911 FAQ |
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do I call 911? Call 911 whenever you have a problem that puts a person's life, health, or property at risk. Do not call 911 for reports or non-emergency complaints. But don't be afraid to call if you don't know for sure - if it could be an emergency, dial 9-1-1! Hamilton County 911 installs and maintains the equipment required to receive your call and inform the dispatcher of your location and phone number. The calltakers and dispatchers are not employees of 911. They are employed by various public safety agencies in the county. For example, if you are within the city limits of Chattanooga, your 911 call will be answered by a Chattanooga Police Department calltaker/dispatcher. If you need police, they will handle the call. If you need emergency medical help, your call will be transferred to the Hamilton County Emergency Services personnel. If you are calling from outside the city limits, your call will first be answered by the Sheriff Department, except if you are in Soddy Daisy, Signal Mountain, or Lookout Mountain. These cities have dispatch centers that answer the calls within their limits. Red Bank calls are answered by the Sheriff Department, and calls from East Ridge are answered in the main 911 center by employees of the East Ridge Police Department or Hamilton County Emergency Services. Where does 911 get its funding? The Hamilton County 911 district is funded by the small charge you find on your telephone bill. When you call 911 from a regular telephone, the phone number from which you are calling is sent to a database hosted by Bellsouth. The database will then send your address to the calltaker in the 911 Center. Does the calltaker know my location when I call from a cell phone? No, not yet. Much work is being put into this project across the nation, and hopefully in a few years this technology will be in place. For now, when you call 911 from your cell phone, being able to give a nearby address, intersection, or a landmark will help emergency personnel locate you. What exactly is the number for 911? Sounds like a joke, but some people have been confused. Make sure you dial 9-1-1, not 9-11 (there is no 11 button on your phone, I hope). Can Hearing-Impaired people call 911? Yes! Just call 9-1-1 using your TDD (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf), and the calltaker will be able to communicate with you using software on their computer. The only true employees of Hamilton County 911 are the people on the administrative staff. The agencies that use the 911 center hire their own dispatchers, so you will have to contact the agency for which you would like to work. |
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