What is 9-1-1?

9-1-1 is an emergency telephone number that makes it easier for residents to obtain urgent police, fire and ambulance assistance. The three digit number is brief, easy to remember and is used throughout most of North America.

Enhanced 9-1-1

On May 1, 1995, Enhanced 9-1-1 was officially activated within the County of Lambton.  For landline telephones, Enhanced 9-1-1 provides information on the 9-1-1 call-taker’s screen such as the telephone number, the municipal address of the building where the phone is connected and the name of the occupant.  This information is transferred to the requested emergency service along with the telephone call.  If the emergency is not taking place at the caller’s location, the caller must be able to identify where the emergency response is required.  9-1-1 calls can be made from cellular or wireless phones but most cellular/wireless service providers do not have Enhanced 9-1-1 service (check with your service provider).  This means the 9-1-1 call taker may not have any information relating to the call.  Cellular/wireless callers must therefore be able to inform the call taker of their location (i.e. street address or nearest street intersection or prominent building or landscape feature). Calling from a payphone is free but you should be prepared to provide any information requested by the 9-1-1 call taker.

When should 9-1-1 be used?

9-1-1 should be used to request emergency assistance or to provide crucial information to emergency response personnel.  Use 9-1-1 to report a crime in progress (exercise extreme caution though), to report a fire or to call for medical assistance - whenever a prompt response is required to a critical situation.  Police, fire or ambulance (or any or all of these services) will be dispatched based on the information provided to the 9-1-1 call taker.

When should 9-1-1 not be used?

9-1-1 should not be used to obtain information (i.e. weather or traffic information etc.) or to report something that occurred in the past (i.e. a break-in that occurred yesterday or a dinged car in a parking lot).  Never call 9-1-1 to “test” the system.

Your best source of information during an emergency within Lambton County is one of the four Sarnia-Lambton radio stations - 1070 AM, 99.9 FM, 103.9 FM and106.3 FM.  Tune to one station and remain tuned to it unless advised otherwise. 

How to use 9-1-1

Simply dial 9-1-1 and your call will be answered by a 9-1-1 call taker.  Try to be calm and speak slowly and clearly.  Listen carefully to the questions being asked and answer them completely.  9-1-1 call-takers and police, fire and ambulance dispatchers are trained to obtain the information necessary to respond to your emergency call.  If you call 9-1-1 by mistake, stay on the line to explain to the call taker that everything is alright.  If you do not remain on the line, the call taker may call your number back or dispatch a police vehicle to investigate.  To avoid dialing 9-1-1 by mistake, it is recommended that the number not be entered into a programmable telephone. All 9-1-1 calls are recorded.

What happens when 9-1-1 is called?

The 9-1-1 call taker will ask if you require police, fire or ambulance.  Based on your answer, your call will be transferred to the emergency dispatch agency requested.  You must be prepared to state the nature of the emergency and answer all questions asked of you.  Answering questions does not delay the emergency response!     If at all possible, do not hang up the telephone until you are advised to do so by the 9-1-1 call taker. Lambton County contracts 9-1-1 call taking services from the Ontario Provincial Police for the entire County except the City of Sarnia & the Village of Point Edward.  An O.P.P. call taker in North Bay, Ontario answers 9-1-1 calls made within Lambton (except the two aforementioned municipalities) and immediately transfers the calls to the appropriate local emergency communications centre.  9-1-1 calls originating in Sarnia and Point Edward are answered by Sarnia Police Services 9-1-1 call takers.

Don't Misuse 9-1-1!

Below is an article from the Windsor Star dated December 22, 2011, relating to problems caused by the misuse of the 9-1-1 service:

 

Bogus 9-1-1 Calls Vex Police

More than half of the 9-1-1 calls placed to Windsor police this year have been for non-emergencies, causing a waste of time and resources, police say.

Sgt. Brett Corey said that as of Tuesday, 36,982 calls were made to 9-1-1 dispatch this year and 21,556 of them were dismissed.

He said most calls are dismissed because they are for non-emergencies incidents, are duplicate calls - which are when more than one call is made for the same matter - or are accidental calls such as pocket dials or children playing with the phone.

"It ties up valuable time, resources and the 9-1-1 lines for people who need to call for an actual emergency, so that's our main concern," said Corey. "You may not get the communicator immediately which may delay the process and could be critical depending on the situation."

Some "incredible" instances of people calling 9-1-1 for non-emergencies include people ordering pizza, calling to complain about their utility bills or reporting that their cat is stuck in a tree, Corey said.

Chris Grant, deputy chief of operations for Essex-Windsor EMS, said keeping 9-1-1 dispatch lines open and accessible for those calling in with actual emergencies is crucial.

"It could affect somebody with a heart attack or a stroke because ultimately those seconds count to causing a significant amount of damage to those vital organs which could lead to people's deaths," said Grant. "So obviously time is of the essence for these types of calls."

Corey said another common occurrence is people who dial 9-1-1 by mistake but hang up before the call is answered.

"All calls have to be investigated so if you dial by mistake, better to stay on the line because when somebody stays on the line, the communicators can investigate it right then and there, they can speak to the person and determine what kind of call it is," said Corey. "Unfortunately if somebody hangs up, then we're in the dark and that's when, oftentimes, we have to send an officer out to investigate to make sure that person is safe."

Oftentimes people will call 9-1-1 to report property crimes - such as a car tire being slashed or a car is broken into - which don't require immediate emergency intervention, said Corey. These calls are meant to be reported through Windsor police's non-emergency phone services.

"The easiest way to differentiate is ... if it's something that doesn't require immediate police or emergency service intervention, it's something that you want to report to the non-emergency police line," said Corey.

Non-Emergency Calls

Police, fire and ambulance departments all have administrative telephone numbers to receive non-emergency calls.  In such cases, please use the following administrative telephone numbers:

Police
Ontario Provincial Police (for areas outside of the City of Sarnia):  1-888-310-1122
Sarnia Police Services (for areas within the City of Sarnia only):  519 344-8861

Fire
Refer to your area telephone book and contact your local fire department.

Ambulance
Emergency Medical Services Department (for all of Lambton County):  519 882-3797 ext. 5024, ext. 5021 or ext. 5020.

Other Services
Keep a list of other non-emergency telephone numbers such as your telephone service provider, electricity provider, public utility etc..