What to Expect if You Call 911
The 9-1-1 telephone system has an Automatic Location Identification System and an Automatic Number Identification System which lets the call taker know the address and telephone number of the caller. If a caller is unable to communicate or respond, the Police will be dispatched to the location immediately. Be prepared to answer several questions:
Which service do you require? Police, Fire or Ambulance Service? You will then be transferred to the agency you’ve requested. If your incident requires more than one emergency service, advise the call-taker.
What is your address? You need to provide the address of the incident, including the municipality.
When to Call 9-1-1
- You or someone else is seriously injured or sick
- You witness an emergency such as an assault, a motor vehicle collision where someone is injured or if someone may be in danger (i.e. you hear screaming or gunshots)
- You see a crime in progress
- You see or know of any serious crime that has just occurred
- 9-1-1 emergencies cannot be reported through social media or e-mail. These accounts are not monitored 24/7.
9-1-1 Response Time
If your call is deemed an emergency, police will arrive promptly.
If we determine your call is urgent, but not an emergency, the time it will take for our officers to arrive can vary depending on how many other urgent calls are waiting, the time of day and the availability and location of officers.
Once you have spoken to a dispatcher, do not call back to 9-1-1 to ask for an estimated time of arrival (ETA). Our dispatchers cannot provide you with an ETA.
What you Should Know When Dialing 9-1-1
- Calling from home, you can dial 9-1-1 direct.
- Calling from a business or other location, you may need to dial an outside line before dialling 9-1-1.
- Calling from a pay phone, dial 9-1-1. This is a free call.
- Calling from a cellular phone is free. Be prepared to give the exact location of the emergency.
- A person with hearing loss can call police using T.T.Y access by calling 9-1-1 and pressing the space bar announcer key repeatedly until a response is received.