Members of the public are being offered a rare glimpse behind the scenes of the police control room in Somerset.
Avon and Somerset Police will provide live updates from inside the force's control room in Portishead for eight hours on Monday, October 26, giving people an insight into the calls and incidents staff deal with during a typical shift.
Between 1pm and 9pm, the force's social media team will post updates through Facebook, Instagram and TikTok stories on basic, anonymised details of calls coming in to their control centre.
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The event, which forms part of Control Room Week from October 26 to 31, aims to show the public the wide variety of situations handled by staff and the decisions they have to make.
Followers will also be introduced to some of the people working behind the phones, radios and computer screens, including call handlers, dispatchers, force incident managers and switchboard operators.
Avon and Somerset Police's control rooms handle 999 and 101 calls from across the force area in Somerset, Bath and Bristol. Staff are tasked with assessing risk, supporting callers, deploying police resources and managing incidents as they develop.
Tara Bryant, head of command and control, said: "Control Room Week is an important opportunity to recognise the incredible work our control room teams do every day, often behind the scenes and out of the public eye.
"Our staff are the first point of contact for thousands of people each year, providing reassurance, gathering vital information and making sure the right help gets to the right place as quickly as possible.
"No two calls are ever the same. During a single shift, our teams can deal with everything from routine enquiries and welfare concerns to reports of serious crimes and life-threatening emergencies.
"The volume, variety and unpredictability of that demand means staff must constantly assess risk, prioritise incidents and make critical decisions under pressure."
Ms Bryant said the work of call handlers, dispatchers and incident managers played a "vital role" in keeping Somerset communities safe.
She added: "By giving the public a behind-the-scenes look at a live shift, we hope to provide a better understanding of the challenges our teams face, the skills they bring to the role and the difference they make every day."
People can follow the live updates by searching @ASPolice on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok between 1pm and 9pm on Monday, October 26.
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