When Dialing 9-1-1 From Your Cell Phone1. Call only for immediate emergency assistance—medical, fire, or police. 2. Be prepared to provide your location and any essential information the dispatcher may need. 3. Stay on the line until told to hang up. You may be transferred to another agency.
Help Reduce Unnecessary Calls - Use non-emergency numbers for your local law enforcement agency when you do not need immediate assistance.
- If medical, fire or police are already on scene, it is not necessary to call 9-1-1 again. Instead, call a non-emergency number if you have additional information or witnessed the incident.
- Do not call 9-1-1 for non-emergency incidents (i.e., requesting road conditions, asking why traffic is backed up, requesting driving directions, or other similar reasons). Be prepared; contact your local CHP office directly, using a non-emergency number.
- Use or maintain a landline at home and at work for 9-1-1 calls, as the dispatcher is more likely to get accurate location information from a landline.
- Using 9-1-1 in non-emergency situations prevents critical emergencies from being attended to.
HELP AVOID ACCIDENTAL CALLS WITH THE FOLLOWING TIPS: - Do not hang up on an accidental 9-1-1 call. Inform the dispatcher that the call was an accident before you hang up.
- Do not pre-program 9-1-1 into your or your child's cell phone's speed dial. This can lead to accidental calls.
- Teach young children how and when to dial 9-1-1 from a cell phone. Train them to press 9-1-1 and the “send” button only in an emergency.
- Even cell phones without active service can dial 9-1-1. Take batteries out of cell phones before recycling them or giving them to a child to play with.
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