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Floyd County Government Online

When should I call 911?
When should I NOT call 911?
What will the dispatcher need to know when I call 911?
What is the difference between a residential call and a cell phone call?
What if I have a non-emergency call?
How are alarms handled in Floyd County?
What is considered a "false alarm"?
Am I allowed to request copies of E911 reports or audio recordings?

When should I call 911?

You should call 911 when you need to report an incident that is considered a threat to life and/or property or any emergency/ crime that is in progress or that has just recently occurred, any fire or medical problem that will require emergency assistance. (These are a few examples.)

When should I NOT call 911?

If your utilities are out, such as cable, power, phone etc, you should contact the company that you have those services with. If you have questions considering inclement weather, road conditions or school closings, you should listen to a local radio station or tune to local television channels. For phone directory assistance, you should call 411. Never call 911 as a joke.

What will the dispatcher need to know when I call 911?

• The location of the emergency
• The phone number that you are calling from
• The nature of the emergency
• Your name
• Any other descriptors of persons/vehicles involved in the incident or landmarks and/or directions to the emergency

It is important to stay calm, speak clearly and to stay on the line as long as you feel safe and/ or until the dispatcher tells you to hang up. It may seem that the dispatcher is asking too many questions. It is important to get as much information as possible. This information is relayed to units that are en-route to the incident location.

What is the difference between a residential call and a cell phone call?

Calls for assistance from a residential or “hard wired plug-in phone” will come into the E911 center with a name, call back number and an address. However, the dispatcher will still verify this information to make sure it is correct and that the responding agencies needed are directed to the proper location. Wireless or cell phone calls that come in will contain varying information. This information depends on the type of cell phone that you have and whether or not it is GPS capable. GPS capable phones will provide an estimated physical location. The complainant’s name, location and call back number are not available to the Dispatcher and will have to be verified. Providing landmarks, mile markers and general location descriptors will help speed a response to your location.

What if I have a non-emergency call?

Our Communications Center is still considered “Central Dispatch” for all of Rome/Floyd County Public Safety responders. Our center fields numerous calls and responses for non- emergency calls, or we direct the caller to the appropriate agency for assistance. IF you are in doubt to whether or not you have an actual emergency our dispatchers will assist you in determining a proper response.

How are alarms handled in Floyd County?

First, there are several types of alarms. There are fire alarms, burglary alarms (both residential and business), panic or hold up alarms and medical alarms. All alarms are called into the E911 Center by an alarm monitoring company. Our dispatchers take the initial alarm call and coordinate a Public Safety response to the alarm location. Our agency will dispatch to the location that is given by the monitoring company. If you have an alarm or plan to install one, it is imperative that the monitoring company has the correct address and key holder information for the property. Upon arrival, the responders will advise 911 whether or not the alarm is true or false. Due to Alarm Ordinances by the City and County Governments, the E911 Administration maintains a customer database of all alarms that have been responded to through out the year. The E911 office tallies all alarms and you are monetarily responsible for any false alarms that total over three.

The City’s alarm charges are:

4th alarm: $25.00            6th alarm: $75.00
5th alarm: $50.00            7th alarm: $100.00

The County’s alarm charges are:

4th alarm: $30.00            6th alarm: $75.00
5th alarm: $50.00             th alarm: 100.00

There is NEVER a charge for false medical alarms.

What is considered a "false alarm"?

The definition of a false alarm: An alarm signal eliciting a response by police or fire fighters or other public officials when a situation requiring a response by police or fire fighters or other public officials does not in fact exist, excluding alarm signals caused by no fault of the user and caused by no apparent malfunction and also excluding an alarm signal caused by violent conditions of nature, such as, but not limited to, lightning, tornadoes, or other extraordinary circumstances not reasonably subject to control by the alarm business or alarm user. Questions, including billing and payment, should be directed to the City or County Clerks Office depending on location jurisdiction. Should you desire a copy of the alarm ordinances, please contact the City or County Clerks Office.

Am I allowed to request copies of E911 reports or audio recordings?

Yes. You can request paper copies of E911 calls and/or Audio recordings on cassette tape or CD. The CD copy can only be played on a computer and the charge is $1.00 per CD. The charge for a cassette tape is $5.00. Paper copies are provided free of charge. You must fill out the following request form and return it to the E911 front office: (insert request form).

This form may be dropped off in person, faxed or mailed. The E911 Center has 3 business days (72 hours) to acknowledge receipt of the request and to inform you how long it will take to complete this request. (Per Open Records Act Request: O.C.G.A. 50-18-70.) The E911 Center will take payment in the form of cash only . You will be provided a receipt for your records.