| When a home invasion or any other emergency | | | | major service providers, you will need to provide |
| happens, you want help immediately. Such situations | | | | your exact location. The operator must know where |
| often escalate quickly, requiring you to respond | | | | you are before they send someone. |
| quickly. Calling 911 will get police officers and other | | | | Your 911 call will also be recorded, and it serves as an |
| emergency responders moving in your direction. | | | | electronic witness to the incident. If you are involved |
| What you say, and what you don't say, during a 911 | | | | in a criminal or civil court case as a result of the |
| call can dramatically impact the result. In order to help | | | | crime, it may be introduced as evidence. Although |
| the 911 dispatcher send the right help quickly, you'll | | | | your number one priority will be getting police to your |
| want to answer three critical questions: Who you are, | | | | location quickly, it's also important to consider what |
| where you are, and what is the emergency. Make | | | | you're saying to make sure the recording is a strong |
| yourself as easy to understand as possible. Even | | | | witness for your side. There is a fine line between |
| though you will be overwhelmed by the situation, | | | | self defense and unprovoked violence; anything you |
| screaming unintelligible words into the phone won't | | | | say during the call can be used in court. |
| help the police react quickly. | | | | No matter how you plan to protect yourself from |
| If you need an ambulance or paramedic, state it as | | | | the threat of violence, be careful what you say or |
| soon as possible so that appropriate help can be sent. | | | | do while on the line with the 911 dispatcher. Although |
| If you know that your assailant is armed, tell the | | | | the operator will try to keep you on the line and chat |
| operator what kind of weapon, in as much detail as | | | | with you, this may not be in your best interest. |
| possible. This information is passed on to the | | | | Consider also the possibility that the intruder will |
| responding officers, and can help them prepare for | | | | overhear this conversation and determine your |
| the situation. Describe the assailant's physical | | | | location within the home. If you do plan to confront |
| appearance to aid police in identifying both the | | | | the attacker with violence, either using a firearm or |
| assailant and the victim(s) when they arrive on the | | | | using a nonlethal self defense device, do not explain |
| scene. Keep the backstory to a minimum, but do | | | | your actions or intended actions to the 911 |
| provide these critical details to the 911 operator. | | | | dispatcher. |
| Many people assume that the 911 dispatcher can | | | | To help 911 operators do their job, only call 911 for |
| track down the exact location given only a phone | | | | actual emergencies. Every city has a non-emergency |
| number. While this may be true if you are calling from | | | | police line for issues that do not require immediate |
| a land line, and some sophisticated systems can | | | | attention. Do not let children play with your cell |
| pinpoint the location if a cell phone is used, in many | | | | phone, even if it's in the locked position or isn't |
| cases this is not possible, or cannot be done quickly | | | | connected to a service plan. Even if the operator |
| enough. If you are calling from a prepaid cell phone or | | | | believes they've received a prank call, they are |
| a cell phone that is not connected to one of the | | | | obligated to send police to investigate. |