What will happen when I call 911?
Whenever you call 911, please be sure to stay on the line! Give the telecommunicator the street address and community where help is needed and what the problem is. If the telecommunicator needs more information, they will ask you specific questions.
The most important questions to know the answers to are:
1) What is happening?
2) Where is it happening?
3) Who is this happening to?
4) When did this happen?
The telecommunicator can determine what help is needed and get the help on the way. We may ask additional information that will help them make a determination on sending help.
ALWAYS remain on the line until you are told it is ok to hang up. This will help in giving information to the responding units. Do this even if you call by accident!
The telecommunicator may ask you for additional information such as your name, date of birth, address and phone number.
911
When should I call 911 and when should I call non-emergency numbers?
911 is specifically for Emergency Calls only. If you have or you see a life threatening situation, you should always call 911. An example of emergencies would be medical injury or illness, automobile accidents, a structure on fire, burglary in progress, domestic situations when there is or may be physical harm to someone, and any other incident where serious harm either physical or to personal property could occur at the time of the call.
DO NOT CALL 911 if an incident has already occurred and there is no danger of physical harm to anyone on the premises. These types of calls can be taken care of by calling the non-emergency phone number, for the Waupaca County Sheriff’s Office. This number is (715) 258-4466.
Keep in mind that the telecommunicator may ask you for information such as your name, date of birth, address and phone number.
911 Accidental dial – what should you do?
In the days when smart phones are getting smarter, additional features are being added to phones that enable people to call for help from their cell phone with just the touch of the button – and sometimes without you even being aware that you called! Although this is great for those emergency circumstances, we are also noticing a large increase in the number of accidental 911 dials which can be a strain on emergency resources while we investigate if there is a true emergency or not.
We understand that mistakes happen – here is what you can do if you find that your phone has accidentally called 911:
1 – STAY ON THE LINE – it is much quicker and easier for us to verify there is no true emergency if you stay on the phone with us.
2 – Answer a few simple questions with our dispatchers. They will want to confirm your location, your name and that there is no emergency and you are safe.
3 – Be aware that even deactivated cell phones have the capability to call 911. If you are giving an old cell phone to a child to play with, consider turning off the feature on the phone so they do not accidentally call.
4 – Of course, if you do have an emergency, stay on the line and we will be happy to help you!