They use GPS from a cell phone based on the towers so you need to get a phone in your room cuz it won't give your address if you can't give it. You can't tell me you have NEVER been home alone and thought "What would I do if such-and-such happens?" If a dispatcher receives a silent 911 call, they will ask the caller to press a key corresponding to the service they need (1 for police, 2 for fire, 3 for an ambulance). Being clear is the most important part you play in the call. If you were or are a police chief or commissioner do you believe that certain races get frisked more then others? Can an emergency dispatcher or police officer refuse to respond to a 911 call? If you call back from somewhere else, … However, if your wireless phone is not "initialized" (meaning you do not have a contract for service with a wireless service provider), and your emergency call gets disconnected, you must call the emergency operator back because the operator does not have your telephone number and cannot contact you. It'll be relayed to the responding officer to give him a better chance to prepare. However, the FCC states that 70% of 911 calls are placed using a cell phone. When a 911 call comes in the dispatcher will assess the situation. In Massachusetts, callers can press “1” for police, “1” for the fire department, “3” for an ambulance, “4” to say “yes,” and “5” to say “no.”. But what actually happens when you call 911, and where the heck did they get those numbers from? If they can’t retrieve your number, they are likely to send an officer to your estimated location, which may or not be accurate. TWIN FALLS• “I can’t understand you,” is the last thing a person calling 911 wants to hear. Massachusetts implemented the Silent Call Procedure back in the 1990s in order to facilitate communication with emergency responders when callers could not speak freely on the phone. Join Yahoo Answers and get 100 points today. Every 911 center in Northwest has a contract with an emergency translation service to deal with this. But it takes extra time. IF you find yourself in a dangerous situation and need to call the police but can't speak, there's a way to communicate in silence. Leave the phone off the hook so the call taker can hear anything that happens. Sorry. Who responds when I press my help button? Generally speaking, people are aware that they should call 911 in an emergency, but they are less aware of the circumstances in which they should not call 911. First, the call-taker listens to the line to determine if they can hear anything that might indicate the reason for the call (such as sounds of a struggle, screaming, children playing, gunshots, etc). If you hang up and call back your call may be pushed farther back in the call-answering queue, resulting in delayed service. The dispatcher will get the call regardless of if you hang up the phone or not (911 doesn't work like phones, you can't hang up and the call goes away). Some cell phone systems are equipped to triangulate but not all. If the caller is using a landline, call-takers in a public safety answering point (PSAP) can usually trace the call automatically with location data provided by the telephone service provider. It's a terrifying thought: You need to call 911, but you can't speak. Answer as clearly as you can and stay on the line. Notice how the Phase II rules don't include altitude? The investigator will collect additional evidence. Then, when they discover that you’re just some idiot playing games, they will arrest you for abusing the 911 system. Yes they will. Remember, the person who answers the phone when you call 911 is trained to walk you through the process. I just want to know, *just in case*... And also, how long would it take to track down your address by GPS if you're calling from a cell phone? On the other hand, iPhones and most late model Androids do support 911 calling through their built-in voice assistants. Sure you usually will get a response. They're required to at least send a police for investigation whenever they get a call. The Sheriff's Office says they understand misdials happens and give a helpful list telling people what they should do in the case of an accidental 911 call. Ask a question, get a great answer. That's because calling 911 from a landline (a telephone connected to the lines on the poles) makes a computer in the dispatch center show the number and address of the phone you're using. While some call centers have bilingual operators, smaller 911 centers rely on a call-in translator service. When I was little, I dialed 911 on my grandmom's phone and then hung up real quick and no one came. