General
911 Information
What
is 9-1-1?
Nine
- one- one is the number most people in the U.S. Call to get help
in a police,fire or medical emergency. A 9-1-1 call goes over a dedicated
phone line to the 9-1-1 Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). The
trained personnel sends help to the location of the emergency.
What is Enhanced 9-1-1?
Enhanced
9-1-1, or E9-1-1 is a system which routes an emergency call to a PSAP,
and automatically displays the caller's phone number and address.
The 9-1-1 dispatcher will ask the caller to verify the address of
the emergency and the callers phone number. This verification process
is critical in ensuring we send the appropriate help to the correct
location.
Phase II Wireless?
Phase
II wireless allows the cell phone call to route to a PSAP and may
also show the dispatcher the address of the cell tower supporting
the cell call and the latitude and longitude of the caller's location.
The dispatcher then can place the latitude and longitude and a map
located in the dispatch center and get an approximate location of
the caller. This is not an exact location just an approximate location
of where the caller could be at. Different cell companies provide
a different level of accuracy. In order to help us find you in an
emergency please remember to answer all of the dispatchers questions
and when trying to pinpoint your location if you call from a cell
phone, please be prepared to give landmarks if needed.
Who Pays for 9-1-1?
Every
traditional phone line, cellular phone line , and voice over internet
phone providers pay a small monthly fee for 9-1-1. In Larimer County
our surcharge is $.45 per month per line. Larimer County has the 3rd
lowest surcharge in the state
When should you use 9-1-1?
9-1-1
is only to be used in emergency situations. An emergency is any situation
that requires immediate assistance from law enforcement, fire, or
medical. If you are ever in doubt of whether a situation is an emergency,
you should call 9-1-1. It is better to be safe and let the 9-1-1 dispatcher
determine if you need emergency assistance.
Do not call 9-1-1:
- for
information
- for
directory assistance
- when
you're bored and just want to talk
- for
paying tickets
- for
asking if someone was arrested
- for
your pet
- as
a prank
If you
call 9-1-1 by mistake, do not hang up. Tell the call taker what happened
so they know there really isn't an emergency.
