'Call 9-1-1' Montco Campaign To Come To Hatboro Fun Festival

The Montgomery County Department of Public Safety (MCDPS) is kicking off a “Call 9-1-1” public education campaign this week to urge residents to use the emergency number whenever they need a police officer, EMS ambulance, or firefighters to respond to their location, the county announced in a press release.

The theme of the campaign is: “9-1-1. One Call Does It All.” The goal is to get residents to call 9-1-1 whenever they need police, fire, or EMS to be dispatched instead of dialing the 10-digit number, the county said. 

MCDPS will send the Field Command Unit and telecommunicators from the Emergency Communications Division to the following public events over the next month to talk to residents about when it is appropriate to call 9-1-1:

• Hatboro Fun Festival and Carnival – Friday, May 27, 2016 from 5:00pm to 10:00pm
• Lansdale Day – Saturday, June 4, 2016 from 10:00am to 2:30pm
• North Wales Tex-Mex 5K Race – Wednesday, June 22, 2016 from 4:30pm to 9:00pm

People sometimes hesitate to call 9-1-1 due to the mistaken belief that the number should only be dialed if they or others are in imminent danger. Actually, 9-1-1 is the number used to dispatch all police, fire, and EMS ambulances in Montgomery County for any reason, the county said.

When to call 9-1-1:

• Vandalism
• A break-in to home or business
• A theft from your vehicle
• Loud music from neighboring property

If you are ever in doubt, you should call 9-1-1, campaign members say.