9-1-1 Basic Information

What is 9-1-1?

Nine-one-one (9-1-1) is the number most people in the United States and some in International countries call to get help in a police, fire or medical emergency. A 9-1-1 call goes over dedicated networks to the appropriate 9-1-1 answering point (PSAP) for the caller's location, and trained personnel then send the emergency help needed.

What is Enhanced 9-1-1?

Enhanced 9-1-1, or E9-1-1, is a system which routes an emergency call to the appropriate 9-1-1 answering point (PSAP) for the caller's location, AND automatically displays the caller's phone number and address. The 9-1-1 call taker will typically ask the caller to verify the information, which appears on his or her computer screen. In most areas, phone number and location information is available for 9-1-1 calls made from a cellular/wireless phone.

What to know when calling 9-1-1:

• Know your address
  • House Number
  • Street Name
  • City and State
• Know your phone number
• Know where you are (location of emergency)
• Answer 9-1-1 Operator Questions

Who pays for 9-1-1?

In most areas each household and business pays a small monthly fee for 9-1-1 service that appears on their phone bill. There is no per-call charge for calling 9-1-1. However, EMS/ambulances dispatched through 9-1-1 may charge for taking someone to the hospital; this is a separate ambulance charge, not a 9-1-1 charge.

When should you use 9-1-1?

Nine-one-one (9-1-1) is only to be used in emergency situations. An emergency is any situation that requires immediate assistance from the police, the fire department or an ambulance. If you are ever in doubt of whether a situation is an emergency you should call 9-1-1. It's better to be safe and let the 9-1-1 call taker determine if you need emergency assistance.

Do not call 9-1-1:

• for information
• for directory assistance
• when you're bored and just want to talk
• for paying traffic tickets
• for your pet
• as a prank

If you call 9-1-1 by mistake, do not hang up. Tell the call taker what happened so they know there really isn't an emergency.

How do I make a 9-1-1 call?

In an emergency, dial 9-1-1 on your phone. It's a free call. You can use any kind of phone: push button, rotary, cellular/wireless, cordless, or pay phone. (With some pay phones, you may need coins to get a dial tone; with many wireless phones, Enhanced 9-1-1 does not yet work.)

Stay calm and state your emergency

Speak loudly and clearly. Give the 9-1-1 call taker your name, phone number and the address where help is needed.

Answer the call taker's questions. Stay on the telephone if it's safe to do so, and don't hang up until the call taker tells you to.

What if a 9-1-1 caller doesn't speak English?

When necessary, a 9-1-1 call taker can add an interpreter from an outside service to the line. A non-English speaking caller may hear a short conversation in English and some clicking sounds as the interpreter is added to the line.

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

9-1-1 call takers are trained to answer emergency calls from persons who are deaf, deaf/blind, hard of hearing or speech impaired.

If you use a TTY/TDD, you should:

• Stay calm, using your TTY dial 9-1-1.
• You may receive a quicker response from 9-1-1 by pressing any of the TTY keys a few times.
• Give the call taker time to connect their TTY. If necessary, press the TTY keys again. The 9-1-1 call taker should answer and type "GA" for Go Ahead.
• Tell what type of help is needed --- police, fire department, or ambulance. Give your name, phone number and the address or location where help is needed.
• Stay on the telephone if it is safe. Answer the call taker's questions.

If you use a VRS (Video Relay Service) or IP (Internet Protocol) Relay, you should:

• Register and provide your address with the relay provider of your choice. Keep your address updated.
• Be aware that relay calls may take several minutes to connect. If you hang up, your call may not be connected to 9-1-1.
• Be prepared to provide your location information using an address, cross streets or landmarks, especially if you are not at your registered location.
• Your call may need to be transferred to reach the correct 9-1-1 center.
• Stay on the telephone if it is safe. Answer the call taker's questions.

If you do not have a TTY/TDD or access to relay services, you should dial 9-1-1, preferably from a landline phone. With 9-1-1 calls made from a landline phone, the caller's address is displayed on the call taker's screen. Do not hang up; keep the line open so that the call taker can listen for background noise. If you must call from a cell phone, leave the line open. Call from cell phones may display your approximate location.

Can I send a text to 9-1-1?

Texting to 9-1-1 is not available in most areas.

The 9-1-1 industry is committed to working with wireless carriers and the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) to implement texting to 9-1-1 throughout the country in the next few years. You may check with your local 9-1-1 center to see if it is available in your area.

When text to 9-1-1 is available in your area please remember "Call when you can, text when you can’t.” Texting should only be used when you are unable to make a voice call to 9-1-1.

Here are a few things to know if you need to text an emergency to 9-1-1:

• Text location information is not as robust as current location technology.
• The first thing 9-1-1 needs to know is location and type of help needed.
• Text in full words.
• Be prepared to answer questions and follow instructions from the 9-1-1 call taker.
• Like all text messages, messages can take longer to receive, messages can get out of order or your message may not be received at all.
• If texting to 9-1-1 is not available in your area or is temporarily unavailable you should receive a message on your phone to indicate that the text was not received by 9-1-1.