What is 9-1-1?

Nine-one-one (911) is the number most people in the U.S. (and some in International countries) call to get help in a police, fire, medical, or poison control emergency. A 9-1-1 call goes over dedicated networks to the appropriate 9-1-1 answering point (PSAP) for the caller's location, then trained personnel send the emergency help needed.

What is Enhanced 9-1-1?

Enhanced 9-1-1, or E9-1-1, is a system which routes an emergency call to the appropriate 9-1-1 answering point (PSAP) for the caller's location, AND automatically displays the caller's phone number and address. The 9-1-1 call taker will typically ask the caller to verify the information, which appears on his or her computer screen. In most areas, phone number and location information is available for 9-1-1 calls made from a cellular/wireless phone.

When should I use 9-1-1?

Nine-One-One (9-1-1) is only to be used in emergency situations. An emergency is any situation that requires immediate assistance from the police/sheriff, the fire department or an ambulance. If you are ever in doubt of whether a situation is an emergency you should call 9-1-1. It's better to be safe and let the 9-1-1 call taker determine if you need emergency assistance.

How do I make a 9-1-1 call?

In an emergency, dial 9-1-1 on your phone. It's a free call. You can use any kind of phone: push button, rotary, cellular/wireless, cordless, or pay phone. (With many wireless phones, Enhanced 9-1-1 does not yet work.)
Stay calm and state your emergency
Speak loudly and clearly.
Give the 9-1-1 call taker your name, phone number and the address where help is needed.
Answer the call taker's questions.
Stay on the telephone if it's safe to do so, and don't hang up until the call taker tells you to.

Do not call 9-1-1 for:

information
directory assistance
when you're bored and just want to talk
paying traffic tickets
your pet
a prank

If you call 9-1-1 by mistake, do not hang up. Tell the call taker what happened so they know there really isn't an emergency.

Prank calls not only waste time and money, but can also be dangerous. If 9-1-1 lines or call takers are busy with prank calls, someone with a real emergency may not be able to get the help they need. In most places, it's against the law to make prank 9-1-1 calls.

What if a 9-1-1 caller doesn't speak English?

When necessary, a 9-1-1 call taker can add an interpreter from an outside service to the line. A non-English speaking caller may hear a short conversation in English and some clicking sounds as the interpreter is added to the line.

What if a 9-1-1 caller is Deaf, or hearing/ speech impaired?

9-1-1 call takers are trained to answer emergency calls from persons who are deaf, deaf/blind, hard of hearing or speech impaired.

If you use a TTY/TDD, you should:

Stay calm, using your TTY dial 9-1-1.
You may receive a quicker response from 9-1-1 by pressing any of the TTY keys a few times.
Give the call taker time to connect their TTY. If necessary, press the TTY keys again. The 9-1-1 call taker should answer and type "GA" for Go Ahead.
Tell what type of help is needed-police, fire department, or ambulance. Give your name, phone number and the address or location where help is needed.
Stay on the telephone if it is safe. Answer the call taker's questions.

If you use a VRS (Video Relay Service) or IP (Internet Protocol) Relay, you should:

Register and provide your address with the relay provider of your choice. Keep your address updated.
Be aware that relay calls may take several minutes to connect. If you hang up, your call may not be connected to 9-1-1.

Be prepared to provide your location information using an address, cross streets or landmarks, especially if you are not at your registered location.
Your call may need to be transferred to reach the correct 9-1-1 center.
Stay on the telephone if it is safe. Answer the call taker's questions.

It is now also possible in our area to Text to 9-1-1, with additional information about this provided on this page.

If you do not have a TTY/TDD or access to relay services, or the ability to text; you should dial 9-1-1, preferably from a landline phone. With 9-1-1 calls made from a landline phone, the caller's address is displayed on the call taker's screen. Do not hang up; keep the line open so that the call taker can listen for background noise. If you must call from a cell phone, leave the line open. Call from cell phones may display your approximate location.

#Can I send A text Message to 9-1-1?

As of March 2021, Texting to 9-1-1 is now available in our area!

It is important to note that for the time being, this capability only exists for Verizon and AT&T Wireless customers; however, other area cell phone carriers are expected to enable this service for their customers in the near future.

We still encourage anyone who needs emergency assistance to still, "Call when you can, text when you can’t.” Texting should only be used when you are unable to make a voice call to 9-1-1.

We encourage callers to only text 911 when calling 911 is unsafe or not possible. Examples include when:

Callers can’t speak due to a threat, illness, or medical condition.
Callers have poor reception and can only send text messages.
Phone lines and cell phone towers are overwhelmed, and only texts can get through.

If you send a text message to 911, you should always try to include the following information:

Your name
Your location (specific address, intersection, or mile-marker)
The particular type of emergency you are experiencing (medical, fire, crime in progress, etc.)
Your telephone number (just in case the Caller ID feature were to fail to provide it)

Here are a few things to know if you need to text an emergency to 9-1-1:

Text location information is not as robust as current location technology.
The first thing 9-1-1 needs to know is location and type of help needed.
Text in full words.
Messages need to be clear, concise. Written in a plain, simple, and easy to understand language.
Text shorthand (TTYL, IIRC, IMHO, etc.) should NEVER be used.
Emojis, ideograms, smileys, and GIFs should NEVER be used.
Pictures and videos are not compatible with Text to 911 at this time, but they might be added at a later date.
Be prepared to answer questions and follow instructions from the 9-1-1 call taker.
Like all text messages, messages can take longer to receive, messages can get out of order or your message may not be received at all.
If texting to 9-1-1 is not available in your area or is temporarily unavailable you should receive a message on your phone to indicate that the text was not received by 9-1-1. Additionally it will instruct you to contact 9-1-1 via a voice phone call instead.

Don’t just send an initial text to 911, then put your phone down and forget it!
Texting 911 will be a two-way interactive conversation. You should be prepared to receive and respond to follow-up text messages from a Communications Specialist so that they can obtain additional necessary information to assist in providing an appropriate response to your emergency.

Have a back-up plan to allow you to call 911 if your message isn’t received. If you send a text to 911 and get no response whatsoever, you should assume that your text did not go through, and should find a way to make a voice call to 911 immediately.

The TECB is committed to working with wireless carriers and the FCC in implementing text to 9-1-1 throughout the state in the next few years. Expect to see quite a few news articles and a roll-out campaign when this happens.

Who pays for 9-1-1?

In Tennessee each household and business pays a small monthly fee for 9-1-1 service that appears on their phone bill. This fee funds the management, equipment, and all other needs that assist with answering 9-1-1 calls. There is no per-call charge for calling 9-1-1. However, EMS/ambulances dispatched through 9-1-1 may charge for taking someone to the hospital; this is a separate ambulance charge, not a 9-1-1 charge.