• What is 911?
• When should I call 911?
• Who answers 911 calls?
• What happens if I am put on hold?
• What information should I provide?
• Do I have to leave my name?
• What if I don't speak English?

What is 911?

911 is the public's lifeline for emergency police, fire, and medical services in the District of Columbia. 911 number is designed for contacting the Metropolitan Police Department (MPDC) and the DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department in all life-threatening situations. Each year, the District handles approximately 1 million calls to the 911 number. 911 is a toll-free call accessible through residential, wireless, and pay telephones throughout the District.

When should I call 911?

Call 911 to report any life-threatening situations—fires, medical emergencies in which an ambulance is needed, and crime situations requiring immediate police attention. 911 should be used to report:

• Any crime that is in progress or where the offender is still on the scene (or has just left the scene)
• All serious violent crimes—homicide, robbery, sexual assault, domestic violence, assault—even if the crime is no longer in progress or the offender has left the scene
• All fires and medical emergencies
• Home and business intruders (note: if you come home and see a door or window forced open, do not go in—find a nearby phone and call 911)
• Vehicle crashes involving personal injury, major property damage, or traffic tie-ups
• Seeing a criminal you know is wanted by the police

For police situations that are not emergency in nature, call the toll-free non-emergency number, 311.

Who answers 911 calls?

All calls to 911 are answered by trained call-takers assigned to the DC Office of Unified Communications (OUC), who are located at the Public Safety Communications Center (PSCC), 310 McMillan Dr., NW. (Note that on October 1, 2004, management of all emergency and non-emergency call-taking and dispatching functions were transferred from the MPDC and the Fire/EMS Department to the new OUC.) Calls that require a police, fire or emergency medical response are immediately transferred to the appropriate OUC dispatchers for assigning units in the field to respond. New technology, including a recently upgraded Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system, is improving the collection of 911 information and the dispatch of emergency resources.

What happens if I am put on hold?

The OUC's goal is to answer all 911 calls within 5 seconds, and that goal is now bein met for the vast majority of calls. During periods of particularly heavy call volume, however, there is a chance you might get a recording when you call 911. Calls put on hold will be answered as quickly as possible, in the order in which they were received. If you get put on hold, do not hang up and call back. This is likely to result in your call being pushed farther back in the call-answering queue and further delays in receiving service.

What information should I provide?

It is critical that you provide the call-taker with information that is as accurate and complete as possible. Try to remain calm, and speak slowly and clearly. While the information you provide will vary with the incident, there are some critical details that will be required in almost every instance. These include the following:

• A brief description of the crime
• Time of occurrence
• Exact location (including street and unit/apartment numbers, if applicable)
• Extent of injuries or property damage, if any
• Description of any suspects: gender, race, height, weight, clothing, hair color/style, facial hair, scars/marks/tattoos
• Weapons used, including a description
• Description of suspect vehicle: make/model, color, tag numbers (including jurisdiction), whether there are temporary tags on the vehicle
• Direction of flight: down what street/alley; on foot, bicycle or motor vehicle

Also, it is critical that you give the call-taker your phone number—especially if you are calling from a wireless phone—so that the police can call you back if they need additional information.

Do I have to leave my name?

No. Callers to 911 need not reveal their names, addresses, or phone numbers. Simply tell the call-taker you wish to remain anonymous, and ask the call-taker to tell the responding officers that you do not want the police to come to your home. Even if you choose to remain anonymous, however, it is still recommended that you provide your phone number in case the police need to call you back for additional information.

What if I don't speak English?

Callers who do not speak English, or who feel more comfortable communicating in a language other than English, can still access 911 services. Through its language bank, the OUC has instant access to translators in more than 100 different languages and dialects. Callers should tell the call-taker they want a language bank translator.

In addition, 911 is completely accessible to the deaf and hard of hearing. 911 can accept TDD calls; there is no separate TDD number to call for police emergencies.