Although the total calls to 911 decreased compared to 2021, dispatchers reported an increase in valid 911 calls in 2022.
The call statistics were released Friday in a report by the Moniteau County Emergency Dispatch (MCED), who serves as the "public safety answering point" for Moniteau County. MCED is responsible for answering 911 calls, in addition to monitoring administrative line calls to county agencies.
In 2022, MCED telecommunicators answered 3,915 calls to 911. Of those calls, only 825 -- 21 percent -- were accidental calls. Telecommunicators also responded to nine separate text-to-911 sessions, which the report said included possible home invasion, domestic violence and medical-related incidents. According to the report, some alarm companies have begun using text-to-911 to request response.
The telecommunicators also processed 19,800 incoming calls on the administrative lines for county agencies. Of those calls, 686 were labeled high-priority, which refers to situations where a caller contacted an administrative line instead of dialing 911. The report states some situations may require multiple calls, and others are initiated by responding agencies.
To provide assistance, MCED telecommunicators route calls to numerous area law enforcement, emergency medical service and fire protection agencies. The report also presented the total number of calls for each agency, along with the top five call types and top three high-priority call types. In reporting fire department statistics, many calls are responses to requests for mutual aid from other agencies which fall outside the department's jurisdiction.
• Moniteau County Sheriff's Office: 4,375 total calls. Top five call types: traffic stop (965 calls), paper service (497 calls), follow-up (410 calls), traffic hazard (178 calls) and wellness check (178 calls). Top three high-priority call types: domestic violence or dispute (106 calls), business or residential alarm (66 calls), and traffic crashes (60 calls).
• California Police Department: 6,545 total calls. Top five call types: building check (3,333 calls), traffic stop (477 calls), follow-up (298 calls), ordinance violation (221 calls) and citizen assistance (201 calls). Top three high-priority call types: business or residential alarm (88 calls), domestic violence or dispute (69 calls), and a harassment or threat in progress (15 calls).
• Tipton Police Department: 1,823 total calls. Top five call types: follow-up (225 calls), traffic stop (167 calls), citizen assistance (126 calls), animal complaint (108 calls) and vehicle checks (82 calls). Top three high-priority call types: business or residential alarm (67 calls), domestic violence or dispute (38 calls), and traffic crashes (14 calls).
• Jamestown Police Department: 138 total calls. Top five call types: traffic stops (78 calls), ordinance violations (18 calls), follow-up (six calls), building checks (five calls) and citizen assistance (four calls).
• Mid Mo Ambulance District: 1,610 calls. Most common call types: sick person (173 calls), fall (144 calls), breathing problems (136 calls), emergency patient transfer (99 calls), traffic crashes (92 calls), chest pain (90 calls), unconscious or fainting (80 calls), and cardiac or respiratory arrest (28 calls).
• California Fire Department: 766 total calls. 561 medical calls, 53 alarms, 37 traffic crashes, 26 natural cover fires, 20 gas odor or carbon monoxide leaks, 20 other calls, 18 structure fires, 14 electrical fires, nine vehicle fires, and eight fire investigations. Of the 766 calls, 207 were outside agency jurisdiction.
• California Rural Fire District: 742 total calls. 542 medical calls, 52 alarms, 41 traffic crashes, 28 natural cover fires, 19 other calls, 17 structure fires, 16 gas odor or carbon monoxide leaks, 14 electrical fires, eight vehicle fires, and six fire investigations. Of the 742 calls, 366 were outside agency jurisdiction.
• Tipton Fire Department: 378 total calls. 187 medical calls, 49 alarms, 44 traffic crashes, 42 natural cover fires, 24 structure fires, 10 other calls, nine gas odor or carbon monoxide leaks, six vehicle fires, four fire investigations and three electrical fires. Of the 378 calls, 127 were outside agency jurisdiction.
• Fortuna Fire District: 248 total calls. 99 medical calls, 48 natural cover fires, 40 traffic crashes, 24 structure fires, 14 alarms, 10 other calls, six vehicle fires, three fire investigations, two gas odor or carbon monoxide leaks and two electrical fires. Of the 248 calls, 106 were outside agency jurisdiction.
• Jamestown Rural Fire District: 91 total calls. 53 medical calls, 11 structure fires, seven traffic crashes, five natural cover fires, five other calls, four alarms, three fire investigations, one vehicle fire, one gas odor or carbon monoxide leak, and one electrical fire. Of the 91 calls, 17 were outside agency jurisdiction.
• Moreau Fire District: 62 total calls. 28 medical calls, 13 traffic crashes, 11 natural cover fires, four alarms, two structure fires, two gas odor or carbon monoxide leaks, one vehicle fire, and one other call. Of the 62 calls, 16 were outside agency jurisdiction.
MCED also responded to more than 150 calls for California utilities. Seventy-seven of those calls were for six separate power outages.
The report stated the peak time for calls was between 2-5 p.m, and most calls occurred on Fridays. It took telecommunicators less than 2 minutes to dispatch assistance for high-priority calls, the report also said.
According to the report, 101 new addresses were assigned in 2022. MCED spent $6,149 on replacing missing or damaged signs.