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. People who called 911 and the police did nothing were not able to sue the police departments. When you make the call, say, "I think it's a stroke." I like to be prepared for unexpected events... Or maybe I just watch too much CSI and Law & Order where people DO break in and hurt people. The operator sends your call to the 911 dispatcher. At that point it is really up to the dispatcher whether or not to send someone. What happens if 911 gets a call and there's nobody talking? When Donald is convicted of serious felonies and treasonous acts and is incarcerated will you still love him and will he love you. 911 should not be used for non-urgent situations, because EMTs, police, or other responders may be needed elsewhere. If our call volume is extremely heavy when you call, you may hear a recording, and be placed on hold. This isn't true. Don't panic. My PD responds to all 911 calls. Still have questions? When you call 911 from a landline, emergency responders can find you—even if you don’t know where you are or you can’t speak. It doesn't really matter how fast rescuers get to you; it will seem like an eternity. Are police restricted to taking only what is named on a search warrant? Tap here to turn on desktop notifications to get the news sent straight to you. Answer by Todd Jasper, Emergency Management Consultant. Sometimes this is a great way if there is a burgular in the home and you do not want him to hear you calling 911. As far as the accident goes, they asked all those questions because why would they use GPS when they can get the info from you? Some one responded that they respond to every 911 call to their department. This will also direct the call to a police call handler. Today is National Voter Registration Day! You can sign in to vote the answer. In which case, I probably couldn't talk to the 911 dispatcher or they would hear me talking and find me (if I was trying to hide or something). If you are in danger, please use a safer computer, call 911, the St. Paul & Ramsey County Intervention Project at 651-645-2824, or the Minnesota Domestic Violence Crisis Line at 1-866-223-1111 if you are in Minnesota. This information must be accurate to within 50 to 300 meters depending upon the type of location technology used. You get a call with a prerecorded voice that tells you, for example, "[we're] calling with an important message about your debit card. But sometimes when you do call, it’s an accident. They can locate you because of … They will however know who owns the phone. When you call 911, your call is answered by an emergency call-taker whose first responsibility is to find out if this is a true emergency-is someone injured, is there a crime in progress, is there a fire, etc. Can a mentally ill person admit they are mentally ill or will they not comprehend that they are ? If you subscribe to Ooma’s calling service, you can link it to Google Home and use it to call 911. Enhanced 911 makes that possible. They can locate you because of … 911 calls are considered an "urgent" matter and are usually there in well under 20 mins. If we can’t reach you, we will call your Circle of Care in the order you decided when you set up your senior medical alert system. If you don't speak this language, you can provide the necessary information in English for instance. The caller might even hear hold hold music, as if it were a catalogue company rather than an emergency call. You can listen to what happens on one of these calls here. Gotta talk...whisper. FCC Phase II E911 rules require wireless service providers to provide more precise location information to PSAPs; specifically, the latitude and longitude of the caller. (WJAC) — It’s the three numbers you hope you never have to dial: 911. If you call back from your phone — which the criminals dialed — you get the prompt to enter personal data. I worked as a dispatcher for 28 years and any call to 9-1-1 was assumed to be purposeful until proven otherwise. Pressing 55 does not allow police to track your location.” The call will be transferred to your local police force. When the call-taker answers a 911 call, the phone information pops up on a computer screen (see technology). Don't cry wolf or they may not come when you really are in trouble. You will get charged if you call and then are transported via ambulance. The courts have repeatedly said that the police are for investigating crime and making arrests. If you are the cardholder please stay on the line and press 1. In addition, the operator will see the phone number you're calling from and can quickly determine your location whether or not you provide this information verbally. Yes, you can call 911 from your cell phone, but if possible, use a landline. We made it easy for you to exercise your right to vote! It was a car accident with no injuries which is not high on the priority list. If there is no answer or only voicemail an officer will be sent. If the caller doesn’t respond, the call is routed through an automated system, which prompts callers to press “55” to indicate an emergency. All we need is a name, phone number, and a brief description. The dispatcher will also ask a series of Yes or No questions, guiding the caller to press 4 for “yes” and 5 for “no.” When an ambulance arrives and they check you out, they may suggest that you go to the doctor or just wait before going to the hospital that is if there is no immediate life