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1. When should I call 911?

Call 911 when you need to report an incident that is:

• a threat to life and/or property, such as a fire or smoke,
• any emergency crime in progress or that has just recently occurred,
• any fire or medical problem that will require emergency assistance.

2. When should I avoid calling 911?

If your utilities are out, such as cable, power, phone, etc., contact the company that provides you those services.  If you have questions considering inclement weather, road conditions or school closings, listen to a local radio station, tune to local television channels or monitor apps or social media on your mobile device.  For general information, dial 311.  Never call 911 as a joke.

3. What will the 911 call-taker 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 stay on the line as long as you feel safe and/or until the call-taker tells you to hang up.  It might seem that the dispatcher is asking too many questions. It is important for the call taker to get as much information as possible.  The information you provide on 911 is relayed to the units that are responding to the incident location.

4. What is the difference between 911 and 311?

If you needed police, fire or medical attention, call 911.  Call 311 to receive information or to request non-emergency city services.

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

Most calls for assistance from residential phones will come into the 911 center with a name, telephone number and address.  However, the dispatcher will still verify this information to make sure it is correct and that the responding agencies 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 it is GPS-capable.  GPS-capable phones will provide an estimated physical location.  The caller name and location are not available to the 911 call taker and will have to be verified.  Providing landmarks, mile markers and general location descriptors will help speed a response to your location.

6. What if I have a non-emergency call?

There are other numbers to call in order to receive services:

• 211 is for public, health and community services (public, health or “public health”?)
• 311 is for non-emergency information and municipal business inquiries
• 511 is for road and traffic conditions, Department of Transportation
• 711 is for Telecommunications Relay Service for hearing impaired
• 811 is for locating and marking utility lines – “Call Before You Dig”
• 911 is for emergency responses only

The non-emergency phone number for the Augusta Richmond County Communications Center is 706-821-1080.

7. Can I request copies of dispatch reports or 911 audio recordings?

You can request paper copies of dispatch reports and/or 911 audio recordings.  They can be requested and released, as long as they are not part of an active investigation.  Pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71(c) and (d), Augusta-Richmond County is authorized to charge for the costs of producing documents requested. The cost of producing these documents is .10¢ per page and $10 per disc, as well as a charge for the “direct administrative costs for complying with a request under this code section.”  This means you will be charged the hourly salary of the lowest paid full-time employee who has the necessary skill and training to perform the request, which is $22.83 per hour.  However, you will not be charged for the first fifteen (15) minutes spent on your request.  A CD copy will be provided for recording requests. 

The 911 Public Information Request form can be found at this link:  https://www.augustaga.gov/2982/Open-Records-Requests

The request form (if not submitted online) may be mailed or dropped off in person at 911 4th St. Augusta, Ga. 30901 or faxed to 706-821-1243.  The 911 Communications Center has 3 business days (72 hours) to acknowledge receipt of the request and to inform you how long it will take to complete the request. (Open Records Act Request: O.C.G.A. 50-18-70.)   The E911 Center will take payment in the form of cash only (please bring exact change). You will be provided a receipt for your records.