Eight Things to Remember When Calling 911

So obviously you already know how to call 911, at least I hope you do! However, from my experience as a 911 dispatcher not everyone understands how it works and what the normal procedures are and because of this people end up inadvertently delaying their own help.

The strict protocols that 911 operators must follow are not widely known to the average caller and without any public education from local public safety departments, most callers are surprised and frustrated by the process they must go through when calling for help.

Below I will give you a few tips to make calling for help slightly less frustrating. Remember, these are just a few simple tips. Going into detail about the specific protocols is too much for this one article and may be a legal issue as well; I will have to check on that!

1. First and foremost please don't let your children play on the phone and if you do, take the battery out. If you do not, it will result in a visit from a police officer. Remember, even if you have no home telephone service, if you plug a phone into the wall jack you can still call 911.
2. The first thing you should tell 911 when the operator answers, is the address of the emergency, this is the most crucial information and without it help will never come.
3. Remember that just because you called in, it does not mean we know where you are. If you call from a land line yes the address will come up, will it be the right address? Not always. Also if you call from a cell phone the address will not show up and if you do not provide the location, once again help will not always arrive and if it does it may not be in time.
4. When you call for help, always, always stay on the line until the operator tells you to disconnect. Even if you are in a situation where you can't, say perhaps there is someone in the room who can't know you are talking to 911, find a way to let us know this, we are trained to handle callers in this particular situation.
5. Answer every question you are asked, every time. If you do not know the answer, “I don't know” is an acceptable answer. Whether you are calling for a medical, fire or law enforcement emergency the operator will have important questions that must be answered to the best of your ability. It's not like the movies where people call 911 and shout “send an ambulance right away” and then hang up and the ambulance is sent. Don't get me wrong this does happen in real life provided we have a location, but it is not the preferred or necessarily the fastest method to get you the help you need.
6. You must realize that the operator you are speaking to is not the same person responding to your emergency, so staying on the phone will not delay your help. Also, the questions being asked are necessary for the ambulance, fire crew or police officers responding. The more they know about the situation, the better it is for all involved. For instance, if you're calling because God forbid someone isn't breathing, stay on the line because this is a key question that is asked for medical emergencies. Letting the operator know this will not only get you a faster response but will allow the operator to give you important CPR instructions to help your loved one.
7. Above all, remember that the operator isn't asking you these questions to annoy you. They are doing it because it is their job, it is protocol and most importantly, it will help you. The faster you answer the questions, the sooner your help will be sent. Operators are trained to deal with frantic callers, but you must remember that they are human. They do not know everything, nor do they own any kind of transporters or crystal balls.
8. Two final things, if you ever, for whatever reason do accidentally dial 911, do not hang up. Stay on the line, give your location if and when asked for and explain the mistake. Doing this will less likely result in an officer stopping by because you called 911 and hung up with no explanation. Lastly, not all 911 centers follow the same rules and protocols. So remember, remain calm if possible and provide any and all information asked for and this will result in a smooth transition from emergency to rescue.

I hope this has helped and enlightened everyone that has read it. I know that before I became an operator I had no clue that 911 was as complicated as it is, but everything is for a reason and a good reason at that. Please remember, 911 is there to help you, no matter what your emergency. However, it is only as helpful as the information provided.