|
|
scgov.net - Emergency Services
|
911 Tips for Seniors |
|
Seniors and caregivers should read through
these 9-1-1 emergency tips, if you have any questions about
9-1-1 call the county Call Center at the number listed below,
but for an emergency call 9-1-1.
- Invest in a touch-tone phone with
large, easy-to-read numbers.
- Some phones can be purchased with
a switch that will go from pulse dialing to touch-tone
dialing.
- Make sure the switch is set to
touch-tone.
- Call 9-1-1 right away in an
emergency.
- Dialing “0” will not always connect
you with an operator nearby.
- It may connect you with an
operator many hundreds of miles away.
- Always dial 9-1-1 for local
police, fire or medical emergency assistance.
- Call 9-1-1 before
calling a family member.
- Once help is on the way,
arrangements can be made to notify your family.
- Stay on the line with the 9-1-1 call
taker and answer all questions.
- The more information they have,
the better able they are to help you.
- Be patient and stay calm.
- The call taker and emergency
dispatchers may need to ask additional questions while
help is on the way.
- The 9-1-1 system allows the call
taker to “know” where you are calling from even if you
cannot speak, for instance, if you are experiencing a stroke
or if there is an intruder in your home.
- Just dial 9-1-1 and leave the
phone off the hook. Do not hang up.
- Post your address by your telephone.
- If you have just moved after
retirement, you may have a new address, but you may
recite your old address in an emergency situation.
- Or you may have visitors who are
not familiar with your address.
- This makes it difficult for the
call taker to verify the address that appears on the
computer screen.
- Put your house number.
- Large white numbers against a
dark background work best.
- Emergency responders cannot help
you if they cannot find you.
- All calls to 9-1-1 are free, even
from pay phones or cell phones.
- 9-1-1 is a 24 hour a day service.
- You should call immediately when
an emergency occurs, even if it is in the middle of the
night.
- Keep your medical history taped to
the refrigerator in an envelope clearly marked with your
doctor’s phone number(s).
911: Online Phone and Emergency
Service
Consumers who are considering buying
Internet-based telephone services should be aware that
not all services provide access to the 9-1-1 network.
- Sometimes 9-1-1 service is provided,
however it is not the full service we are used to receiving
via regular wire line telephones.
- When a person calls 9-1-1 from a wire
line telephone, emergency service providers automatically
identify the caller’s location and can direct emergency
personnel to that location even if the caller is not able to
provide an address.
If you are considering an Internet-based
telephone service for your household, you should ask, the
provider whether the offer includes 9-1-1 service. If the
advertising, whether in store brochures, media print, online, or
oral communications, is silent on this issue, it is likely that
9-1-1 is not being provided.
If the provider claims to provide 9-1-1 service, ask whether
9-1-1 calls are routed to the traditional 9-1-1 network. If yes,
then the service is just like traditional telephone service. If
the provider makes it voluntary or mandatory to sign up for
9-1-1 service, you may be required to go online and enter your
name and address so you can be located in an emergency. It will
be very important for you to enter the information accurately
and keep it up to date.
If you are considering a telephone service which does not
include traditional 9-1-1 service, you should ask yourself how
members of your household, including children, visitors and
babysitters, will call for help in an emergency. Don’t forget
that they will have to know your address and be able to
communicate it to emergency personnel. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
