GROVELAND — Police Chief Jeffrey T. Gillen and Fire Chief Robert Valentine would like to share guidelines and tips in regard to accessing help in the midst of an emergency during National 9-1-1 Education Month.

According to the National Emergency Number Association, approximately 240 million calls are made to 911 each year in the United States. 9-1-1 Education Month is recognized across the country to conduct outreach and educate community members on 911 resources and practices.

“If you ever find yourself in a situation where you need to call 911 for help, it is important to try to remain calm, if you can, so that you can provide the operator with the information they need,” Police Chief Gillen said. “We also wish to remind everyone that its important to share as detailed information about your location as you can so that emergency responders can reach you as quickly as possible.”

In order to make sure residents can access help in an emergency, Police Chief Gillen and Fire Chief Valentine are providing the following safety tips from the National Association of State 911 Administrators (NASNA): 

Reach 9-1-1 Via Phone OR Text

Text to 911 is available across the Commonwealth, and Groveland Police and Fire Departments wish to remind residents that 911 through messaging is an alternative to a typical phone call. 

To contact emergency services by text message, simply enter 911 in the “To” field of your mobile device and then type your message into the message field. It is the same process that is used for sending a regular text message from your mobile device. It is important to make every effort to begin the text message indicating the town you are in and provide the best location information that you can. 

Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or in a situation where speaking is not possible can benefit from using messaging services to reach emergency services, but if possible a traditional voice call is the best way to reach 911.

For additional information about silent call procedures, click here. 

Know Your Location

With wireless calls, 911 operators can locate callers, but more information may be needed in order for emergency services to find exact locations. Be prepared to provide detailed information on your location to assist the 911 operator.

Stay Calm and Don’t Hang Up

Unless instructed to do otherwise, you should stay on the line when calling 9-1-1 in order to provide necessary information to the 911 operator. Even if you accidentally dial 9-1-1, you should stay on the line and inform the operator that there is no emergency and that you dialed accidentally. While on the phone, please answer the telecommunicator’s questions. They are trying to determine whether or not there is an emergency or if someone is in need of assistance.

In order to learn more about NASNA and their efforts to improve emergency response through supporting 911 education and awareness, click here.

About National 9-1-1 Education Month

April is designated as National 9-1-1 Education Month, recognized by the United States Congress in 2008. According to NASNA, it aims to support the efforts of the National 911 Education Coalition through the promotion of resources and materials that help to educate about the optimal use of 9-1-1 services across the country.

 

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Groveland Police and Fire Departments Share Tips During National 9-1-1 Education Month

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