What Is A Non-Emergency? Don’t Call 911 In These Situations [Video]

Washington, DC along with many other parts of the country have ignited “Make The Right Call Campaign” to encourage residents to use 311 instead of 911 for non-emergency situations. This effort will reserve 911 services for critical emergencies, improving response efficiency and public safety.

RELATED: DC Campaign Promotes 311 For Non-Emergencies To Relieve 911

What is considered a “non-emergency” emergency?

As defined by the DC Office of Unified Communications, a non-emergency call is any call related to an incident that does not pose an immediate threat to the safety of individuals and/or incidents that occurred at least one hour before the initial request for police assistance is made. An emergency is defined as an event that poses immediate, significant threat to life and/or property. You should call 911 to report a crime in progress where the offender is still on the scene (or has just left the scene), report a fire, hazardous spill, smoke, or electrical hazards, request medical assistance and/or report the sighting of …