911 – How to get police attention when you need it

Those of you who have ever listened to a 911 call recording will know that it is not always easy for the dispatcher to understand what is happening on the other end of that line.

It all boils down to poor reception, poor language skills, poor organization, and a lack of understanding on both ends of where the other is coming from, so to speak.

Every day, 911 dispatchers receive unintelligible calls that are hysterical, disjointed, or spoken in a language or dialect the operator cannot understand, resulting in the sad fact that the 911 caller will not receive the help they needs to. Small issues tend to get prioritized, even if the resources are there to deal with them, and that’s mostly the caller’s fault. So how are you supposed to get the dispatcher’s attention and get them to send help? Just a few little steps to think about will get you a patrolman or two, even if resources stretch, and here they are.

– Always speak calmly. If you don’t, you may appear hysterical, and even if your emergency is real, being hysterical will only get you time penalty.

– Follow a logical step-by-step progression in everything you say. Start with a greeting, ie “Good morning”, “Good evening” or similar. You get the picture.

– Enter your name – “My name is…”.

– Give the person on the other end 2-3 seconds to respond. If they don’t, state in a calm voice what your problem is and where.

Do it in this sequence: where, what and when. For example; “I am at the intersection of Hill Road and Main. A large tanker truck collided with a bus and both vehicles are on fire. There are people in both vehicles, number unknown. The collision was approximately four minutes ago.”

– Trust the dispatcher. He or she will know what type of response is appropriate. Never argue with or interrupt the dispatcher.

– Always comply with the dispatcher’s instructions. If you can’t comply, state why promptly and let the dispatcher give you further instructions.

– Always thank the dispatcher before you or hang up the phone.
A quick “thank you” is enough.

Prepare for the next time you have to call 911. Write out a little “cheat sheet” that you can use and keep it in your wallet or purse. It should read something like this:
1: Greeting
2: Name 3: Where – What – When
4: Listen to instructions or questions
5: thank you

This little “how to” will help you with anything from a cat climbing a tree to tanker trucks catching fire in the street. Or even if you’ve been mugged, drugged or robbed or if there’s a strange noise outside your window.