DIAL 911 ONLY FOR AN EMERGENCY An emergency is: Any serious medical problem (chest pain, seizure, bleeding) Any type of fire (building, car, brush) Any life threatening situation (fights, person with weapons, etc.) Any crime in progress (whether or not a life is threatened). When you dial 911, be prepared to answer the following questions: WHAT happened? WHERE is the exact location of the emergency? WHAT is the current condition of the victim? 9-1-1 Emergency Examples Someone breaking into your home now or one of your neighbors' home. Shootings Fires Traffic injury accidents Person screaming Child choking Fights or displays of weapons When the dispatcher answers your 911 call Try to stay calm and speak slowly. Briefly describe the type of incident you are reporting. Answer any questions the dispatcher has including confirmation of your name, address and telephone number. Dispatchers have been trained to ask questions that will prioritize the incident, locate it and dispatch an appropriate response. Your answers should be brief and responsive. If you are not in a position to give full answers to the call-taker (the suspect is nearby), stay on the phone and the dispatcher will ask you questions that can be answered "yes" or "no." Do not hang up until the dispatcher tells you to. In some cases, the dispatcher will keep you on the line while the emergency units are responding to ask additional questions or to obtain ongoing information. NON-EMERGENCY CALLS Use the administrative line (334-241-2651) to report non-emergency incidents such as crimes not in progress such as property thefts or vandalism. You should also use the non-emergency telephone number for cars blocking the street or driveway, non-injury auto accidents not blocking the street or other events not requiring an emergency response. Non-Emergency Examples A Non-Emergency call is simply a request for police service that is not a life or death situation. Abandoned vehicle Vehicle Collision in a parking lot Loud party Barking dog Vandalism Late reported calls
911 MISDIALS If you dial 911 in error, DO NOT hang up the telephone. Instead, stay on the phone and explain to the dispatcher that you dialed by mistake and that you do not have an emergency. If you hang up, police officers must be dispatched to the caller's address. This will needlessly take resources away from genuine emergencies.