When should I call 911?

Call 911 in the event of a police, fire, or medical EMERGENCY.  If you have a situation that requires the response of emergency personnel, call 911.  Do not call 911 to ask routine questions, seek information about traffic tickets, court, to get directions, or to ask for information about prisoners in jail.  If you are in doubt about whether your situation is an emergency, then play it safe and call 911

Listed are examples of reasons to call 911:

• Car wreck
• Someone is choking on their food
• Fire of any type, house, woods or other building
• If you see a crime
• Dangerous situation such as gas leak or a power line down
• Someone is drowning
• Someone is hurt or is bleeding or is having trouble breathing
• Tornado or other severe weather damages your home or business

How much does it cost to dial 911?

Calls made from your home, business, are billed up to $2.00 when you dial 911.  You may want to check with your local phone company for the exact charge for your location.

What should I say when I call 911?

Immediately give your location, name, and the nature of the emergency.  From there, let the professional Communications Dispatcher ask the questions.  Please be patient.  Help will be sent while you are talking to the person taking your call.  All you have to do is answer the questions.

Stay on the phone and answer the dispatcher's questions as calmly as you can. They will ask the following:

• The location of the problem.
  If you do not know the address, be prepared to give directions or describe your location.
• The type of problem.

Tell the dispatcher in plain language what is happening.

• Details about the problem.
  
  

The Dispatcher is trained to get more information while the emergency units are responding

What should I do if I dialed 911 by mistake?

Don't hang up...stay on the line!  Everyone makes mistakes, and there is no penalty to accidentally calling 911.  The Communications Dispatcher will want to verify your name and address, and ensure that there is not a real emergency.  If you do hang up, they will call you back to confirm that you are safe.  If no one answers the attempted call back, the Law Enforcement Officers will be dispatched to your location to ascertain the nature of the call.

What type of calls are considered non emergency?

Do Not Call 9-1-1 if the problem is not an emergency, look up the non-emergency number in the phone book.  If you call 9-1-1 for non-emergencies, someone with a real emergency might have a delay in receiving service.  Do not call 911 to ask routine questions, seek information about traffic tickets, court, to get directions, or to ask for information about prisoners in jail or for the following reasons:

• Loud party or music
• Barking dogs or cats up a tree
• To ask directions or for general information
• To report water or electricity is out
• To check if a police report is ready
• To check for severe weather reports