.jpg) FAQ
When Every Second Counts...CALL 9-1-1
1. What is 9-1-1?
9-1-1 is a three-digit telephone number that you can call 24 hours a day for police, fire, or medical emergencies.
2. Why 9-1-1?
It saves valuable time in an EMERGENCY. According to nationwide statistics, it can take up to 2 1/2 minutes to find your telephone directory and another 30 seconds to locate the correct number. In an EMERGENCY, 3 minutes is a long time---time that can be saved by remembering to call 9-1-1.
3. How does 9-1-1 Work?
When you call 9-1-1, your call is received by a trained telecommunications dispatcher who takes your information. Then, the appropriate Public Safety responder (Police, Fire, EMS) for your area is dispatched.
4. When should 9-1-1 be used?
Call 9-1-1 for police, fire, and medical service when an EMERGENCY response is needed.
5. How do I determine if my call is an emergency?
If you are not sure, and you need the police, fire department or an ambulance to come to your location, then call 9-1-1.
6. How do I use 9-1-1?
Remain Calm and speak clearly. Provide the dispatcher with the following information:- What is the address of your emergency?
- What is your name and phone number?
- What is happening?
Please remain on the telephone to provide additional information as requested by the dispatcher.
DO NOT hang up until the dispatcher advises you to do so.
7. WHEN DO YOU CALL 9-1-1?
Examples of when to call 9-1-1 are:
When you see smoke or fire.
When someone’s life and/or property are in immediate danger.
When you see a crime being committed.
When rescue or emergency medical assistance is needed.
When you are not sure, call & let trained personnel decide.
8. WHO DO I CALL IF I DON’T CALL 9-1-1?
Unless you need an immediate response to a police, fire or medical emergency, call the non-emergency number. In Menominee county, for Central Dispatch is 906-863-6614.
Some examples of non-emergency police calls are:
- Your house or car was broken into yesterday. -
- Your runaway child has returned home. -
- Your car was stolen sometime overnight.
- Someone stole your bicycle while you were at school. -
- There is an abandoned vehicle on your street. -
9. WHAT WILL THE DISPATCHER ASK YOU WHEN YOU CALL9-1-1?
All callers are asked a standard set of questions which will help the dispatcher prioritize your call, and will provide the responding personnel with information before their arrival. The following are just some of the questions we may ask you.
LOCATION OF THE PROBLEM:
Where are you and where did the incident happen?
This is important if the phone line disconnects for some reason. Even though the 9-1-1 information the dispatcher receives should have the phone number and address of where you are calling from, the dispatcher will ask you for the address where the problem is, as well as where you are calling from, to verify the information on the 9-1-1 screen. This is especially critical if you are calling from an address other than the one where the problem is. It is also important to give any building names, building numbers, apartment or condominium names and unit or suite numbers.
Be as specific as possible. Avoid using "left" and "right" as directions. This is often confusing. Instead, use a direction such as "North" or "South". The best locations are specific street addresses or cross streets.
NATURE OF THE PROBLEM:
Please use real language – don’t try to use lingo or slang, it will only confuse the situation. Just tell us briefly what is happening or what happened. - Is anyone injured?
- Basic description of what occurred.
TIME ELEMENT:
When did this occur? 5 minutes ago, 5 days ago, last year, has it been going on over a span of time (hours, days, or weeks).
PERSON DESCRIPTION:- How many people are involved?
- Race, sex, height, weight, clothing, hair color, facial hair, eyeglasses, hat, etc.
- DID THE PERSON HAVE A WEAPON? If so, what kind
- Was the person carrying anything?
- Where did the person go? On foot? In vehicle?
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION:- Color, year,make,body,additional,license #
- Direction of travel
When calling 9-1-1, all you have to do is answer the dispatcher’s questions! Stay on the phone and answer the questions as calmly as you can. Sometimes it may sound as if the dispatchers is repeating themselves with the same questions, but you may give more detail the second time. There may have been something you've forgotten earlier. Please don't become irritated with them, they are trying to obtain important information and to assist you. We know how stressful an emergency situation can be, try to remain calm when giving information.
