By: Edmonds Police Chief Loi Dawkins
9-1-1. Most of us learned about these three numbers at a very early age. We learned that when there’s an emergency, or when we need police, fire, or medical help we should call 911. If that’s not impressive enough, we also learned that we could call from anywhere in the United States, and the response is the same. Convenient… that’s an understatement. No searching for phone numbers, no wondering who to call. Just three numbers.
It sounds simple, so why do people hesitate? All too often throughout my career I have been approached by community members who say, “This or that happened, but I wasn’t sure if I should have called 911”, or “I didn’t call 911 because I wasn’t sure if it was an emergency”. I’ve wondered if the issue is that we are hung up on 9-1-1 being associated with the word “emergency.
Let’s clear that up.
When in doubt, call it out. If you’re thinking that you should call 911, or your inner voice is telling you to, do it. 911 has evolved in so many ways since its implementation in 1968, and the capabilities are amazing.
I’ve also heard people say, “I didn’t want to bother the police. You all have more important things to do.” You are not a bother. We proudly signed up for and continue to train to provide public safety services for our community, and we are happy to do that.
The good news is that you don’t have to determine the priority level because the call-taker will sort it out. Your only job is to explain what you are calling about, and the call will be routed for the proper response.
9-1-1 is in place as a tool to connect us first responders to our communities, and it has a proven track record of saving lives. Just know that when we receive the call, we’re here to help.