On every call to 911, our Telecommunicators will ask a series of questions to assess the situation, send the appropriate resources, and provide critical information to emergency responders. It can be very challenging in an emergency, but please do your best to remain calm and answer the questions as best you can. Don’t worry, the situation is routed for dispatch very early in the process and the question sequence does not delay any response.
Location, location, location.
Even though E911 provides some location information to the 911 center, it is always our highest priority and first objective to determine exactly where assistance is needed. Cumberland County is 658 square miles and we do not want to take any chances when it comes to public safety! We will also verify your phone number to ensure we can reach you if the line is disconnected.
Law Enforcement Calls
On Law Enforcement calls, the Telecommunicator will focus on the 5 W’s
EMS Calls
On EMS calls, the Telecommunicator will focus on the status of the patient(s)
- Number of patients
- Breathing Status
- Level of Consciousness
- Type of Injury or Medical Situation
- Bleeding
Fire/Rescue Calls
On Fire/Rescue calls, the Telecommunicator will focus on incident stabilization
- Is anyone in immediate danger
- What is on fire
- Is the fire spreading or threatening anything else
- What other hazards may be present