Know your exact location when calling 911

by Reginald Rogers
Paraglide

	photo courtesy of Metro Creative Graphics

An effective community is only as strong as its emergency response system. If that statement is true, Fort Bragg community members have nothing to worry about. In a community that receives more than 130,000 emergency calls per year, time is of the essence for Fort Bragg’s first responders.

The post has a very strong emergency response system, but according to Vickie Post, chief of Fort Bragg’s Integrated Incident Management Center at the Directorate of Emergency Services, a little assistance from community members will make their service even more efficient.

She pointed out that it’s important for callers to know their exact location, when placing emergency calls. This includes the actual building number and street name nearest the incident.
“When they call the 911 center, it does not give them a location,” Post explained. “If you call from a land line, we’ll be able to tell exactly what building you’re in. When you call from a cell phone, the variance could be anywhere from 50 meters to 300 meters.”

She said knowing your exact location is especially important when calling from a cell phone.
“If you’re calling from a barracks building and using a cell phone, we don’t have your exact location,” Post added. “We’ll get a phone call and the address may populate on the monitor, but the actual emergency could be in a different nearby location.”

She said the key point is that people know their location when they call.

“If they’re in a building, they need to know their building number or if they’re outside, they need to know their closest location, such as an intersection or if they’re near a landmark, which side of the landmark they’re on,” she said.

Post pointed out that many of the current cell phones include a GPS feature that will allow emergency operators to receive a triangulated signal, which will get them close to the call, by projecting their latitude and longitude position.

Fort Bragg’s emergency response network consists of a full staff of on-duty MPs, Department of the Army police and security, fire and rescue personnel, who work at various locations around post.

“It used to be that each one of the areas, law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services were in three different locations. About three years ago, they consolidated it here in DES, where it provides faster service, cross-levels personnel and it provides and expanded service for mass notification and monitoring and detection,” Post said.

She re-iterated that community members should be aware of their location when calling 911 because it assists first responders in locating their exact position.

According to information received from DES, emergency calls made from landlines are more efficient because they provide information about the caller’s location that leaves little room for confusion.

Citizens who call using a cell phone should be prepared to provide their building numbers, street name and the closest intersection, if they are outside, the document stated.

DES also provided several other tips for callers to remember when making emergency calls:
Try to remain calm and remember. you may be the only source of information to the dispatcher, so it is imperative that you can be understood.

Answer all of the dispatcher’s questions. If possible and if it does not compromise your safety, do not hang up the phone until the dispatcher says it’s okay to do so.

While on the phone with the dispatcher, emergency help is already being dispatched so staying on the line will not delay the help from responding units.