"When should I use 911?"
Although it's a simple question, many have asked, "I want to speak to the police
department, but I don't think I have an emergency. Who do I call?" Whenever in doubt,
call 911.
911 services for Oakbrook Terrace are centralized at DUCOMM located in Glendale Heights.
DUCOMM provides all police and fire communication for 16 local government agencies in
DuPage County. They receive calls for service and dispatch police, fire and emergency
medical aid.
A “Call Receiver” who will answer your call to 911 will ask the nature of your
emergency. To gain as many details as quickly as possible, the call receiver asks many
questions, which are specifically utilized to obtain needed information so that the
appropriate emergency response can be dispatched to you quickly and safely.
The call receiver may ask you to stay on the line. If you are excited, they will try to
calm you. Your experience may involve a loved one, or be happening right before your eyes,
which makes it doubly important for the call receiver to be very deliberate and detailed
as possible. They are not seeing what you are seeing. The call receiver is entering your
answers into a computer that has already identified the address you are calling from
through the "E-911" system. Often, at the same time, the Dispatcher is giving
that information to emergency workers, and they are on the way to your location before you
have completed your discussion with the Call Receiver.
When you call the police station during normal business hours, your call is answered by
our police receptionist. If you are looking for information regarding a police report, or
want to talk to someone specific, like the Detectives Office, she can assist you. If you
call the police station with an emergency or to report a crime however, she must transfer
you to our 911 center (DUCOMM). This can waste valuable time. Also remember, our police
station is not manned with a receptionist 24 hours a day
. Again, much needed time can be wasted by calling the station during an emergency when
calling 911 is more appropriate.
So, if you are having any kind of emergency, or you are reporting any kind of incident
requiring the police to respond, call 911.
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