Monroe County has a state of the art Enhanced 911 system which is funded by fees on landline and cellular telephone bills.  We are governed by the Monroe County 911 Board of Commissioners and operate under the administrative oversight of the Monroe County Sheriff's Department.  Our dispatch center is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.  We dispatch all emergency calls for fire, emergency medical services (EMS), and law enforcement in Monroe County except for the City of Monroeville.  (911 calls for police in Monroeville are manually transferred to the Monroeville Police Department.) 

If you have to call 911...

    None of us wants to be faced with an emergency, but when we are, how do we respond?  Usually, we pick up the phone and dial 911.  Monroe County has a modern E-911 (enhanced 911) system staffed 24/7/365, but if you don't give them the information they need, it makes it difficult for them to get you the help that you need!

    Modern technology is great, but it is no substitute for good person to person communication.  The operator on the other end of that line doesn't know who you are, where you are, what you need, or how to call you back (if you get disconnected) unless you can communicate that to him or her effectively.  Yes, the computer gives them some basic information, but with an increasing number of calls coming from cell phones, there may be very little helpful info.  In some cases, it doesn't even display your cell phone number, and precise location information for cell phone calls is still unavailable to our system.

    To get the help you need, you need to give us as much information as possible with the most critical information first, and if at all possible, STAY ON THE PHONE!  The following is the minimum information we need:

1. Name
2. Location (a numerical address, if possible, if not, be as clear as possible on your location).
3. Phone Number, in case we get disconnected and have to call you back.
4. Nature of the emergency, with as much detail as possible.

    For more information about what we need to know in specific circumstances, see our document:

         "When you have to call 911"

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