WELCOME TEENS!

Midland County 911 wants to welcome you to our website. An informed caller is 911's best caller. It's 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.

Know WHEN to call 911.
911 is for emergencies only. You should only be dialing 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 if 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.

Making prank calls to 911 is a very bad idea.
It may seem like fun to dial a free, easy to remember number like 911 to tell a joke or have the police sent to someone's house just to see what happens, but take our word for it: this is not something you should do. First, the 911 center will know your callback number and your location. Second, you will be using up resources that are needed to help real people in real trouble.

911 is not as cool as you are.
Yet. We know that you do most of your communicating by text message and instant message, but you can NOT text or IM 911 to reach emergency services. 911 and telecommunications professionals are busy in the lab trying to make that possible, but for now you will have to make an old fashioned phone call if you want to talk to 911.

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 911, 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. Try to remain calm and answer all of the 911 operator's questions.

Never hang up.
You may have called 911 by accident, or your situation may have resolved itself, but it is important to let the 911 operator know this. If you end the call abruptly, the staff at the 911 center are going to assume that something has gone very wrong and will either call you back or send help anyway. 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 call taker tells you it is ok to disconnect before you hang up. And keep in mind that the 911 operator can dispatch responders to your location without disconnecting from the call, so, until you are instructed to do otherwise, make sure to hold the line so that you can provide any necessary information or assistance to the 911 operator.

Director - Lisa Hall

Web Master / IT Guru - Carl Rodabaugh