5W's of a 911 Call
When you call 911, dispatchers are trained to quickly and
calmly collect essential details to get you the help you
need.
Here are some of the questions you can expect:
Where?
- Where is this occurring?
- Is there a location within the location (like a specific room in the building)?
- Where do police need to respond?
- Where are you calling from? Is that the same location as the emergency?
What?
- What is happening? What type of call is this?
- What type of resource (fire, ambulance, police) is needed?
These are the most important pieces of information to a dispatcher. When
these questions are answered quickly and clearly, the dispatcher has enough information to start a response from emergency personnel.
When?
- When did this problem occur?
- Is the situation still happening? If so, is it staying in one place or moving?
Who?
- Who is calling?
- What is the suspect’s personal or vehicle description?
Weapons?
- Are there visible weapons?
- Is one of the suspects known to carry a weapon?