Code of Massachusetts Regulations
560 CMR - STATE 911 DEPARTMENT
Title 560 CMR 5.00 - Establishing Certification Requirements For Enhanced 911 Telecommunicators, Governing Emergency Medical Dispatch, And Establishing 911 Call Handling Procedures
Section 5.10 - Call Handling Procedures
Current through Register 1531, September 27, 2024
The following call handling procedures shall apply to all 911 calls in the Commonwealth.
(1) Call Answering. When answering a 911 call that is delivered on a 911 line, the enhanced 911 telecommunicator shall answer the call with the following or a similar greeting: "911, this line is recorded, Where is Your Emergency?" The enhanced 911 telecommunicator shall not identify the PSAP as a particular agency.
When answering a call that is delivered on the two-way emergency line or the one-way inter-PSAP line, the enhanced 911 telecommunicator shall answer the call by identifying the PSAP by name.
The enhanced 911 telecommunicator shall verify with each 911 caller the ALI data and shall determine the exact location to which the caller needs emergency personnel dispatched. The need for assistance may not necessarily be at the location of the 911 caller.
(2) Call Transfer. Each primary PSAP, regional PSAP, RECC, and wireless state police PSAP shall be permitted to transfer 911 calls to a secondary PSAP, limited secondary PSAP, regional secondary PSAP, ringing PSAP, public safety department, or private safety department.
No caller shall be procedurally required to speak with more than three enhanced 911 telecommunicators. The three enhanced 911 telecommunicators may consist of an enhanced 911 telecommunicator at a wireless state police PSAP, an enhanced 911 telecommunicator at a primary PSAP, regional PSAP, or RECC, and an enhanced 911 telecommunicator at a secondary PSAP, limited secondary PSAP, regional secondary PSAP, ringing PSAP, public safety department or private safety department. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a 911 call is inadvertently transferred or misrouted to the wrong agency, the receiving agency shall gather the necessary information and transfer the call or relay the information to the proper agency.
In all instances, the transferring enhanced 911 telecommunicator shall advise the caller to stay on the line and not hang up while the call is being transferred. In all instances the transferring enhanced 911 telecommunicator shall verify the location of the emergency prior to transferring the call and shall stayon the line until the receiving enhanced 911 telecommunicator acknowledges receipt of the call to verify that the transfer was successful.
A PSAP, RECC, public safety department, or private safety department that receives a request for emergency service outside of its jurisdiction shall immediately forward the request to the appropriate PSAP or public safety department responsible for the geographical area.
(3) Special Circumstances.