When And How To Call 9-1-1
Dialing 9-1-1
should only be used in emergency situations. An emergency is any
situation that requires immediate emergency response from police, fire, or an
ambulance. If you are ever in doubt, call 9-1-1. It is best to be safe and let the call-taker
determine if it is an emergency.
If you have an emergency you will be asked to briefly
describe the type of emergency, for example, auto fire, unconscious person, or
vehicle accident, for instance. Stay on the line with the dispatcher; do not
hang up until the dispatcher tells you to. In some cases the dispatcher
will keep you on the line while the emergency units are responding to ask
additional questions or obtain on going information. Please be patient as
the dispatcher asks you questions, he/she is typing or writing down the
information.
No money is needed to dial 9-1-1 from a pay phone. If there is an emergency, you can
just pick up the receiver, wait for a dial tone, and dial 9-1-1 without depositing coins. Do not dial 9-1-1 and hang up without saying
anything.
Common 9-1-1
Misuses
- Do not
program 9-1-1 into your
auto dial telephone. You won't forget the number and programming the
number invites accidental dialing of the number. Also, please do not
dial 9-1-1 to "Test"
your phone or the system. This ties up the system with non-emergency
calls.
- Unintentional
cellular 9-1-1 calls.
You can deactivate any 9-1-1
auto-dial feature.
- Cordless
telephones sometimes dial 9-1-1
without reason when the handset has been left off the charger for an
extended period of time.
- Young
children playing with the telephone don't realize they dial 9-1-1.
- Prank,
abusive or malicious callers. They have the intent and purpose to annoy
and disrupt the 9-1-1
system.
- Calling
9-1-1 because you don't
know the non-emergency police department's phone number.
- Do not
dial 9-1-1 by mistake
and then hang up, stay on the line and explain to the dispatcher that you
dialed by mistake. An officer may be sent to make sure nothing is
wrong on all 9-1-1
calls.
Non-Emergency Situations
Do not dial 9-1-1
for non-emergency situations. For non-emergency situations such as noisy
neighbors or stolen hub caps, use your local law enforcement agency's regular
phone number, never 9-1-1.
Never tell a 9-1-1
dispatcher that a situation is more serious than it really is. Making false
reports is illegal. Abuse of 9-1-1
may delay someone else-s access to emergency assistance.
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