When you dial 911 your call is routed to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP/911 Center), depending on where the call is made will be the basis of which 911 Center in White County answers your call. Once your call is routed and answered by a 911 Dispatcher it is important to know the following information:
Know when to call 911:
An emergency is any serious situation where a law enforcement officer, fire fighter or emergency medical help is needed right away. If you are unsure of wheather you situation is an emergency, go ahead and call 911.
Know the location of the emergency:
The accurate address is critical when making a 911 call. Cell phone users, if you are not sure of the address, look around for landmarks, street signs, buildings and mile markers. Posting your 911 address at the driveway entrance and on your home will alleviate any confusion as to whether emergency responders have the correct location. Using something refelective or illuminated so that it can be seen at night and during the day. Do not just assume since you have put your address on your mailbox it is marked, many mail boxes are across the street from the residence or not at the entrance of the driveway. Check with your local hardware store they may sell refective signs.
Help the 911 Dispatcher help you:
Staying calm can be one of the most difficult, yet most important things you do when calling 911. The dispatcher needs to obtain vital information from you, no mater how relevant the question seems, they are important in helping get the first responders to you as fast as possible.
Teach your children about 911:
It is very important that children be taught when to use 911, how to call 911 and know the important information to give the 911 dispatcher. Teach them to trust the dispatcher.
When calling 911 your child needs to know:
-their address
-their name
-parents name
-telephone number
-what is the emergency
Tell your child to answer all the dispatchers questions and to stay on the phone until instructed to hang up.
If you call 911, even by mistake, do not hang up:
If you happen to call 911 by accident, stay on the line until you can tell the dispatcher that you called by accident. Dispatchers spend time trying to contact you back to make sure you are ok and don't have an emergency.
Prank calls to 911:
These type of calls are dangerous and can be illegal. Giving a child your old cell phone is not a good idea unless you take the battery out. Even though that phone doesnt have a SIM card in it, it can still dial 911. We spend alot of time speaking to children trying to get them to put mommy or daddy on the phone. We have received as many as 40 911 calls in one day from a infant with a cell phone. Most importantly this type of call is tying up an emergency line.