Do dispatchers wait until your call is completed before sending out emergency units?
No. While it's very important for the dispatcher to listen to all the facts in order to send out the right type of emergency personnel (ambulance, patrol, special units, etc.), they do not wait until your call is completed to send out help. As you are providing details of the emergency, dispatchers key-in the information to a computer-aided system which is immediately broadcast to police patrol units. This is why, for example, a police unit may be the first to arrive to a fire emergency.

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1. How do I know when to call 911 and when to call the non-emergency line at 863-7820?
2. What information should I give to the dispatcher?
3. Do dispatchers wait until your call is completed before sending out emergency units?
4. Can I dial 911 from my cell phone?