Clinton County Cental Dispatch dispatches all Police, Fire, and EMS in our County. We dispatch for 8 fire departments, 7 police departments including the Clinton County Sheriff´s Office and Frankfort Police, as well as 6 EMS agencies.

Cental Dispatch began operation on January 3, 2011. Central Dispatch combined the dispatch centers from the Clinton County Sheriff´s Office, Frankfort Police Department and the Frankfort Fire Department into one new state of the art facility located in the lower level of the Clinton County Sheriff´s Office at 301 E Walnut St, Frankfort.

Central Dispatch has 16 full time Communication Officers. The men and women of CCCD work 12 hour shifts from 7:00 - 7:00.

The Communication Officers are crossed trained in all aspects of public safety and can handle any call that comes into the center. They are certified as Emergency Medical Dispatcher´s (EMD) which allows them to give pre-arrival instructions on medical calls until first responders arrive on scene. They are also certified as Fire Service Dispatcher´s (FSD), and Law Enforcement Dispatch (LED).

When to Call

• Anytime you need help with an emergency
• When someone is hurt or needs medical help due to an illness such as stroke or heart attack, or needs emergency medical help of any kind
• When you see smoke or a fire of unknown origin
• When you see someone else being hurt
• When you believe a crime is being committed
• Anytime you are injured in an accident
• Anytime you need help - such as disabled on the side of the highway

When NOT to call

• NEVER call 911 as a joke
• NEVER call 911 and hang up
• NEVER call 911 to ask for information. Always dial the administrative telephone number located in your local telephone book when you need to ask a question.
• NEVER call 911 just to see if it works

A 911 Call

It is very important for the community to understand what happens during a 911 call. We receive two different types of 911 calls. First we will discuss landline calls. A landline call is a call that will come from a home or business line. A landline provides us with critical information from the beginning. Upon answering the 911 call from a landline, it will give us the name of the resident or business, the address and city as well as what agency would respond to the address. A wireless call is one that is placed from a mobile device. When we answer a wireless 911 call we only recieve the telephone number and the wireless provider (such as AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, etc). When we answer 911 it should plot on our map, however a wireless call may not plot an exact location.

You need to be prepared to help us help you. It is very important for people to know where they are. If you are in an unfamiliar area, you need to be able to look for street/road signs or anything that will help describe your location. We cannot encourage people enough to pay attention to your surroundings. We want to get help to you as quickly as possible but knowing where to send the help is the first task.

When the Communication Officer answers 911, they say "911 where is your emergency?" The reason we ask that question first is if we would get disconnected we would know where to send help to assist the caller. We will then ask the caller´s name as well as confirm the call back number. We will then determine the chief complaint of the caller. Based off the information from the caller determines how the call will be handled.

Answering questions does not necessarily delay the dispatch of assistance. Many times one us is sending help your way while the other takes additional information from you. The more pertinent information you give us, the safer everyone will be. It is important to keep you safe as well as the responders. We need you to be our eyes and ears. Please do not hang up until we tell you it is ok to hang up. While on 911 with us, if it becomes unsafe for you to speak it is alright. We are trained to listen. Please leave the phone line open. We will continue to listen to what is happening and update responders.

In 2014, a statewide deployment of text-to-9-1-1 was implemented through the texTTY platform. The implementation allows us to send and recieve texts to 911. The texts to 911 is very beneficial to our hearing impaired as well as times when it would be unsafe to speak.

Texty Text-to-9-1-1

How do I text-to-911

• Find the message or messaging icon or menu choice on your phone. Do not use a text app you downloaded.
    • Select 'create a new text message'
    • Put 911 in the TO:: field
    • Put your emergency and your location in the message body
    • Do not attach or send pictures or videos
    • Keep your message short and do not use abbreviations

Make a voice call when you can. Text if you cannot make a voice call, or if a voice call would put you in danger. Text-to-911 is not as fast as making a voice call. The 911 center may ask you to make a voice call if you don't know your location.

What else do I need to know

    • Your phone must be able to send a text message. You can find out by texting a friend or family member to be certain
    • Text-to-911 allows limited location information so it is important that you provide your location within your text message. It can be delayed.
    • If text-to-911 doesn't go through, you will get a 'bounce-back' message telling you to make a voice call to 911

Severe Weather Information

Central Dispatch is in charge of activating the Tornado Sirens for the County.

