Emergency Medical Dispatch

When you call 9-1-1, help begins with the person who answers. Stratford Public Safety Communications Center (SPSCC) dispatchers gather essential information, coordinate emergency responders, and provide instructions to help you until assistance arrives.

The center serves as Stratford’s primary public safety answering point (PSAP), handling emergency calls and dispatching police, fire, and EMS personnel 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Contact the Communications Center

  • Emergency calls: 9-1-1

  • Routine calls: (203) 385-4100

For general inquiries, complaints, or other non-emergency matters concerning the communications center:

Superintendent JP Sredzinski
(203) 381-2087
jsredzinski@townofstratford.com

Supervisor Heather Admans
(203) 381-2087
hadmans@townofstratford.com

Trained to Help Before Responders Arrive

SPSCC dispatchers are trained Connecticut public safety telecommunicators with additional training in emergency police, fire, and medical dispatch through the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED).emergencydispatch

Their responsibilities extend beyond answering calls and sending responders. Dispatchers support field personnel, relay critical information, monitor emergency incidents, coordinate notifications, and assist with the Town’s emergency operations.

During a medical emergency, an emergency medical dispatcher asks structured questions to understand what is happening and provides instructions appropriate to the situation. These may include guidance on CPR, bleeding control, and locating or using an automated external defibrillator (AED).

What Happens When You Call 9-1-1?

The dispatcher will ask for your location, callback number, and a description of the emergency. Even when location information appears on the dispatcher’s screen, confirming the exact address helps ensure responders are sent to the right place.

Be prepared to provide:

  • The street address, apartment or unit number, and town.

  • Your callback number.

  • A brief description of what happened.

  • Information about the patient’s condition.

  • Any access instructions or hazards responders should know about.

If you are calling from a mobile phone, clearly describe your location. Nearby intersections, landmarks, business names, and building entrances can help the dispatcher identify where assistance is needed.

Stay on the Line

Answer the dispatcher’s questions and follow their instructions. Information gathering and emergency response coordination can happen at the same time; continued questions help responders prepare and do not mean they are waiting for the conversation to end before responding.

Do not hang up until the dispatcher tells you it is safe to do so.

A Coordinated Emergency Response

Depending on the emergency, Stratford EMS, the Stratford Fire Department, and the Stratford Police Department may respond together.

Fire personnel trained in CPR and equipped with AEDs may arrive before or alongside the ambulance. EMS personnel provide further assessment, treatment, and transportation to the hospital when needed. Throughout the response, dispatchers relay information between callers and responding personnel.

Help Us Find You

A clearly marked address and accessible entrance help responders reach you.

  • Display visible, reflective address numbers where they can be seen from the street.

  • Identify your apartment, unit, or building entrance when speaking with the dispatcher.

  • Turn on exterior lights to make your location easier to identify.

  • If another person is available, have them safely meet or direct responders without entering the roadway.

  • Secure pets away from the patient and the responders’ access route.

  • Keep entrances and pathways clear when possible.

Do not leave the patient or interrupt care to complete these tasks. Follow the dispatcher’s instructions and ask another person to assist when available.

Keep Important Medical Information Accessible

Keep an updated medical information sheet where household members and emergency responders can find it. Include:

  • Name and date of birth.

  • Home address.

  • Medical conditions.

  • Allergies.

  • Current medications and dosages.

  • Physician’s name and contact information.

  • Emergency contacts.

Vial of Life Resources

The Vial of Life program helps organize essential medical information for use during an emergency.