How to use 911

• When to call 911
• Accidental calls to 911
• Digital networks and 911
• Calling 911 from cell phones
• Non-emergency calls

When to call 911

Don't hesitate to call 911. The 911 system was created to make it easy to request police, fire or medical response.

Bloomington Police Dispatchers will assist you in determining the appropriate response to your call.

The Bloomington 911 system is an enhanced system, meaning that dispatchers will already have some data to help identify the location from which your call is being made. However, they will ask you a few questions to help them determine the type of assistance and where it is needed.

Call 911 whenever you need police, fire or medical response.

Accidental calls to 911

If you accidentally call 911, do not hang up without talking to the dispatcher.

Explain that you misdialed and didn't mean to call 911. This will save the dispatcher some very valuable time.

If you hang up without talking to the dispatcher, they will call you back. On average, the dispatchers have to call back for 911 hang up calls 300 times a month. If they receive a busy signal, voice mail or no answer, they will dispatch police officers to verify that everything is all right. Approximately 70 times each month we dispatch officers to verify 911 hang up calls.

Digital networks and 911

With the increasing use of digital networks, users need to be aware that due to extremely quiet switching; once you have dialed 911, it may seem like your call did not connect.

Callers are hanging up and redialing. It may take upwards of eight seconds to connect from the time you finish dialing. If you are sure you dialed 911, stay on the line and wait until the dispatcher answers or at least 15 seconds has gone by before trying again.

This may seem like an eternity when you are at the scene of an emergency, but stay on the line; your call will go through.

Calling 911 from cell phones

The number of 911 calls using wireless phones has more than tripled since 1995, to over 150 million a year. It is anticipated that by 2005, the majority of 911 calls will be from wireless callers. Public safety personnel estimate that about 30 percent of the 911 calls they receive daily are placed from wireless phones, and that percentage is growing.

For many Americans, the ability to call 911 for help in an emergency is one of the main reasons they own a wireless phone. To be effective, callers need to know how to properly use cellular phones and what information dispatchers need in an emergency.

A wireless phone is actually a radio with a transmitter and a receiver that uses radio frequencies or channels -- instead of telephone wire -- to connect callers. Because wireless phones are by their very nature mobile, they are not associated with one fixed location or address. A caller using a wireless phone could be calling from anywhere. While the location of the cell tower used to carry a 911 call may provide a very general indication of the caller's location, that information is not usually specific enough for rescue personnel to deliver assistance quickly. As of this date the standards are anywhere from 50 to 300 meter accuracy depending on your wireless device and service provider.

Because wireless 911 location information will not be available everywhere immediately, it is important for people calling 911 from wireless phones to remember the following:

• Try to stay calm and speak slowly.
• Tell the dispatcher the location of the emergency right away. Pay attention to details such as:
  • addresses.
  • business names.
  • intersections.
  • street names.
  • mile markers or exit numbers if on the highway.
  • direction of travel.
• Give the dispatcher your wireless phone number so that if the call gets disconnected, the dispatcher can call you back.
• Stay on the line until the dispatcher tells you to hang up.
• Don't place yourself in danger - stay near the emergency scene only if it is safe.
• If your wireless phone is not "initialized" (i.e., you do not have a contract for service with a wireless service provider), and your emergency call gets disconnected, you must call the dispatcher back because he or she does not have your phone number and cannot contact you.
• Refrain from programming your phone to automatically dial 911 when one button, such as the "9" key, is pressed. Unintentional wireless 911 calls, which often occur when auto-dial keys are inadvertently pressed, cause problems for emergency services call centers.
• If your wireless phone came preprogrammed with the auto-dial 911 feature already turned on, turn off this feature. Check your user manual to find out how. Lock your keypad when you're not using your wireless phone. This action prevents accidental calls to 911.

Non-emergency calls

If your call is not an emergency, please call the Bloomington Police Department at 952-563-4900.

This number is answered by the receptionist Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. During non-business hours it will be answered by the dispatchers.

Examples of calls that should be directed to this number:

• Questions about impounded vehicles.
• To speak with an officer or have one return your call.
• To speak with a detective about your case.
• Questions about City ordinances.

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