LOUDON COUNTY 911
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: WHEN DO I CALL 9-1-1?
A: When there is a life threatening emergency, or when there is a risk of property damage.
DO NOT BE AFRAID TO CALL IF YOU ARE UNSURE- IF IT COULD BE AN EMERGENCY DIAL 9-1-1
Q: DOES 9-1-1 KNOW WHERE I AM IF I CALL FROM A LAND LINE?
A: Yes, when a 9-1-1 call is received from a land line phone the address, telephone number, and name of the home owner (or name of a business, if applicable), 9-1-1 operators are automatically given this information via computer.
Q: DOES 9-1-1 KNOW WHERE I AM IF I CALL FROM A CELLULAR TELEPHONE?
A: No, certain telephones have GPS locators in them, but not all do. While the capability is in effect to locate your position via GPS, it is not always correct. Also if the caller has an older telephone there may be no GPS locator installed inside the phone, therefore only giving 9-1-1 operators the cell tower the caller is closet to.
BE SURE TO GIVE THE 9-1-1 OPERATOR THE ADDRESS, OR CLOSET LOCATION YOU CAN,
WHEN CALLING FROM A CELL PHONE
Q: I ACCIDENTLY CALLED 9-1-1 BUT HUNG UP BEFORE ANYONE ANSWERED, WHY DID A POLICE OFFICER SHOW UP AT MY HOME?
A: When 9-1-1 operators receives a 9-1-1 hang up call, they have no way of knowing if there is a true emergency, or if it was a false call. 9-1-1 operators call back the telephone number to see if there is an emergency, but always send a police officer to the residence to confirm that everything is okay.
DO NOT HANG UP THE PHONE IF YOU DIAL 9-1-1. STAY ON THE LINE AND
SPEAK TO A 9-1-1 OPERATOR
Q: WHY DO 9-1-1 OPERATORS ASK SO MANY QUESTIONS WHEN I CALL?
A: When someone calls 9-1-1, they have to get your address, name, and telephone number incase you lose contact with them. Although most, if not all information, is automatically sent to 9-1-1, on occasion it may be wrong. They gather your personal information, then the nature of the call, and questions pertaining to the nature of the call. All this information is then passed onto the responding agency so they know what and where they are responding to.
Q: CAN HEARING IMPAIRED PEOPLE CALL 9-1-1?
A: Yes, 9-1-1 has the capabilities to use a TDD (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf) Device to talk to someone who is hearing impaired.
Q: WHEN I CALL 9-1-1 FOR AN AMBULANCE, WHY DOES A FIRE TRUCK COME ALSO?
A: When a medical emergency is dispatched, the fire department can arrive first on the scene, and begin treatment and stabilization of the patient, prior to arrival of EMS. This action can, and has in the past, effected the outcome of the patient, sometimes saving their life.
Q: WHY DID I RECEIVE AN AUTOMATED RECORDING FROM 9-1-1?
A: Loudon County 911 has the capabilities to reverse dial telephone numbers with a recorded message they can create. This is used when there is a situation where the public needs to be notified of important information. 9-1-1 can select a call radius in a certain area or county-wide if needed.
Examples include:
Wanted Person
Hazardous Material Incident
Missing Juveniles
Natural Disasters
Q: HOW DO I GET A JOB AT 9-1-1?
A: See the EMPLOYMENT tab at the top left of this page, or click here to go to the employment section directly.
