An informed caller is 911's best caller. It is important that you know how to help 911 help you. In an emergency, seconds matter, so being knowledgeable and prepared can make all the difference.

Here's what you can do:

Know when to call 911. 911 is for emergencies only. You should only dial 911 if someone is hurt or in danger, or if you are in immediate need of police, fire, or medical assistance. If you aren't sure your situation is an emergency, you should err on the side of safety and call 911 and let the expert who answers your call make the decision whether to send help or not.

Know when not to call 911. Don't call 911 just because you burned dinner and your guests are arriving any minute, or because your cable service went out during the 4th quarter of the super bowl. While those situations may count as emergencies to you, they aren't for public safety.

Inapprpriate use of the 911 system wastes valuable resources and ties up the line at the 911 center, and nobody wants to be on hold when they are in the middle of a real crisis. Not to mention that harrassing or making pranks calls to 911 is a crime, and you don't want law enforcement showing up at your door.

Know the capabilities of the device you are using. 911 can be contacted from pretty much every device that can make phone calls (traditional landline, cell, VoIP), but the call back and location information that accompanies your call to the 911 center can vary drastically amongst technologies and between geographic regions.

911 and telecommunications personnel are hard at work to make sure 911 works the same on all devices in the future, but until then it is your job to be knowledgeable about the benefits and limitations associated with various technologies. Please contact your service provider(s) for more information.

Know where you are. This is probably the most important information you can provide as a 911 caller, so try to be aware of your surroundings. Make a real effort to be as detailed as possible. If you are outside and don't know the street address, take a look around and try to find landmarks or cross streets. If you are inside a large building or one with multiple levels, you can help emergency services by letting them know which floor you are on, which apartment you are in etc.

Stay calm. When you are on the phone with the 911 operator, you are their eyes and ears. Even though you may want to, try not to panic. If you are crying or yelling, it can be hard for the 911 operator to understand you. If you are able to stay strong, pull yourself together, and answer all of the 911 operator's questions, the faster they can get the right services to your location.

Never hang up. You may have called 911 by accident, or your situation may have resolved itself before actually speaking to the 911 operator, but it is important to let the 911 operator know that assistance is no longer needed.

If you end your call abruptly, we will assume that something has gone very wrong, which will prompt a return call in addition to sending help. This will take away from the 911 center's ability to take calls and dispatch services to on-going emergencies, so make sure the 911 operator tells you that it is alright to disconnect before you hang up.

A friendly reminder that our Communications Specialists can send responders (Police, Fire and Emergency Medical Services) to your location without disconnecting from the call. Make sure you hold the line so that you can provide any necessary information to assist the 911 operator and service providers responding to the emergency.