The sirens are activated upon notification of a Tornado Warning being issues or a confirmed sighting of a tornado. We have a total of 9 sirens in Clinton County. The sirens can be activated for the entire County or into segments (NE quad, NW quad, SE quad, SW quad) based off if the warning is for the entire County or just a specific section of the County.

It is important to understand that the sirens are not meant to be heard inside buildings, however many do hear them due to the proximity. Tornado sirens are meant to notify people who are outside to know to seek shelter.

On the first Saturday of each month at 11:00am we will conduct a 30 second audible test fo the tornado sirens.

We encourage everyone to purchase a Weather Alert Radio. They are relatively inexpensive and can be purchased at many stores. The weather alert radio can be programed specifically to our County and what you want to be alerted to. They will sound an audible alert when a notification has been issued. It can be loud enough to assist in waking you during inclement weather in the middle of the night.

Please also see out Ling to sign up for Nixle Alerts an to learn more about them.

Tornadoes

A tornado is a violent storm with whirling winds of up to 300 miles per hour. It appears as a funnel shaped cloud, from gray to black in color, which extends to the ground from the base of a thunderstorm. Tornadoes move at an average speed of 30 MPH and generally move from the southwest to northeast. Their direction of travel can be erratic and may change suddenly. These short-lived storms are the most violent of all atmospheric phenomena and the most destructive over a small area. Tornadoes are most likely to occur during the mid-afternoon and evening hours and during the months of April, May, and June. However, they can occur at any time, often with little or no warning.

The National Weather Service broadcasts severe weather conditions on radio, TV, or NOAA Weather Radio. A tornado WATCH means conditions are right for a tornado to occur. A tornado WARNING indicates a tornado has been sighted in the posted area or is visible on radar. A location of the sighting is normally given along with its projected movement.

Tornado watches:

• Stay tuned to a local radio or television station or listen to your NOAA Weather Radio
• Secure any loose objects outdoors, or move them inside
• Survey local structures for the most suitable shelter
• Keep watching the sky to the south and southwest. If you see any funnel-shaped clouds, report them immediately to the nearest law enforcement agency and take cover

Tornado warnings:

A tornado has been spotted near your area or is predicted to come your way. Take shelter immediately. Do not leave shelter until you are sure no further danger exists. Remember, there is no guaranteed safe place during a tornado. However, there are some locations that are better than others.

In a motor vehicle: The least desirable place to be during a tornado is in a motor vehicle. Never try to outrun a tornado in your car. Stop your vehicle and seek shelter elsewhere. Do not get under or next to your vehicle. A ditch or ground depression will help, if a tornado is not nearby.

At school: Follow the school disaster plan. Stay away from auditoriums, gymnasiums, and other areas with wide, free-span roofs. Go into center hallways and stay away from windows.
Open country: Move away from the tornado's projected path at right angles. Seek shelter in a ditch, ravine, or culvert. Even a low spot in the ground will give you some protection. Stay away from trees and remember to protect your head.

In a residence: The best place to go is the innermost hallway, on the lowest floor. An interior closet is relatively safe; an interior bathroom is even better. Not only does a bathroom have four walls closely tied together, but the plumbing helps hold the structure together. In addition, the bathtub, sink, and toilet help support debris in case the house collapses. One basic rule to follow is to avoid windows. Flying debris causes most of the causualties and the worst kind of flying debris is broken glass. Do not open any windows to equalize pressure when a tornado approaches. If a tornado actually gets close enough for a pressure drop to be experienced, the strong winds have already caused the most significant damage. Opening windows, in fact, may actually increase damage.

In a mobile home: One of the least desirable places to be during a tornado is in a mobile home. If a tornado approaches seek other shelter immediately. Go to a tornado shelter on foot, if possible. Do not drive your car. Do not get under your mobile home; if no other shelter is available, lie down in a ditch or ground depression.

Thunderstorms

Some thunderstorms can be seen approaching, while others hit without warning. It is important to learn and recognize the danger signs and to plan ahead.

