The use of 911 has been imbedded into the awareness of Warren countians since the system was established three decades ago.
What needs to follow is when to use the nonemergency number, 668-7000.
“In October 1990, the district was established in Warren County with a countywide referendum vote with over 90% affirmation,” said E-911 director Chuck Haston. “McMinnville and Warren County governments entered into an inter-local agreement. It went operational on Feb. 13, 1994.”
Dispatchers at the 911 Center process emergency calls, non-emergency calls and dispatch for the city police, sheriff’s department, county fire departments, and McMinnville Fire Department. They also call helicopters on the scene and can give them coordinates like latitude and longitude.
Employees answer thousands of calls a year. To prevent an overload on the system, a non-emergency number, 668-7000, was added.
“Everyone knows to call 911 during an emergency,” said Haston. “Some are less aware of the nonemergency number and when it should be used instead of 911. The result is many requests to 911 do not involve true emergencies, which can overload the 911 lines resulting in longer call processing times.”
A true emergency is any situation that requires immediate assistance from the police, fire department or ambulance, says Haston.
Examples of when to call 911 include:
• A fire
• A crime in progress
• A serious crime that just occurred
• A car crash, especially if someone is injured
• A medical emergency, especially for symptoms that require immediate medical attention
When you call 911, be prepared to answer the dispatcher’s questions. They are important to getting the right kind of help quickly. Among those inquires could be: the number you’re calling from, the nature of the emergency, and specific details about the emergency such as description of the person who may have committed a crime or description of the injuries.
When immediate action is not required, but assistance will be needed, those are the times to use 668-7000.
Examples of when to call 668-7000 include:
• Reporting a crime that occurred sometime in the past: theft of a license plate or purse, and no immediate danger exists.
• Reporting a serious crime that occured, but with a lengthy delay: an altercation that occurred last night.
• On-going crime issues or crimes that are not in-progress: reporting graffiti or suspected drug activity.
• A suspicious circumstance that may indicate ongoing criminal activity: suspected drug dealing.
There are times when the 911 Communications Center is not the best route.
“During severe weather events we receive many calls to report that an individual’s power is out,” said Haston. “Our involvement with utilities during severe weather events is limited to emergency only. My experience has been, if your power is out, the utilities already know it and are working on restoring it.”
Calling the 911 Center to report it, unless there is an emergency associated, doesn’t speed the process and can result in longer wait times for those with emergencies.”
To report power outages to Caney Fork Electric Cooperative: During business hours, call 473-3116. After hours call 473-2631. McMinnville Electric System’s emergency number is 473-3144.
If 911 is called accidently, remain on the line. Hanging up will result in a visit from law enforcement.
“If we are able to speak with you to make sure all is well, it saves us, and responders, valuable time and resources,” said Haston. “I would add that if something still doesn’t sound quite right, we will dispatch responders just to make sure. Some of our most serious events began with a hang-up call to 911. It’s not a crime to accidently call 911, but repeated and intentional calls to 911 when an emergency doesn’t exist poses problems and can have serious consequences.”
The most important piece of information a caller can provide a 911 Center is their location.
“An address, business name, or intersection speeds the process of dispatching along,” said Haston. “We have some great technology to locate callers, but it’s a step that can be avoided if you can describe it to us up front."
It’s always a good idea to teach children to remember their home address.”
