Cold sweat appeared on my brow, and my breathing became shallow.
Then, I heard the voice:
911.
Yet, there it was: a horrible scene of twisted metal and screaming people.
Calling 911 is something that most people never have to do.
The very act of calling the universal emergency line suggests that your day has taken a horrible turn.
With some planning ahead of time, you’re able to set yourself up for success.
Taking away some of the mystery surrounding the 911 center can make communicating with them easier.
Using radios, dispatchers speak directly with the emergency services personnel such as police officers and firefighters.
Call takers, or 911 operators, speak directly to the public.
Call takers enter information into a Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system that tracks each call.
Whats Your Emergency?
There are two crucial pieces of information you better deliver quickly to the call taker.
First is your precise location and the second is a brief explanation of what is going on.
These two things will allow a dispatcher to send the right people to the correct location.
Disabuse yourself of the idea that all 911 calls are always able to identify your location.
While the enhanced 911 systems do provide address information to emergency services dispatchers, it is not always accurate.
Sometimes, the data in the system may be incorrect.
Calls made to a 911 center from a cellular phone will generally give a location for the caller.
Still, those locations can be too imprecise to identify a specific house number accurately.
Most of the time, the 911 system correctly identifies your location.
But, if you’re free to speak, give the operator your precise location.
It may take a while for emergency responders to get to your location.
When you are scared or excited, it will seem like forever.
Try not to get frustrated with the call taker.
In Practice
You set the stage when you call 911.
So, your first statement should be as clear and precise as possible.
Youve relayed imperative information about a violent crime that is happening right now at a specific place.
Even if you are disconnected from the call center, officials know enough to get moving.
Conclusion
Im not aware of any training courses to make you a professional 911 caller.
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