9-1-1 How Does It Work?

9-1-1 is the emergency number that most people in the U.S. and some international countries use to seek help in police, fire, or medical emergencies. When you call 9-1-1, your call is directed to the appropriate 9-1-1 public-safety answering point (PSAP) based on your location. Trained personnel at the PSAP then send the necessary emergency assistance.

For Las Vegas and Clark County, the LVMPD Police Dispatch is the primary PSAP for 9-1-1 calls. Medical and fire calls are transferred to the Las Vegas City Fire Department Dispatch center, while Metro Dispatch handles police events within the LVMPD jurisdiction. Other cities like Henderson, North Las Vegas, Mesquite, and Boulder City have their own police departments, so if you call 9-1-1 from these cities, your call will be routed to the respective department's dispatch center.

Enhanced 9-1-1, or E9-1-1, is a system that routes emergency calls to the appropriate PSAP based on the caller's geographical location.

You should only use 9-1-1 in emergency situations. An emergency refers to any situation that requires immediate assistance from the police, fire department, or an ambulance. If you're unsure whether a situation qualifies as an emergency, it's best to call 9-1-1 and let the call taker determine if you need emergency assistance.

"Call If You Can. Text If You Can't."

While traditional voice calls to 9-1-1 are preferred for effective information gathering, Text to 9-1-1 is available for individuals who are unable to speak due to an emergency or those who are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech disabled. By texting 9-1-1 using a mobile phone, individuals can request assistance when speaking is not feasible or safe.

To initiate a text to 9-1-1, enter 911 in the "To" field and provide the location and nature of the emergency in the text. However, it's important to understand the limitations of the system:

• Clearly provide the caller's location and describe the situation.
• Use plain English and avoid emojis, abbreviations, or slang.
• Text to 9-1-1 does not support sending photos or videos.
• Phone coordinates (longitude and latitude) may not be precise.
• Text to 9-1-1 is for emergency situations only.
• If you are deaf, hearing impaired, or have a speech disability, you can use Text to 9-1-1 for non-emergency assistance by identifying yourself accordingly.
• Texts to 9-1-1 cannot be sent to multiple recipients or in group texts.

Prank calls to 9-1-1 involve making jokes or hanging up after dialing the emergency number. These calls waste time, resources, and can be potentially dangerous. If 9-1-1 lines or call takers are occupied with prank calls, individuals with real emergencies may be unable to receive the help they need.

In an emergency, dial 9-1-1 on any type of phone: push button, rotary, cellular/wireless, cordless, or pay phone (some pay phones may require coins to get a dial tone). Remember these steps:

• Stay calm and state your emergency.
• Speak loudly and clearly, providing your name, phone number, and the address where assistance is required.
• Cooperate with the call taker's questions.
• If it's safe, remain on the line until instructed otherwise by the call taker.

When needed, a 9-1-1 call taker can add an interpreter from an external service to the call. Non-English speaking callers may hear a brief conversation in English and clicking sounds as the interpreter joins the line.

Communication centers handling 9-1-1 calls have special text telephones for Deaf or hearing/speech impaired callers. If you use a TTY/TDD:

• Stay calm and place the phone receiver in the TTY.
• Dial 9-1-1 and wait for the call to be answered.
• Press the TTY keys multiple times to expedite the response.
• Allow the call taker time to reply and press the TTY keys again if necessary.
• Clearly state the needed assistance (police, fire department, or ambulance), providing your name, phone number, and the address of the emergency.
• Stay on the line if it's safe and respond to the call taker's questions.

If a Deaf or hearing/speech impaired caller doesn't have a TTY/TDD, they should call 9-1-1 and refrain from hanging up. Leaving the line open enables the call taker to receive the caller's address, and help will be dispatched accordingly.

Call 3-1-1 for non-emergency police responses, such as disturbances involving loud parties or music, minor disturbances, break-ins or vandalism that occurred in the past, and the suspects have left the scene. Use 3-1-1 to report any crime that doesn't pose an immediate threat to life or property.

What information will I be asked when calling to report a disturbance or crime in progress?

When reporting a disturbance or a crime in progress, be prepared to provide the following information:

• Location (exact address or cross streets)
• Time elapsed since the incident started
• Description of the suspect (sex, race, height, weight, facial hair, clothing, shoes, glasses, and any distinguishing features like scars or tattoos)
• Any weapons involved (type, color, and size)
• Details about any vehicles involved (description and license plate, if available)
• Information regarding injuries

Your Guide to Calling 3-1-1 Non-Emergency Services