FAQs
Question: What is an Incident Activity Report or CAD?
Answer: CAD stands for “Computer Aided Dispatch.” It is the computer system used for gathering and managing 9-1-1 or business line call information. The CAD is the type of record most commonly requested from TCOMM and is called an Incident Activity Report (IA). The IA is a summary of a 9-1-1 or business line call including the date and time of the call, call type and summary of the incident as entered by dispatchers and first responders at the time of the call. It is not a transcript of the 911 call.
Question: Is the Incident Activity Report the same as a Police/Fire Report?
Answer: No. The IA is a summary of the incident as entered by dispatchers and first responders at the time of the call. A police/fire report is written by an officer after leaving the scene of the incident/call. That report can only be obtained by the agency the officer is employed by. Please note that TCOMM is not the records custodian for Police Reports, Law Enforcement Warrants, or any Washington State Patrol records.
Question: Can TCOMM provide 911 transcriptions?
Answer: No, TCOMM can only provide the audio.
Question: Which agencies' 9-1-1 records can I get from TCOMM?
Answer: TCOMM provides 9-1-1 dispatch services for the majority of public safety agencies in Thurston County, Washington with the exception of Washington State Patrol. TCOMM's agencies include:
Law Enforcement Agencies
Thurston County Sheriff’s Office
Olympia Police Department
Lacey Police Department
Tumwater Police Department
Yelm Police Department
Nisqually Tribal Police
Tenino Police Department
Chehalis Tribal Police
Fire/Medical Agencies
Lacey Fire District #3
Olympia Fire Department
Tumwater Fire Department
SE Thurston Fire Department
West Thurston Fire Authority
McLane/Black Lake Fire District #9
South Thurston Fire & EMS District #12
South Bay Fire District #8
East Olympia Fire District #6
Griffin Fire District #13
Bald Hills Fire District #17
Bucoda Fire Department
Question: Where can I obtain officer notes, photographs, video, or the officer written report?
Answer: Please note that TCOMM is not the records custodian for Police Reports, Law Enforcement Warrants, or any Washington State Patrol records. TCOMM does not maintain records such as investigative files, photos, videos, dash cam or body cam footage, fire department records, or officer notes, emails, or text messages; such records are held by primary investigative agency. Please contact the relevant agency for access to such information.
Question: How do I submit a Public Record Request to TCOMM?
Answer: Any person wishing to request copies of public records of TCOMM should make the request via the TCOMM Portal. If unable to do so, please submit the following information with your request:
- Name of requester
- Address of the requester
- Other contact information, including telephone number and any email address
- Identification of the public records adequate for the public records officer or designee to locate the records
- Incident Date/Time (approximate time of day is very helpful)
- Incident Location to include the physical street address
- Incident Type (harassment, assault, trespass, etc.)
- License plates of vehicles or full name to include date of birth for individuals involved
Written request should be mailed to:
Thurston 911 Communications
Attention: Public Records Division
2703 Pacific Ave SE; Suite A
Olympia, WA 98501
Requests can be sent to:
Email address: records@tcomm911.org
Question: What is a public record?
Answer: A public record is any record containing information relating to the conduct of government business, which is prepared, owned, used, or retained by an agency. This includes, but is not limited to, electronic media, paper, email, microfilm audiotapes, videotapes, magnetic tapes, and disks (CDs/DVDs). A valid public record request is a request for a specific and identifiable public document. A request for general information is not a valid public record request. You do not have to identify the record you want with exact precision, but as much detail as you can provide will be helpful. Our staff may assist in clarifying your request.
Question: How long do you keep records?
Answer: In compliance with the Emergency Communications (911) Records Retention Schedule, TCOMM is required to keep audio records of all 911 calls for a period of ninety (90) days and Incident Activity Reports (CAD) for a three (3) year period.
Question: Can TCOMM utilize an installment methodology to respond to my records request?
