How to Properly Report a Fire

All big fires start small. The smell of smoke alone is a valid reason to call. Don’t be afraid to call 911!

• If you’re in danger, get out before calling. Raise alarm throughout the residence and neighborhood.

• Realize that unless you pay for a monitoring service, the activation of a smoke or carbon monoxide detector will not summon the fire department. You still need to call 911!

• Be ready to provide information. You will be asked questions.

  •  A good location of where you are can include: The address, street type, (road, lane, avenue) and can include descriptors such as an intersection or a common landmark.
     
  • You will be asked :
    • What’s on fire?
    • Are there hazardous materials involved?
    • What other areas and structures are threatened?
    • Are there any victims trapped or injured?
       
• Be prepared to answer the same question more than once and to follow directions that are given.
   
• Answering these questions will not delay dispatch. Someone else will simultaneously be dispatching the fire department to your location.