When You Dial 999...
You will be answered by a telephone exchange operator who will ask you which emergency service you require and the telephone number that you are dialing from. Stay on the line and you will then be connected to the Fire & Rescue Control Room in Hull, not your local fire station.
As you are being connected to the Service you will hear the telephone exchange operator passing your telephone number to the fire brigade control operator.
Questions
The Control Operator Will Ask You Some Questions.
- What is on fire?
- What is the address?
- What is the nearest main road?
- What town are you in? (It is at this stage that Fire Appliances will be mobilised)
- What telephone number are you dialing from?
- What is your own name and address?
Don't put the telephone down until we have taken all the details!
Why We Ask These Questions
- We need to know what is on fire or what other emergency you have to enable us to decide what our response will be. I.E., How many fire engines we will send.
- We need to know the address where the emergency is. This information is entered into our computer database to start a search of the address.
- The nearest main road assists us in narrowing the search which saves time.
- Because we cover the whole area of the old County of Humberside, which has been absorbed into Hull City, East Riding of Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire areas we need to know which town you are in. This will complete the search and locate the correct address.
- We need to know the telephone number that you are calling from, so that we can contact you again if we need any further information from you. This information is not given to anyone other than emergency service personnel.
- We need to know your name and address. This can be used as a guidance to where the fire has been seen from.
- If you are unfamiliar with the area and are unable to give a precise address you will be asked for any landmarks that you can see.
- It may seem as though you are being asked too many questions and your call is taking too long to deal with. Don't worry, the Fire & Rescue Service will already be on the way whilst you are still talking to the Operator.
What Happens Next
Emergency calls to Humberside Fire & Rescue Control Room are handled, from receipt of the call to mobilising the Fire Appliance, in less than 60 seconds.
If you have a fire - Do not attempt to extinguish it unless it is safe to do so. Leave the property, closing all the doors behind you and do not go back in to the property until you are told it is safe to do so by the firefighters who attend.
If you are trapped in a fire situation and are unable to leave your properly safely, the fire control operator will stay on the line with you and give you fire survival guidance to help you until the fire engine arrives.