9-1-1 Facts

What you should know about 9-1-1

Questions you will be asked for your safety and the safety of the responding emergency service personnel. 

o Where is your emergency?
o What is your phone number?
What is your name?
What is the nature of your emergency?
Are there any weapons involved?
o What are the names of the people involved?
o When did this occur?

What to teach your child about dialing 9-1-1

Their address
Their phone number 
Their name including last name

Parent’s name (not “Mommy” or “Daddy”)
To answer all the 9-1-1 Dispatcher’s questions

Not to hang up until they are told to by the 9-1-1 Dispatcher

o Most importantly, that it is ok to call 9-1-1 in an emergency. *They do not have to ask permission to call if it is a true life-threatening emergency.



9-1-1 Facts

Landline, Wireless, and VoIP Calls

Landline or traditional Wire line phones in your home are routed to the 9-1-1 center that dispatches calls for the Law Enforcement Provider for your area. Information including your name, address, and telephone number should be transmitted along with you to the center. However, the 9-1-1 Dispatcher will always verify this information to ensure that emergency service personnel are sent to the correct location. 

9-1-1 Dispatchers will always verify your location when you call on a wireless phone because technology does not provide pinpoint accuracy on a wireless phone. The FCC requires wireless phone to be accurate within 350 feet, 95% of the time. Therefore, Emergency Services should be able to track you down to the distance of football field when you call but to ensure they are able to find you please speak to the 9-1-1 Dispatcher and tell them as accurately as possible where you are. 

Voice over the Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls, provided by companies such as Time Warner and Vonage, offer less expensive telephone services but at a cost. With many VoIP provider's customers lose the ability to dial out when the power goes out and 9-1-1 is directed to a “National 9-1-1” which is answered in Canada and transferred back to your Cass County 9-1-1 Center.  However, when the call is transferred the customer’s name, address, and phone number are not available to the 9-1-1 Dispatcher.