Make the Right Call: Dial 9-1-1
Making the call to 9-1-1 is the first step toward receiving advanced
care during a fire, medical or police emergency. If you, your family,
community group or school group would like to tour the North County
JPA Dispatch Center located at RSF Fire District Headquarters, or
are interested in a 9-1-1 education program, please call the Fire
District's Public Safety Education Office at (858) 756-6008 to schedule
an appointment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an emergency?
Typical emergency calls to 9-1-1 include reports of fire or smoke,
traffic collisions, a crime in progress, a person in danger, or
a medial problem. Medical problems requiring immediate emergency
attention include: difficulty breathing, an injury from a fall,
persistent chest pain, someone who has fainted, collapsed, is unconscious
or is otherwise badly injured.
What if I'm unsure my problem is a real emergency?
In situations where you're unsure whether to dial 9-1-1 for help or
drive the victim straight to the hospital, ask yourself the following
questions:
- Is the victim's condition life threatening?
- Could the victim's condition worsen and become life threatening
on the way to the hospital?
- Could moving the victim cause further injury?
- Does the victim need the skills and/or equipment of paramedics
or EMTs?
- Would distance or traffic conditions cause a delay in getting
the victim to the hospital?
If you answer, "yes" to any of these questions, or if
you're unsure, always call 9-1-1. Paramedics have the capability to
communicate with emergency-room physicians by radio, allowing hospital
staff to be aware of the patient's condition in advance. Additionally,
in the time it takes you to drive the victim to the hospital, paramedics
could be providing advanced medical treatment to the patient, which
is especially important in life-threatening situations.
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What is NOT an emergency?
Do not dial 9-1-1 for minor injuries, to fill a prescription, to ask
for directions, or to arrange for general transportation. Again,
if you're unsure as to whether your situation is an emergency, dial
911 and the call-taker will gladly assist you.
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What happens to my call when I dial 9-1-1?
When dialing 911, speak as calmly and clearly as possible so the
9-1-1 call-taker can fully understand your situation. When dialing
from a landline phone (i.e., home, business, school, etc.), the
San Diego Sheriff's Department will answer your 9-1-1 call first.
If your call is law enforcement-related, the Sheriff's Department
will dispatch deputies to assist you. If you are calling to report
a fire, traffic collision, medical emergency or a similar problem,
the Sheriff's Department will transfer you to the North County Dispatch
JPA. This agency (which dispatches for six local north county fire
agencies) will instantly answer your call and will proceed
to ask you a series of questions to determine the type of help you
need.
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What is Enhanced 9-1-1?
Enhanced 9-1-1, or E 9-1-1, is a system which routes an emergency call
to the 9-1-1 center closest to the caller, and automatically displays
the caller's phone number and address. The 9-1-1 call-taker will ask
the caller to verify the information, which appears on his or her
computer screen. Currently, phone number and location information
is not yet available for 9-1-1 calls made from a cellular/wireless
phone.
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What happens to my call if I dial 9-1-1 from a cell phone?
If you dial 9-1-1 from your mobile phone the California Highway Patrol
(CHP) will receive your call first. Since Enhanced 9-1-1 is not yet
available for cellular/wireless phones, when you dial 9-1-1 from a
cell phone be prepared to give your exact location so the CHP can
quickly transfer your call to the nearest local dispatch agency.
Be aware, because the CHP receives an extremely high volume of 9-1-1
calls, if your emergency is not life-threatening you may be put
on hold.
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What questions might the 9-1-1 call-taker ask?
The 9-1-1 call-taker will ask you: WHAT happened, WHO is injured or
sick, WHERE the exact location of the incident is, and what the
CURRENT CONDITION of the victim is. As you provide this information,
the call-taker enters your answers into a computer and the information
is immediately sent to a 9-1-1 dispatcher.
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Why can't I just drive to the nearest fire station to seek help?
We strongly recommend using the fastest method for help: dial 9-1-1.
Although firefighters and paramedics are available 24-hours a day,
personnel are not always in quarters at the fire station 24-hours
a day. Driving an ill or injured victim to the fire station only
to find that emergency help isn't there will delay the victim's
medical treatment even further.
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Wouldn't it be faster just to drive to the nearest fire station?
No; especially if fire crews are out of quarters. Dialing 9-1-1 is
the fastest way to obtain advanced help during a crisis or emergency
situation. Once your call is received, the 9-1-1 dispatcher will determine
the closest available emergency unit(s) and dispatch them to the
location of the incident. The dispatcher's goal is to dispatch emergency
crews within one minute of the time your call is received. While
help is en route, the call-taker may continue to ask you detailed
questions and will pass this information along to the responding
emergency crews. For this reason, do not hang up the phone until
the dispatcher says to do so.
While awaiting the arrival of emergency responders, 9-1-1 call-takers
and dispatchers are trained to give you, the caller, detailed first-aid
and CPR (cardio-pulmonary resuscitation) instructions as needed
to assist the victim(s) until help arrives. Providing first-aid
and CPR early in an illness/injury is a critical step in the chain
of emergency medical care. Remember, you may be asked a number of
questions by the 9-1-1 call-taker; know that help is on the way throughout
this entire process.
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If the fire engine and ambulance are out of quarters, who will
respond to other emergencies?
The Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection District employs four full-time
fire stations so if one engine company from a station is out of
quarters on an emergency call, the remaining three engine companies
will cover the District. Additionally, if two Rancho Santa Fe engine
companies are out of quarters responding to a large emergency, an
engine company from Encinitas or Solana Beach will provide station
coverage for the Fire District.
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9-1-1 has been around for years, why are you still educating people
about it?
Unfortunately, some people choose not to dial 9-1-1 when they have
a true emergency. Some feel embarrassed to call and ask for help
when they really need it, or they feel they are being a bother.
Others underestimate the severity of their illness or injury and
may, for example, mistake the early signs of a heart attack for
indigestion or overexertion. A call to 9-1-1 is never considered an
inconvenience; firefighters and paramedics are eager to help anyone
who's in need of assistance. Additionally, when in doubt of the
severity of an injury or illness, dial 9-1-1 to expedite advanced
medical treatment.
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Should children be educated about dialing 9-1-1?
Yes! Parents and caregivers can introduce children to the concept
of 9-1-1 by using a pretend phone. Explain what 9-1-1 is used for by
providing examples of emergency situations and include information
about the different types of help 9-1-1 will summon (i.e., fire department,
ambulance, police or sheriff). Teach children their phone number
and street address-not post office box number; post this information
near each phone in your home for easy reference. Most importantly,
begin 9-1-1 education when your children are young and reinforce the
information on a regular basis, it could prove invaluable if your
child is ever faced with an emergency.
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For further information about 9-1-1, click on the following links:
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