
✔If your health, safety or property is threatened and you need help right away.
✔If you’re not sure if your situation is an emergency. The 911 call taker will determine if you need immediate help.
✘NOT for general inquiries such as calls to police concerning ongoing investigations, or calls to fire departments about community events. Unnecessary calls tie up valuable resources.
There is no charge to call 911 from any phone, including pay phones. Anyone in Nova Scotia can call 911.
When you call 911, it is very important that you stay on the line with the 911 call taker and answer all the questions. Expect to be asked:
From a land line:
When you call from a land-line telephone, 911 will know:
If you call 911 from a land-line telephone and you cannot speak, emergency responders can still be dispatched because your address appears on the 911 call taker’s screen.
It’s important to have at least one land-line phone that plugs directly into the wall. Cordless phones need electricity and won’t work during power outages.
From a cell phone:
When you call 911 from a cell phone, the 911 call taker will know your approximate location. It’s important that you can provide details about where the emergency is.
If you see an emergency while driving, pull over safely as soon as you can and call 911.
When you call 911, take note of distance markers or any other road signs and civic numbers in the immediate area. This will help emergency responders find your location.
Through an Internet phone service (VoIP):
When you call 911 over the internet, be aware that:
Text with 9-1-1 service; for those with hearing or speech impairments:
Nova Scotians who are deaf, deafened, hard of hearing or with speech impairments can use Text with 9-1-1 for emergency services. They must register their cell phone number with their wireless provider, and ensure they have a compatible cell phone.
In an emergency, they call 9-1-1 and the emergency call centre will automatically receive notification to begin the conversation by text message.
With a TTY device:
911 call takers can receive 911 calls directly from individuals who are using a TTY device for the hearing or speech impaired.
When you don’t speak English or French:
911 call takers have access to interpreters in more than 170 languages.