Emergency 911
HELP!
If you own a television, you’ve seen them: amazing rescues from burning buildings, victims rescued from the bad guys, and lives saved in hospital ERs. From the comfort of your couch, you’ve seen the TV versions of real-life drama. The downside of these TV dramas is that they make emergencies seem very simple. Unlike in real life, TV problems are resolved in just an hour. But the upside of emergency shows is that people see what they have to do to get help.
The most important information to know in an emergency is a very simple phone number: 911. Even schools teach this number to small children at an early age. There are plenty of stories of kids as young as three years old making a 911 phone call that has saved a life.
The phone number is the same for fire, medical, and police emergencies: 911.
The phone number is the same from both landlines and cell phones: 911.
When a landline call comes in, the emergency dispatcher may be able to see the phone number and the exact location of the call, but not always. Calls from a cell phone may not display the same information. The most critical thing to remember when making an emergency call is to remain calm. It’s a matter of life and death. You must be understood when making this call. Because everyone tends to speak very quickly and excitedly when they are nervous or afraid, it can be even more difficult to understand second language speakers in an emergency. For this reason, it’s vital to remember the following instructions:
- Stay calm.
- Speak slowly and clearly.
- Know what information the operator will need.
The operator will ask many questions so that she can get a good picture of the problem and send exactly the right kind of help. She’ll ask for essential information like: Who? What? Where? When? It’s important to answer all the questions slowly and clearly. Don’t worry; she’s not wasting time. Even while you’re answering her questions, the operator is contacting the right emergency system. You must stay on the line with the operator until help arrives. Do not hang up!
The 911 dispatchers are specially trained to ask very clear questions about the emergency. The dialogues below are examples of the kinds of conversations you may have. Remember, the operator will ask different questions as he or she learns about your emergency.
DISPATCHER: 911. What is your emergency?
CALLER: HELP! HELP! MYHOUSEMYHOUSE! HURRY! HELPME!
DISPATCHER: Ma’am, I can’t understand what you’re saying. Please calm down. What is your location?
CALLER: My house. It’s burning! There’s a fire in my house! Can you send a fire truck? Help!
DISPATCHER: What is the address?
CALLER: 123 Peach Street! Can you send a fire truck? Please help!
DISPATCHER: Help is on the way, ma’am. What room is the fire in?
CALLER: It’s in the kitchen. The curtains caught fire when I was cooking. HURRY!
DISPATCHER: Are you still in the house?
CALLER: Yes! Yes! I’m in the bedroom.
DISPATCHER: You must get out of the house right away. Can you do that?
CALLER: Yes, the door is right here.
DISPATCHER: Ma’am, go outside, but stay on the line with me.
CALLER: Okay, okay. I’m outside now. PLEASE HURRY!
DISPATCHER: Is there anyone else in the house?
CALLER: MY DOG! MY DOG! My dog is in the house!
DISPATCHER: Ma’am—Do NOT go back into the house. The fire trucks are on the way. The firefighters will find your dog.
CALLER: I hear the sirens! I can see the truck! They’re here! They’re here!
Tip 1: There is no charge for 911 calls. They are free calls from landlines or cell phones.
Tip 2: Mistakes happen. If you dial 911 by mistake, do not just hang up. Stay on the phone until the dispatcher answers, and just say, “Sorry, I dialed by mistake.” If you just hang up, they may think there is an emergency at your house.
Pronunciation Pointer
The letter groups augh and ough are very tricky in English.
They sound like aw. Caught sounds like cawt. Bought sounds like bawt. Taught sounds like tawt.
GRAMMAR REMINDER 1: Modal Verbs of Necessity: Have to, Must
Have to shows that something is necessary. Don’t have to means that something is not necessary.
Have to can be used in the past, present, or future.