threat. Do you agree with this controversial report that China is actually committing genocide? Sometimes if it's a bs complaint then the person can get a ticket for 911 abuse. Maybe you're injured, choking, or you're trying to seek help without alerting a criminal. If I called 911 and then just stayed on the line without saying anything, would they come? This information will help the call-taker determine the nature of the emergency and whether to dispatch police/fire/EMS. Get your answers by asking now. Police officers have no idea of how many calls come in on a daily basis because they are not there answering the phone when it rings, they only know when they are sent to one. If there is one phone number everyone knows, it's 911. I am a Milwaukee officer and if someone calls and doesn't say anything we still respond...however we won't respond as quickly as we would if someone would talk to us regarding their emergency. Its mental preparation. I don't know about other cities or states though. They will come if you call from a land line. If you see someone taking something that belongs to someone else or breaking into a home or business; When not to call 911: Calling 911 as a joke or knowing that an emergency situation does not exist is a crime and subject to prosecution. When the worst happens, you want help to arrive quickly, no matter what language you speak. What happens when I dial 911? If its a cell in your name, they will look up the owner of that number. Brief being the operative word. Will the police respond if you call 911 and stay on the line but don't say anything? When you dial 911 on a landline, the telephone grid routes the call to the correct dispatch center, where the 911 system tells the dispatcher your address, which helps speed up … If you don’t speak English, the operator can access the Language Line and have an interpreter help you communicate with 911. Is it a normal thing for a police officer to bring his patrol car home after a days work? Palm Beach County 911 declined to go on camera with Contact 5, but did give us information over the phone, regarding why 911 has trouble pinpointing exact locations when you call from a cellphone. The dispatcher is the person who actually sends out the police to you. First of all, if you call 911 by accident, stay on the line. When a 911 call comes in the dispatcher will assess the situation. However, the FCC states that 70% of 911 calls are placed using a cell phone. If the caller has already hung up the line, the dispatcher will attempt to call the number back. What I have realized over the years, is that often people are afraid to call 911 or go to the hospital (even when they really need to) because they don’t know what to expect. If the address is near the cell tower that's sending out the call we'll check the address listed on that cell account. The goal is to answer all 911 calls within five seconds. 911 hang-ups happen more often than you think. And no, you will not be charged with a crime for mistakenly or accidentally calling 911 unless you harass the 911 center. First, calling for help can be scary and may even seem overwhelming at the time. When you call 911 from a landline, emergency responders can find you—even if you don’t know where you are or you can’t speak. This procedure is unique to Maryland, however. If you have a smartphone within earshot, say “Hey Siri (or Google), call 911” to start the call. ©2021 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Why are the people who answer 911 calls so relaxed? What about if you don’t speak English? We know that when you call 911 with a true emergency you will … Geez people, I'm not THAT paranoid!!! If it is an emergency, the call-taker will handle your call. They track your number and find you in order to figure out what is wrong. There are call takers at the center who speak Spanish, Vietnamese, Amharic, Japanese, Russian, Korean and Yoruba. An emergency call in a foreign language is an almost daily occurrence in the region's urban counties. Learn from experts and access insider knowledge. If the caller has already hung up the line, the dispatcher will attempt to call the number back. The reason they ask so many questions is to weed out the fake calls … If you don’t press 55, the call will be terminated. An emergency call in a foreign language is an almost daily occurrence in the region's urban counties. Stay calm; Dial 9-1-1; Either leave the phone hanging or make some sort of noise to let the dispatcher know there is an emergency. The Supreme Court had said that police have no duty to answer a 911 call, or any other call for that matter. How do you think about the answers? If for example you call 911 for some pain you’re having. What happens if 911 gets a call and there's nobody talking? If we can’t hear you, we will start by calling your house phone, just in case you pressed the button by accident. People should always be asking themselves "What would I do if...?". Once the 911 dispatcher receives the call from the operator, the dispatcher assigns