Know Your 911
April is 911 Education Month in Iowa
The Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEMD) is joining national public safety leaders in recognizing April 2024 as National 911 Education Month to promote 911 awareness and proper usage.
The National 911 Education Month is a campaign to help Americans of all ages recognize the importance of calling or texting 911 and the role they play in ensuring effective and efficient emergency response in times of crisis. Groups including the United States Congress, the National Emergency Number Association (NENA), and the Association of Public-safety Communications Officials (APCO), have also recognized April as National 911 Education Month along with National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, and are encouraging the media, the 911 community, the wireless industry, and public information providers to engage in 911 awareness and education activities this month.
“When calling 911, remember to stay calm, and be aware of your location so you can help Public Safety Telecommunicators locate you during an emergency,” said Blake DeRouchey, Iowa’s 911 program manager.
In addition to highlighting the importance of 911, HSEMD is recognizing Iowa’s dispatchers during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, April 14-20. “Iowa’s Public Safety Telecommunicators are ready to take a call on what may be the worst day of someone’s life,” said DeRouchey.
“Telecommunicators go through training that enables them to handle stressful calls on a daily basis. People often take 911 and Public Safety Telecommunicators for granted” DeRouchey added, “but they are always there and ready to provide callers the emergency response that is needed. Nights, weekends, and holidays, they are always on duty”
Finally, DeRouchey reminds Iowans that text to 911 is available statewide. “There may be times that a 911 call is not possible or advised if a situation is dangerous or requires a quiet outreach to 911. Text to 911 can also be helpful for those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Remember, call when you can, text if you can’t”
NENA has made a number of public safety educational resources for the media, 911 professionals, public educators, and citizens available via its National 911 Education Month webpage, https://www.nena.org/
You can also follow HSEMD on Facebook and Twitter @IowaHSEMD for 911 information all month long.
THE 411 ON DIALING 911
When an emergency happens, 911 can be a real lifesaver. But it’s important to understand how it works.
911 should only be called in an emergency.
If you need police, fire or emergency medical services, that’s the time to dial 911. You shouldn’t call 911 if your dog is lost or you need help cooking the Thanksgiving turkey.
Never hang up if you dial 911 by mistake! Instead, stay on the line and explain to the call taker that you dialed 911 by accident.
When calling 911, remain calm.
Speak clearly and follow any instructions the call taker may give. The call taker will confirm your name, address and the phone number from which you are calling. Do not hang up until the call taker tells you it’s o.k. to hang up.
Know where you are.
When you call 911, the call taker will ask you what type of emergency for which you are calling and the location of the emergency. It’s always good to be aware of your surrroundings, in case the need to call for help arises.
In many 911 emergencies, the call taker will ask you to describe either the people or the vehicles involved in the emergency.
Give a good description.
When describing a person, start at the top of the head and work your way down:
- What is the race and gender of the person?
- How tall is/was the person?
- What is/was the person’s hair color?
- What is/was the person wearing?
- Did/does the person have any facial hair or anything that stands out?
When describing a vehicle, the call taker will ask for the following information:
- Color
- Make of vehicle
- Year of vehicle (or approximation)
- Body style
- Additional description
- License plate on vehicle
Can an inactive phone call 911?
You may have an old phone laying around at home, maybe your kids use it as a “play phone”. Those old phones can still call 911. As long as the phone is charged and turned on a call can be placed to 911. Though an inactive phone does not provide a location or call back number.
If your kids use a real phone as a play phone make sure they know not to dial 911 as a joke or during playtime. If an accidental call is made, stay on the line and let the dispatcher know what has happened.
HSEMD 911 Products
- 911 Public Service Announcements (YouTube)
- Brochure: A Guide to 911 (PDF)
- Brochure: A Guide to 911 En Español (PDF)
911 for Kids Products
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