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Emergency Call Procedures

Ideally, no one would be faced with an emergency, but the reality is that emergencies do happen. Having a good protocol to follow for emergency calls can increase the odds that a person's safety or health is better preserved and that any criminal activity is stopped.

  1. Basic Information

    • Communicate or gather basic information about the emergency situation. Start by acquiring or giving the location of the emergency--dispatchers may be able to trace calls even from cell phones, but the information needs to be verified anyway in case it isn't correct. The sooner a location is verified, the faster help can be dispatched. After making sure the emergency location is correct, get or provide a name and phone number. This will help reestablish a phone connection in the event that the original call is disconnected.

    Emergency Information

    • Identify or explain the emergency. Emergency information includes who is involved, what is happening, why the emergency is occurring, whether the emergency is currently happening, and whether there are any weapons being used. It also includes information about gender of the victim, age, race, and vehicle information. If you are the caller, try not to panic, and give the information as concisely as you can. If you are the dispatcher, do your best to keep the caller calm as you gather data.

    Personnel Dispatch and Instruction

    • If you are the dispatcher, notify the appropriate department that assistance is needed. As personnel are on their way, give or follow instructions on how to help the person in trouble. You may be able to overlap personnel dispatch, gathering data, and instruction based on the situation.

    Restablish Call/Hang Up

    • If you get disconnected and are the dispatcher, call the caller back. If they don't answer, dispatch emergency police or other appropriate personnel to the address of the emergency. (This is standard with most police departments.) If you are the caller and get disconnected and then cannot speak because of danger, dial 1 for the police, 2 for the fire department, and 3 for an ambulance (for touch tone phones). If you are the caller, don't hang up until instructed to do so.

    Documentation

    • If you are the emergency dispatcher, as you go through the steps for an emergency call, document everything. Most departments have automated systems and computers to help with this process and also record their calls, but documentation provides a written record of how you managed the call and what personnel were involved that can be used to assist with the formation of transcripts for legal records and court cases.

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