Calling 911

911 is the number to know to report a police, fire or medical emergency -- a situation requiring the immediate presence of police officers, fire fighters or emergency medical personnel.

In a crisis, seconds count! They can mean the difference between life and death.

There is one easy-to remember number to call for police, fire and medical emergencies -- 911. No coin is required if calling from a pay phone.

If you call from any telephone in Howard County, listen for a dial tone, then press 911. You do not have to deposit a coin in a pay phone.
When you reach the emergency 911 phone dispatcher, you will be asked to verify the location from which you are calling and describe the nature of the emergency.
Stay calm. Do not hang up. Stay on the telphone until directed otherwise by the 911 dispatcher. If you hung up, you must redial.
If you call from a cellular phone, your call will be routed to the Howard County 911 Center. Describe the nature of your emergency and your call will be routed to the appropriate agency if needed. Note that cellular calls go to many "cell sites" and your call might not be answered close to where you are. You must descrive to the dispatcher the location of the emergnecy you are reporting.

Call 911 to report:
- Someone breaking into your home now, or breaking into a neighbor's home
- A shooting
- A fire
- A traffic accident involving injury
- A person screaming
- A person choking
- A fight or display of weapons
An emergency is any situation that to preserve life or property requires immediate response by police, fire or emergency medical agencies

DO NOT call 911 to:
- Report telephone, power or cable television outages
- Report an abondoned vehicle, a loud party, a pet-related problem or vandalism
- Request legal advise
- Request directory assistance
- Request or provide any information that does NOT need immediate attention.
Please remember:
- 911 is an emergency number and should not be used for non-emergency purposes.