n
n
n
n
n
n
n
nBack in the long-ago days when telephones were common but still pretty darned new, every call had to go through an operator. You’d start a call by telling the operator the phone number you wanted to connect with — but, if it was an emergency, you could tell the operator, “There’s a fire!” or “Get me the police!” or “I want to report an accident with injuries — they’re going to need an ambulance, for sure.”
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
nSoon, people realized that 9-1-1 should reach a public-safety answering point who could direct the call to police, fire, or ambulance services. I know that, nowadays, 9-1-1 operators say something like “9-1-1, what is the exact location of your emergency?”
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
- n
- Sometimes the 9-1-1 operator asks a lot of questions, and people get upset thinking that the call is taking too long — they need help RIGHT NOW! …But, actually, in most cases the emergency vehicles are already on their way, and the operator is trying to save time by getting important information while the helpers are en route. The operator can relay the information to the police, fire fighters, or medics who will then know exactly what to do when they arrive!
n
n
n
- Since 2010, people in Tennessee can send text messages to 9-1-1. That seems incredibly important to me, because in many police situations, at least, it’s important to be quiet while making a 9-1-1 call!
- There are rules in many states that make it so that even phones that are disconnected can still dial 9-1-1. If a deactivated cell phone still has power, it can still make a 9-1-1 call.
![](https://i0.wp.com/4.bp.blogspot.com/-OClNUyF8iDg/WKKUIKsV71I/AAAAAAAA0cQ/amfJTu1vnvw7Ao8T3LtgJxGPYJjuqPRzwCLcB/s320/911Text_A.jpg?resize=320%2C214&ssl=1)
n
n
n
n
![]() |
I was really lucky – we discovered our drier fire when it was still tiny, and none of the clothes were ruined. We even fixed the drier and kept on using it! |
n
nI have only had to dial 9-1-1 one time, for a drier fire.
n
n(This photo is NOT of my drier! ->)
n
n
The dispatcher (or operator) who answered my 9-1-1 call suggested that we do several things as we waited for the fire truck, and although I knew some of those things — and had already done some of them, even — I really appreciated hearing that I’d done the right thing!
n
n
n
n
nAnd I could not BELIEVE how fast the fire fighters arrived. It was truly amazing.
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
nNational Almond Day
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
- n
-
n
-
n
-
n
n
n
n
n
n
- n
-
n
-
n
-
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n