Calling 911 is a critical survival skill in the United States. The 911 system connects you to emergency services — police, fire department, or medical help — in seconds. Knowing how to use it correctly can save a life, including your own.
Call 911 immediately for any situation that is life-threatening or in progress: a fire, a medical emergency such as a heart attack or serious injury, a violent crime, a car accident with injuries, or a missing child. For non-urgent situations — such as a stolen bicycle, a noise complaint, or a minor fender bender with no injuries — call your local police non-emergency number instead.
When a dispatcher answers, stay calm and speak clearly. The first thing to say is your location — the street address and any helpful details like "second floor" or "near the park." The dispatcher will ask questions to understand the situation and can send help while you are still talking.
You do not need to speak English to call 911. Simply say the name of your language — for example, "Spanish" or "Mandarin" — and the dispatcher will connect you with a free telephone interpreter within seconds. This service is available 24 hours a day.
You will never be in trouble for calling 911 for a genuine emergency, regardless of your immigration status. Emergency services do not ask about citizenship when responding to emergencies. This is true across all 50 states.
After the emergency, you may be asked to give a statement to police. You have the right to have an interpreter present. You will also receive an incident report number, which you can use if you need to follow up on the situation later.