When to dial 9-1-1

On average, Maumelle firefighters respond to several calls for assistance every day -- a total of more than 1,200 in 2007. Nearly all of those calls were responded to in less than five minutes -- our goal is a response time of four minutes or less 75% of the time. Here are some ways you can assist the Maumelle Fire Department help you during an emergency: Only Call 9-1-1 to report: > A fire > A serious crime in progress > Any serious medical condition > Any situation requiring immediate response of police, fire or ambulance. Our non-emergency number is (501) 851-1337. Please keep our emergency lines free by using the non-emergency number for situations not listed above. The 9-1-1 operator will need to know: > Address of the emergency > Phone number that you are calling from > Nature of emergency Stay calm, speak clearly, be prepared to answer questions, receive instructions and stay on the phone until you are told to hang up! Emergency vehicles and you > When an emergency vehicle has its lights & siren on, it is responding to an emergency. > Pull to the right side of the road and STOP until the emergency vehicle has passed. > Give all emergency vehicles the right-of-way. > Keep back at least 500 feet from an emergency vehicle when it is responding with lights & sirens. > Do not drive over fire hoses. > Drive carefully around any emergency scene. Pay attention to police directions. At the emergency > Have someone wait at the street to direct responding units to the emergency. > If you are a witness to an emergency, stay at the scene to provide information. > If you are asked to move or leave the area, DO IT! Firefighters and police officers are looking out for your safety. > Remember, things can become very hectic in an emergency. Firefighters and police officers need to do their job in a safe way. Some other tips: > Make sure your address is visible from the street. > Keep areas around fire hydrants clear of parked cars, fences, bushes, tall weeds & debris. > Keep bushes, trees, grass and weeds cut or trimmed to avoid brush fires. > If you have security bars on your windows, make sure they are fitted with inside quick releases.