Do not hang up until the 9-1-1 Dispatcher, or the on scene Police,Fire or EMS personnel,direct you to do so.
WHEN GIVING INFORMATION, DON'T EDIT OR EXAGERATE!
Give all the information that you have. For Example: If you don't mention that the suspect was wearing a red hat because you don't think it was important, you may be withholding the single most important identifier in apprehending the suspect.
Emergency response WILL NOT be delayed by answering the above questions. In most instances, assistance will be dispatched while you are still on the phone. By answering the dispatcher's questions, the dispatcher can relay important information to the units responding prior to their arrival. This increases the chances of a successful outcome to the call!
10. WHAT ABOUT DIALING 9-1-1 IN A MAJOR DISASTER ?
Please tune in the emergency broadcast station of your radio for information and updates rather than to call 9-1-1 or the police or fire departments. DO NOT CALL radio stations for updates; the less the phone lines are used, the more service there will be for emergency help.
There is no way to tell, in advance, if the 9-1-1 screens in the dispatch center will be functioning correctly in a major emergency, so be prepared to give the dispatcher all information.
During a disaster, electricity usually fails. Do NOT call 9-1-1 to find out when the power will go back on.
11. WHAT IF I DIAL 9-1-1 BY MISTAKE ?
DO NOT HANG UP!
Before you hang up, be sure to tell the dispatcher that you have dialed 9-1-1 by mistake, and that you do not need emergency help! This is particularly important if you dial from a business phone with several phone lines. Anytime the police dispatcher receives a 9-1-1 "hang-up"; the caller must be contacted to be sure that no actual emergency exists. If your business has dozens or even hundreds of phone lines, it may be impossible for the dispatcher to determine who, if anyone needs help, and an officer may be dispatched to the address.
12. ARE PAY PHONES ANY DIFFERENT?
You may dial 9-1-1 for an emergency at any pay phone, without
needing any coins. The phone number and location of the pay
phone should show up on the 9-1-1 screen.
13. WHAT ABOUT CALLING 9-1-1 FROM MY CELLULAR PHONE?
While we encourage people to use the cellular phones to dial 9-1-1 in emergency situations, people also need to be aware that location information does not come up on the dispatcher's screen as it does on a call from a landline phone. Technology is advancing in this field, but currently the information displayed on the 9-1-1 screen is the cellular company provider name (i.e. Sprint or Alltel, Dobson etc.) and the phone number of the cellular phone. If you dial 9-1-1 from your cellular phone, we will not know where you are at; you will have to give us location information to get units to respond.
Reporting over a cellular phone presents another challenge – static and interference on the line. This can lead to missed information - please be patient and understanding if the dispatcher asks you the same question more than once.
When you dial 9-1-1 from you cellular phone, you will be routed to the 9-1-1 center closest to the cellular tower site you are using. This is not something you or we can control. With cellular “skip”, we have had calls from Door County, WI and Marquette, MI come into our Communications Center in Menominee County ,MI. Be patient, you may have to be transferred to the correct Communications Center.
Do not call 9-1-1 if you only need information or directions. The business telephone numbers of local police and fire departments are listed in the telephone directories under the blue pages, marked government listings, for easy reference – or they can be obtained by dialing 4-1-1 on your cellular phone.
Each 9-1-1 station in the Communications Center is equipped with a TTY. To access TTY or TDD, press the space bar until a response is received
14. SHOULD I PROGRAM MY TELEPHONE TO DIAL 9-1-1?
While it is not against the law, we strongly advise against doing this. Automatic dialing of 9-1-1 can result in accidental calls to the 9-1-1 dispatcher. Speed dialing can malfunction, and stop working, which would delay precious response time. In addition, if you are training your children to press a one-button speed call number in an emergency, they may not know how to call for help from another phone.
15. IF YOU WERE INJURED , WOULD YOUR CHILD KNOW HOW TO GET HELP?
Make sure your child knows the following information: - Name (yours and the child’s)
- Address (including name of apartment complex and apartment number if applicable)
- Phone number
- Directions to your home from the nearest main road, intersection or major landmark
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