Calling 9-1-1

Abandoned 9-1-1 Calls
Lapeer County Central Dispatch receives a number of 9-1-1 calls where the caller realizes that they dialed 9-1-1 by accident. The normal reaction for the caller is to hang up hoping that the 9-1-1 Center will not be disrupted by the accidental call. Our policy is to immediately call back the telephone that made the 9-1-1 call and try to talk to a responsible person. If we can determine that everything is ok, we will not send emergency responders.

Calling 9-1-1 During Severe Weather Conditions
Lapeer County Central Dispatch, Lapeer County’s 9-1-1 Center, is equipped to handle all emergency 9-1-1 calls during severe weather conditions. Normally, Lapeer County residents do not call 9-1-1 for information or other non-emergency reasons. These types of calls stress available resources and distract 911 personnel from managing real emergencies. Citizens should plan in advance for severe weather. Local television and radio stations are a very good source for severe weather updates.

Lapeer County residents should call 810-667-0292 for non-urgent situations. These lines are answered after all 9-1-1 calls are handled. Nine-One-One (9-1-1) is for reporting emergencies, not for asking questions or for information. Please help us to serve you better by making sure that you and your families are not dialing 9-1-1 for information, weather reports, road conditions, or to report situations which are clearly not of an urgent nature. It is OK to dial 9-1-1 to report any situation when you are unsure if it is an emergency or not. It is only the clearly non-emergency or informational calls that should not be made by dialing 9-1-1.

Calling 9-1-1 From Cellular Phones
In Michigan, you can dial 9-1-1 free of charge from your cellular telephone to report emergencies, potential emergencies or suspicious situations. When a 911 call is received from a cellular phone, dispatchers are able to determine an approximate location of the call based upon the line of questioning and cell-tower data sent with the call. In the near future, this technology will advance to allow dispatchers to track cell-callers to within 50 yards of their location. Even if the caller is moving in a vehicle.

Children Calling 9-1-1
If you are injured in your home and can’t get to your phone, does your child know how to call 9-1-1? With a little training and guidance, it’s amazing how good a job they can do. They just need to understand when it’s okay to call 9-1-1 and what they should know.

Emergency Medical Dispatching
Emergency Medical Calls to 9-1-1 are among the most intense calls we handle. They include everything from heart attacks to babies not breathing. All Lapeer County 9-1-1 operators are trained as Emergency Medical Dispatchers and are required to utilize this training when handling emergency medical calls. By using a flow chart designed for specific medical emergencies, 911 operators can provide life saving pre-arrival instructions to callers. In addition, the information develop is simultaneously passed on to responding EMS and Medical First Responder personnel which aids in their ability to limit the time needed to assess the emergency once they arrive.

Medical Alert or Special Needs Assistance
One of the many benefits of having a countywide enhanced 9-1-1 and Computer Aided Dispatch system, is the ability to enter an emergency response plan for any location or address in the county. Citizens with special needs can visit our website at http://www.lapeercounty911.org , and printout the Medical Alert form , or contact our administrative office – 667-0217, and we will be glad to mail one to you. By doing so, your address will be flagged within our system to inform responders of special medical needs, or contact information to be used during an emergency situation.

What is an Emergency?
What is an emergency? When should you call 9-1-1? When should you dial a non emergency number? Most people know a real emergency when they see it. Most people know when something is clearly not an emergency. Generally, you should dial 9-1-1 for any fire, medical, or police emergency. Serious medical problems like heart attacks, difficulty breathing, unconsciousness, are obvious emergencies. House fires, car fires, smoke coming from a building, and grass/brush fires burning out of control should all be reported by dialing 9-1-1. Crimes in progress are obvious emergencies too. When in doubt – dial 9-1-1! For non-emergency calls, dial 667-0292.

911 Education
A 911 system is only as good as the citizens who use it. Educating our citizens in the proper use of 911 will enhance the effectiveness of our system and create a positive perception of our entire emergency network. Lapeer County Central Dispatch is recognized as the single-point of contact for all public safety response throughout our county. In an effort to better inform our citizens as to the use of 911, we offer programs that are both educational and informative. These programs are presented at schools, civic groups, church groups, safety fairs, and other requested functions.