Emergency 911
- What is a 9-1-1 Emergency?
- Why was 9-1-1 developed?
- Types of 9-1-1 Systems.
- What happens when you dial 9-1-1?
- DO’s and DON’T’s for 9-1-1
A 9-1-1 emergency is any event that requires an immediate response by police, fire or emergency medical services.
The 9-1-1 concept was developed as the fastest, easiest way to communicate with local police, fire and medical services during an emergency. You do this by waiting for dial tone on your telephone, cellular telephone or public telephone, then dialing 9-1-1.
The first 9-1-1 systems were called Basic 9-1-1 systems. All 9-1-1 calls were directed to one Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) per telephone office. 9-1-1 dispatchers only received the caller's telephone and had to ask the caller for name, address and county location.
Advances in computer systems and telephone company technology combined to create ENHANCED 9-1-1 systems. Today 86 of 88 Ohio counties have Enhanced 9-1-1 systems on-line. Enhanced 9-1-1 systems allow 9-1-1 calls to be routed to the proper PSAP within each county. Also, each 9-1-1 call displays the caller's telephone number, name and address, as well as the correct police, fire and emergency medical response agency for each citizen within the County. Erie County is working on implementing a wireless 9-1-1 system that will locate where you are calling from on a mapping system. The wireless system will also give the cellular caller's name, telephone number and address. In 2008, our seven (7) 9-1-1 Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP's) located throughout the County, handled over 19,250 regular 9-1-1 calls, and 18,350 cellular 9-1-1 calls.
4. What happens when you dial 9-1-1?
- First you dial 9-1-1 for emergency help.
- The 9-1-1 call is routed to a 9-1-1 selective router.
- The 9-1-1 call is then routed from the selective router to the proper Public Safety Answering Point in Erie County.
- The 9-1-1 dispatcher then determines the type of incident and the proper responding agencies needed. Then the dispatcher will conference on the call all other emergency agencies needed to report to the scene.
- The proper emergency agencies are sent to the scene.
DO: If you are calling 9-1-1 and you are not at the location where the emergency is, please advise the dispatcher of the correct location and type of emergency. If you fail to advise the dispatcher of the proper location, valuable time may be lost trying to find the correct location, and seconds save lives.
DON’T: If you dial 9-1-1 in error, DON’T hang up the telephone. Stay on the line and explain to the dispatcher you dialed incorrectly, then you can hang up. If you hang up you will be called back by the dispatcher or an officer will be sent to your residence for verification of emergency needs.
