Mason County Sheriff's Office:  About 911


 

  
1.
You must remain as calm as you can, and speak as clearly as you can.  If a 911 call taker can comprehend clearly what you are saying the first time you say it, you save valuable seconds.
2.
Know the exact address that emergency personnel need to respond to.  It is also especially helpful if you know the nearest cross street or road number.
3.
Tell the call taker what kind of emergency service you are requiring (police, fire, etc…) and what the trouble is. 
4.
Stay on the line until the call taker says that it is ok to hang up because the call taker is likely to have several questions and instructions.  While the call taker is asking these questions, or telling you what to do, please remember that, although you may not have heard the call taker do so, he or she already has sent help on the way.  
When placing a call to 911, it is important to remember four key things.
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911 should only be used if you are involved in, witness, or know of an emergency situation.
• 911 can be called from any pay telephone free of charge.
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911 should never be called if you are trying to get a telephone number, weather information, directions, to report power outages, or to simply “see if it works”.
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Calling 911 for any reason that is not an emergency is likely to interfere with legitimate 911 calls, and may delay emergency response time.
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Parents sometimes let children play with old cellular telephones that no longer have telephone service, assuming that the child cannot place a phone call.  While it is true that a regular call cannot be placed, a call to 911 will always go through on any cellular telephone.    
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In the event of a house fire, you should not use your home telephone to call 911 if you have a cellular telephone or a neighbor who is very close.  Your first priority in a house fire is getting yourself and anyone else outside to safety.  Remember that insurance can pay to replace your belongings, not your life. 
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Some telephones (home and cellular) are equipped with shortcut features that automatically dial 911 with the push of one button.  This feature is responsible for many accidental calls to 911.  If you happen to accidentally call 911, DO NOT hang up (even if you only hear a brief ring).  911 calls are routed differently than a regular phone call, so if you think that you have hung up before the call has gone through, chances are the dispatch center already has your phone number and address.  When this happens, it is the policy of the Mason County Sheriff’s Office to send police to your address to verify that everything is okay.
Other things you should know about 911: