When to call 911
WHAT PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW WHEN THEY CALL 9-1-1:
If a person calls 911 for an emergency and calls from their house phone, or
commonly called a land line, your home information “should” be displayed in
front of the operator. That would include the name of the person whom the phone
is registered to, the address, and phone number in which you are dialing from.
If someone calls 911 from a cell phone, which has an updated GPS (global
positioning system) in the phone, the operator can get latitude and longitude
coordinates and can pinpoint the caller within 150 feet. The caller's phone
number is also displayed. If the caller has a prepaid phone or a carrier that
may not be known or an older phone, it can be difficult to locate a caller. If
the phone disconnects, the caller must call back on 911.
VOIP phones (Voice over Internet Protocol) allows the consumer to make and
receive calls to and from traditional phone numbers. VOIP works by placing an
adapter between a phone line and internet connection. When you call 911 from a
traditional phone line, the call in most cases is sent to a Sheriff's Office or
Police Department that is responsible for helping people in a particular area.
The Sheriff's Office can often identify your location and get the closest
emergency personnel to that location and call back your telephone number if a
call is disconnected.
Consumers who use VOIP should know that VOIP 911 services
work differently.
VOIP may not connect you to your local Sheriff's Office or Police
Department.
VOIP 911 may connect the call but may not automatically transmit the caller's
phone number or location.
VOIP may not work during a power outage or when the internet connection fails.
VOIP calls may be transferred to a call center out of state who attempts to
determine what agency receives the call and then transfers the call. This delay
is not the fault of your local Sheriff's Office or Police Department.
Often this method of a phone service is cheaper to the consumer and most people
assume their 911 service will be provided.
911 Operators at the Macomb County Sheriff's Office are highly trained in CPR,
Emergency Medical pre-arrival instructions, and handling emergency calls for
other reasons. Callers need to know that they should remain calm and speak at a
normal tone so that the 911 Operator can provide the quickest and best solutions
for all types of emergency responses. The 911 Operator will gather the necessary
information; often they repeat what the caller is saying so that their partners
can start sending deputies and EMS and update them on information. Many times
callers can get impatient and wonder why the operator is asking so many
questions and not getting help on the way. In most cases there may be two 911
Operators on the phone and the other person is sending the proper response. In
an emergency situation it often seems like it is taking forever to get help but
in reality response time is short.
Macomb County Sheriff Dispatchers are trained to get as much information as
possible to best determine the nature of the problem. The information provided
by callers can assist deputies or fire departments with what they will need in
order to keep others safe and out of harms way. Dispatchers are also trained to
perform many tasks at once; they may be also be dispatching emergency response
units while they are talking to you.
If you accidentally call 911 and hear a 911 Operator answering-please do not
hang up. Explain that you dialed a wrong number. A dispatcher may ask you a few
questions to determine that there are no problems and you are safe.
If you do hang up on a dispatcher they will attempt to call you back. If there
is no answer, it is our policy to send deputies to your location to check on the
safety and welfare.
Hearing impaired citizens can also call 911 through the TDD (Telecommunications
Device for the Deaf). This devi8ce is interfaced with our 911 centers telephone
system and communication is typed from the keyboard to communicate.
For non English speaking residents our 911 center is also equipped with calling
an interpreter 24 hours a day 7 days a week with the aid of AT&T Language Line.
This service provides interpreters for more than 140 languages.
911 should be used for all emergencies-some examples would be:
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-Smell of smoke or see smoke or flames
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-If someone is hurt
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-Crimes in progress
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-Car accidents (injuries or non injuries)
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-Anything suspicious in nature
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-Fear of your life or someone else's
-
These are just a few examples. When in doubt -call 911!
Teach your children how to call 9-1-1
A 6-year-old gave the 911 operator her mom's license plate
number to establish address so they could send help.
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