911 is the universal number to dial on your telephone when assistance is needed from the fire, police, or EMS departments. Only three digits, 911, are all you have to dial on your phone to have help coming to you immediately. 911 is recognized as a universal phone number for help, because it is a fast, easy, free phone call from all phones (rotary, touch-tone, cellular, or pay-phones). The number is easy to remember and is easy to teach to children. The phone call links the caller with a dispatcher ready to provide immediate assistance for any emergency situation.

Since 1991 all of Johnson County has been on the Enhanced 911 system (also known as E911). The Enhanced 911 system automatically retrieves information about the caller at the time of the call. A computer in the dispatch center shows the street address and the phone number where the call originated from. This is a valuable tool in locating emergencies when a caller cannot speak or does not know the address of the incident.

It is helpful to know where you are at or where the incident may be occurring, if you have to call 911. Sometimes the problem for which you are calling may be at the house across the street, or if you are calling from a payphone. Cellular phones are not connected to the Enhanced 911 system, so when 911 is dialed there is no way to trace where the call was placed from. In those situations, it is important to relay the correct address or special directions to get to the incident.

After calling 911, a dispatcher will say, "911, What is your emergency?". It is important to remain calm. The dispatcher will want to know the following information:

• Your name.
• Your location and street address.
• The phone number you are calling from.
• The nature of the problem.

These questions are used to determine whether fire, police, or EMS should be sent to the location. The dispatcher will confirm the information on the E911 screen, just to be sure that help is being sent to the right place . Other questions may be asked of the caller to determine what is wrong with the victim. It is important to tell the dispatcher all they need to know. Remember, only hang-up when the dispatcher tells you to!

Finally, ambulance and First Responders are dispatched simultaneously. The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office dispatchers have a special radio frequency used to contact Paramedics and First Responders. JCAS Paramedics carry a special pager used to receive the instructions over the radio. The dispatcher gives them the address or location, and information about the incident.

There is a small difference on who answers the 911 calls, depending on whether you live in Iowa City, or outside Iowa City. In Iowa City, a dispatcher from the Iowa City police department answers, while outside Iowa City, a dispatcher from the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office answers. It makes no difference to the caller. Iowa City Police and the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office handle the calls in the same fashion, and the appropriate services may be paged by either dispatch center.