Emergency Communications

Our Public Safety Communications Specialists (PSCSs) working within our Emergency Communications division provide emergency assistance to the citizens and visitors of Lynchburg 24/7/365. Operating out of our facility on Candlers Mountain Road, the PSCSs provide emergency medical dispatch instructions, including over the phone CPR instructions and instructions for child birth, along with dispatching the Lynchburg Fire and Police Departments to citizen requests for service.

What to Expect When Calling 911

When you call 9-1-1 within Lynchburg, the first question the call taker will ask is your location. This could be a specific address, intersection, nearby business, or even a trail marker on one of Lynchburg's trails. Then the call taker will ask for the phone number you are calling from. The call taker will ask you to repeat both your location and your phone number for verification.

Once the address and phone number have been verified, the call taker will ask, "Okay, tell me exactly what happened?" For all calls, the call taker will ask a series of questions to determine the most appropriate response for your emergency.

It is important to remain as calm as possible and stay on the phone with the dispatcher until they say it is okay to disconnect or until help arrives.

Although it may feel that it is taking a long time to answer questions when dealing with an emergency situation, try to remember that this process is not delaying the response from the police or fire department. While you are talking to a call taker, someone else is sending you the required responders. 

Lynchburg 911 Statistics