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911 center and police describe training and use‑of‑force context for behavioral‑health calls
Summary
The Montgomery County 911 Center said dispatchers receive crisis intervention training and quality‑assurance reviews; police and councilmembers discussed use‑of‑force reports and agitated‑patient protocols and the need to clarify criteria for diversion vs dispatch.
The director of the Montgomery County 911 Center described existing protocols and training for dispatchers and the standards used to evaluate calls, and councilmembers pressed officials to clarify when a non‑law‑enforcement response is appropriate.
"We currently do have a policy in place. It was most recently updated in 2023," Jenn Reedy, director of the Montgomery County 911 Center, said in response to questions. She said dispatchers receive crisis‑intervention training and that the Maryland 911 board requires continuing education (about eight hours annually) and that quality‑assurance reviews occur per IAED standards.
Councilmembers asked how 'weapons' or 'means' are defined in transfer criteria and sought local data on high‑acuity calls. OLO and police noted that national literature documents racial inequities in crisis policing but that local use‑of‑force reports are the appropriate source for Montgomery County specifics. Police and HHS staff said they are convening training and clarifying language in MOUs and scripts to better define when diversion is safe and when an in‑person response is required.
