DENVER — Many individuals are ditching their landlines and just using their cellphones in the home. There are some things to remember when you have an emergency, regardless of where you are situated.
Emergency response specialists tell the FOX31 Problem Solvers these days, as much as 70 percent of all 911 calls come from cellphones. Your safety might depend on whether you understand what to say when dispatchers answer.
Jefferson County Dispatch Operations Manager Jodi Malpass clarifies the general process for tackling cellphone calls is tailored to provide the fastest response time and finest care. Anyone working with a cellphone to get 911 while at a moving car should realize they are moving between cellphone towers, so very short transfers might be necessary.
“Most of them hit a cell tower and then they have to be transferred. We really want you to get to your call center that can actually help you,” said Malpass.
Malpass says in case you’ve got a health emergency while driving, stop after you can and call 911.
“It is best for you to pull over and wait for help so you are stationary,” Malpass said.
Police tell the Problem Solvers if you’re the highway and you find a drunk or competitive motorist, call *CSP so the Colorado State Patrol may manage the issue. Provide a license plate number and vehicle description but never follow a suspected offender.
When employing a cellphone at home to get 911, it’s very important that you provide the dispatcher with your name, address and (when it applies) apartment number immediately.
“(A cellphone) doesn’t necessarily give us your address, it gives us a 50- to 100-meter radius or a latitude or longitude,” Malpass said.
Landlines can provide dispatchers with more precise location info.
Buy Tickets for every event – Sports, Concerts, Festivals and more buy tickets
