City of Edgerton

 

Q.  What is 911?

       

 911 is the public's lifeline for emergency police, fire, and medical services. The 911 number is designed for contacting the Edgerton Police Department (EPD) and the Edgerton Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department in all life-threatening situations.

 

Q. What happens if I am put on hold?

 

During periods of particularly heavy call volume, however, there is a chance you might get a recording when you call 911. Calls put on hold will be answered as quickly as possible, in the order in which they are received. If you get put on hold, do not hang up and call back. This is likely to result in your call being pushed farther back in the call-answering queue and further delays in receiving service.

 

Q. When should I call 911?

 

Call 911 to report any life-threatening situations such as fires or medical emergencies in which an ambulance is needed, and crime situations requiring immediate police attention. 911 should be used to report:

• Any crime that is in progress or where the offender is still on the scene (or has just left the scene)

• All serious violent crimes-homicide, robbery, sexual assault, domestic violence, assault-even if the crime is no longer in progress or the offender has left the scene

• All fires and medical emergencies

• Home and business intruders (note: if you come home and see a door or window forced open, do not go in-find a nearby phone and call 911)

• Vehicle crashes involving personal injury, major property damage, or traffic tie-ups

• Seeing a criminal you know is wanted by the police

 

Q. What information should I provide?

 

It is critical that you provide the police call-taker with information that is as accurate and complete as possible.  Try to remain calm, and speak slowly and clearly.  While the information you provide will vary with the incident, there are some critical details that will be required in almost every instance. These include:

• A brief description of the crime

• Time of occurrence

• Exact location (including street and unit/apartment numbers, if applicable)

• Extent of injuries or property damage, if any

• Description of any suspects: gender, race, height, weight, clothing, hair color/style, facial hair, scars/marks/tattoos

• Weapons used, including a description

• Description of suspect vehicle: make/model, color, tag numbers (including jurisdiction), where there are temporary tags on the vehicle

• Direction of flight: down what street/alley; on foot, bicycle or motor vehicle

 

Also, it is critical that you give the call-taker your phone number- especially if you are calling from a wireless phone so the police can call you back in they need additional information.

 

Q. Do I have to leave my name?

 

No. Callers to 911 need not reveal their names, address, or phone numbers. Simply tell the call-taker you wish to remain anonymous, and ask the call-taker to tell the responding officers that you do not want the police to come to your home. Even if you choose to remain anonymous, however, it is still recfommended that you provide your phone number in case the police need to call you back for additional information.

 

Q. What if I don't speak English?

 

Calllers who do not speak English, or who feel more comfortable communicating in a language other than English, can still access 911 services. Through its language bank, the 911 service has instant access to translators in different languages. Callers should tell the call-taker they want a language bank translator.

In addition, 911 is completely accessible to the hearing-impaired. 911 can accept TDD calls; there is no separate TDD number to call for police emergencies.