Make Sure You Say This First When You Call 911 From Your Cell Phone

Aug 15, 2018 by apost team

Most citizens think they know what they need to tell the 9-1-1 dispatcher when they call. They don't have a clue. This is what a person should tell the dispatcher right away if an emergency arises.

Most people think the first thing you should say when you dial 9-1-1 from a cell phone is who you are and what's happening. That's not necessarily the case, however. There are two crucial pieces of information you need to give the dispatcher the moment you establish contact with that person. Neither of those pieces of information is your name or what's happening around you. This explains what you need to establish when you call 9-1-1 for an emergency. Giving the dispatcher this information will ensure that the rescue team gets to you promptly and increases your chances of surviving the incident.

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You would think with the way that technology has advanced over the years that all you would need to do is call 9-1-1, and they will have every detail of your information, including your location. That cannot be farther from the truth. Cell phones are mobile, and they will usually display information as tied to the closest cell tower and not your direct address. That's where they differ from landlines.

Landlines have a direct association with your current address. So no, the 911 dispatcher does not know where you are when you call from a mobile phone. It may be difficult for you to let that person know where you are, but you have to try your best to give them your location. If you don't know your exact location, then you can tell them the name of a nearby highway or some landmark so that they can try to find you.

You may also want to program an emergency contact into your mobile phone in case you get into an incident where you later become unconscious. That way, your family, friend or significant other can know what happened to you and how to get to you.

This part might sound a little ridiculous, but you should give the dispatcher your phone number. Anything could happen such as you could hang up just because you're nervous about what's going on around you. Your mobile phone could drop the call too. It's better safe than sorry for you to just state your phone number quickly so that the dispatcher can record it in case the call gets disconnected.

Remember these things in case you get into an emergency situation, and tell your friends and loved ones about them.  The more prepared you are for a 911 situation, the higher the probability is that you will survive it.