Crime Prevention : Safety Tips

How to Make an Emergency Call

• When calling the Emergency Services for help, it is vitally important to make it as easy as possible for them to find you, as quickly as possible. In emergencies, timing is imperative, and the emergency personnel rushing to your aid might not be familiar with your neighbourhood! Here's how you can make those seconds count ...
   
• Give the operator your telephone number immediately. In this way, if you are disconnected after only the first few seconds, the operator can call you back, or trace you.
   
• Give the operator your name. You will need to give your title, (Mr/Mrs, etc), initials and surname.
   
• Tell the operator where you are. Assume that the people trying to reach you do NOT know your neighbourhood, and give as much detail as possible:
  • If you are in a building or townhouse complex, give the floor of the building and the room number, or the complex number. Describe the building or house (eg: what colour is it? Is it a double story or single story? Is there a wall? Are there any cars in the driveway and, if so, what types and colours?)
     
  • Give the street name and street number.
     
  • Give the nearest street corner (familiarize yourself with the names of the nearest street corner at work and at your home).
     
  • Give the suburb’s/extension’s name. Many suburbs have streets with the same name, so it is vital to ensure the operator knows which suburb you are calling from.
     
  • Describe any well-known landmarks in your neighbourhood, if any (for example, if you live next to or close to a school, church or shopping centre, tell the operator the name of the school, church or shopping centre).
     
• Describe the nature of your emergency as fully as possible:
  • Very importantly, let the operator know if you or anyone else is in any immediate danger.
     
  • If anyone is injured, explain how many victims there are, and describe the nature of their injuries.
     
  • Clearly indicate what kind of service you need - police, medical, fire rescue, or all of them.
     
  • If a crime has been committed, try to get as thorough a description of the suspects as possible, including their clothing, their transport (if any) and any stolen property that they may have escaped with. Tell the operator whether they were carrying any weapons, try to describe them, and tell the operator in which direction they fled.
     
• Stay on the line for as long as the operator asks you to, if you are able to do so.

NB: The emergency services undertake to render the best service possible, but remember that they are forced to prioritize calls when they are very busy. In other words, those in more immediate danger or need, will receive more urgent attention.

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