A severe thunderstorm watch is issued by the National Weather Service when the weather conditions are such that a severe thunderstorm (damaging winds 58 miles per hour or more, or hail three-fourths of an inch in diameter or greater) is likely to develop. This is the time to locate a safe place in the home and tell family members to watch the sky and listen to the radio or television for more information.

A severe thunderstorm warning is issued when a severe thunderstorm has been sighted or indicated by weather radar. At this point, the danger is very serious and everyone should go to a safe place, turn on a battery-operated radio or television, and wait for the "all clear" by the authorities.

Learn how to respond to a tornado and flash flood.  Tornadoes are spawned by thunderstorms and flash flooding can occur with thunderstorms. When a "severe thunderstorm warning" is issued, review what actions to take under a "tornado warning" or a "flash flood warning."

Develop an emergency communication plan
In case family members are separated from one another during a thunderstorm (a real possibility during the day when adults are at work and children are at school), have a plan for getting back together. Ask an out-of-state relative or friend to serve as the "family contact". After a disaster, it's often easier to call long distance. Make sure everyone knows the name, address, and phone number of the contact person.

Before a Storm

Learn the thunderstorm danger signs:

  Dark, towering, or threatening clouds
  Distant lightning and thunder

Have disaster supplies on hand:
  Flashlight with extra batteries
  Portable, battery-operated radio and extra batteries
  First aid kit and manual
  Emergency food and water
  Non-electric can opener
  Essential medicines
  Cash and credit cards
  Sturdy shoes

Check for hazards in the yard

Dead or rotting trees and branches can fall during a severe thunderstorm and cause injury and damage

Make sure that all family members know how to respond after a thunderstorm. Also, teach children how and when to call 9-1-1, police, fire department, and which radio station to tune for emergency information

During a Storm

If Indoors:

   Secure outdoor objects such as lawn furniture that could blow away or cause damage or injury. Take light objects inside
   Shutter windows securely and brace outside doors
   Listen to a battery operated radio or television for the latest storm information
   Do not handle any electrical equipment or telephones because lightning could follow the wire. Television sets are particularly dangerous at this time.
   Avoid bathtubs, water faucets, and sinks because metal pipes can transmit electricity

If outdoors:

   Attempt to get into a building or car
   If no structure is available, get to an open space an squat low to the ground as quickly as possible. If in the woods, find an area protected by low clump of trees--never stand underneath a single large tree in the open. Be aware of the potential for flooding in low-lying areas
   Crouch with hands on knees
   Avoid tall structures such as towers, tall trees, fences, telephone lines, or power lines
   Stay away from natural lightning rods such as golf clubs, tractors, fishing rods, bicycles, or camping equipment
   Stay from rivers, lakes, or other bodies of water
   If you are isolated in a level field or prairie and you feel your hair stand on end (which indicates that lightning is about to strike), bend forward, putting your hands on your knees. A position with feet together and crouching while removing all metal objects is recommended. Do not lie flat on the ground.

If in a car:

   Pull onto the shoulder of the road away from any trees that could fall on the vehicle.
   Stay in the car and turn on the emergency flashers until the heavy rains subside.
   Avoid flooded roadways.

We also encourage everyone to sign up for Nixle alerts. Nixle is a service that we offer to anyone who wants to stay up to date on current events happening in Clinton County. We send out notifications on weather, road closures, traffic hazards, etc. When you sign up for Nixle, you can customize it to your needs. We send out text messages as well as e-mails. You can sign up for Nixle at www.nixle.com or Click on the logo at the top of this page.

Contact Numbers

Emergency Dial 911

Non-Emergency Numbers that ring into dispatch

• City Police requiring an officer: 765-654-4431
• Sheriff and or Town Marshall requiring an officer: 765-654-5563
• Fire or EMS: 765-654-7212

Contact Numbers outside of dispatch:

• Clinton County Sheriff Administration: 765-654-6393
• Clinton County Jail (Inmate Information): 765-659-6396
• Clinton County Investigations/Sex Offender: 765-659-6395
• Clinton County Civil and Criminal Records Division: 765-659-6373

• Frankfort Police Administration: 765-654-4245
• Frankfort Investigations: 765-654-4277

• Frankfort Fire Administration: 765-654-4329

Helpful Links

Nixle

Facebook

Twitter @ClintonCo911

Indiana Dept. of Transportation

Indiana Dept. of Homeland Security County Travel Status