Whenever you have to call 911, it’s never a good thing. No one ever calls 911 to celebrate a victory. When you call 911, it’s usually because things have taken a turn for the worst and the situation is out of your control.
When you dial 911, you aren’t just calling the police. You’re calling a dispatch for emergency services that include medical services. You should only call 911 for certain reasons. Blocking up the lines takes time away from dispatchers who could be helping another person with a dire emergency.
Reasons why you should call 911 can vary.
You should only call 911 when it is an emergency.
When you make a call to 911, be prepared to quickly give as accurate and direct information as you can. Remaining calm while talking to the dispatcher will also benefit you. Dispatchers are trained to remain calm since they deal with emergency calls all the time.
The following are reasons why you call 911:
- Medical Emergency
- Car Accident
- House Fire
- Wild Fire
- Someone Collapses
- Someone is Hurting Another
- Someone is Breaking into a House
Reason why you shouldn’t call 911 can vary as well too. Tying up emergency services is a crime, and comes with serious consequences. When emergency services are tied up helping someone who doesn’t really need help, someone who actually does need assistance can suffer. If you continuously call 911 for non-emergency reasons you can expect to be fined.
The following are not reasons to call 911:
- You have a doctor’s appointment and need a ride.
- You locked yourself out of your car.
- You need a ride to court.
- You don’t feel like driving to the hospital.
- You’re pulling a prank on a friend.
One more thing you need to remember is if you accidentally call 911, don’t hang up the phone. Stay on the line and let the dispatcher know. If you hang up the dispatcher will send emergency services to your location and you can then be charged for tying up emergency services. When you find yourself having to call 911 it can be pretty scary. Emergency services are one of those things in life that you are grateful for, but never want to use.