09-24-2009, 02:45 PM
Thanks Greg, a few more thoughts then. ;-)
my thinking is that for police only matters, the non emergency number takes you straight to someone who has authority in the police dept. The 911 operator is fielding medical emergencies, fire, AND crime. Obviously if you have knowledge that someone has been shot, 911 is the way to go, but in this case of overhearing gunshots, you aren't asking for paramedics to come, and they would not send them, without more to go on. What you want is the police. The dispatch person will triage the calls. Gunshots should rank as extremely serious.
my thinking is that for police only matters, the non emergency number takes you straight to someone who has authority in the police dept. The 911 operator is fielding medical emergencies, fire, AND crime. Obviously if you have knowledge that someone has been shot, 911 is the way to go, but in this case of overhearing gunshots, you aren't asking for paramedics to come, and they would not send them, without more to go on. What you want is the police. The dispatch person will triage the calls. Gunshots should rank as extremely serious.