Calling 9-1-1 Things Everyone Needs to Know

An informed caller is 9-1-1’s best caller. It’s important that you know how to help 9-1-1
help you. In an emergency, seconds matter, so being knowledgeable and prepared can
make all the difference. Here’s what you can do:

Know WHEN to call 9-1-1. 9-1-1 is for emergencies only. You
should only be dialing 9-1-1 if someone is hurt or in danger, or if
you are in immediate need of police, fire, or medical assistance. If
you aren’t sure if your situation is an emergency, you should err on
the side of safety and call 9-1-1 and let the expert who answers
your call make the decision whether to send help or not.

Know WHEN NOT to call 9-1-1. Don’t call 9-1-1 just because
you burned dinner and your guests are arriving any minute, or
because you are late for a meeting and need help finding an
address. While those situations may count as emergencies for
you, they aren’t for public safety. Inappropriate use of the 9-1-1
system wastes resources and ties up the lines at the 9-1-1 center,
and nobody wants to be on hold when they are in the middle
of a real crisis. Not to mention that in most states harassing or
making prank calls to 9-1-1 is a crime, and you don’t want law
enforcement showing up at your door.

Know the capabilities of the device you are using. 9-1-1 can
be contacted from pretty much every device that can make phone
calls (traditional landline, cell, VoIP), but the callback and location
information that accompanies your call to the 9-1-1 center can
vary drastically amongst technologies and between geographic
regions. 9-1-1 and telecommunications professionals are hard at
work to make sure 9-1-1 works the same on all devices in the
future, but until then it is your job to be knowledgeable about
benefits and limitations associated with various technologies.
Contact your service provider(s) for more information.

 

Know where you are. This is probably the most important
information you can provide as a 9-1-1 caller, so try to be aware
of your surroundings. Make a real effort to be as detailed as
possible. If you are outside and don’t know the street address,
take a look around and try to find landmarks or cross streets. If
you are inside a large building or one with multiple levels, you can
help emergency services by letting them know which floor you are
on, which apartment you are in, etc.

 

Stay calm. When you are on the phone with 9-1-1, you are their
eyes and ears. Even though you may want to, try not to panic.
If you are crying or yelling, it can be hard for the 9-1-1 operator
to understand you. If you are able to stay strong, pull yourself
together, and answer all of the 9-1-1 operator’s questions, the
faster they can get the right services to your location.

 

Never hang up. You may have called 9-1-1 by accident, or your
situation may have resolved itself, but it is important to let the
9-1-1 operator know this. If you end the call abruptly, the folks
at the 9-1-1 center are going to assume that something has gone
very wrong and will either call you back or send help anyway.
This will take away from the 9-1-1 center’s ability to take calls
and dispatch services to on-going emergencies, so make sure the
9-1-1 call taker tells you it is ok to disconnect before you hang
up. And keep in mind that the call taker can dispatch responders
to your location without disconnecting from the call, so, until you
are instructed to do otherwise, make sure to hold the line so that
you can provide any necessary information or assistance to the
9-1-1 operator

 

 

For more information follow this link 9-1-1