911

Callers to 9-1-1 are encouraged to report their location. That’s the message of new public service announcements sponsored by the Ohio 9-1-1 Program Office and the Ohio Chapter of the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials.

The Clark County Sheriff’s Office and the City of Springfield do not keep statistics on callers who do not know their location, but both agencies told the New Carlisle News that it is an issue.

Doug Clary with the City of Springfield Dispatch estimates that “30% have no clue where they are and need assistance to figure it out.”  Clary states that an additional 20% have to think about their location, or know the general area.  His office then has to “pin them down” to a more specific location. “What I mean by that is a caller will yell Main Street to the dispatcher and when we ask them East Main or West Main, they get frustrated and belligerent towards the dispatcher.  When the caller says East Main we then ask for a house number and the caller becomes more frustrated and belligerent because they just want the police sent and all these questions are a delay in help being sent, which is essentially true.”

Clary states that “it’s a rare situation when a caller is calm and knows exactly where they are and explains what the problem is in clear and concise terms. A typical 911 caller is driven by emotion when the call is made and if it’s, for example, a car accident the caller is not thinking where exactly they are, they just want to call 911.  It’s understandable they are not aware of their exact location and we work with them to determine a location.”

Covering the county rural areas poses a different set of variables, but Clark County Sheriff Gene Kelly agrees with Clary’s estimates.  Kelly states that farming and ATV accidents are often reported by callers who do not know their location. Another issue is a mailbox rusted through or missing digits. “Be aware of where you are” said Kelly.  “A mile marker on the freeway, an exit number, a billboard, something is better than nothing. We want to help you but we need to know where you are.”

 “Many people are under the impression that when they call 9-1-1 their pinpoint location is immediately known by the 9-1-1 dispatcher. The PSAs are a reminder that knowing your location when reporting an emergency is a crucial piece of information to help first responders find you, especially if you are in an area where current location technology does not provide information, such as the floor of a multi-story building or a large warehouse,” said Rob Jackson, administrator of the Ohio 9-1-1 Program Office.

To view the PSA video, visit 911.ohio.gov.

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