Yes. The 911 Center answers not only 911 calls, but all other 10-digit numbers listed in the phone book as “non-emergency”. For instance, the Police Department listings in the phone book read: “Emergency – 911” “Non-Emergency – (315) 442-5111 or (315) 425-2111, etc.” All of those numbers ring to and are answered by the exact same 911 call-taker. The same is true for every other police, fire and EMS agency listed in the telephone book. All of the NON-EMERGENCY numbers listed are answered here at the 911 Center.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here in Onondaga County, we have an “Enhanced” 911 system. This means that when you dial our call-takers will have your name, address and phone number displayed when they answer the phone. This will assist in making your call quicker and easier to process. This location display is also extremely important in cases where the caller does not know where they are, or cannot speak or give their location due to a medical problem or a variety of other reasons. Our call-takers do not receive this display when the 10-digit numbers are dialed, or when 911 is dialed from a wireless (cell) phone.
Since in Onondaga County all NON-EMERGENCY calls are answered by the same call-takers that answer 911 calls, a simple answer is this: If you need the POLICE, FIRE or EMS services DISPATCHED for any reason – dial 911. If you just have a question or need information please try to find the proper number in the telephone book. For instance, to find out if someone has been arrested and may be in jail, please look up the number for the Justice Center; if you need the number for a Dog Warden, please find it in the phone book under the appropriate Town or Village listing. If you call one of the NON-EMERGENCY Police numbers for those questions you will connect to our 911 Center Emergency call-takers. If this happens, you will be transferred to an information call-taker, who will attempt to assist you. You may experience some time on “hold” while waiting for an information call-taker. Please DO NOT HANG UP and redial as you will lose your place in line and tie up our Emergency call-takers again.
If a caller is not satisfied with the services provided, they should ask to speak with the shift supervisor. If they have already disconnected, they can call back the same number they originally dialed and ask for the supervisor. The caller should explain to the supervisor the circumstances of the call and why they are not satisfied with the service they received. The shift supervisor is responsible to investigate the complaint, determine if 911 personnel acted properly or not, and if not to take whatever action they deemed appropriate to address the issue. The caller may ask the supervisor to call them back with the results of the investigation. Supervisors cannot, however, send a written resolution of the incident. Callers requesting a reply in writing should call for an administrative review. If the caller is still not satisfied with the supervisor’s resolution, the caller may contact the 911 administrative office at (315) 435-7911 during business hours to request an administrative review. 911 administrative staff will review the call, including the actions of the supervisor. This step includes if the caller requests a written reply. The 911 Center makes every effort to respond to administrative reviews within five business days from receipt of the complaint.
In January 2023 Onondaga County 911 began using an automated text message customer survey system.
The system is designed to randomly choose from calls within the last 24 hours, sending a text message to the original caller’s cell phone several hours after the incident. This helps us by collecting data for quality control purposes. There are a total of 6 questions which can be seen below.
- How promptly was your telephone call answered?
- The attitude and helpfulness of the call-taker?
- The knowledge of the call-taker?
- The courtesy of the call-taker?
- Your overall satisfaction with the call-taker?
- Please provide any feedback you have about the 911 call taker.
We ask that if you do receive a text survey, please take the time to respond. Your feedback helps our agency provide the best customer service experience.