Life in the US

Emergency Numbers and Procedures

In all areas of the United States, dialing 911 on your telephone or cell phone will put you in touch with an emergency dispatcher in the area you are calling from. It is extremely important to note, 911 should only be called in true emergency situations where the Police / Fire Department / Ambulance Service is need immediately. For example, if your neighbor is blasting their stereo at an inappropriate level at midnight, you should not be calling 911 to report the problem. In this case, you would call your local police department’s non-emergency number to report the disturbance.
Keep a list of all emergency and important numbers near the telephone and make sure all in your home understand how and why to use these numbers. Most of these numbers can be found in the front of your telephone book for your area. Beside 911 and the numbers of your local police / fire departments non-emergency numbers, you can add the following to your list:

Emergency (Police, Fire, Ambulance): 911
Police Department Non-Emergency #
Fire Department Non-Emergency #
Your Doctor’s #
Your Dentist’s #
Children’s School Number (s)
Poison Control # 1-800-764-7661 (1-800-POISON-1)
Family Health Line# 1-800-328-3838
Drug and Alcohol Hotline # 1-800-894-4357
Parents Anonymous / Family Help line # 1-800-843-5437
Local Post Office #
Local Library #

If you need emergency assistance while traveling in your vehicle, there are options depending on the situation. If you are in a motor vehicle accident, the first thing you should do is call 911 on your cell phone to contact the police. If you or the other party does not have a cell phone, try to flag down another motorist and have them call the authorities. If you are in a very minor accident (a fender bender) where there is only a scratch or a slight dent, there is no need to contact the police. Make sure you exchange names, addresses and phone numbers and most importantly, exchange insurance information (insurance carrier, policy number, etc.).