Did you hear the one about the person who called San Antoio's 9-1-1 line to report his cat was 'acting weird.' Or the person who asked for marital advice from 9-1-1? Those are some of the calls San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood is reciting in the latest episode of 'real 9-1-1 calls,' based on the Jimmy Kimmel bit 'Celebrities Read Mean Tweets,' News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
But these stand up routines, like the one performed by Police Chief Bill McManus last week, have a good goal...to try to convince San Antonio residents how to properly use the 9-1-1 system.Among the tips:
· Know their location or street address and make it one of the first items reported to the call-taker.
· Try to remain calm. The call-taker cannot see what the caller sees and needs help getting a clear picture of what is happening to provide an appropriate description to first responders.
· Communicate as much information as possible to the call-taker as efficiently as possible.
· Concentrate on accurate descriptions/directions of the flight of suspects, medical conditions, whether any weapons are involved and how they are involved.
· Never hang up before talking to an operator, even in the event of a misdial. Call-takers are required to call back abandoned 911 calls, and staying on the line will prevent the need to contact the previous caller.
Incidents that require first responders but are not emergencies can be reported to 210-207-SAPD. Non-emergency incidents include minor vehicular accidents without injury, disturbances where there is no immediate danger to life, crimes where the suspect has left the location, vandalism or property damage that needs to be addressed or any case where only a simple report is needed. Requests for general City services should be reported to 311.