Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Use 911 for EMERGENCIES...


Use 9-1-1 to save a life, report a fire or to stop a crime. 9-1-1 is the right number to call in an emergency when a PROMPT RESPONSE is needed. There could be a fire, fight or an assault occurring right now or a medical problem occurring now which could be life threatening. 

The person who answers your 9-1-1 call is a trained professional. They will ask you questions in order to determine what kind of help you need – Fire/Medical or Police. Be prepared to state the nature of the emergency, and please answer all the questions. Answering questions DOES NOT DELAY the response. As they ask their questions, keep your answers as short and direct as possible. 

Questions could include:
  • What number are you calling from?
  • What is the location?
  • What is the problem?

While on the phone with the call taker, EMERGENCY help is being dispatched. Staying on the line, if asked to do so, will NOT delay help from responding units. Fire Dispatchers are all specially trained to give direct, clear instructions to the caller if indicated to assist them in taking life-saving action prior to the arrival of Fire Department resources.  If it is possible and does not compromise your safety, do not hang up the phone until the dispatcher says it is okay to hang up.

What if I call 9-1-1 by mistake?
Please stay on the line if you call 9-1-1 by accident, and tell the dispatcher that everything is OK. If you do not stay on the line, a police officer to your home to make sure there is not a problem.

When should I use Crime Check?
(509) 456-2233 is a ten digit non-emergency number which you can dial 24 hours a day in Spokane County for non-emergency crime reporting. Using Crime Check keeps 9-1-1 available for true EMERGENCIES.

Citizens are reminded that a quick response in an emergency depends upon each of us using the emergency system and the non-emergency number properly.


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