Emergency
Services
and Telecommunications
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: How come you know my address and
phone number when I call?
A: We have what is called "E911" or enhanced 911 capabilities at our
center. That means that our computer-aided dispatch system has a link to the
local telephone company's computer. When we answer the phone, a computer
display shows the billing name, address, and number of the telephone on the
other end.
Q: You already know my address and
phone number, so why do you ask me anyway?
A: Computers are wonderful, but
not infallible. They do make mistakes, so we must ask just to make sure.
Another possibility is that many people call from a neighbor's house, so we
don't want to send help to the wrong place and waste precious time.
Q: Why do you ask so many irrelevant
questions when I call 911?
A: We ask questions pertaining
to the location of an incident and descriptions of vehicles and people
involved. Often we ask for descriptions of the victim's clothing as well as
the suspect's clothing. This is to make sure that the officers who respond
know which people are which. At times we also need to know if a crime is
still occurring, or if it has occurred some time ago, in order to judge if
the suspects are still near the crime scene, or if the officers need to go
searching for them.
Q: Why can't you just send help
instead of keeping me on the phone?
A: In an emergency, you are
likely to be highly upset or even frantic. But remember that most often
while you are speaking to the radio telephone operator, help is being
dispatched, and may be en-route to your location. Sometimes the radio
telephone operator will keep you on the phone to try to keep you calm and
occupied until help arrives. Sometimes they will even tell you what you can
do to help the victim until help arrives. The best thing you can do is to be
responsive and don't try to fight the radio telephone operator or hang up on
him or her. If you've hung up before all the necessary information is
relayed, you may delay the arrival of help!
Q: Why do you ask me the same
questions over and over?
A: We try to be as efficient and
quick as possible. The only time we repeat questions is when the caller is
too frantic to be understood. We understand that when a crisis occurs it's
human nature to get upset, but when you scream, cry, or curse at us and we
can't get the necessary information; you are just delaying the help you
desperately need. Try to speak clearly and answer our questions completely.
Q: When should I call 911?
A: Anything that has just
occurred or is still in progress that could be life threatening. A medical
emergency which needs an ambulance, a fire, or any incident which has
injuries or unknown injuries.
Q: When should I NOT call 911?
A: Anything that has occurred
prior (like yesterday, days before, or even weeks before!), the responsible
party is gone, a report for insurance purposes only, or if no person or
property is in danger. Please do not call 911 to ask directions or in any
other non-emergency situation.
Q: Can I still get 911 if I dial the
operator?
A: Yes. You get connected to
911; however, when you are connected through the operator we do not get your
address or phone number on our enhanced 911 screens. (Many of us did not
have 911 when we grew up and we would call the operator who would then
transfer us to police, fire, or ambulance when needed.) By not dialing 911
it slows down the process by preventing us from simply verifying your
address. When you call in an emergency, you are often upset, afraid, and not
always thinking rationally. As a result you will sometimes forget your
address, and we cannot get help to you until that address is determined.
Q: What happens when I call 911
accidentally and hang up?
A: The dispatcher will try to
call you back. If the dispatcher reaches a child on the phone, he/she will
ask to speak to an adult. An officer will be dispatched to the residence if
no adult can be reached. If no one answers, an officer will be dispatched.
If the line is busy, the dispatcher will attempt to break through with the
help of an operator to see if it was a misdial or there is an emergency
needing help.
Q: Why can't you just take my
non-emergency call on 911 when we are both on the line already?
A: We only have 12 incoming 911
lines for the entire city. Any major incident will cause numerous lines to
ring regarding this one incident. (Large fire, major traffic accident, etc.)
Those 12 lines can get tied up quickly. If we are taking your non-emergency
call also on 911, a real emergency caller may reach a busy signal.
Q: What happens when I call 911 from
my cell phone?
A:
Today when you call 911 from your cell
phone the call goes to the nearest regional cell phone answering point. In
the Hartford area your call may go to the State Police. Be patient as the
regional center connects the 911 call to our center or the nearest center to
your location. In the future the cell phones will be connected to the
dispatch center nearest you automatically and directly. We must wait for the
technology to be completed and updated. We hope that this will take place in
2004, or at the very least early 2005.
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