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*** If you are in need of immediate emergency assistance, please go to your telephone and dial 9-1-1, this page is for informational tips only.
Please read this page completely. The Massachusetts 9-1-1 system is considered one of the best in the country. However, it is crucial that the public have a greater understanding of it's abilities and purpose, for it to work effectively.
9-1-1 is for emergencies only. A good way to remember is:
- , when immediate ambulance assistance is needed for medical attention or any transport to the hospital.
- , when reporting a crime in progress or a life-threatening, violent or dangerous situation requires immediate police response.
- , when reporting any fire, large or small, since all fires are considered potentially life-threatening.
Emergency situations are very stressful. Try to remember that when you call 9-1-1, the first things we need to know are the "who, what, where's".
- Please be specific, and tell us the names of the individuals involved. Reporting that your "father needs help" is not sufficient. "My father, John Jones" is much more helpful.
- Please be very direct. What is the exact, and bottom-line reason you called. Reporting a long story explaining the history of a particular relationship is not needed at this time. What specifically happened, right at that moment, to make you call. Officers will respond, at which time all the background information can be reported.
- Please give us an exact location of the incident. Please realize that reporting "my father needs help in the back yard" is not helpful. Who is your father, at what address is your back yard?"
- "This is John Jones at 123 Main St. Walpole, my father Joe, may be having a heart attack, he's in the back yard". This is a very good start. You have given the operator enough information to begin the emergency response, however, do hang up yet. Stand by on the line, and never hang up until the operator gives you the OK. The operator may have you hold for a few seconds while they dispatch emergency vehicles to your location, however, when they return, they may ask for further useful information, such as age, or medical history. This secondary information will be of further help, so remember to just stay on the line.
Due to the inherent mobility of cellular telephones, 9-1-1 calls from cell phones are handled by the main State Police Operations Center.
Why is this important? Simple, if you are calling from your cell phone, your call is answered by the State Police. This means that reporting "I need help at the Coffee Shop on Main St" is not helpful. The State Police must know what town you are calling from, and an exact location would be preferable. "I need help at the Coffee Shop at 123 Main St, Walpole".
It's a good rule of thumb to remember no matter where you are calling from, always give a full address, including the town or city your are in.
Please use non-emergency lines for any calls that do not fall in the above categories. This may sound like a simple request, but 9-1-1 has been used in the past for such non-emergency calls as:
- What time is it? What time does the parade start?
- What is the phone number to...?
- How do I get to..? Do you know where I can find..?
- Why is my water shut off? My power is out.
The Walpole Police Department would be happy to assist the public with any of these questions, however, this type of public service can be handled over the non-emergency phone lines to keep 9-1-1 clear.
9-1-1
First, It is important for the public to understand how the system works.
Enhanced 9-1-1 is like a suped up version of caller ID, however, it can not be blocked, hung up on, or disconnected without the information being available to the operator. For example, the instant the final one (1) is pushed, the caller's name, address, and phone number are displayed on the screen, regardless of number blocking, or hanging up.
People frequently call 9-1-1 by accident, and we do understand this. If you do accidentally call 9-1-1, it is important to remember that we already know who called, so just follow these simple tips.
- When you hear the operator say, "9-1-1, this line is recorded, what is your emergency?", don't get scared and hang up. Doing so will only escalate the situation, as the reason for the line being disconnected could be a life-threatening one.
- If you do hang up, you can expect a call back instantly from the 9-1-1 dispatcher, please answer the phone. Some people are embarrassed by the mistake, and they ignore the call, don't be. But by not answering the call back, the situation is only being escalated further. Now you have the dispatcher wondering, "why did they call 9-1-1 in the first place, and why is no one answering the phone on call back, when we know someone is there."
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This simple accidental call has now grown into something that will soon have a police officer at your door. Please answer the door when they arrive, no one is in trouble, we are only concerned for your safety.
- Yes, this does happen often, but it's an honest mistake, just explain your error to the dispatcher.
- Many, Many telephones require that you dial "9" to get an outside line. When you combine this "9" with the "1" for long distance calls, your only one small slip away from a visit by the police. Again, an honest mistake, just let the dispatcher know.
- Kids love to play with telephones, and many people think "what are the odds of him dialing 9-1-1", well, it happens quit often. Please be aware of this, and take steps to prevent any accidental calls.
- Many children dial 9-1-1 as a joke. Teaching your children about 9-1-1 is a very important lesson to learn. But it is also important to teach them when to call. If you would like to speak with your child about 9-1-1, I suggest following the link below. There some very good guidelines for parents to help explain 9-1-1 to their children, and it may just save someone's life.
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