911 is an emergency response service provided by St. Lucie County to assist the citizens of our
county with receiving law enforcement, fire and medical assistance during crisis times. St. Lucie
County Public Safety E911 staff mans special emergency phone lines twenty-four hours a day so that
the citizens of St. Lucie County may receive help as expeditiously as possible. Public Safety Communications Officers answer the initial emergency phone lines for the Fort Pierce Police Department, Port
St. Lucie Police Department, St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, as well as St. Lucie County Fire District.

While answering 911 calls, staff also answer non-emergency calls on regular administrative phone lines. 

911 Emergency calls should be made only in cases such as a crime in progress, a fire, medical
emergency, or a similar immediately threatening incident. A possible 911 situation can involve
something you see - a burglar breaking into a neighbor’s house, a fire, a possible drunk driver or an automobile accident. It can also involve what you hear – a person screaming or yelling, “Don’t hit me again,” gunfire, an explosion or glass breaking.

Before you call, gather as many facts as you can under the circumstances and write them down so
you won’t forget them. Take a second look – a few seconds, gathering complete information
may be worth the delay. If you are describing a person, important points include the race of the
person, whether it is a male or a female, what the individual is wearing, the color of his or her hair
and any other outstanding characteristics. With a car description, a tag number is a great identifier if you can get it, and a report that the vehicle has a ladder on top or a dented left front fender is more useful
than simply describing the vehicle as a “white van.”

It is the responsibility of the Communications Officer to gather as much pertinent information as possible and keep you on the phone as necessary. This action better prepares emergency responders coming to your aid!

When you call 911 emergency lines, the phone will be answered “911, Do you need Police, Fire or
Ambulance?” One of the first things we want to find out if this is, indeed, an emergency situation. 

When you call 911 from a home phone, a computerized system will automatically tell the Telecommunicator your address and phone number. When you call 911 from a cell phone, an exact address is not produced, instead it is based off an approximate location. In both cases, the Telecommunicator must verify this information with you, especially if you are calling from a cell phone. Try to answer the questions as calmly and clearly as possible. 

Once it is established that you do have an emergency situation, the Telecommunicator will ask you
a series of questions in an effort to get enough information to send the proper assistance to you as soon as possible. The longer they can keep you on the phone and the more information that can be relayed to the responding law enforcement officers, paramedics, or firefighters, the safer the situation is.

If you have a medical or fire emergency you will be transferred in-house to a St. Lucie County Fire
District Telecommunicator. During this transfer, you may hear a click but DO NOT HANG UP. You will be asked to re-verify your information. The Telecommunicators for St. Lucie County Fire District are trained in Emergency Medical Dispatching, meaning the Telecommunicator will be able to assist with pre-arrival First Aid instructions, such as performing CPR, the Heimlich maneuver, or other common tactics for medical emergencies.

Unfortunately, a substantial number of 911 calls received in St. Lucie County are not in reference to an emergency. If you need directions, the time of day, or weather information, 911 is NOT the proper number to call. Prank callers will not be tolerated and can be tracked. Please be aware the misuse of 911 is unacceptable, and has the potential to delay true emergency calls. 

The 911 Communications Division offers a non-emergency phone number for the reporting of miscellaneous non-emergency information or questions. To report a non-emergency call, the following phone number may be called 24 hours a day: 772-465-5770. 

However, emergency calls must come first. Your call will still be handled appropriately, but this will allow true emergencies to be serviced first.

If you or anyone in your household including children, call 911 by mistake, do not hang up! Stay on the line to verify the mistake. If you dial 911 on accident and hang up, our policy is to try to call the number back and reach an adult who can tell us if there is any problem. Since St. Lucie County is an Enhanced 911 Center, we can obtain the location where 911 was called from. 

If we are unable to make contact, law enforcement will be dispatched to verify there is not a problem. This takes law enforcement away from being able to handle a real emergency. If you stay on the line and speak to the Telecommunicator, we will ask you to verify that you do not have an emergency along with verification of your address.

If your cellular phone is equipped with GPS, we should be able to pinpoint your approximate location.
When you dial 911 from your cellular phone, your call will be routed to the nearest cellular phone
tower belonging to your cellular phone provider. So while you may be in St. Lucie County using your
cellular phone, you may actually hit a tower in another county. Therefore, your call will be answered
by that county’s 911 Center. Just explain your emergency is in St. Lucie County, and they will be able to transfer you to St. Lucie County. You will be asked to verify your location and your cellular phone number. If you have an older cellular phone that does not have GPS, you will need to stay on the line, give the Telecommunicator your location or describe it the best you can.

Please keep in mind cellular phones are not always very clear. Be patient if you are asked to repeat
information.

Ensure that your house and/or mailbox are marked and numerically correct. Reflective numbers
work best for nighttime. If it is dark outside, turn some outside lights on to aide responders in finding
your home. If you can hear the siren, and are able to reach the light switch, start turning it on and
off so that it flickers and draws the responder’s attention.

If you have a long driveway or your house is not easily seen from the road, try to have someone at
the end of the driveway safely by the road to flag down responders. Consider placing driveway markers at the end of your driveway to help responders.

Put all pets safely away. Responders will refrain from exiting their vehicle or entering a residence if
there is a dog barking or growling at them.

You do not have to give your name to report a crime, but it does help law enforcement in case further information is needed.

It is a crime to falsely report a crime, so make sure you are giving factual information when reporting a crime or emergency. Not doing so may delay a response to an actual emergency causing injury or death to another person.

Have a fire escape plan for your home and make sure everyone is familiar with it. Establish a designated safe place for family members to meet outside of your home. Practice often with younger children until everyone knows what to do.

Check your smoke detectors frequently to ensure they are working, and replace batteries regularly.
Early detection is the best way to stay safe.

Learn CPR or take First Aid Classes.

If you come across someone who has been injured, do not move him/her but try to cover him/her
with a blanket, jacket or something that will keep them warm. Even in warm weather, shock can
set in.

In any situation - DO NOT PANIC! Remain Calm.