Entering A New World Of Police Protocol

My introduction and involvement with the Police Priority Dispatch System^™ (PPDS^®) was a bit of a one-off. About three years ago, the DeKalb County Police Department (Georgia, USA) was approached about a Police Protocol demo. Since we’d been using the medical and fire protocols, we had some interest in police but hadn’t bitten the bullet. We agreed to see the demo. 

At that time, our director was retiring, so she turned over the implementation process to the police department. My name was thrown out there to lead the efforts. I felt like an outsider entering a new world. It was overwhelming, but I built my confidence from the ground up. 

My field training had included a few shifts on the dispatch floor, though it was more of an introduction than a great grasp of how things operate there. I’ve since grown to appreciate the multifaceted role of Emergency Dispatchers managing radios, multiple computer screens, CAD, and calls at once. They really are slammed with requests for background checks and updates—and they deserve the best tools available to help them prioritize it all. 

Though my own experience was mainly as a sergeant on the road, I found myself making choices on Jurisdictionally Approved Questions (JAQs) and response assignments—which I now realize is not the typical process, but it put me in a unique position to make an impact.

Field perspective

We built a committee that included field officers, sergeants, lieutenants, a major—about 10 of us in total. Our first step was to certify as Emergency Police Dispatchers (EPDs) to get a more accurate feeling for the job and the tools needed to do it well. And we kept that hands-on approach from roll calls in the field to implementation in the center. 

Because we’re a pretty big agency, we’ve focused on building communication pathways by involving the road crew as much as possible. We have liaisons at each precinct, field responder forms, and ways to contact us directly to handle questions. We feel it’s important to know what the other side is doing and why. 

For instance, when the Emergency Dispatcher asks the caller for a description of a firearm, they may wonder why that matters. But as a police officer, I need to know how to approach the situation safely. There’s a big difference between a handgun and a long gun with a big clip. With that information, I’m going to respond differently, starting with how I exit my vehicle. 

As I taught these aspects as part of our in-house certification course for our Emergency Dispatchers, I was able to build rapport as an extension of our police team. It has been a special experience to check in on our team and build trust and communication that helps all of us succeed.

Gaining appreciation

When our Emergency Dispatchers first began using the PPDS, they hated it, mostly because it was something new. But we quickly worked past that discomfort. I felt I was in an unusually well-suited position to explain “the why” behind the Protocol, which has made it more relatable. From a supervisory standpoint, a big selling point for me was the Police Protocol’s breakdown of calls. We came from a place where our former “domestic” calls could have meant almost anything. We weren’t able to prioritize requests because we lacked information. 

With the PPDS, we were able to distinguish between family and domestic disputes, custody issues, and keep-the-peace situations. We had a clear picture of whether a confrontation was in progress and other risk factors such as the presence of weapons. 

In a busy precinct where there are 30 calls on hold regularly, it’s good to define situations in the broad spectrum so that a police report of a missed visitation can be left pending while an active dispute is handled first. From a legal standpoint, we can justify our call prioritization, and that increases our capability and efficiency. Though I had seen ProQA^® function with medical and fire calls before, I had never realized what it could do for us as a police department. As we continue, we’ve added more features—such as an online reporting system about to go live—to tie together with the PPDS, breaking down our response assignments even more. I monitor our CAD system from the back end daily, just to ensure those one-off calls come through clearly on the officer’s end. 

Though the CAD display can be a little difficult to get used to with more information collected and transmitted, you have to build familiarity, just like using the protocols at the dispatch center. As an officer, it’s a relief to trust the protocol through critical calls, knowing that what is coming on my screen prioritizes safety for officers, callers, and citizens alike. Our EPDs don’t need to panic, invent questions, or lose control of the call or situation when stakes are highest.

Outstanding results

The hard work pays off. And though we knew the ACE process from the medical and fire points of view, we knew police was going to have its own challenges because it’s a much more fluid discipline. Mastering Chief Complaint selection alone takes a lot of patience and training. I’ve been so impressed with the progress we’ve made as a team. Their diligence and commitment make me work harder in my own role. 

I’ve become an IAED^™ EPD Instructor, and I’m now working as a Quality Assurance Supervisor. Just over two years after our go-live date (Feb. 26, 2024), we were named the IAED’s 40^th police ACE on March 3, 2026, completing our center’s designation of triple ACE. I’m so proud of this huge achievement and also glad to be named the newest member of the IAED's Police Council of Standards. 

We not only value our high compliance to the protocol, but we feel that we have a part in shaping it. We have invested in bringing questions and sticky points to the Academy, and we’ve had them respond—sometimes with leadership flying out and showing up in person to troubleshoot alongside us. It feels unusual to have protocol experts take my thoughts and put them into practice. 

For instance, while I was attending an instructor course, I received complaints about “shots fired” appearing on our CAD on Protocol 135: Weapons/Firearms. Our field responders pictured a gunfight with heightened stress as they approached the incident. The IAED changed the wording in version 7.1 and put a note to explain to calltakers that hearing “shots fired” can be a trigger point for responding officers.

Conclusion

A few of our local agencies have been in a race to ACE alongside us with a bit of healthy competition and a whole lot of support. We participate in a statewide Q group that meets quarterly to build rapport and bounce ideas off each other. 

As we look back on where we’ve come from, we wonder why we waited so long to get on board with the Police Protocol. But I’m glad we did because it’s been a highlight of my career to lay down the groundwork for the future.