911 Communications
As the primary Public Safety Answering Point, the Kent County Office of Emergency Services Communications Division answers all calls for help through 9-1-1, after hours through the Kent County Sheriff’s Office administrative lines and the Chestertown Police Department administrative lines, as well as OES administrative lines. In response to these calls, Emergency Services Dispatchers provide dispatch for 7 Volunteer Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Medical Service Companies throughout the county, the Kent County OES Emergency Medical Division, the Kent County Services Office, Chestertown Police Department, and Rock Hall Police Department, Kent County Animal Control, as well as after hours for other Kent County Agencies.
The Emergency Services Dispatchers (ESD) obtain information from the callers by using a protocol system, known as Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD), Emergency Fire Dispatch (EFD), and Emergency Police Dispatch (EPD). These protocols allow the ESD to ask the caller a series of questions, obtaining specific information about the patient or incident. ESDs provide Safety information and Pre-Arrival Instructions to citizens reporting an emergency. All Kent County OES ESD’s are National Certified by the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch.
The ESDs retrieve data from the National Crime Information Center and Maryland Electronic Telecommunications Enforcement Resource System data networks to provide Law Enforcement Officers with information pertaining to vehicle registration, driver’s license, wanted or missing persons, and stolen property.
A 9-1-1 educational outreach program is offered to Elementary School students throughout the county. Upon request, a 9-1-1 Simulator telephone is taken to the classroom to teach children how to use the telephone to contact 9-1-1. Education is also provided to students on the dangers of misusing 9-1-1 and the Emergency Services System in Kent County.
Our Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services (RACES) team is a group of amateur radio operators who provide backup communications via two-way radios to assist during emergencies and disasters. RACES personnel are activated when requested by the Director of Emergency Services.