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Lake County 9-1-1 Communications
Contact Information:
ALL EMERGENCIES 9-1-1
Non-emergency Dispatch: 256-7620
Non-emergency Police: 256-7531
Non-Emergency Sheriff: 256-7615
9-1-1 Director: 256-7621
E-mail: lake911@iw.net
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OPERATIONAL RESOURCES
WHEN SHOULD I CALL 9-1-1
Lake County, along with most other counties in South
Dakota, enjoys the services of a single three digit telephone number
to dial
in the event of a fire, police or medical emergency.
The Enhanced 911 system is part of the overall public safety
communications
system that exists to serve residents. Seconds after a person dials
911, the call arrives at the Lake County Communication Center.
When a 911 call rings on the 9-1-1 Dispatcher’s console,
the telephone number of the calling telephone is displayed.
If the call is made from a landline (wireline) phone.
HOW TO MAKE A CALL TO 9-1-1
When a 911 call is answered the dispatcher will announce "Lake
County 911". Stay Calm! The dispatcher
will ask the following questions to find out what type of problem
you have and what emergency agency is needed to assist
you:
- Where is the emergency?
- What is the emergency?
- What is your name?
- What is your telephone number?
Stay on the line until the
Dispatcher says it is okay to disconnect. Follow
any instructions that you may be given
by the dispatcher. If you are reporting a fire or medical emergency,
the dispatcher will then dispatch fire departments
or
emergency units or dispatch an ambulance. If you are reporting a police
emergency, the dispatcher will immediately dispatch the appropriate
officer. 911 is for use in reporting emergency situations.
It
should
not be used to find out if school is canceled, what time
the fireworks display is on, or the bus schedule.
Talking About 9-1-1 With Your Child
Not that many years ago, there was a separate telephone
number for each type of emergency agency. For a fire, you called
the fire department number. For
a crime, you called the police. For a medical situation, you phoned
the ambulance or doctor.
In 1968, the U.S. government worked with the phone company to
establish 911 as a central number for all types of emergencies.
An emergency
dispatcher
quickly takes information from the caller and puts the caller in
direct contact with whatever emergency personnel are needed, thus
making response
time quicker.
According to the National Emergency Number Association, 911 covers
nearly all of the population of the United States. Check your phone
book to ensure
that
911 is the emergency number you should use in your area.
Everyone needs to know about calling 911 in an emergency. But
children in particular need specifics about what an emergency is.
Asking
your child, "What would
you do if we had a fire in our house?" or "What would
you do if you saw someone trying to break in?" gives you a
chance to discuss what constitutes an emergency and what should
be done if one occurs.
Role
playing is an especially
good way to address various emergency scenarios and give your child
the confidence he or she will need to handle them.
For younger children,
it might also help to talk about who the emergency workers are
in your community - police officers, firefighters,
paramedics,
doctors,
nurses, and so on - and what kinds of things they do to help
people who are in trouble. This will paint a clear picture for
your little
one of not only
what types of emergencies can occur, but also who can help
When to Call 9-1-1
Learning what is an emergency goes hand in hand
with learning what isn't. A fire, an intruder in the home, an unconscious
family member
- these are
all
things that would require a call to 911. A skinned knee, a
stolen bicycle, or a lost pet wouldn't. Still, teach your child
that
if ever in doubt
and there's no adult around to ask to always make the call.
It's much better
to be safe
than sorry.
Make sure your child understands that calling 911 as a joke
is a crime. In some cities, officials estimate
that
as
much as
75% of the
calls
made to 911 are nonemergency calls. These are not all pranks.
Some people accidentally push the emergency button on their
cell phones.
Others don't
realize that 911
is for true emergencies only. That means it's not for such
things as a flat tire or even about a theft that occurred
the week before.
Stress to your child that whenever an unnecessary call is
made to 911, it can delay a response to someone who actually
needs
it. All of Lake County has
what
is called enhanced 911, which enables a call to be traced
to the location from which it was made. So if someone dials
911
as a prank,
emergency
personnel could be dispatched directly to that location.
Not only could this mean life
or death for someone having a real emergency on the other
side of town, it also means that it's very likely the prank
caller
will be
caught
and punished.
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