Comments on: How to Call 911 (No, It’s Not as Obvious as You Think)

By: Caden

Caden — Sat, 11 May 2013 06:40:44 +0000

Please don’t tell your dispatcher “Send the police! Hurry!” and then hang up. It won’t get help to you any faster, and might even delay the process.
And remember, when you hang up before someone answers, then call right back, the dispatchers still have to answer your abandoned call. You’re just making the hold times longer by hanging up.
Oh, and PLEASE remember to tell someone if you had a positive experience. Everyone thinks to thank the Police, EMTs, or Firefighters, but people rarely remember the poor dispatchers!

By: Aubrey

Aubrey — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 18:28:13 +0000

Nice post.
However, things are different in some areas. It has been noticed at an increasing rate that in the city of Detroit, a person is lucky if they have someone respond in an hour or two (if at all). It is a sad time for a once beautiful city that there are not nearly enough people (or funding) to help in a true emergency. It has become the forgotten city. A city where the Fire Department staff has to bring in their own toilet paper and there are only a handful of Police Officers to help a massive city environment. It is not just out in the country where help is sometimes too late. In instances where one is near the border of another city and Detroit, the person is far better off requesting emergency services of the bordering city. The bordering cities do help within reasonable means.

@ joe – Great points all around in regards to leaving room for the FD to do their job. My grandfather was a volunteer Fireman and I have a good friend that is also a Fireman. It takes a really strong (emotionally & physically) person to do it. It is a difficult career choice, but it is also wonderful that there are people that want to help.

By: claire

claire — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 14:56:57 +0000

Hi. Could someone tell me on this I’m 16 and hoping to get into emergency. Dispatcher when I’m 18 but iv’e been in trouble with police nothing big just drunk and out with my friends and beeing under age and drinking out the streets iv’e been took home or been took to the police station till my mum comes and gets me or iv’e been charged for breach of the piece?

By: Tim Miller

Tim Miller — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 13:25:56 +0000

Good tips James. I think it’s great to hear that all American citizens and others can really count on their police officers when they are in danger. By simply call 911, the police officers will come to the rescue.

It’s really different in my country actually. In my country, when we are in jeopardy, we can only count on people around us, like neighbors simply because our police officers are really not reliable.

And the worst thing is, for example, if someone just broke into our house and stole something, and we call police, the police, yeah, that’s right, the police, will ask us to pay for the cost of helping us. This is really horrible. Really.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 18:24:11 +0000

“John December 13, 2012 at 8:56 am
Thank you for the great post! As a member of the largest volunteer fire department in the great state of Nebraska there are three things I would like to add. First, it is important to remember when responders are called, they are responding with only the information the dispatcher obtained, so as stated provide the most complete picture as possible to the dispatcher so responders know to what they are responding. Second, please remember, even in emergency situations responders will not always be there as soon as you hope. From the time you call, to giving information to the dispatcher, to dispatching the responders takes a number of minutes.”

Not sure where you are from John, but at the Dispatch Center I work at, almost every single medical/fire call whether it be emergency response or non emergency is dispatched out within 30 seconds.

By: joe

joe — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 03:42:03 +0000

I’m a fireman in a medium city, so ill throw some comments out. If you are on the highway, please look carefully before calling. We come to expect it and plan accordingly but usually we get someone saying they’re on interstate 1 at the first st exit. When they are actually a half mile up and looking at an exit ahead sign. We usually come from an exit up to correct for this, but sometimes people screw up so bad even that doesn’t help.

If you are driving by a fire and you stop to call it in, please be aware of where your car is parked. We have a lot of big trucks coming onto small city streets. If you put your car in the wrong spot you can block a hydrant, block us from turning onto the block, or block other fire truck movements we need to make. I’ve been to fires where we pull up to see a car parked partially blocking the street with the driver outside pointing at he building. Thanks for the effort, but I can see the smoke and flames from down the block, the burning building is obvious.

Really that’s the biggest advice if you call in a fire, get out of the way please. In my city a first alarm assingment is 3 engines, 2 ladders, a rescue and several chief vehicles. We have a lot of trucks coming down the street, backing up, and 24+ guys moving hoses and ladders. Give us space, if you have important information like someone might be trapped, stay on the sidewalk and look for the guy in the front right seat. In most places he’s the company officer, he’ll be the guy to tell. If you can point out what room the person was last in or how to get to fire that can help too.

By: Markbahrain

Markbahrain — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 21:09:06 +0000

The author “forgets” to mention that everything you say to a 911 operator is recorded and will be used in court. So, let’s say you defend yourself, first rule is say nothing to the police, this includes the 911 operator.

By: Eb Sal

Eb Sal — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 10:25:15 +0000

In the aftermath of the Trayvon Martin shooting, be aware that every 911 caller is being recorded. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. The identities will not be changed to protect the innocent, because to prosecutors, everybody is guilty unless the plea bargain agreement establishes otherwise. Do NOT do a Zimmerman and blather on and on about “these *ssholes always get away”. What may sound like innocuous conversation to you can be turned into intent, motive, and means later on.

By: Jamie

Jamie — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 10:36:16 +0000

I’ve had to call 911 many times for many different reasons. Accidents, crimes and medical emergencies. Just something to add to the “who” portion of the call if it happens to be a senior citizen having medical trouble. You must get as much information as you can about the patient to forward to the operator. If it’s an individual complaining of chest pain or they’re not feeling well, the operator will need their age and the symptoms. They will also need anything that you have done to assist the individual. i.e. if you have given them aspirin, whether you are currently performing CPR, etc.

By: Gerry

Gerry — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 08:49:47 +0000

Rick,
Just a heads up, it is not illegal to take video footage or photographs, in a public area. So in spite of the propaganda DHS spouts. Someone using a video camera in public is never a reason to call 911.