PSAPs & Training

A Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) is a facility, operated on a 24-hour basis, that is assigned the responsibility of receiving 9-1-1 calls. When appropriate, the PSAP will directly dispatch emergency services or, through transfer routing or relay routing, pass 9-1-1 calls to public or private safety agencies.

Currently, there are 25 PSAPs in Maine.

The Bureau plays an integral part in the PSAP's total operation. Each PSAP has between two and 13 Answering Position Units (APUs) that receive wireline and wireless 9-1-1 emergency calls. The APU displays the name, address and callback number of a wireline caller. In the case of a wireless caller, the system displays the address of the wireless tower that delivered the call, the caller's cell phone number, and possibly, the approximate location of the caller. The equipment also handles calls from VoIP callers and Text to 9-1-1.