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911 Services

Useful information about 911 services in Douglas County, Kansas.

911 Is For Emergencies Only!

When should I dial 911? (remember 911 calls from pay telephones and cellular telephones are free)

 

Medical Emergencies: When someone needs immediate medical attention.

  • Fire Emergencies: When something is on fire, there is the smell of gas or smoke, or if you see smoke.
  • Police Emergencies: When you see someone committing a crime, about to commit a crime, or a crime has just occurred.

What should I do when I call 911?
Stay calm and speak clearly. Answer the dispatcher's questions as accurately and thoroughly as possible. Do not hang up until you are told to do so by the dispatcher. Give the dispatcher the following information:

  1. Address of the emergency
  2. Phone number of the caller
  3. What type of emergency you are reporting
  4. Name of responsible party

Who should I call in an emergency?
In any emergency, call 911 from anywhere in Douglas County, Kansas. For a list of important emergency and non-emergency telephone numbers, visit the ' ' page. 


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Try to remain calm, remember you may be the only source of information to the dispatcher. It is imperative that you can be understood. Remember trained emergency personnel will be at your house as soon as they can.
 

  • Give the dispatcher your Location, Situation, Your name and Phone number, and other pertinent details such as people involved, descriptions of people or cars, time of occurrence.
     
  • If you are in immediate danger, (burning house, etc.) remove yourself and your family or seek shelter if the situation allows first.
     
  • Teach your children when and how to dial 911 in a responsible manner.
     
  • Dial 911 if the situation is an Emergency.
     
  • Emergency situations are those situations in which a person's health is immediately in jeopardy (injury, serious illness, thoughts of hurting oneself, serious car accident, etc.)
     
  • A crime has occurred or may be occurring or any other act due to its serious nature demands immediate attention by the police or fire department (electrical lines down arcing etc.).
     
  • If the situation is not an emergency, please do not call 911. There are a limited number of 911 lines and a non-emergency call may keep a caller with an emergency from getting the help they need.
     
  • Call the non-emergency business lines to report non-emergency situations or to ask for non-emergency assistance. To view a list of these phone numbers, please visit the '' page.
     
  • When you call 911 stay on the line with the dispatcher until you are advised by the dispatcher to hang up. Your assistance may be required to guide in officers/medical/fire units.
     
  • If you are unable to speak or are incapacitated, call 911 and stay on the line. Every effort will be made in order to locate you. Officers will be sent to your location.

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Emergencies present a scary situation for children. At times, they may not know what to do. Below you will find some tips on how to teach your child how to use and when to use the 9-1-1 system.

What is 9-1-1?
Some children may have heard about 9-1-1 from school, television, or friends, but may not understand what it is used for. Children may not be sure what a real emergency is.

Remind children to dial 9-1-1 when they need help to save a life, stop a crime or report a fire. Inform your child that if they are ever lost and feel that they are not safe; to pick up a phone and dial 911 and they will be helped.

What can parents do?
The most important thing you can do is to talk with your child about 9-1-1. Tell your child that if they ever have to call 9-1-1 there will be a dispatcher on the other end who is going to help them. Please teach children not to dial 911 (or play with the phone) when it is not an EMERGENCY. Children often dial 911 by accident or on purpose as a joke. If the line is unavailable for a real emergency, someone could easily come to harm.

What do I tell the babysitter?
When there are no adults at home every child or babysitter should have the following information posted by the phone:

 

  • A list of emergency numbers
  • Your home phone number and address

Also list any other contact information (pager numbers, cell phone numbers, relative's numbers)

The best time to prepare for an emergency is now! Don't wait until one happens!

 


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Related Tags 
Reporting a Crime
Emergency Communications (911)