may be upgraded or downgraded as new information is received. This ensures that the Telecommunicator processing your call is able to change the priority of the call if they believe, in their experience, that the situation described is much worse (or much better) than what was suggested by the system.

Program and Medical Direction

Emergency Communications works collaboratively with the Lawton Police Department, Lawton Fire Department, and local emergency response agencies to maintain open lines of communication in an effort to make sure we are providing the best possible service to the community.

Dr. Bill Worden, D.O.,  from Heartland Medical serves as our Medical Director. In this role, Dr. Worden provides direction in medical issues related to dispatch. 

Form Directory

This list of forms will help us provide a better service for the City of Lawton and all Comanche County citizens. Please fill out the appropriate form for your information request/submission.

These forms are NOT to be used for any current problems or emergency issues. Always dial 911 in emergency situations, or our non-emergency line at 580-581-3272.

The Agency Records Request form is only for use by responding agencies in the Comanche County area. These records are only released to verified staff through secure methods. Open Records for citizens can be requested through the Lawton Police Department’s Records division at 580-581-3233.

Click Here for list of Forms.