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FIRE PREVENTION, Friday October 17, 2008 11 Fire Protection & Prevention Services When faced with a serious emergency where ambulance, fire or police personnel are required, calling 9-1-1 can seem to be a pretty straightforward decision. However for incidents that are more minor in nature, the decision whether to call 9-1-1 may not be so clear. So when should you utilize 9-1-1? 9-1-1 should be utilized any time a fire is suspected or is in progress, someone is injured or sick and requires an ambulance or where a crime is in progress and police are required immediately. A crime in progress does not have to be life threaten- ing but can include an incident such as damage or theft of property which you are seeing or hearing in progress. For police related incidents where the incident is not in progress, the administrative or non- emergency telephone numbers should be utilized. An incident that is not in progress may include a property owner discovering a theft or act of vandalism that has occurred overnight. It is important that whether you are a full time resident or a cottager, know your 9-1-1 address, the municipality you reside in, and which fire, ambulance, or police agency actually services you. This infor- mation should be kept close at hand, along with the administrative telephone numbers, so whether faced with a life threatening emergency or a more minor incident, this information will be readily available. Keep in mind that when utilizing a 9-1- 1- from a landline, the 9-1-1 operator will have access to your 9-1-1 civic address and will verify its accuracy. However if utilizing a cell phone, the 9-1-1 operator will not have access to this much needed information; therefore it is incumbent upon individuals to know the location from where they are calling. Know which roadway or waterway you are on, and the municipality you are in. If traveling, con- tinue to landmark your position. Simply paying attention to which roadways you have passed, or what the name of an island, bay or inlet is nearby will assist greatly in determining your location. The more information you are able to provide, the faster your location will be deter- mined, aiding emergency personnel to find you. Where possible, get to the clos- est landline to initiate or continue your call, as in more rural areas, cell phone coverage can be limited, and a call easily lost. For the Ontario Provincial Police, the non-emergency 24-hour telephone num- ber is 1-888-310-1122. If serviced by a municipal police force, check the phone book to obtain their administrative non- emergency telephone number Remember if you are unsure who to call, let the dispatcher make that decision and call 9-1-1. Utilizing 9-1-1