Emergency Preparedness - Calling Emergency Services

As a frontline employee, you need to be prepared for if, and when, you witness or are a part of an emergency at work. In this topic, you’ll learn when you should call emergency services, what information to give the operator, and when it’s acceptable for you to hang up. Sometimes emergency services can be contacted accidentally, so you’ll also learn what to do if that happens to you.

• Questions (level 1, 2, 3)

• Video module

This topic is currently available in English.

1. You should call emergency services whenever you believe the safety of people or property is at risk. Examples of these situations include a serious injury, a crime, a fire, and a car crash.

2. If you’re unsure of whether you should call emergency services or if someone already has, it’s always best to call them anyway. Calling emergency services can be done at any time from any device, so you shouldn’t hesitate to do so if you think it’s necessary.

3. When you’re connected to an operator, provide them with details of your exact location if possible, or at least nearby landmarks. Your location may be forwarded automatically from your call, but if not, you need to be prepared to provide specific location details.

4. If you must perform first aid to someone in need during an emergency, don’t wait until you’re done to call emergency services. Ask a bystander to call or use the speakerphone function on your phone.

5. When asked, provide the operator with your contact information, including your full name and phone number. This is so that you can be reached if the call gets disconnected and emergency services still needs to talk to you.

6. Be patient and don’t interrupt the operator when they’re talking. They need to collect information in a specific order and relay it to dispatchers and first responders.

7. Stay on the line until you reach an operator, no matter how long that is, and do not end the call until they tell you it’s suitable to do so. If you hang up too early, the operator may miss important information.

8. Stay calm and speak clearly while you’re talking to an operator. Emergencies can be stressful, but it’s important that the operator can hear and understand the information you’re giving them.

9. If you’re using Voice-Over-IP Services (VoIP) to contact emergency services, be patient and don’t hang up until you speak to emergency services. Your call may be relayed through a third-party service to put you in contact with the nearest first responders.

10. If you accidentally call emergency services, stay on the line until you speak with an operator instead of hanging up. Simply tell them it was an accident and that there is no emergency, and there’s no need to send services.