The in's and out's of using 911

Kelci McKendrick, Enid News & Eagle, Okla.
·2 min read

Apr. 11—When a person dials 911, the call goes to the dispatcher.

Landline calls automatically go to the 911 center. While wireless phones are often routed to the local 911 center, these aren't always accurate if the call comes from near the border of two cities or a freeway.

When calling from a landline or wired phone, the dispatcher can see the address and number of the phone on their display, but a wireless phone only shows the phone number and an estimated address, which is why dispatchers will ask where the emergency is.

Oklahoma Highway Patrol Lt. Brad Siemens said being aware of surroundings helps, especially when traveling, in case of an accident.

When calling 911, try to remain calm. When the dispatcher answers, briefly explain what the problem is and give them the address of the emergency.

Follow the dispatcher's instructions, don't hang up until a dispatcher tells you to and remember that giving short, direct answers to the dispatcher in a quick manner means help will be there faster.

Examples of emergency calls include: "My house is on fire," "A man has been shot," "A woman is threatening to jump off a bridge," "My son had an accident and I can't stop the bleeding," "I think I am having a heart attack," "Someone suspicious is entering my neighbor's house," "Someone with a gun is robbing a store" or "I think I see a drunk driver on the road."

Non-emergencies include: "Was that an earthquake?," "I scraped my knee," "My car was towed. How do I get it back?" "My car was stolen last night," "Is the highway open?" "Is Joe Smith in jail right now?" or "My power is out. When will it come back on?"

If 911 is dialed by accident, don't hang up. Instead, stay on the line and let the dispatcher know everything is OK — otherwise, the dispatcher may think something is wrong and send an officer, which can potentially take an officer away from a real emergency elsewhere.

Any operational mobile phone with a signal can call 911, even if it's not associated with any carrier or network.

For non-emergencies, call (580) 242-7000.

Kelci McKendrick is police and court reporter for the Enid News & Eagle.

Have a question about this story? Do you see something we missed? Do you have a story idea for Kelci? Send an email to kelcim@enidnews.com.