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General Questions
What is
911?
To give the people of St.
Mary Parish one easily remembered number to dial in case of
emergencies, the St. Mary Parish Communication District installed
the 911 emergency telephone number. An emergency is any threat to
life or property or a crime in progress. For example, a heart
attack, a fire, and a fight in which someone could be seriously hurt
are all emergencies. Such things as a burglary that happened while
you were gone, a barking dog, and a burned out fire or a scheduled
ride to the hospital or nursing home are not considered emergencies.
To find out more information or to report one of these less urgent
situations, call the 7-digit telephone numbers of police, fire and
ambulance services listed in the white pages of your local telephone
book.
A good question to ask yourself before calling 911 is, “Could
someone’s life or property be saved or could a criminal be caught
more easily if I called now instead of waiting a few hours?” If you
think the answer is “yes” then call 911. If it is “no” dial the
local number for fire, police or ambulance services.
What happens when you dial 911?
When you dial 911 an
operator will answer, “911, where is your emergency?” If calling
from a wireline (home or business phone), the telephone company
records give the number and address of the caller and are flashed
onto a computer screen in front of the operator. As completely,
clearly and calmly as you can, describe what happened. The operator
will ask you to repeat the address to which you want a police car,
fire truck, or ambulance to be sent. He or she will get as much
information from you as possible about what the policemen, firemen
or paramedics can expect to find when they arrive.
It is important, if at all possible, for the caller to explain what
has happened. Even though the telephone number and location are
flashed on the screen, if no one stays on the line to tell what has
happened, the operator may suspect a false alarm and will try to
call the number back. Because she or he will be unsure whether to
send a fire truck, police car or ambulance, the time it takes the
appropriate emergency vehicle to get there will be slower. Also, the
number and address that flash on the screen are only as good as
telephone company records. To prevent the possibility of going to
the wrong address, please be prepared to describe exactly what
happened and where it happened.
Please remember that 911 is only an emergency telephone number. It
does connect you quickly with police, fire, and medical operators,
but it does not guarantee on-the-scene emergency vehicles. The speed
with which someone arrives depends on the urgency of the situation
you describe and the availability of resources at the time.
What happens when someone dials 911 as a prank?
In the first place it is a
crime to knowingly give a false report of a crime, fire, or medical
emergency. If you are caught doing so, you can be arrested and fined
or imprisoned. Because the enhanced 911 system does show the
number and the address from which the call came, it is possible to
trace false alarm calls.
Secondly, if the operator is unable to determine whether or not the
call is a real emergency, a police car will be sent to the address.
Then, if a real emergency happens somewhere else, there would be
fewer cars available to handle it. Such unnecessary calls cost
taxpayers money and could cost property and lives. For the safety of
everyone, don’t hesitate to call 911 in an emergency, but don’t do
so for fun.
Why must I pay for 911 when I’ve never used it?
A surcharge on monthly
telephone bills was approved to fund the 911 equipment and
operations. The cost is approximately 54 cents for residential,
$1.47 for businesses, 85 cents for cell phones and $1.00 for VoIP.
As with any other tax, such as social security or taxes for defense,
we all pay so that the system will be there when we need it. You may
have never used 911 yet and we hope you never have to, but your
regular payment insures that 911 will be there for you if you do
need it.
Why did no one answer immediately when I called?
During busy periods a call
going into a 911 answering center falls in line behind others
coming before it. Calls are then answered in the order in which they
are received. 911 calls are usually answered with seconds. It is
important to stay on the line until your call is answered. If you
hang up and call back you will lose your place in line. Experts have
found that when you are under stress a few seconds can seem much
longer. Just so you will be able to judge how long it takes, a phone
usually rings at the rate of 10 times per minute.
How do the deaf, hard of hearing and speech-impaired persons use
Enhanced 911?
Enhanced 911 equipment
has TTY capability and is ADA compliant. If the equipment detects
TTY tones, it will automatically switch to TTY mode and immediately
send out a greeting to the caller. The equipment can be manually
switched to TTY mode with a keystroke, which facilitates the testing
of silent calls.
Can I call 911 from a pay phone?
Yes. No coin is required
to call 911 from a pay phone.
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Wireless/Cellular Questions
Does
911 work from my cell phone?
Yes, all cell phones companies doing business in Louisiana have
activated 911 dialing.
When I call 911 from my cell phone will the operators know where I
am?