squad car(s). Tips for calling 911 on a cell phone If the caller is using a landline, call-takers in a public safety answering point (PSAP) can usually trace the call automatically with location data provided by the telephone service provider. It's a little bit more difficult to identify locations with cell phones (especially if the caller is in a multi-story structure). For the best answers, search on this site https://smarturl.im/aD1KD. Callers who do not speak English, or who feel more comfortable communicating in a language other than English, can still access 911 services. When you need to speak to a deputy, don’t give us the entire story on why you want to speak to one. Every 911 center in Northwest has a contract with an emergency translation service to deal with this. If these callers can't speak, or don't know where they are, 911 dispatchers can't find them. Conn. governor on reopening: 'We are not Florida', 'Grey's Anatomy' fans shocked by character's death, Bad news for people who share a Netflix password, Damon's arrest exposes racial double standard, What Florida could tell us about the dreaded '4th wave', Digital-only artwork fetches nearly $70M at auction. Never hang up until you are told to do so by the 911 disp… An automated voice asks the caller to press 55 if they need police assistance. It's surprising how many people don't know that every call to 911 is automatically recorded. Its good to think about these things. If the phone line is still open and no one is talking to them, they will be sent. So maybe it just depends how busy they are.... Or if you hang up immediately, they assume that it was an accident then....? If there’s a reason to believe there’s danger, 911 dispatchers say that they will request your phone number from the carrier and attempt to return your call to follow up. The police will be at your door in a few minutes. In most parts of the United States, when you call 911 from a landline, emergency responders can find you—even if you don't know where you are or you can't speak. The result is that many requests to 911 do not involve true emergencies, which overloads the 911 system with non-emergency calls. If you don’t know the answer to a question, then say … If the call … In the event that you are placed on hold, please do not hang up. What To Do If You Can't Speak. 5. It’s better to be safe than sorry. In some member states they can take your call to the emergency number in French, German or the language of the neighbouring country as well. What is your plan if you don't? While speaking to the caller the call-taker adds information that is received into the computer. We will make sure that you are okay. Be calm and listen to the questions that they ask. Speak slowly and remember to breathe. Sign up for membership to become a founding member and help shape HuffPost's next chapter. But it takes extra time. I said I was just curious! We will then call your list of responders (some of which hopefully live … If the caller stays on the line and explains a mistake the dispatcher will listen to the tone of voice of the caller and the background noises to determine if there is anything suspicious. I've always been curious about that because sometimes if I'm home alone, I get paranoid about what would happen if someone broke in or something. Calling 911 on a cell phone When you call 911 emergency responders can find you - even if you don't know where you are or can't communicate. Why or why not? If it is a prank you will be ticketed or charged with filing a false police report. If you're near your home but somewhere else calling 911 on a cell, you probably won't be found. Or would they assume it was a prank/accidental call and ignore it? The caller might even hear hold music, as if it were a catalogue company rather than an emergency call. This will give you an opportunity to say something like, “I don’t need paramedics, can you call my friend or my neighbor?” But if you tell us it’s more serious, or you can’t speak, we will call the local paramedics for you. Plus just cuz it took ten minutes doesn't mean that will happen everytime. If you don’t speak English, investigators can access an interpreter to help you communicate with them. I don't have a house phone in my room and I use my cell for everything. That lets the 911 dispatcher know to act quickly and get an ambulance to you right away. The call-taker will ask the caller to make a noise or tap the phone to confirm the caller needs help. My brother and I have made 911 calls when we were very little and they always came, even when my parents explained that they had just let the two kids alone and they [we] got a hold of the phone. If you call 911 on an plane, where is the call directed to. The dispatcher then pulls the call up on his/her screen and dispatches the appropriate personnel. If you call 911 to see if it is working, stay on the line and advise the operator you are just testing. How will the U.K. royals respond to TV interview? : originally appeared on Quora: The best answer to any question.