How to Report an Emergency to 911

Video Transcript

"One of the important things you want to remember when calling 911 is to really try to get to the heart of the matter as quickly as possible when you’re on the phone with the operator, that will help he or she determine the service you need as quickly as possible. You may have heard the expression "just the facts ma'am"; well that’s kind of what we're after here. When you’re on the phone reporting something you want to try and be as specific and brief as possible For example, "I need an ambulance, I see smoke, there’s been a traffic accident or I think I see someone breaking into my neighbor’s house. All those statements are very direct and to the point and immediately let the operator what kind of help you're going too need. While it may be tempting to give the operator some background about the situation, in general that’s going to be extraneous information and if we need it we'll certainly ask for it. You just really want to stay on the line and listen to what to operator or dispatcher is asking you and answer their questions to the best of your knowledge. You know if you help us get the point quickly we'll get help to you quickly also. "