Frequently Asked Questions

You will be asked the address where you need an officer, fire or rescue to respond. You will also be asked who, what, when, where, why and weapons along with any description of the person or cars. You will also be asked for some pre-arrival medical information. We will dispatch medical response as soon as possible, but will stay on the phone so we can obtain further information.

Our Telecommunicators are trained to get as much information as possible regarding the situation to ensure the proper resources are sent and bring the proper equipment. It is also to protect the responding units and other citizens in the area. Please try to be patient and answer the questions as quickly as possible.

It is always best to be safe, if you are in doubt, call 911. If you are in immediate danger or have a health risk, smell or see smoke, dial 911.

Look for landmarks, large buildings, street signs or paperwork nearby that may contain address information. Think back to the main street or highway you were near when your emergency occurred. If others are around, ask them where you are. Do not depend on your cell phone to tell us where you are!

Assume the call taker does not know your location. Even if your cell phone is able to provide location information, you may still need to provide the call taker with additional information to determine your exact location. Remember, the approximate location the communication center receives could be as large as 3 football fields or more. Be prepared to give specific directions to your location.

Any time there is an immediate threat to life and/or property call 911. For all other calls, please call the non-emergency number 757-441-5610.

Please do not hang up the phone. When you hang up the phone, a Telecommunicator will have to call you back. Valuable time is lost in returning calls and entering 911 hang-up incidents.

That is dependent upon your cell phone and your wireless carrier (Sprint, Verizon, etc.). The safest way is to be prepared to provide them with that information.

In the event of a significant or overwhelming event there is a remote possibility of a call going into a queue. Do not hang up! The call will be answered in the order it is received.

Calls for service are prioritized based on the urgency of the situation. The call will be dispatched as soon as an officer is available. Sometimes what may seem like a long time, is just a few minutes.

We may refer you to one of the patrol divisions or another part of the Police Department depending on the circumstances.

Many times an officer would have to be called in off the street to take your report, especially if it is after 5pm. In 2006, the police department started closing the precincts a 5pm in order to provide more officers to respond to calls for service. Our officers still "make house calls."

We will always ask your name, however, you are not required to give your name, address or phone number. Even though it appears on our 911 system, just let the call taker know you would prefer to be anonymous.

Yes, as long as the car is legally parked and the car is up to date with registration, tags and inspection stickers.

You can file a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) form through the City Attorney's office who will help you complete it. They can be reached at 664-4529. You will need to include the date, approximate time, location, and type of call. Please indicate if you want a print out or audio tape.

NO, please do not program 911 or use the auto 911 feature. There are numerous accidental calls to 911 from cell phones due to this feature. Mishaps occur, use your key lock to avoid our Telecommunicators from calling you back.

Just dial 911. You will always get the nearest 911 center regardless of your location, dependent on the cell tower. Even though you purchased your phone in KS, if you are in the City of Norfolk, you will reach Norfolk 911.

Your call to 911 may need to be transferred to another agency because cell phone calls are sent to a 911 answering point based on cell tower coverage. Cell coverage areas do not always match political boundaries, so most calls are routed to a 911 answering point that serves the majority of the area. Your call may need to be transferred to the appropriate agency for the area.

Based on the nature of the call, the CAD system will assign a priority number to the call and the call in turn is dispatched accordingly. Typically, all calls that are medical or fire related have are dispatched immediately; calls that are an immediate threat to life or property will get an immediate dispatch for a police officer. Calls that have to do with reports or traffic situations that do not block the flow of traffic may get a lower priority assigned to them. The priorities are set by the Police and Fire Departments, not Emergency Communications.

The City of Norfolk's Division Emergency Communications works closely with the Norfolk Police and Fire Department; however we are not under them. We are unique in that we are directly under the Department of Emergency Preparedness and Response which also oversees all natural and man-made disasters

The CAD or Computer Aided Dispatch system is a computer program utilized by the Telecommunicators for processing incoming and dispatching calls for service. It is used to assign the closest police, fire or medic to you based on their location.