9-1-1 Facts
What you should know about 9-1-1
Questions
you will be asked for your safety and the safety of
the responding emergency service personnel.
o What is your phone number?
o
o
o
o What are the names of the people involved?
o When did this occur?
What to teach
your child about dialing 9-1-1
o Their
addresso Their phone number
o Their name including last name
o Parent’s name (not “Mommy” or “Daddy”)
o To answer all the 9-1-1 Dispatcher’s questions
o Not to hang up until they are told to by the 9-1-1 Dispatcher
o
Most importantly, that it is ok
to call 9-1-1 in an emergency. *They do not have to ask permission to call if it is
a true life-threatening emergency.
9-1-1 Facts
Landline, Wireless, and VoIP Calls
Landline or
traditional Wire line phones in your home are routed
to the 9-1-1 center that dispatches calls for the
Law Enforcement Provider for your area. Information including your name, address, and
telephone number should be transmitted along with
you to the center. However, the
9-1-1 Dispatcher will always verify this information
to ensure that emergency service personnel are sent
to the correct location.
9-1-1 Dispatchers will always verify your location when you call on a wireless phone because technology does not provide pinpoint accuracy on a wireless phone. The FCC requires wireless phone to be accurate within 350 feet, 95% of the time. Therefore, Emergency Services should be able to track you down to the distance of football field when you call but to ensure they are able to find you please speak to the 9-1-1 Dispatcher and tell them as accurately as possible where you are.
Voice over the Internet
Protocol (VoIP) calls, provided by companies such as
Time Warner and Vonage, offer less expensive
telephone services but at a cost. With many VoIP provider's customers lose the ability
to dial out when the power goes out and 9-1-1 is
directed to a “National 9-1-1” which is answered in
Canada and transferred back to your Cass County
9-1-1 Center. However, when the
call is transferred the customer’s name, address,
and phone number are not available to the 9-1-1
Dispatcher.