Calling 9-1-1 by Cell Phone

If you encounter an emergency and call 9-1-1 from a cellular phone, unlike calling from a landline phone, your location may not be automatically located and may delay officials from responding to the emergency. The Honolulu Police Department recommends providing the following information if you are calling 9-1-1 from a cellular phone.

Be prepared to tell the 9-1-1 call taker:

• The location of the emergency (address, street intersection, landmarks, city, county, mile marker, etc).
• Your cellular phone number.
• Details of the emergency and what type of assistance is needed.

Remember:

• Stay calm and speak clearly.
• Stop and pull to the side of the road if you are in a moving vehicle. It is difficult to obtain all information needed if you are getting further from the emergency.
• Do not hang up until the 9-1-1 call taker has obtained all of the information needed.
• Be sure to call back if you are disconnected. If you hang up, a dispatcher will call back to confirm that there is no emergency. If you don’t answer, a police officer must be dispatched to confirm that you are okay. This will needlessly take resources away from genuine emergencies.