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911 Information
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WHAT IS 911:
911 is a 3 digit emergency number which is easy
to remember that provides immediate and direct access to FIRE, POLICE and MEDICAL SERVICES.
WHEN TO CALL 911:
Call 911 to report any situation that requires the
IMMEDIATE response of a fire truck, police car or an ambulance. Here are some examples:
- Crimes in progress
- Poisoning
- Drowning
- Stabbing
- Choking
- Unconsciousness
- Life threatening situations
- Shooting or display of weapons
- Fires
- Motor vehicle accidents or major traffic and street obstructions
- Injuries requiring emergency medical attention
- Hazardous chemical spills
- Fire alarms, smoke detectors or carbon monoxide alarms that are sounding
- Sparking electrical hazards
- Smoke in a building
...or any other emergency.
DO NOT CALL 911 FOR:
Avoid programming 9-1-1 into your auto dial. Do not program 9-1-1 into your home or cellular phones and be sure to LOCK YOUR CELLULAR PHONE KEYPAD. Experience has proven this to be the cause of unintended calls that burden the 9-1-1 system unnecessarily. No significant time is saved by programming 9-1-1 into your auto dial. In fact, there is greater potential for dialing error.
DO NOT dial 911 for GENERAL INFORMATION or NON-EMERGENCY purposes such as:
- Road/travel and severe weather information
- Repair for your household appliances, your car, etc.
- Complaints of excessive noise (TV), barking dogs, etc.
- Legal advice, the time, directions, etc.
- Animal control issues or lost pets
- To find out if someone is in jail
- Inquiring about school openings and closures or late school buses. Call the individual school.
- Asking about snow emergencies or parking bans
- Asking about traffic tickets
- Reporting garbage problems
- Reporting street lights out
- Reporting no heat problems
- Reporting a blocked driveway, obstructed hydrant, etc.
- To report situations that are not of a police, fire, or medical nature
- To report a non-emergency medical situation
- To contact someone for community information
WHAT THE 911 CALLTAKER WILL TELL YOU TO DO:
The 911 operator is required to ask a number of questions to understand the situation and where it is happening. Some of the questions may seem unnecessary, but they are important to make sure that the emergency is clearly understood. This will help make sure the needed help (firefighters, police, ambulance or others) gets to the right place as quickly as possible. Stay on the telephone for as long as you can to guide the operator in getting help to you. Speak slowly and clearly.
Questions the 911 Dispatcher may ask:
- What is your emergency?
- What is the location of the emergency? (address, street name, house/apartment number)
- When did this happen?
- What is your name?
- What is the phone number you are calling from?
- How many patients?
- What is on fire?
- Do you need a law enforcement officer?
- Is the patient conscious?
- Can you get out of the house?
- Are you in immediate danger?
- Is the patient breathing? Normally?
- Are there any other problems with the patient?
- Suspect description?
- Vehicle description?
- License number?
- Suspect's direction of travel?
- Did you see any weapons?
- How many suspects?
It is important to remember that these questions are not delaying the emergency response! Help is being sent even while you are talking to us. In order for us to help you, you must help us obtain all the necessary information to process the call. From this point the dispatcher may ask a series of questions directed to the status of the patient and offer medical intervention as to how you as the caller can aid the patient. Always attempt to be as calm as possible, you are an important part of providing help to those in need.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU CAN'T SPEAK:
- Stay calm.
- Dial 911.
- Either leave the phone hanging or make some sort of noise to let the dispatcher know there is a real emergency.
- With Enhanced 911 your address is provided to the call taker and they can go ahead and dispatch police, fire or medical assistance to your location even if they do not hear you speak.
DIALING 911 ON A CELL PHONE:
- If you are in your vehicle, pull off to the side of the road.
- Dial 911.
- Tell the call-taker the location of the emergency and your call-back number. Some cellular phones may not have the ability to inform the 911 dispatcher of your identity or location or (in some cases) your cell phone number.
- Be patient. Cellular/wireless calls are not always automatically routed to the nearest PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point). Often times you may need to be transferred to the correct agency in that area.
- Cellular 911 calls are FREE!
IDEAS TO HELP IN THE HOME FOR EMERGENCIES:
- Keep your phone at an easy-to-reach level, like on the coffee table, bed stand, etc.
- A cordless phone offers mobility in the home.
- Write your address in large print on or near your phone.
- Make sure your street address is on your mailbox and on the front of your house (easily visible from the street).
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