Calling 9-1-1

Calling 9-1-1 in an emergency

FIRST - WHAT IS AN EMERGENCY?

An emergency can be defined as a situation that poses an imminent danger to life or property. You can make a determination of a situation by asking yourself this question: Are the police, fire department or paramedic assistance needed right now to protect life or property? For instance, any fire or smell of smoke, a heart attack, an in-progress assault, a shooting or an injury traffic collision are examples of calls for which 9-1-1 should be used.

For non-emergency service calls to your Police Department, in El Cajon you should dial (619) 579-3311. Non-emergency calls would include those such as reporting a loud party, a bicycle stolen some time ago, an assault that may have happened yesterday or a burglary that may have happened some time earlier.

As a good rule of thumb, if you can’t decide whether the call is an emergency or not, it is better to err on the side of safety. In other words, when in doubt, dial 9-1-1.

When you should call 9-1-1?

In an emergency -
When you need help
When you need the police, fire department or an ambulance.
Stay calm.
Explain what’s wrong - what type of an emergency it is.
Explain what type of help you need - fire, police, ambulance.
Explain where help is needed.
Give your name and address loudly and clearly.
Answer all questions that are asked of you.
Do not hang up until the dispatcher says it's ok to do so.

WHAT TO SAY:

Explain what is wrong-what type of emergency it is (i.e. fire, injury, accident, crime in progress).
Explain what type of help you need-fire, police, ambulance.
Explain where help is needed- location of the emergency.
Give your name and telephone number so that the operator can call back if your call is disconnected.
You may be asked to give you home address for reporting purposes.

HOW TO DESCRIBE WHERE YOU ARE LOCATED?

Look for street names, big signs, or buildings you know.
Tell the dispatcher where you were coming from, where you are now and where you were going to (i.e. we left home to go to grandma's house).
Tell the dispatcher if you are in a car, walking, or riding a bike, in a store, etc.

Teach Your Children "How To Call 9-1-1"

To try and stay calm
To speak loud and clear
Explain what the emergency is
Where they are
Teach them your address - the dispatcher may ask them to confirm the address on their screen
Answer the questions of the dispatcher nice and clearly - speak up
Don't hand up until the dispatcher tells you too
Let your child know that 9-1-1 dispatchers are there to help in an emergency

If they accidently call 9-1-1, tell them not to be afraid and to stay on the line to tell the dispatcher you dialed incorrectly - when a dispatcher gets a hang-up they'll call you back to make sure there wasn't an actual emergency

Make sure they understand it's for emergencies only and not to play pranks etc. But - please do not use this number to practice calling - please UNPLUG the phone while you practice

When should you NOT call 9-1-1?

When there is no emergency
For animals (cats in trees)
As a game or prank
As a joke
To practice (unplug the phone or use a toy phone)

Do NOT call 9-1-1:

For information (Call 4-1-1 or 2-1-1)
For directions (Sea World, Zoo etc)
For directory assistance
For paying tickets
For your pet
As a prank
When you're bored and just want to talk.

If you call 9-1-1 by mistake, do not hang up. Tell the call taker what happened so that he/she knows that there is no emergency.

9-1-1 Calls from Cell Phones

Answered by CHP, but soon, due to GPS, they'll soon be answered in the city you're calling from. If you're in El Cajon your call will go to the El Cajon Police Dispatch

Be patient - there are thousands of cell phones out there - and when there's a collision - dozens of people may be calling in, so you may get a busy signal or put on hold.

On May 9th, San Diego Police Department (SDPD) began receiving 9-1-1 wireless calls from Verizon Wireless customers - calls placed within the City limits except those made from freeways, which are still answered by CHP. On May 12th, SDPD began answering calls from Cingular customers. Sprint is currently testing their cell sites and they plan to change over service by May 27th. The next two companies will be Nextel and T-Mobil. SDPD is working with them to ensure their readiness and hopes to directly receive their calls sometime in June.

What is GPS - The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based navigation system made up of a network of 24 satellites placed into orbit by the U.S. Department of Defense. GPS was originally intended for military applications, but in the 1980s, the government made the system available for civilian use. GPS works in any weather conditions, anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day. This is being installed in newer cellular phones and will eventually send calls from cell phones directly to the 9-1-1 dispatchers in the city you're calling from. The "G" can also stand for "geographical".

If you accidentally call 911:

DO NOT HANG UP.
Stay on the telephone until the dispatcher answers.
Explain that you accidentally called 9-1-1 and there is no emergency.

You will not be in trouble if you accidentally call 9-1-1. DO NOT hang up.

NOTE: As a matter of policy, if the 9-1-1 center receives the call back number on disconnect, an operator will attempt to call back to determine if there is a true emergency. Stress to the children that it is better to stay on the phone and tell the operator that they accidentally called 9-1-1. Eliminating the need for call back saves valuable call taker time for other emergency calls. Otherwise an officer may go to your address to see if there is an emergency.

What about Prank 9-1-1 calls?

A prank call is when someone calls 9-1-1 for a joke, or calls 9-1-1 and hangs up. Prank calls not only waste time and money, but they can also be dangerous. If 9-1-1 lines or 9-1-1 call takers are busy with prank calls, someone with a real emergency may not be able to get the help they need. In some communities, it is considered illegal to make prank 9-1-1 calls.

What if a 9-1-1 caller is hearing or speech impaired?

Communication centers which answer 9-1-1 calls have special text telephones for responding to 9-1-1 calls from hearing or speech impaired callers.

Additional Information:

WHAT IS 9-1-1?

9-1-1 is an immediate way you may call for your public safety services during an emergency. These services include your Police Department, your Fire Department and Area Ambulance Service, your emergency medical service provider.