South Sound 911 provides FREE educational presentations about 911 and dispatch for school classrooms, community organizations, and neighborhood groups.
While 911 is a lifeline for people in an emergency, 911 is often abused. By teaching how to properly use 911, how 911 works, when to use text-to-911, and by promoting alternative phone numbers (such as the appropriate non-emergency number), South Sound 911 will better serve the community. The faster a 911 call taker can answer an emergency call, the faster a person needing help will receive potentially life-saving police, fire or medical aid.
Community education is an especially effective tool for 911, but what makes our program unique is that South Sound 911’s educators are often the ones who answer 911 calls or dispatch aid, so they can offer insight and advice unlike others in public safety!
911 Activities for Kids
Learn about 911 with Echo the Emergency Owl! Download these free activities designed to help children learn when to call 911, how to get help in an emergency and other important 911 safety skills.
Schedule a Visit
To request an educational presentation or event appearance, please click the button below to submit information about your request, including proposed dates and times.
South Sound 911 Community Academy
The South Sound 911 Community Academy returns this fall. This free program gives Pierce County residents a look at emergency communication and the work that happens behind the headset.
Participants will learn about 911 call handling, law enforcement, fire and medical dispatch, training protocols, Tacoma First 311, the 988 Lifeline Co-Location, peer support, and more. The academy also includes communications center observations.
Classes will be held every Thursday evening from September 3 through October 8, 6:30-8:30 p.m., at South Sound 911, 3580 Pacific Avenue, Tacoma, WA 98418.
Advance registration is required. Participation is limited to Pierce County residents.
Please note: The community academy is designed for public education and community engagement. It is not a pre-employment academy, job training program, or part of the hiring process.
911 Know-How
This infographic shows how South Sound 911 handles calls. When you call 911, the first priority is to find out WHAT the emergency is and WHERE it’s happening.
The telecommunicator — the person who answered the call — might give emergency medical instructions, ask more questions, or, if the situation is not an emergency, transfer the call to the non-emergency queue. Non-emergency calls may be on hold until emergency calls are handled and someone is available to take the call.
If the telecommunicator keeps asking questions, it DOES NOT delay a police/fire/EMS response. They’re sharing your answers with dispatchers while you’re still on the call and dispatchers relay that information to responders.
For more great information, check out our Tips for Using 911 brochure.
What if the caller doesn’t speak English?
South Sound 911 uses a language translation service. It is helpful if the caller can identify the language in English so the telecommunicator can connect with the correct interpreter with the caller on the line.
The caller should tell the interpreter the nature of the emergency, the location/address, their name and phone number, and answer any questions the telecommunicator asks through the interpreter.
Some basic 911 education is available in the most commonly requested translated languages including Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese. This same information is also available in English.
Emergency vs. Non-Emergency
An emergency is an event that poses immediate, significant threat to life and/or property, or an in-progress crime. Examples include a fight or assault occurring at the time, an active fire, or a possibly life-threatening medical problem. When in doubt, call 911 and let our staff triage your call!
South Sound 911’s non-emergency line is available 24/7: 253-287-4455. Call this number when there is no danger and nobody is hurt. This means that the crime has already happened and the suspect is gone. Examples include: your car was broken into, but you didn’t see it happen; a runaway child has returned; you need to add details to a previously submitted report; or your car or bicycle was stolen sometime during the day/night.
In some jurisdictions, certain non-emergency crimes can also be reported online.
Phone or 911 Outages
The 911 system is separate from your normal phone system and 911 outages are extremely rare, but can happen. In case of a 911 system outage affecting South Sound 911 service, South Sound 911 will activate and publicize a 10-digit number for the public to call until 911 is restored. This number will be shared with news media and will be posted on our social media channels.
If your phone, cellular, or VoIP service is down due to a service provider issue, that does not mean that 911 is down. However, it does mean that you will need to know what to do if you need emergency aid.
First, try using a different phone. For example, if your landline or internet (VoIP) phone isn’t working, try using your cell phone. If your cell phone doesn’t work, go to the nearest police or fire station. You can also try texting 911, as sometimes texts can go through when a voice call cannot.
Know Your Location
Cell phones do not give 911 your exact address, so it’s important to know where you are in case of an emergency. An address is best, but if you don’t know the address, try to describe your location as clearly as possible. This can include cross streets, mile markers, signs, or landmarks. South Sound 911 has tools to help find callers, but we still need you to tell us where you are.
But, what if I’m in a remote area?
Cell service may not work in some areas. If you can’t call 911, you might be able to text 911. If your call goes through, it will connect to the closest cell tower. But that tower might send your call to a 911 center far away. If that happens, the call taker won’t know where you are unless you tell them. Be ready to give details, like the name of the trail, the closest city, where you started, and where you were going.
To try and get a better signal on your phone:
- Point your phone’s antenna up
- Stand in an open area
- Gain elevation
- Turn your body (your body can block the signal)
Keep in mind that in remote areas, help may take several hours or more to arrive. If your 911 call gets cut off, call again.