Answer: Yes. When a request is made for a large number of records, TCOMM Public Records Official may provide access for inspection and copying in installments, if he or she reasonably determines that it would be practical to provide the records in that manner.
If, within 30 days, the requester fails to inspect the entire set of records or one or more of the installments, the TCOMM Public Record Official may stop searching for the remaining records and close the request.
Likewise, if payment for an installment is not made, the TCOMM Public Record Official may stop searching for the remaining records and close the request.
Question: What public information is exempt from disclosure?
Answer: Each record must be reviewed to determine whether it is exempt from disclosure. Most exemptions are listed in RCW 42.56.230 - 42.56.480. However, certain state and federal statutes outside the Public Records Act also provide exemptions from disclosure or prohibitions on disclosure of particular records. When a request for disclosure of a public record is denied due to exemption, the specific statutory exemption on which the denial is based must be identified, along with a brief explanation of how the exemption applies.
Question: Are public records requests confidential?
Answer: No, once a public record request is received, the request itself becomes a public record. However, requests can be submitted anonymously.
Question: Can TCOMM search for records by name and date of birth?
Answer: TCOMM does not have the ability to perform this type of search. Any incident(s) provided by doing so, will not be an accurate list. TCOMMs system is setup to query by incident location only. A list of contacts can be requested through local law enforcement agencies.
Question: Must TCOMM create a document when responding to a specific request for public disclosure?
Answer: No. Washington case law has established that an agency is not required to create a record which is otherwise non-existent.
Question: Is there a fee for public records?
Answer: TCOMM will charge the statutory default fees pursuant to RCW 42.56:
- $0.15 /page paper (Double sided is considered 2 pages)
- $0.10 /page scanned into electronic format (Double sided is considered 2 pages)
- $0.05 /4 files or attachments and provided by electronic delivery
- $0.10 /gigabyte of electronic record transmission
- Actual costs of storage media, container, envelope; postage/delivery charge
If the total fee for the public records request (regardless of delivery method) is $1.00 or less the fees will be waived.
Other copies and reproduction rates can be located here.
Question: How are the five business days calculated when responding to a public records request?
Answer: RCW 42.56.520 provides that a response to a request for public records must be made within five (5) business days. The day the request is received does not count as one of the five (5) days. Weekends and holidays observed by the agency are also excluded in the calculation. Within the five (5) days, TCOMM will do one of the following: - provide the records (or an installment of the records) - acknowledge receipt of the request and give an estimated timetable for delivery - ask for clarification - deny the request with a statement as to why the record is being withheld and a citation of the applicable state or federal statute.
Question: How do I follow-up on my police report? What is the status of the investigation?
Answer: TCOMM provides 911, dispatch, and records management services for law and fire agencies within Thurston County; we do not investigate incidents. For information about or to check the status of a case or incident, you must contact the relevant law enforcement agency.
Question: What is the status of my public record request?
Answer: If you’ve successfully submitted a request via the Records portal online, you may check the status of your request(s) anytime by logging in or you can email records@tcomm911.org or by calling 360-704-2730, Option 7.
Question: How long will it take to receive my records or 911 audio request?
Answer: TCOMM processes public records requests on behalf of the agencies it serves; however, the applicable law enforcement or fire agencies oftentimes must approve requests before TCOMM may provide copies. It is common for requests to experience delays during this process and requestors will be notified when the records are available.
Question: Can I submit a request without a case/incident number?
Answer: Yes. Please use the Request Description section of our online form to specifically describe what you are requesting. Please include all of the information you have, such as the date/time and address/location of the incident, and the names of anyone involved.
Question: How do I decipher the codes on the Incident Activity Report (CAD) I received?
Answer: The State of Washington Public Records Act does not require TCOMM911 to provide assistance with analyzing or interpreting records provided, or to create new records in response to a request. TCOMM911 does not have a document listing of all the codes, abbreviations and acronyms that may appear in CAD documentation.