While no one ever wants to have to call 911, there may come a time or two in your life when you’ll be in a situation where calling 911 is necessary. So rather than being nervous about making the call in addition to whatever situation you’re trying to get through at the time, it’s wise to think ahead about how to make a successful 911 call and get the help that you so desperately need.
To help you learn how this can be done, here are three tips for calling 911.
Only Call For True Emergencies
Before we go over how to make a successful 911 call, you first need to determine when you should be making a 911 call.
Calling 911 and the emergency services that respond to these calls should really only be done when you have a true emergency. True emergencies mean that someone or something is in immediate danger and that you either need the police force, the fire department, or an ambulance to come immediately to help you. So, if this is the case, don’t second guess calling 911 so that you can have the proper emergency services come to your location. But if your need isn’t immediate, you should first find the number for the other local services in your area so that you can keep the 911 lines free for others that might be having true emergencies.
Be Ready To Give The Facts
When you’ve determined that you need to call 911, you should be ready to give the facts to the 911 operator so that they can determine what services you need and get this assistance to you as quickly as possible.
In all cases, you’ll need to give the 911 operator the location of the emergency. The closer you can get with the information you give here, like the exact physical address and where in that building things are taking place, the better. You’ll also want to share details about the emergency so that all necessary emergency services can be deployed to you.
They’ll Likely Want You To Stay On The Phone
Once you call 911 during a true emergency, there’s a good chance that the 911 operator will want to stay on the phone with you until help arrives. This is meant to help give you the assistance you need if there’s something to be done before help arrives and to help you stay calm during this emergency situation. So if you hang up on the 911 operator, expect for them to call you back to make sure that everything is okay and that you have received the help that you need.
If you’re worried about having to call 911 in the future, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you feel confident in making this type of phone call.
