Q: How are you able to know my address and phone number when I call?

A: We have what is called "E911" or enhanced 911 capabilities at our centers. That means that our computer-aided dispatch system is maintained with an on site database housing the telephone records within White County. When we answer the phone, a computer display shows the billing name, address, and number of the telephone on the other end.
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Q: You already know my address and phone number, so why do you ask me again?

A: Computers are wonderful, but not perfect. They do make mistakes, so we must ask just to make sure. Another possibility is that many people call from a neighbor's house, so we don't want to send help to the wrong place and waste precious time.
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Q: Why do you ask so many questions when I call 911?

A: We ask questions pertaining to the location of an incident and descriptions of the victims involved. We want to ensure that White County Emergency Responders are able to locate you, so we may ask directions and or descriptions of area landmarks close to your location. We ask questions relating to the type of call we receive. If you call stating that a person is having chest pains, we ask if the person is alert, breathing normally or if he/she is currently taking any medications. If the person’s condition becomes worse, we may instruct you to begin CPR until the emergency services arrive. The questions that we ask help us to assess your situation without being there, to offer support and instruction over the phone and to help in the patient’s well-being and possibly survival.

Please note that during the normal course of the 9-1-1 call, the emergency services are dispatched to your location once we have verified your location and the nature of your emergency. We do not delay the process of dispatching the emergency departments by asking you “so many questions”.
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Q: Why can't you just send help instead of keeping me on the phone?

A: In an emergency, you are likely to be very upset or even frantic. But remember that most often while you are speaking to the call-taker, help is being dispatched, and may be enroute to your location. Sometimes the call-taker will keep you on the phone to try to keep you calm and occupied until help arrives. Sometimes they will even tell you what you can do to assist the victim until help arrives. The best thing you can do is to be responsive and don't try to fight the call-taker or hang up on him or her. If you've hung up before all the necessary information is relayed, you may delay the arrival of help!
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Q: Why do you ask me the same questions repeatedly?

A: We try to be as efficient and quick as possible. The only time we repeat questions is when the caller is too frantic to be understood. We understand that when a crisis occurs it's human nature to get upset. But when you scream, cry, or curse at us and we can't get the necessary information, you are just delaying the help you desperately need. Try to speak clearly and answer our questions completely.
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Q: What happens when I call 911 accidentally and hang up?

A: The dispatcher will try to call you back. If the dispatcher reaches a child on the phone, he/she will ask to speak to an adult. An officer will be dispatched to the residence to verify that there is no emergency.  This is the standard procedure for the White County E9-1-1 System, even if the adult assures the dispatcher that there is no emergency. This is our policy because we must assume that an emergency is occurring, and you could be under duress to instruct us to disregard the call.
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Q: Why can't you just take my non-emergency call on 911 when we are both on the line already?

A: We only have a limited number of incoming 911 lines for the entire county. Any major incident will cause numerous lines to ring regarding this one incident. (Large fire, major traffic accident, etc.) Those lines can get tied up quickly. If we are taking your non-emergency call also on 911, a real emergency caller may be forced to wait for a line to be freed before we can help them with their life and death emergency.
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School / Community

If you would like for us to come to your school or community organization to provide information and materials on 9-1-1, please contact us 4-6 weeks before your meeting and we will make arrangements to meet with you.
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