- You have to stay calm. (present)
- You’ll have to give your address when you call. (future)
- We had to call 911. (past)
Must also shows that something is necessary. It’s stronger than have to. You won’t hear must so much in spoken English, but you’ll often see it written. The negative is must not, which expresses that something is not allowed. It can be used in the present or future sense only. Its form does not change.
- You must stay on the line. (present)
- You must call later. (future)
- You must not hang up if you call 911 by mistake.
GRAMMAR REMINDER 2: Modal Verbs for Requests: Can, Could
You can use can and could to ask for something. Can may be more common, but could is a little more polite.
- Can you send a fire truck, please?
- Could you send a fire truck, please?
VOCABULARY
caught fire: went into flames
cell phone: mobile phone
critical (also vital, essential): extremely important
dispatcher: person who sends police or other services where they are needed
display: show
ER: short form for a hospital Emergency Room, where emergency victims go
get a good picture: understand clearly
hang up: end a phone call after you’ve called a number
landline: a home (wired) telephone
location: place
matter of life and death: a situation of extreme importance
on the line: on the phone; do not hang up
on the way: traveling to the destination
operator: a person who answers phone calls for an agency or company
rescue: save from danger
resolved: settled
siren: the loud noise that goes with the flashing light on the top of an emergency vehicle
version: type, kind
victim: someone who is hurt in some way
HELP! HE’S NOT BREATHING!
OPERATOR: Paramedic 128. What’s the address of your emergency?
CALLER: HELP! HELP! I need an ambulance!
OPERATOR: Okay, sir, what’s the address?
CALLER: I’m not sure. I’m outside. It’s . . . it’s . . . I think it’s Taylor Road. It’s Lawrenceville. I need an ambulance!
OPERATOR: Sir, we’ll get help right away. What’s the phone number you’re calling from?
CALLER: Um, it’s my cell phone. It’s 555-1006. Please hurry. There’s a guy here . . . Hurry! Can you send an ambulance?
OPERATOR: Okay, sir, what’s the nature of the emergency?
CALLER: There’s a guy lying here. He’s not conscious. He’s not breathing! He’s not breathing!
OPERATOR: Okay. He’s not breathing? He’s unconscious?
CALLER: Right.
OPERATOR: Okay, sir, an ambulance is on the way. But I need you to start CPR right now. I’ll help you over the phone until they get there.
CALLER: The neighbor is doing CPR, but the guy isn’t responding. He’s not responding! He’s not moving and he’s not breathing.
OPERATOR: Okay, sir, the ambulance is on the way. They’ll be there in minutes. Did you witness what happened to the man?
CALLER: No, I didn’t see what happened.
OPERATOR: Okay, sir, I’ve dispatched all this information to the paramedics. Keep up the CPR until they get there. They’re just a few blocks away.
CALLER: Thank you! This guy isn’t responding to anything!
OPERATOR: Okay they should be there.
CALLER: Yeah, here they are! Thank you, sir, thank you.
OPERATOR: Okay, sir, call us back if you need any help.
Tip 3: Many public libraries, schools, and hospitals offer free first aid and CPR classes. It’s always good to know what to do in an emergency, while you’re waiting for help to arrive.
GRAMMAR REMINDER 3: Modal Verbs of Advice, Possibility, Ability—Should, Would, Could
These will all be followed by the verb in its base form.
Should is used when giving strong advice to do something.
You should teach children about emergency calls.
Would is used to express what you might do in a certain situation.
I would volunteer at the firehouse if I had more time.
Could expresses possibility and the ability to do something in the past.
There could be a problem if they don’t get enough volunteers.
I could run four miles when I was younger.
Pronunciation Pointer
Another tricky string of letters is ould. The letter l is not pronounced, so ould sounds like ood. Could sounds like kood. Should sounds like shood. Would sounds like wood.
Fun Fact!
Americans sometimes use a funny expression to say that they wish they did something differently. They say, “shoulda woulda coulda.” Think things through before you do them, and you’ll never have to say, “shoulda woulda coulda”!