Cell phones cannot give your exact location like a traditional phone
does. Try to have your address ready, or use landmarks, mile markers
and road signs to describe where you are.
What is Phase I 911 service?
Phase I is a requirement of the Federal Communications Commission
for wireless phone companies to provide the address of the cell
tower that processes a 911 call and the call back number of the
cell phone to the Public Safety Answering Point.
What is Phase II 911 service?
Phase II is a requirement of the Federal Communications Commission
for wireless phone companies to provide an approximation of the
911 callers location in the form of latitude and longitude.
How do I know if my cell phone is Phase II capable?
You should check with your cell phone provider to find out if the
handset you are currently using is compatible with their Phase II
Enhanced 911 solution. Many older phones do not have this
capability.
If my cell phone company has finished Phase II, will dispatchers
know where I am when I call?
Possibly. The accuracy of the latitude and longitude can vary
depending on the signal strength of your phone in relation to the
tower that transmits your call. Also, you need to be using a phone
compatible with the Phase II solution of your wireless carrier. The
more information you can provide the dispatcher about where you are,
the faster we’ll find you.
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VoIP Questions
Can I
dial 911 from my VoIP phone?
You can reach emergency assistance by dialing 911 on most VoIP
phones. However, there are important differences between some VoIP
911 emergency dialing and traditional 911 service from a
standard phone. Sometimes the 911 call taker may not have a
display of the number you are calling from or your location. In
addition, your call may arrive at a remote private call center if
there is confusion over your location.
How do I know what level of 911 service I have with my VoIP phone?
The best way to find out is to research the features of your VoIP
provider as it pertains to 911 on its web site. Search for
“emergency calling.” Once you know its features, you should notify
all potential phone users, including frequent visitors and
babysitters.
How is a VoIP 911 call routed to the correct 911 center?
When you sign up for VoIP service, you are asked to register your
location. For a 911 call to go to the right 911 center, it MUST
correspond to the physical location of your VoIP phone. This address
allows the VoIP provider to route the call to the right place. You
cannot use a PO Box or Rural Route address.
Does 911 know where I am when calling from my VoIP phone?
Possibly. No matter where your call routes, the 911 call taker
will first ask you to provide or verify your location, name, and
telephone number.
Can I call 911 from my VoIP phone while I’m traveling?
Some VoIP providers offer the ability to travel with your phone. If
so, the provider should offer a way to update your registered
address. The time it takes to update this address varies greatly.
The safest thing to do if you travel with your phone is to use
another phone to dial 911 if you need help.
Do service outages affect my ability to call 911?
They might. Just as a cordless phone may not work without power,
your VoIP phone may not work without power either. As a result, you
may be unable to make calls, including those to 911, during an
electrical outage. Similarly, if your cable or broadband service is
interrupted, it may keep you from being able to make outbound calls.
Should I keep my traditional phone line after I subscribe to VoIP
service?
Yes, 911 leaders recommend you keep your traditional phone in
addition to your VoIP phone in order to ensure you can access 911
services and have access to a phone in a power or service outage.
Will my security monitoring service work with VoIP service?
It might but then it might not. Check with your provider to see if
they support analog modem traffic that is needed for burglar alarms
and fax machines.
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Addressing Questions
Is
enhanced 911 available in towns with “RR Box” addresses?
People without a street address (e.g., 58 Pine Lane) can call 911
for emergencies. They will not benefit from the system’s location
safety feature until their area completes addressing.
Why is addressing a critical part of Enhanced 911?
A 911 caller’s address (stored in the Enhanced 911 system)
routes the call to the correct PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point),
so that emergency services can be dispatched immediately. With the
older 911 systems, calls were routed by telephone exchange and did
not always reach the correct PSAP. Knowing the emergency caller’s
address helps dispatchers send emergency service to the scene
quickly.
What happens if a 911 caller’s address is not correct?
There are procedures that PSAP call takers must follow to report and
correct addressing discrepancies after a 911 caller has notified
them of the error.
What happens if a person moves?
When you notify your telephone company of a new address, their
system will automatically update this change in the Enhanced 911
database.
Street signs keep disappearing in my area, what can I do?
Theft of street signs is against the law and is a problem in many
communities. They are a vital part of the 911 system as they allow
responders to find callers faster.
If you see someone stealing or vandalizing signs, call 911.
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