What to say when you call emergency services
When you call your local emergency number, 911 in the US, say where you are first, then what happened: the address with the apartment number and nearest cross street, then the emergency in one sentence, such as a woman collapsed and is not breathing. Answer the dispatcher's questions, follow their instructions, and stay on the line until they tell you to hang up.
Why it matters: A clear first sentence gets help moving before anything else is asked.
In an emergency, call your local emergency number, 911 in the US, first. Reading a page is not training: take a certified class and practice on a manikin.
Steps
- Know your full address, apartment number and nearest cross street; check for it in each new home.
- Dial your local emergency number, 911 in the US, and say the location first.
- Say what happened in one sentence, and how many people are hurt.
- Answer the dispatcher's questions calmly; help is often already on the way while they ask.
- Follow their instructions, including CPR coaching, with the phone on speaker.
- Send someone to unlock the door, turn on outside lights and meet the ambulance.
- Stay on the line until the dispatcher says to hang up.
- If you cannot speak safely, text 911 where available, or stay on the line so they can listen.
- Take a certified first aid class so you know what to do while you wait.
Common mistakes
- Starting with the story and forgetting the address.
- Hanging up before the dispatcher says to.
- Not knowing the address of a new home or workplace.
Teach this to someone
A one page sheet for showing a friend, a teenager or a parent: what to say, what to show, and one question to check it landed.
Teach: What to say when you call emergency services
What to say
When you call your local emergency number, 911 in the US, say where you are first, then what happened: the address with the apartment number and nearest cross street, then the emergency in one sentence, such as a woman collapsed and is not breathing. Answer the dispatcher's questions, follow their instructions, and stay on the line until they tell you to hang up.
What to show
- Know your full address, apartment number and nearest cross street; check for it in each new home.
- Dial your local emergency number, 911 in the US, and say the location first.
- Say what happened in one sentence, and how many people are hurt.
- Answer the dispatcher's questions calmly; help is often already on the way while they ask.
- Follow their instructions, including CPR coaching, with the phone on speaker.
- Send someone to unlock the door, turn on outside lights and meet the ambulance.
- Stay on the line until the dispatcher says to hang up.
- If you cannot speak safely, text 911 where available, or stay on the line so they can listen.
- Take a certified first aid class so you know what to do while you wait.
Check question
What should you say first?
Answer: Where you are. The location lets help start moving immediately.
Your checklist
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Quick quiz
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Related skills
Sources
- US national emergency number association public guidance, 2026. Reviewed September 28, 2026.
Written in our own words from the sources above. It is general information, not advice for your situation; where a professional, your doctor or your lease says something different, follow them.
Last reviewed . First published .