Will the police respond if you call 911 and stay on the line but don't say anything?
If I called 911 and then just stayed on the line without saying anything, would they come? Or would they assume it was a prank/accidental call and ignore it?
I've always been curious about that because sometimes if I'm home alone, I get paranoid about what would happen if someone broke in or something. In which case, I probably couldn't talk to the 911 dispatcher or they would hear me talking and find me (if I was trying to hide or something).
Luckily, no one has ever broken in or anything (knock on wood) but it doesn't mean that it couldn't happen... I just want to know, *just in case*...
And also, how long would it take to track down your address by GPS if you're calling from a cell phone? I don't have a house phone in my room and I use my cell for everything. I called 911 on my cell once for a car accident outside my house and they had to ask me my address, the intersection, the township, etc and it took over 10 mins for someone to get there... (Luckily no one was hurt though).
I've always been curious about that because sometimes if I'm home alone, I get paranoid about what would happen if someone broke in or something. In which case, I probably couldn't talk to the 911 dispatcher or they would hear me talking and find me (if I was trying to hide or something).
Luckily, no one has ever broken in or anything (knock on wood) but it doesn't mean that it couldn't happen... I just want to know, *just in case*...
And also, how long would it take to track down your address by GPS if you're calling from a cell phone? I don't have a house phone in my room and I use my cell for everything. I called 911 on my cell once for a car accident outside my house and they had to ask me my address, the intersection, the township, etc and it took over 10 mins for someone to get there... (Luckily no one was hurt though).
Update: Geez people, I'm not THAT paranoid!!! You can't tell me you have NEVER been home alone and thought "What would I do if such-and-such happens?" I said I was just curious!
I like to be prepared for unexpected events...
Or maybe I just watch too much CSI and Law & Order where people DO break in and hurt people.
I like to be prepared for unexpected events...
Or maybe I just watch too much CSI and Law & Order where people DO break in and hurt people.
Update 2: When I was little, I dialed 911 on my grandmom's phone and then hung up real quick and no one came. And later my sister did it too and no one came then either.... So maybe it just depends how busy they are.... Or if you hang up immediately, they assume that it was an accident then....?
Anewer:
First of all, if you call 911 by accident, stay on the line. The dispatcher will get the call regardless of if you hang up the phone or not (911 doesn't work like phones, you can't hang up and the call goes away). Some one responded that they respond to every 911 call to their department. This isn't true. Police officers have no idea of how many calls come in on a daily basis because they are not there answering the phone when it rings, they only know when they are sent to one. When a 911 call comes in the dispatcher will assess the situation. If the caller has already hung up the line, the dispatcher will attempt to call the number back. If there is no answer or only voicemail an officer will be sent. If the phone line is still open and no one is talking to them, they will be sent. If the caller stays on the line and explains a mistake the dispatcher will listen to the tone of voice of the caller and the background noises to determine if there is anything suspicious. At that point it is really up to the dispatcher whether or not to send someone. If you haven't gotten a visit from the police in 40 mins then you're not going to get one. 911 calls are considered an "urgent" matter and are usually there in well under 20 mins. And no, you will not be charged with a crime for mistakenly or accidentally calling 911 unless you harass the 911 center.
