Posted: 2/2/2008 10:23:41 AM EDT
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When is it appropriate to call either? Like, what situations would you dial 911 for, and which would you dial the non-emergency number for? I just realized that I really have no idea. |
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I've called the non-emergency number to report disorderly frat parties out in the street in front of the townhouse where I used to live. I'd have a test the next morning and those assholes would be whooping it up at midnight. A police car would drive by and tell 'em to disperse, and then I could sleep. I would use the phrase "I'm calling to report a non-emergency disturbance of the peace," which sounds formal and technical, and then describe the frat party. It worked 
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In this town you will be charged by the month or by the call. link I shit you not. People are pissed. |
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I used to work for a PD where the female dispatchers used to just rail on the callers when they called to report something they didn't feel was life threatening enough. They used to waste more time bitching the person out than just taking the information. It was pretty stupid because the calls came in a full T1 line with 24 voice channels, and they would have had to answer the same damn call on the same damn phone. Just a different line on the phone. The 911 call printed out a paper printout along with on their display exactly where the caller was calling from and intersection etc. It was actually easier on even routine calls because we had multi-jurisdictions City, County , Townships within block of each other. If the call came in , it was automatically routed to the right jurisdiction or you could transfer it with a push of a button. When in doubt, just call it in on 911 , if they bitch about it tell them to piss off and do their damn job. It's not like everyday citizens have had formal training on what constitutes an emergency. //I did police work for 20 years and filled in as a dispatcher on many occasions. |
If someones life is in danger/crime in progress it's 911. If your neighbors dog is barking, you want to know what side of the street you're supposed park on that night or calling to see if it is time to set your clocks back/forward yet call the damn admin line. (Yes, I've gotten all those on 911 and more) |
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I use the definition of an emergency that I got from the merchant marine: potential death, loss of limb, potential major property loss. Sounds easy, no? But it isn't. For example, especially given their cost (cars) today, I would see a non contained traffic accident as potential major property loss but others might not agree. I once used that as justification for using 911 and I didn't get called up on it, but still....... I would probably use 911 for a fatality (crime) scene that needed containment. The person is dead, of course, but still, there is an urgent need to contain. Now, some might argue that there isn't and they may be right. Of course, location has a big point of it. If it is in the city, it is pretty clear who has juristiction. But what if it is out in the country? One of the things I learned of 911 when I was in military police that it can also be used to rapidly inform police agencies in a region to a major threat or concern. Hence the above: find a dead body out in the country, call 911, let them figure out who should respond. One other thing. I work nights. On at least two occassions, I have arrived to find police cars outside my building. I call the dispatcher, the non emergency number, to find out whether or not I should enter the building. Generally, if I call 911 intentionally (done it twice accidently, NEVER hang up if you make that mistake, just explain what you did when they answer), I start off the call by saying something like "I am using this line under emergency definition of (whatever)." Now that may seem a little wordy but among other things, it's part of a mental training sequence to calm me down to handle and report. ________________________________________________________ ("What did I tell you that defines an emergency?"--Lucy Kelson "A large meteoroid, severe blood loss and uh... what was the other thing?"--George Wade "Death! And you're not dead!", (w,stte), "Two Weeks Notice") |
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One time several years ago, 1 day prior to a deployment to Saudi me and a few friends were totally drunk drinking mass quantities on my front yard. Out of nowhere this stray dog comes up. So I cook up some hamburger and feed it. The dog seems real friendly. We figure it's lost. So I call 411 for the number for the SPCA or whatever we got here in Goldsboro. The operator says we should call 911 and report a stray animal. So I call 911. About 45 minutes later, now bear in mind it is early morning and the sun is starting to come up. the popo show up, we are really drunk, can barely stand. I tell them the story, they aren't really interested and tell us to keep the music down and leave. At this point the dog has already left anyway. About an hour later the dog returns with several puppies. So she is a mom with a litter. So I cook up some more hamburger and feed them all. Hey we all are really drunk and really like the family. Eventually we had to call it a night. I hope they turned out ok. Another time I wanted to know a good place to take the CCW class so I called the Sheriffs office (not a 911 number) . Operator first asked if it was an emergency so I replied no, and was forwarded to someone else. They gave me a number to call and that was where I went to get my CCW. The class was taught by a Deputy from the Sheriffs office at the local popo range. Go figure. |
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I broke my leg and needed extrication. I called the sherriff's office main line and was told that I should hang up and call 911. I told her it was the same damn phone, just a different button. When the higher-ups heard about that, the dispatcher got reamed. If anyone calls needing help, you send it, no matter what phone number they use. What if my cell service had went to shit or I had passed out before being able to call 911? |