An emergency is any serious medical problem (chest pain, seizure, bleeding), any type of fire (business, car, building), or any life-threatening situation (fights, person with weapons, etc.).Do not dial 9-1-1 for a non-emergency. Instead, dial the agency's listed (715) 627-6411 non-emergency telephone number. A non-emergency incident is a property damage accident, break-in to a vehicle when suspect is gone, theft of property (when suspect is gone), vandalism (when suspect is gone), panhandlers, intoxicated persons who are not disorderly, or cars blocking the street or alleys.
If you dialed 9-1-1 in error, do not hang up the telephone.
Instead, stay on the line and explain to the dispatcher that you dialed by mistake and that you do not have an emergency. If you hang up, a dispatcher will call back to confirm that there is no emergency. If you don't answer, a police officer or deputy must be dispatched to confirm that you are OK.
Briefly describe the type of incident you are reporting.
Then stay on the line with the dispatcher---do not hang up until the dispatcher tells you to. In some cases, the dispatcher will keep you on the line while the emergency units are responding to ask additional questions or to obtain on-going information.
Let the call-taker ask you questions---they have been trained to ask questions that will help prioritize the incident, locate it and speed an appropriate response.
Your answers should be brief and responsive. Remain calm and speak clearly. If you are not in a position to give full answers to the call-taker (the suspect is nearby), stay on the phone and the dispatcher will ask you questions that can be answered "yes" or "no."
Be prepared to describe your location and the location of the emergency.
Although an Enhanced 9-1-1 system will display your telephone number and location, the dispatcher must confirm the displayed address or may ask you for more specific location information about the victim or suspects.
If you are a cellular caller, you must be able to describe your location so emergency units can respond.
Be aware of your current city or town, address, highway and direction, nearby cross-streets or interchanges, or other geographic points of reference.
Be prepared to describe the persons involved in any incident.
This includes their race, sex, age, height and weight, color of hair, description of clothing, and presence of a hat, glasses or facial hair.
Be prepared to describe any vehicles involved in the incident.
This includes the color, year, make, model and type of vehicle (sedan, pick-up, sport utility, van, etc.). If the vehicle is moving or has left, the dispatcher will need to know the last direction.
Be patient as the dispatcher asks you questions.
While you are answering the dispatcher's questions, he/she is entering or writing down the information.