Frequently Asked Questions about 9-1-1

If I dial 9-1-1 from my home in Chandler, am I talking to the Chandler Police Department?

Yes, the Chandler Police Department Communications Section answers your call. We will determine if you need police, fire or medical assistance.   If you need police assistance, we will handle your call.  If you need fire or medical assistance we will transfer your call to the Phoenix Fire Alarm Room.  Phoenix Fire dispatches the Chandler Fire Department.  It is important to let us know at the beginning of the conversation what type of assistance that you need.

If I misdial 9-1-1, what should I do?

Stay on the phone. Even if you hang up prior to us answering the phone, the call will go through and register as a 9-1-1 call. As long as you stay on the phone and tell us that you have misdialed the only thing that will happen is that the call taker or dispatcher will verify your phone information, such as the number, your name, and your address. If you hang up, the call taker or dispatcher will call you back and send an officer to your location.

9-1-1 is for emergency calls only. An emergency call is one where there is a potential threat to life. Sometimes people will call 9-1-1 to ask a question or to report a non-emergency situation. We do not want to tie up emergency 911 lines with non-emergency calls, so we ask that you call our non-emergency phone number at 480-782-4130.

Why does it take so long for an Officer to arrive?

Calls for service received by the Communications Section are prioritized based on several factors. Emergency Call Takers and Dispatchers will use answers to the questions they ask to prioritize the call. For example, a motor vehicle accident with injuries would have a higher priority than a theft that is not in progress. Calls with higher priorities are dispatched before lower priority calls.

Why is the dispatcher or call taker asking me so many questions and not sending an officer?

Police dispatchers and emergency call takers are trained to ask questions. It is their responsibility to obtain enough information to determine the priority of the call, and to assist responding officers. While talking to a call taker or dispatcher on the phone about a crime that is in progress, they have entered your information into a Computer Aided Dispatch system. This system allows the information to be relayed to another dispatcher who is responsible for dispatching officers. On in progress calls, the call taker or dispatcher will routinely remain on the phone while police officers respond.