Any medical emergency In-progress or just-occurred crimes Any crime involving weapons (guns, knives, clubs, etc) Domestic violence, in-progress or threatened Any vehicle accident involving injuries Anytime a suspect is still in or near the area Fire of any kind

If you call 9-1-1 by mistake, DO NOT HANG UP! Tell the dispatcher that you called by mistake and that you do not have an emergency. Any time a dispatcher receives a 911 "hang up", the caller must be contacted to be sure that no actual emergency exists. This may require that an officer be needlessly dispatched to your home or office to ensure the well being of all persons there.

Muhlenberg County 9-1-1 uses a language translation service provided to handle emergency calls.

Yes, it is possible to arrange a tour for groups. If children are involved, they must be old enough to understand the need to be relatively quiet. Our radio and telephone equipment is sensitive enough to pick up loud voices and other background noise. To ask about a tour, see our COMMUNITY OUTREACH page on our website. You can also call dispatch at 270-338-2000 and leave a message for Public Information Officer David Knight.

The main questions to be prepared to answer when calling 9-1-1 are: What is the address of the emergency? What kind of emergency are you reporting? Is this occurring now? If not, when did it occur? Is anyone injured? Does anyone need medical attention? Are there any weapons involved? Who is involved? Be prepared to give descriptions

Dispatchers are not able to give exact times for officer response as we dispatch based on priority. We cannot account for any emergency calls that may come in and delay response to other pending calls. Dispatch does our best to send officers as soon as one is available.

Sometimes officers need to be diverted from lower priority calls to respond to higher priority emergencies. This helps to ensure the safety of our citizens and officers, but may increase response times for low priority calls.

Cell phones can be an important and useful tool for public safety and emergencies, but they also create a unique challenge for emergency response personnel. The exact location of a caller who dials 9-1-1 from a cell phone cannot be determined; therefore, it is essential that you stay on the line and clearly give your location to the 9-1-1 Operator.

VOIP service has it's advantages, free long distance, cheaper options than phone or cell service, however, VOIP calls present problems for 911 answering centers and can often be mis-routed or have the wrong address information. VOIP subscribers should consider precautionary steps to ensure their safety when emergency services are needed. Keep a land line telephone installed in your house (with minimal services) so you can still receive 911 services and have a backup for power outages or internet difficulties. Know the 911 capabilities of your VOIP provider and make sure to register your account with the physical location where the phone will be used so it can be entered into the local 911 system. Attempt to test your VOIP through your local 911 center; call the business line to make sure it is a good time to try a test. Make sure you update your address information when you move Keep your family informed of the limitations of VOIP The best way to make sure the 911 operator has your exact location is to stay on the line and clearly give the information; don't rely on the automated information.

Assume the 9-1-1 dispatcher does not know your location. Some cell phones are able to triangulate the signal and give an approximate location, but you will need to provide the dispatcher with additional location information. Be prepared to give precise directions to your location.

Look for landmarks, large buildings, street signs or paperwork nearby that may contain address information. Think back to the main street or highway you were near when your emergency occurred. If others are around, ask them where you are.

The dispatcher is the vital link between the public and emergency response personnel. The dispatcher must get information to pass on to the responders to help them more accurately prepare for the situation to which they are responding. In addition, dispatchers are trained to give pre-arrival instructions in some instances, which can help the victim until responders arrive.

Yes. If you are interested in having a guest speaker at your function, go to the COMMUNITY OUTREACH section of our website. You can also call dispatch at 270-338-2000 and leave a message for Public Information Officer David Knight.