VOCABULARY
CPR: Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation; pressing on a person’s chest, breathing into his mouth to try to get his heart started again
conscious: awake; aware of surroundings
nature: kind, type
paramedics: specially trained people who can do first aid and some medical treatments in an emergency
responding: reacting
unconscious: not awake; not aware of anything; no reaction of any senses
witness: see
HELP! STRANGER DANGER!
OPERATOR: 911. What’s the exact location of your emergency?
CALLER: Hi, um, well my address is 2495 Cary Street. But it’s across the street. I don’t know the address.
OPERATOR: Okay, ma’am. I didn’t get that. Are you on a cell phone? Tell me that address again.
CALLER: Yeah, um, it’s . . . I don’t know, it’s 2495 Cary, but it’s across the street.
OPERATOR: Okay, that’s fine. Is that where you’re calling me from, ma’am?
CALLER: I’m calling you from my cell phone. I think I need the police.
OPERATOR: Okay, ma’am. What’s the nature of the emergency?
CALLER: Well, I’m across the street. I’m not sure . . . My neighbor’s away, and, um, um, there are two guys. I think they’re breaking into the house. Um, it looks like there are two guys. HEY! THEY JUST BROKE A WINDOW! One guy just ripped through the screen door! They’re looking around to see if anyone saw them! Can you get the police here? Hurry!
OPERATOR: Okay, ma’am, we’ll have someone there right away. Do you recognize the people at all?
CALLER: No, not at all. It’s not my neighbor; they’re away. I have no idea who these guys are, but they just broke the window and kicked in the door! I think you need to get the police here fast.
OPERATOR: Can you describe the men, ma’am?
CALLER: They’re inside now. I don’t know. I don’t know. To be honest with you, I didn’t really notice what they were wearing or anything. Um, I think one guy was pretty tall. He was wearing some kind of baseball cap, I think. And, uh, the other guy entered through the window before I got a good look at him. All I know is these guys broke into the house! Can you get the police here?!
OPERATOR: Ma’am, they’re on their way. Do you know if the guys have a weapon?
CALLER: I don’t know; I couldn’t see from my angle. They had a hard time trying to kick in the door. Um, but, um, they smashed the window with a bat, I think. A baseball bat.
OPERATOR: Okay, ma’am, they’re on their way. Don’t hang up until they get there.
CALLER: Okay. Thank you. Wait, okay, here they are! Thank you!
Tip 4If you want to speak with a police officer, but it is not an emergency, you should not call 911. You can find the phone number of the local precinct in your phone book.
Did you spot it?
Remember: could is also used for ability in the past.
In this example, couldn’t means was not able to see.
Example: I couldn’t see from my angle.
MORE FUN WITH IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS: Fire
You’re fired!: bad-news words for when you lose your job
→ You’ve been late every day for the last two weeks, and you haven’t finished one project. You’re fired!
Holy smokes!: Wow!
→ Holy smokes, my neighbor just won a thousand dollars!
old flame: a former boyfriend or girlfriend
→ Susan was not happy when her boyfriend kept talking about his old flame.
out of the frying pan and into the fire: going from a bad situation to a worse one
→ She thought it was a bad day when the bus splashed her new skirt, but it was out of the frying pan and into the fire when she spilled hot coffee and burned herself.
fire off: write something quickly and send it off immediately
→ When she read the article in the newspaper about the animal shelter, she wanted to fire off an e-mail to her friends to ask them to help.
VOCABULARY
all I know is: a strong way to say this is the important fact
breaking in: forcing one’s way in
entered: went in
had a hard time: had difficulty with something
I have no idea: a stronger way to say I don’t know
kick in: hit with one’s foot and smash open
precinct: local police station
screen door: an outer door that allows air into the room, but not the bugs!
smashed: broke suddenly and noisily
to be honest with you: a way of saying really
weapon: something that is used to hurt someone
