Since we have seen an increase in crime and in human trafficking it’s time to add another skill to be prepared. Now is the time to learn the skill of calling 911. Yes, there are important tips to know to get the right help quickly.
On Thursday July 8, 1937 Mrs. John Stanley Beard placed the first 999 call in Hampstead, London, to report a burglar outside of her home. The suspect was apprehended and thus began the first emergency call system we in the United States, now refer to as 911. In 1957, Sydney, Australia implemented their service, 999. New Zealand followed quickly that year with their own 111 system. Canada followed in 1967 and in January 1968 the telephone company AT&T introduced the first system 911 system in the United States which affected all those with Bell Telephone (AT&T) service. The following years saw many communities creating their own 911 systems. Finally, on October 26, 1999 President Clinton signed a bill designating 911 the national emergency number.
How much do we understand about how 911 really works? During a recent HAM radio conference, I attended a class designed to teach HAMs exactly how to report to the 911 system during an emergency. I was surprised just how much there is to understand about a service we all take for granted.
First, let me remind you that 911 is for emergency use only.
Emergencies include accidents when there is an injury involved, physical danger from an assailant, a serious threat to property, fire, hit and run accidents, car jackings when there is still a person other than the thief in the car, burglaries in progress and medical emergencies. A call should never be placed to 911, but rather a non-emergency police phone number should be used when reporting; loud noises, fraud, stolen cars, larceny, lost pets, missing persons (unless they have diminished capacity), a burglary which has already taken place, and non injury accidents.
Second, there is a protocol to be aware of when calling for help.
A 911 Dispatcher will ask you questions and determine, based upon your answers, just who to dispatch to help with your problem. For this reason, it is vital that you remain calm and answer questions in the order they are asked. When you fail to do this, you delay getting help. For example, if you report someone has been shot and the operator can hear arguing or loud voices in the background, they will not dispatch an ambulance until the police can get there to assess the risk to ambulance personnel. The dispatcher’s first priority is the safety of rescue personnel.
Third, it’s all about location, location, location.
When answering this question, you should always give the address at which help in needed. If you are witnessing a disturbance at the neighbor’s home do not delay getting help to them by giving your address. If you don’t know the neighbor’s address, give the dispatcher yours with further directions such as “my address is 207 New Street but help is needed at the green house across the street”. Be as specific as possible.
Fourth, addresses do not always show up for 911 operator.
It has been the assumption of many that the address from which the landline call originates will show up on the screen at the dispatch center. This is not always true. Addresses do not appear when you are calling from a cell phone or VOIP. When giving your address, include the name of the nearest cross street. If you are using a cell phone and have less than a minute left on your charge, or are being threatened, give your address immediately. Remember 911 cannot trace your cell phone and without the address, dispatchers are helpless. Always assume the operator does not know where you are.
If you call the nonemergency police, fire, or hospital numbers, they will never know your location just from your call.
You may also assume that if you have GPS on your cell phone that this can be used to trace your location. This is also not true. GPS is for your use, that’s it. If you are not at a familiar location, learn to recognize compass directions, north, south, east and west and use them when giving directions. Also use mile markers and distinctive landmarks. We have a popular restaurant across from the entrance to our neighborhood. We often use that to give directions.
Hang on, don’t hang up.
Once you have made contact with the dispatcher do not hang up until help has arrived. Years ago, a friend had someone break into her home. She called 911and kept them on the line as she continued to try to get the intruder to back off. He continued to be aggressive and was obviously under the influence. She eventually was forced to fire a warning shot and he kept coming so she had no choice but to shoot him. The entire incident was recorded confirming her story when the police arrived.
You may not be aware that any cell phone with a charge can be used to dial 911 even if you are not currently paying for a plan. If you give your child an old phone to play with, take out the sim card or they can call 911. A charged phone without a plan can be given to a child to use in case of an emergency.
Explain your emergency.
Now that you have given your location it is time to explain your emergency. Do not discuss who is involved but only why you are calling such as, “I am calling to report a burglary in progress” or “I am calling to report a fire”. If you think about these very different scenarios, you will quickly understand that the operator will ask you very different questions to ascertain the situation and what help is needed.
For a burglary, the question will be: is the perpetrator still present and do they have a weapon? In the case of a fire, they may ask if everyone is out of the building or if more than one structure is involved.
Stay calm.
Don’t keep telling the operator to hurry or asking if they have sent help. They are expert multi-taskers and there is usually more than one operator in the room, all working together to dispatch help. Once they know your location and the nature of the emergency, be assured, help is on the way. Listen and answer their questions calmly.
Never assume.
Don’t assume someone has already called in an emergency. A call from someone passing an accident is valuable but one from someone who has actually stopped is far more valuable. Conversely, do not assume someone who has stopped has called for help. If they are trying to extricate someone from a car leaking fuel, they will not have taken time to make a call. The same is true of any emergency, always call. The 911 operator will tell you if they are already aware of the emergency.
Those who are deaf or hard of hearing should text 911.
With few exceptions, 911 calls cannot be transferred to other towns, cities or states. The best option to obtain emergency assistance in a different state, county, or city is to dial the local law enforcement in that community. If you have a family member or friend who may need help due to advanced age or medical conditions add their local police station and fire department to your emergency number so if a need arises you don’t have to look those up.
Teach your children to use 911.
Children should be taught their address and should be taught to spell it. It is very difficult to distinguish between an address which is Peach Street and one that is Beech Street. Your child should also know their preferred phone number, mom’s cell, dad’s cell, a number where a parent or guardian can be contacted 24/7.
They should be taught when to call 911, as this is different than the events for which an adult may call. Children should call if: they can not wake up a parent or other adult in the home, if they or some other child sees or finds a gun, if another child has an accident, when anyone is hurt and can’t get up, if they are lost, if someone is trying to get into the house, if they see someone with a gun, if they see an accident, or if they see an animal attacking someone. They should be taught NOT to call 911 if the house is on fire but should immediately get out of the house and to wait and call from the neighbor’s house or using a cell phone while standing across the street.
Recently my 911 dispatcher friend received a call from a child. He said his mom was sick and wouldn’t wake up. He said they were in a car, and he didn’t know where they were. The dispatcher asked if he recognized any of the buildings or stores that he could see. He said no. He then mentioned that there was a sign on the building, and he could read the letters but he didn’t know the words. She told him to read the letters and he slowly said ” E ..M ..E ..R ..G E N C Y” They were in the parking lot at the hospital. If your children don’t know how to read but know the alphabet tell them they should read the letters on the signs to the 911 operator.
It’s time to practice. Arrange with a friend or family member, your out of area contact would be an amazing choice and have your children practice calling and reporting an emergency. Arm your substitute dispatcher with questions to ask for each emergency.
- What is your address?
- Name?
- Are you at home?
- What is your phone number?
- What is your emergency?
- Follow up with questions relevant to the emergency. For a fire: is there anyone or any pets in the house, are you outside the house, where are you, what is on fire?
- For an intruder: Are they in the house, can you describe them, where are you, is anyone else at home?
- What are your parent’s names?
Before traveling, research the emergency numbers in case an emergency should arise. Most countries have a number like our 911. Record the number(s) for places you will be visiting and enter them into your phone so you can easily get help.
Next time you need help from 911 remember help arrives much more quickly and is much more likely to be the help you really need if you remain calm and simply answer the 911 operator’s questions.
For help in meeting your self-reliance goals join Carolyn at http://facebook.com/TotallyReady or her blog. Carolyn’s Totally Ready Emergency Binder is available to purchase and download at Totallyready.com and can be purchased complete or one section at a time.
