A Police Communications Operator (PCO), also known as a dispatcher or telecommunicator, is the first contact many people have with a police department. If you dial 9-1-1 from a campus building (including the University Hospital, but not including partially-occupied buildings), call one of the non-emergency numbers, or if you visit the University Police Department, chances are you will talk to one of our six full-time PCOs. Our PCOs work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and have been trained in handling emergency situations and day-to-day activities of the staff and students on campus. They are also Emergency Medical Dispatchers, which means they have been certified in providing pre-arrival instructions to you if you call with a medical emergency.
Our PCOs also coordinate the response to any campus alarms, tradesmen notifications, and lockouts (from buildings). They answer if you pick up one of the 88 blue light emergency phones on campus, and are there to try to answer any other questions you may have (if they can’t answer your question, they can direct you to the person who can).
Please remember when you do call with a general inquiry or other non-emergency situation, you may be put on hold while the PCO responds to an emergency.
Calling 9-1-1 On Campus
If you call 9-1-1 from a University owned building, including residence halls, the Kohl Center, and the University Hospital, the call will come in to the UW-Madison Police Department’s Communications Center. The PCOs are provided with your call-back number and location, including room number. Even though they receive this information with the call, they will ask you to verify your location. Please be patient while the PCO asks the questions they need to ask to provide the best response for you. If you call 9-1-1 from a leased building or one that is partially occupied by the University, your call will be directed to the Dane County Communication Center. The University Communication Center and the Dane County Communication Center work hand-in-hand to make sure you receive the help you need.
If you call 9-1-1 from your cell phone, that call will also go to the Dane County Communication Center. Although technology upgrades are in progress, they currently can not determine your location when you are calling 9-1-1 from your cell phone. Please make sure to provide as detailed a description of your location as possible. Right now there are no Communication Centers in Wisconsin that have the technology to receive location information from a 9-1-1 call made from a cell phone.
If you need to call 9-1-1 from a pay phone, that call is free.
