Calling 911 | City of Brandon

911 is for police, fire or medical emergencies when immediate action is required: someone’s health, safety or property is in jeopardy, or a crime is in progress. Please use 911 responsibly. Our call takers can’t provide information on the weather, power outages or municipal services. Don’t call 911 and ask for the non-emergency phone number. Those numbers are located on the front cover of your phone book, your municipality’s web page, or you can dial directory assistance to request a number.

Examples of When to Call 911

For Police

When a crime is occurring right now! Following a suspected impaired driver, persons entering vehicles, a break and enter in progress, assaults in progress
Immediately after a serious crime has occurred! ie. sexual assault, robbery
When you suspect a crime is being committed! ie. can hear screams nearby or the breaking of glass
A serious motor vehicle accident in which there are suspected injuries

For Fire:

When you have fire
When you smell or see smoke
When you smell an unusual odor
If you hear an explosion
For fire alarms/smoke or carbon monoxide detectors going off

For Ambulance:

When someone is seriously injured
When someone is unconscious/not breathing
For signs of heart attack or stroke
For any other medical condition in which the patient needs medical attention immediately

Accidental 911 Calls

One challenge with wireless technology is the increase in 911 calls made by mistake from cellphones in pockets and purses. These calls can delay help for other 911 callers in real emergencies.

To prevent accidentally dialing a 911 call:

keep wireless phones away from children
when you’re not using your cellphone, turn it off, or lock the keypad
do not program your cellphone to automatically dial 911
If your wireless phone is pre-programmed with the Auto-dial 911 feature turned on, turn the feature off. Check your user manual for instructions.

If you dial 911 by mistake, stay on the line and tell the 911 operator that there is no emergency and that the call was unintentional.

Tips

Our 911 call takers and dispatchers are highly-trained, dedicated professionals who will get you the help you need. Please remember these tips whenever you call 911:

Know your location at all time
Don’t program 911 into any phone
If you call 911 accidentally, stay on the line and let us know
Lock and store your cellphone carefully to prevent accidental 911 calls
Do not text or tweet 911

911 Call Testing for Businesses

Businesses wishing to perform 911 call testing from their location are to arrange testing via their telecom service provider.