Calling 911 can save your life and you can help save other lives too!

Call 911 in any EMERGENCY situation where police, fire or ambulance assistance is required immediately.
 

Do NOT call 911 to:

  • report an incident after the fact
  • for noise, animal, traffic or parking complaints
  • report a hydro outage
  • check weather or highway conditions
  • obtain government information
  • for directory assistance (looking for a phone number)
  • for information about school closings, road conditions, or to ask for driving directions
  • to report erratic or aggressive drivers (call the non-emergency number 519 258-6111
    or click Windsor Road Watch Citizen Report Form to file your complaint)
 
The Call taker will answer your call and say "Police, Fire, Ambulance?"
When you reply with one of the above you will be instantly transferred to the agency
you requested.
   
 

When you call 911 to report an EMERGENCY, the Communicator may ask you
these basic questions:

  • "Where is this happening?"
  • "When did this happen?"
  • "What is happening now? why?"
  • "Who is involved?"
  • "Did you see any weapons or was there any mention of weapons?"
  • "Has anyone been drinking or taking drugs?"
  • "If the suspect leaves what is his/her description and direction of travel?"
  • "What is the licence plate of the vehicle(s) involved?
 

Using 911 Tips:

  • Make sure you are in a safe location
  •  Inform children that 911 is for emergencies only, and teach them how to dial the numbers
  •  Listen carefully
  •  Answer all questions - help is already on the way. Some questions may seem irrelevant during the urgency of the situation, however, all questions are vital to responding officers
  • Try to remain calm, and follow any instructions provided to you
  •  Do not hang up until instructed to
  • Telephone landlines provide the 911 Centre with an enhanced 911 screen. This provides the call-taker with your name, address and telephone number. New technologies, such as VOIP Internet providers do not provide this feature. Therefore it is very important to make sure you provide your location or address when dialing 911
   

Certain types of calls where there is no suspect information, or the value of property damaged or stolen is under $5000 are referred to the Telephone Reporting Centre. A report is completed over the phone, which informs Officers where the criminal activity or mischief is taking place.
A Police Officer is not dispatched and a case number will be give to provide to your insurance company.
New: To use our on-line reporting system click here
   
  Other Important Information:
 

Landlines:

  • Any traditional phone in your home that operates out of a regular phone jack
  • The Communicator will still need to confirm your address
  • If you have a cordless phone or cell phone please make sure you remember to keep it charged at all times, or have another phone that you can use in case of an emergency (one that does not operate from a power outlet in case of a power outage)
 

Cell Phones:

  • In Windsor & Essex County, all major cell phone companies provide 911 Communicators with your phone number.
  • Currently we are in the process of obtaining tower location, latitude and longitude coordinates
  • Give your location or address to the Communicator
  • Do not give old cell phones to children to use as toys, they can still dial 911
 

VOIP Internet-based phones:

  • VOIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol, and allows you to make telephone calls using a high-speed internet connection
  • The calls are transferred first to a Public Safety Answering Point (not in Windsor) and then transferred back to our local police station
  • Your location information is not automatically transmitted to your local agencies
  • If you move, make sure you update your address with your provider, or emergency personnel could be sent to the wrong address
  • Make sure family and friends know how to dial 911 from your residence
  • Stay on the line and do not disconnect
  • VOIP may not work during a power outage, or when the Internet connection fails or becomes overloaded
  • Contact your VOIP provider for further information
 

Calling 911 in Error:

  • If you accidently dial, please stay on the line and tell the Communicator what happened. If you hang up without making voice contact emergency personnel will be sent to your house
  • 911 call-takers have the ability to lock out your phone line, in order to ring it back immediately. Failure to pick up the line or continually hanging it up will result in Officers being dispatched to check on your well-being