9-1-1 Emergency System

Only dial 9-1-1 if you have an emergency. An emergency is a situation that poses an immediate threat to human life or serious damage to property requiring police, fire department and/or paramedics.

Who can call 9-1-1? Anyone in Oakland County can call the 9-1-1 system in the event of an emergency. Dialing 9-1-1 within Oakland County will immediately contact emergency aid agencies within Oakland County.

Can I call from a...

• Business? Yes, you may need to dial an outside line such as a 9 or 8 before dialing 9-1-1.
• Home? Yes
• Cell Phone? Yes, however, dispatchers do not receive the phone number or address from where the call initiated. Make sure you know where you are and a contact number where they can reach you.
• VOIP (Internet)? Be aware of the type of 9-1-1 service you have by contacting your VOIP provider.
• Pay Phone? Yes, dialing 9-1-1 does not require any coins.

If you dialed 9-1-1 by mistake, do not hang up the telephone. Instead wait on the line until you reach a dispatcher and explain that you accidentally dialed 9-1-1. If you hang up, the dispatcher will call back. If they cannot reach you, they will dispatch a police officer to confirm that you are OK.

• Do not dial 9-1-1 to see if it works.
• Do not call 9-1-1 for directory assistance or non-emergencies. Instead, use the seven digit (plus the area code) number.
• Do not call 9-1-1 as a prank.
• Do not hang up if you do not immediately hear a dial tone. Sometimes the network has a delay in obtaining a line. Be patient. Do not hang up if you reach a recording. Wait on the line for the next available operator.
• Do not hang up until the dispatcher instructs you to.
• Do not call 9-1-1 for a pet.
• Do not panic. If you talk too fast, the operator may have trouble understanding you.
• Do not program 9-1-1 into speed dialing. This can lead to you accidentally calling 9-1-1.
• Do not call 9-1-1 to report a crime that happened yesterday.

Use the department's seven-digit phone number plus area code in non-emergencies. This number can be found in a local phone directory.

• Crimes in progress
• Fires
• Immediate life threatening situations (heart attack or other medical emergencies)
• Environmental hazards (hazardous material spill)
• Drug activity (overdose, poison)
• Robberies
• Traffic accidents with serious injuries
• Severe food allergies
• Vandalism
• Additional incidents where you or someone else needs the help of police, fire or EMS

In an emergency there may be no time to hesitate. By calling 9-1-1 immediately you may help save someone's life.

• Remain calm and speak slowly.
• To effectively help you, the dispatcher will need to acquire certain information such as your name, location, contact number, what is happening, who is involved, whether anyone is injured, etc.
• Let the dispatcher ask the questions.
• Stay on the line for any additional information or procedures until the dispatcher instructs you to hang up.