How 911 Really Works
When you call 911, the call is routed through a dedicated network to the appropriate Public Safety Answering Point, or PSAP, for the caller's location.
- Call if you can. Text if you can't.
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If you live in the Authority's service area, your PSAP is the Adams County Communication Center (Adcom). Adcom has recently enabled the ability to receive 911 Text messages. Adcom911 provides emergency call response to the following jurisdictions: Unincorporated areas of Adams County, and the Cities of Northglenn, Brighton, and Commerce City; and also the fire jurisdictions of Adams County Fire, South Adams County Fire, Brighton Fire, and North Metro Fire.
You can now reach 911 by texting 911 from a cell phone. You should only do this if you are in a situation where it is not "safe" for you to call, or you cannot call for some reason. Examples of when to text include:
- A caller reporting an emergency from the deaf or non-verbal community.
- Voice connectivity is unavailable, but texts can be sent (rural areas, or low battery)
- Situations when silence is of the utmost importance for your safety – instances of intrusion, abuse or other dangerous situations in which making a phone call would escalate the emergency.
If a text to 911 is made, it should be simple and to the point with no abbreviations. Dispatchers will not automatically receive the text location so it is imperative to include an accurate location or address in the text message as quickly as possible so responding units can be quickly dispatched.
Across the country as Text to 911 becomes available the phrase: "Call If You Can. Text If You Can't" is the recurring theme.
Voice calls to 911 continue to be the most efficient way to reach emergency help. During voice calls the Dispatcher is able to quickly ask questions and obtain information from the caller, while two-way communications by text can take more time both in typing the message and responding to a message.
Check with your wireless phone company. In general, you must have a text-capable wireless phone and a wireless service subscription or contract with a wireless phone company. You may also need a "wireless data plan." Remember, you can make a voice call to 911 using a wireless phone that does not have a service plan, but you cannot send a text message to 911 without a service contract that includes texting.
- If we don't know where you are, we can't help you!
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If reporting an emergency from a cellular phone, it is important we have as much location information as possible, including city name, street names, direction you are traveling (i.e., north or south) and nearby landmarks (i.e., a shopping center or restaurant), so emergency responders can locate and provide assistance more effectively. If you do not know where you are, neither do we. Help us, so we can do what we do best and help you.
- 911 Hang Ups and Pocket Dials
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To date, Adcom911 has received approximately 25,000 pocket dials to our 911 dispatch center over the last year and those numbers are steadily rising. Should you accidentally call 911, do not hang up. When a call is placed to 911, it is still routed through to 911 even if you hang up. Please stay on the line and let us know if you accidentally dialed or pocket dialed. Otherwise, we will call the number back to make sure you are okay and this can waste valuable time for others who are calling in need of emergency assistance.
Additionally, many people allow their children to play with cell phones they no longer use as a toy. This has caused a dramatic rise in calls to 911 with a small child being the voice on the other end which ties up the 911 lines until we can determine if it is an emergency or not. If you are going to allow a child to play with an old cell phone, please supervise them while they are playing with it so you can make sure they are not calling 911.
- When should you call 911?
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911 is to be used ONLY in emergency situations. An emergency is any situation which requires immediate assistance from the police/sheriff, the fire department or an ambulance. Call 911 to stop a crime, to report a fire and to save a life.
Of course, if you are ever in doubt of whether a situation is an emergency you should call 9-1-1. It is better to be safe and let the 9-1-1 call taker determine if you need emergency assistance. However, there are simply things we do not have access to and would not be able to help you with which could cause a delay in emergency services for those who do need it if you are not calling in an emergency.
Examples of WHEN to call 911:
- Heart attack or stroke
- House fire or electrical hazard
- Domestic violence
- Burglary or theft in progress
- Car accident with life threatening injuries
- Suspicious activities
- Anything else that seems like an emergency!
Examples of when NOT to call 911:- for information on the closest pizza delivery
- for paying tickets or your cell phone bill
- for utility outages
- to get a taxi
- to get a ride for a doctor's appointment
- to see if someone is in jail
- to check someone's criminal history
- as a prank
NEVER prank 911! Just don't!
- Landline Phones, Business Phones, and Internet (VOIP) Phones
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Landline Phones
This is your best choice when calling 911. The phone’s address and number will always be displayed for the 911 dispatcher.
Business Phones
These private phone systems may not interface with 911 to provide automatic location and number identification and routing features. Also, a caller usually needs to dial “9” for an outside line on most business phones. Dial carefully; many accidental 911 calls are received from businesses that have to dial "9" and then "1" for long distance.
Internet (VOIP) Phones
Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, phone service allows you to make and receive calls using an Internet connection. You may not even realize that you no longer have landline phone service because many providers simply call it “home phone service.” It’s usually bundled with internet and cable service.
VoIP works differently when calling 911. Consider these critical factors regarding internet phones:
- A VoIP phone location must be registered. Check with your service provider on how to register your address and to determine the level of emergency calling features available.
- If your phone is not registered, 911 calls may not go to the correct 911 center.
- When the power is out, so is your phone. VoIP requires power. Even though VoIP phones have batteries, they will only last a few hours.
- If you travel with your VoIP adapter, your 911 call could be routed to the wrong state or country if you don’t remember to update the address. Call from another phone, preferably a landline.
- Be an informed consumer. When considering switching from traditional landline service to VoIP, be sure to read the fine print. Realize that the 911 service you have come to rely on may not work the same with this new phone service.
Text-to-911
It is the ability to send a "short message" (SMS) or other kind of text message to 911. But if you are able to make a voice call to 911, and if it is safe to do so, you should always make a voice call to 911.
When Text-to-911 becomes available for the areas in which Adcom911 serves it will be announced accordingly.
For more information go to: What You Need to Know About Text-to-911.
- Teach Your Kids how to Properly Call 911
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Parents should teach their children what 911 is, how to dial from your home and cell phone, and to trust the 911 call dispatcher. The child should be physically able to reach at least one phone in your home. When calling 911 your child needs to know their name, parents’ name, telephone number and most importantly their address. Tell them to answer all the dispatcher’s questions and to stay on the phone until instructed to hang up. Never practice calling 911 on a real phone.
When teaching your child how to call 911, let them know to:
- Stay calm
- Know the exact location and address of the emergency
- Pick up the receiver or turn on the phone and wait for the DIAL TONE
- Press "9," then "1" and then "1" again.
- Wait for the ring and the 911 dispatcher will answer
- Tell the 911 dispatcher what the emergency is: someone is hurt or sick and needs help, there’s a fire or someone is trying to break into my house.
- Listen carefully to the 911 dispatchers questions and answer them to the best of their ability. Remind them that the 911 dispatcher can’t see them shake their head or point their finger, so answer the questions verbally.
- Follow the 911 dispatcher’s instructions and stay calm. Help is on the way.
- Stay on the line until the 911 dispatcher tells them to hang up
- Reverse 911
- Register your phone to receive emergency notifications from Adcom911 or learn more about the CodeRed emergency notification system.
Learn more about the CodeRed Emergency Notification System.
Adams County Emergency E911 Telephone Surcharge
Under C.R.S. § 29-11-102, telecommunications carriers are required to impose a monthly 9-1-1 surcharge on customers and monthly remit the 9-1-1 surcharge to the 9-1-1 Governing Body based on the county for the customer’s billable address.