Stay on the line until the dispatcher hangs up. You may be able to provide the dispatcher with additional information as emergency personnel respond, or the dispatcher may be able to provide you with emergency instructions. As soon as your call is received, the information is sent to the appropriate agency for dispatching. All calls must be prioritized to insure the safety of the citizens and the responding personnel. Calls that have occurred earlier in the day may be held so that more urgent calls may be dispatched first.
Some situations are more urgent than others.
Weapons can consist of objects such as guns, knives, baseball bats, broom handles, bottles, and razors. All weapons pose a threat to citizens as well as the responding personnel. It is VERY important to tell the dispatcher if a weapon is or was involved in the emergency. Prior to 911, many emergency calls were handled by telephone company operators. With the advent of the 911 system, emergency calls should not be placed by dialing 0 for the operator.