Evanston Police Department 
THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT 9-1-1
When to call 9-1-1
Call 9-1-1 to report any emergency. Police, Fire or Medical. If you need help immediately, call 9-1-1. Don't waste time, call as soon as you think help is needed.
- Car crash with injury
- Someone is hurt, bleeding or having difficulty breathing
- Fire of any type (house, other building or car)
- If you see a crime
- Dangerous situation such as gas leak or a power line down
- Someone is drowning
When not to call 9-1-1
Do not call 9-1-1 if the problem is not an emergency, consult the phone book for the non-emergency number. If 9-1-1 is called for non-emergencies, service for someone with a real emergency may be delayed.
- Loud party or music
- Barking dogs or cats up a tree
- To ask for general information or directions
- To report a power outage
- To check for severe weather reports
- Evanston non-emergency: 847.866.5000
Cell Phones
While Cellular phones have made it very easy for citizens to report traffic accidents and other emergencies that are not near traditional telephones, not all wireless 9-1-1 calls provide location information. To get help quickly, please be ready to answer these questions:
Where is the emergency?
Use highway name, direction of travel, mile marker, intersection, landmarks, etc.
What number are you calling from?
Always give your area code and wireless phone number.
What exactly has happened? Clearly describe what has taken place.
What is on fire?
Is the person conscious and breathing? Is the person visibly injured?
Type and number of vehicles involved?
If reporting a crime, vehicle and suspect descriptions are important.
* If using a phone without a service contract and the call is disconnected, you must redial 9-1-1.
Enhanced Wireless 9-1-1 can save lives and reduce pain and suffering as well as maximize the effective use of public safety resources.
You can help by:
1. Learn the non-emergency telephone numbers to reach help in your area;
2. Refrain from programming your phone to automatically dial 9-1-1 when one button is pressed;
3. If your wireless phone came with a preprogrammed, auto-dial 9-1-1, disable it;
4 Lock your keypad when your phone is not in use, to avoid accidental 9-1-1 calls.
Before you buy a wireless phone, ask about the location technology it uses, Evanston's 9-1-1 Center can receive location information.
History of 9-1-1
On February 16, 1968, Senator Rankin Fite completed the first 9-1-1 call made in the U.S. in Haleyville, Alabama (the serving telephone company was then Alabama Telephone Company). This Haleyville 9-1-1 system is still in operation today.
- Evanston was the first community on the North Shore to implement a 911 system in 1970 (fifth in the State of Illinois).
- In May of 1994 the City of Evanston's new stateof-the-art Enhanced 9-1-1 Center became operational.
- In June of 2000 the Evanston Emergency Telephone System Board declared its intent to accept wireless 9-1-1 calls.
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