General Information… When should you use 9-1-1?
9-1-1 is only to be used in emergency situations. An emergency is any situation that requires immediate assistance from law enforcement, fire, or medical. If you are ever in doubt of whether a situation is an emergency, you should call 9-1-1. It is better to be safe and let the 9-1-1 dispatcher determine if you need emergency assistance.
If you call 9-1-1 by mistake, do not hang up. Tell the call taker what happened so they know there really isn't an emergency.
Do not call 9-1-1:
- • for information
- • for directory assistance
- • when you're bored and just want to talk
- • for paying tickets
- • for asking if someone was arrested
- • for your pet
- • as a prank
Reference from LETA (Larimer Emergency Telephone Authority)
Tips for 911 Calling
The FCC’s 911 rules for wireless service providers are being implemented over a period of several years. In addition, cities and states must update their PSAPs to receive caller identification and location information, a costly effort that can take several years to complete. Therefore, consumers that call 911 from a wireless phone should remember the following:
- • Tell the emergency operator the location of the emergency right away.
- • Give the emergency operator your wireless phone number so that, if the call gets disconnected, the operator can call you back.
- • If your wireless phone is not “initialized” (meaning you do not have a contract for service with a wireless service provider), and your emergency call gets disconnected, you must call the emergency operator back because the operator does not have your telephone number and cannot contact you.
- • To help public safety personnel allocate emergency resources, learn and use the designated number in your state for highway accidents or other non life-threatening incidents. Often, states reserve specific numbers for these types of incidents. For example, “#77” is the number used for highway accidents in Virginia. The number to call for non life-threatening incidents in your state can be found in the front of your phone book.
- • Refrain from programming your phone to automatically dial 911 when one button, such as the “9” key, is pressed. Unintentional wireless 911 calls, which often occur when auto-dial keys are inadvertently pressed, cause problems for emergency call centers.
- • If your wireless phone came pre-programmed with the auto-dial 911 feature already turned on, turn off this feature. Check your user manual to find out how.
- • Lock your keypad when you’re not using your wireless phone. This action also prevents accidental calls to 911.
Also, consider creating a contact in your wireless phone’s memory with the name “ICE” (in Case of Emergency) listing the phone numbers of people you want to be notified if there is an emergency.
Reference from the FCC Consumer facts