The Town of Groton’s Emergency Communications Center (ECC) is located within the Town’s Public Safety Building at 68 Groton Long Point Road. The center is a regional 9-1-1 emergency communications center or Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) serving the Town of Groton, all of it’s political subdivisions as well as North Stonington.
The Center is operated 24/7 by certified emergency telecommunicators/dispatchers who are responsible for the receipt and transmission of emergency communications and directing the response of emergency services within our jurisdiction. We receive all 9-1-1 calls originating in Groton or North Stonington and distribute the incidents to four police departments, ten fire agencies and four emergency medical services.
The Center is also responsible for answering and dispatching all non-emergency calls for service placed with the Town of Groton Police Department. Over the course of a year we will process an average of 103,000 telephone calls a year resulting in approximately 5,400 medical calls, 3,100 fire calls and 35,000 police incidents.
The ECC is responsible for monitoring and testing burglar and fire alarm systems installed in local government facilities, schools and commercial establishments. Alarms received from the systems or street “pull” boxes are relayed to the appropriate fire and/or police agency for action.
The Center acts as an after-hours point of contact for the community. We maintain contact telephone lists for local businesses, public works, Groton schools and Ledgelight Health District for emergency services.
Our telecommunicators monitor a variety of weather and emergency warning and alert systems. Any warnings or alerts received are immediately distributed to emergency services, public officials and the public if necessary.
We also offer public education sessions on 9-1-1 to schools and local organizations. Many of the children we have taught over the years have unfortunately had to call 9-1-1 in an emergency. Knowing what to do during an emergency and what to expect when you call 9-1-1 is the first step in allowing us to get emergency services where they are needed.
Medical Regional Communications
The Groton Emergency Communications Center operates a regional Central Emergency Medical Dispatch (C-MED) radio system. This radio system allows the emergency medical technician (EMT) or paramedic at the scene of an emergency or in the ambulance to communicate with medical personnel at local hospital emergency rooms. Through this system, the EMT or paramedic can receive treatment instructions and authorizations from the emergency physician while keeping the hospital advised of the patient’s condition. In this manner valuable time is saved at the emergency room, as ER staff already know the treatment history of the patient. This service is not limited to those ambulances based in Groton or North Stonington. If needed, any ambulance passing through the region can be connected with a local emergency room physician at any time.
