New Castle County 911 Emergency Communications Center

The national standard for emergency numbers (911) was implemented in New Castle County Delaware in December 1980.  This was a welcome change from the old system requiring citizens to call seperate 7 digit numbers for police and fire/EMS. 

The original 911 center in the New Castle County Police Headquarters building had one room for the calltakers and police dispatchers (both New Castle County and Delaware State Police) and another room for the Fire and EMS dispatchers.  The calltakers were eventually moved to their own room due to space considerations. 

The new 911 opened in August 2007 and incorporates many enhancements from the old center.

What happens when you call 911?

1. Our 911 call taker enters the information you give into a computer.  You may be transferred to a Fire/Medical Communications Specialist or a Police Communiactions Specialist depending on the nature of the call.
    
2. Our computer-aided dispatch system assigns a priority to the call based on the type of call (burglary, shooting, heart attack, etc.). Additional information you give can affect the priority.
    
3. A Dispatcher radios the information to units responding to the call.
    
4. Additional information from you is sent to responding units either by radio or computer. Details are vital, so remain calm and speak clearly.

Tips For Calling 911:

• Stay calm. Speak clearly. Emergency units (police, fire or ambulance) rely on the information you give to get to you as soon as possible and to be able to help you.
   
• Give your address and phone number. Many 911 systems automatically display your address when you dial 911, but most cellular phones do not. We also will not receive address information if you call in on a non-emergency number.  Your address is vital information and address verification is crucial. We cannot help you if we don’t know where you are.
   
• Quickly and briefly describe your problem. As soon as we know what you need, we will know who (police, ambulance, paramedics, or fire) to send to help you. Get to the point as soon as possible.
   
• Describe yourself. Tell the Call Taker where you are and for police assistance, what you look like, including what you are wearing. We want officers who are arriving on the scene to know who they can contact and that you are not the suspect.
   
• Listen to the 911 Call Taker or Communications Specialist. Answer their questions and follow any instructions. Remain on the line until the they say it is okay for you to hang up.

Remember:
Answering questions does NOT delay the dispatch of assistance. A dispatcher is sending help your way while the Call Taker takes additional information from you. The more pertinent information you give us, the safer everyone will be.

About 911 hang-ups:
Our policy is to respond to ALL 911 hang up calls. If you accidentally call 911 or change your mind about needing assistance, stay on the line and explain that to the 911 Call Taker. Otherwise, an officer will be dispatched to your location to ensure that you are safe. Playing on the phone puts those who do need immediate help in danger and puts you in danger of being prosecuted for making a false report.