When should you call 911?

Calls to 911 should be reserved for emergencies such as:

  • A serious medical emergency (chest pains, seizures, bleeding, etc.) Any type of fire (structure, vehicle, brush, etc.)
  • Any crime in progress (robbery, burglary, prowler, fights, etc.)
  • Any other life threatening situations (traffic accidents with injuries, etc.). 

If I need the police, but it's not an emergency, what number do I call?

If you need the police, but it is not an emergency please call our administrative line at (919) 469-4012. Examples of calls which should be placed to the non-emergency line are:

  • Traffic accidents that do not involve injuries.
  • Loud music
  • Theft with no suspect information.
  • Requests for information.
  • To report the malfunctioning of traffic signals.

 *For Barking Dog complaints, DO NOT call the non-emergency line. Please refer to our Noise Complaint Form listed on the Animal Services page under Nuisance Animals. 

What happens when you call 911? 

In order to correctly assess the situation for a prioritized response, you will be asked certain questions which are vital to the safety of the caller and the responding officer(s). 

The Location 

When you call 911, the Emergency Communications Officer is automatically provided with the phone number and the location that you are calling from provided, that you are calling from a landline or Voice over IP (VoIP) phone. You will be asked to verify this information since individuals often call 911 from locations other than where the incident is occurring. This vital information is not provided if you call 911 from a cell phone. Therefore, when using a cell phone, you must provide the phone number and location to the Emergency Communications Officers.

The Problem

The Emergency Communications Officer will ask if your emergency is related to Police, Fire, or EMS. At this point, give a brief description of what occurred. Then you will be asked a series of questions that are extremely important to properly handling the call. These may include: 

  • Is anyone injured?
  • How long ago did the incident occur?
  • Were there weapons involved, and if so, what type?
  • Did the suspect flee, and if so, in which direction?
  • What was the mode of transportation - a car, bike, or on foot?
  • If a vehicle was involved, what was the description, and what was the direction of travel?
  • What was the physical description of the suspect?
  • What was the clothing description? 

Although these may seem like an excessive number of questions during an emergency, they are essential to emergency personnel. For example, if a burglary has just occurred and the suspect flees, the officers have a better chance of apprehending the suspect if they have a good description of the suspect and the direction taken. More importantly, if the incident in question involved a weapon, the life of the officer may depend on the information given. 

One common misconception is that Emergency Communications Officers wait until finishing the call before sending help. During a true emergency, the Emergency Communications Officers work as a team. One remains on the line with the caller and passes on information to other Emergency Communications Officers, who dispatch police officers, firefighters, and ems. 

It is very important that you stay on the line during a call to 911. The Emergency Communications Officer will continue to ask you questions while the police are en route. 

What should I do if I call 911 by mistake?

If you call 911 by mistake, DO NOT HANG UP. Stay on the line and explain that you do not actually have an emergency. If a caller hangs up without stating the problem, the caller must be contacted in order to ensure that no actual emergency exists. This may involve the dispatching of an officer to your home or place of business in order to ensure that a problem does not exist. 

 

 Text-to-911 

As of May 2015, most cellular customers in Cary Town limits can send a short message service (SMS) text message to the 911 Center. Text messages must be free of images and video. They should only be sent when someone is unable to call in due to a medical emergency or out of an abundance of safety or if the originator is hearing impaired.

To send a message, open a new text message and enter “911” in the recipient line. In the message space, be sure to include your location and the nature of the emergency. While texting may be convenient, there can be delayed communication, so it’s best to call 911 when you can and only text when you cannot.

Non-emergencies should continue to be reported to (919) 469-4012. Text messages unsuccessfully received by the 911 Center will result in an automated response.