[at-l] Stopping for Blue-light in rearview mirror.

[nealb at midlandstech.edu (William Neal)]

This info came about after the posting about stopping for a blue-light
rapist. I grew curious and asked someone who is involved in or has been
involved in law enforcement. But they prefer to remain annoymous. ;-)  And
knowing this crowd, I don't blame them. :-0

William, The Scapegoat Turtle

> But is it true that you can avoid stopping for blue lights 'til
> you get to a safe place?

Not if the car is marked.  You MUST stop for a squad car.  You DO NOT have
to stop for an unmarked.

> Also, would it be okay to dial 911 in such a situation?

Absolutely.

> The trouble was a guy in a pickup.
> He was near our campus and parked in a very unusual place.

> And one time I reported a guy with what I remembered as gang
> "colors" from East LA.  He was "inspecting" cars late at night
> when I got home.

> So, again, is it okay to use 911 in such situations?

Yes.  911 is supposed to be for emergencies, but if you call 911, you're
connected to the same phone number as the dispatcher.  You're ALWAYS going
to talk to a dispatcher, so it doesn't matter which number you dial anymore.
You did the right thing in both cases.

If you don't have an emergency, but still want a policeman, you just dial
911 and when the dispatcher says, "What is the nature of your emergency?",
you simply say, "I do not have an emergency.  I am calling to (report, ask,
request, etc.) XYZ...  If the dispatcher gets another 911 call, they will
put you on hold because you haven't declared an emergency.

Likewise, when calling 911 for an emergency, you really should declare first
and foremost, "I have an emergency."  You should then proceed to request the
services desired, in order: Ambulance, Police, Fire.  Sometimes you want all
three...  Then calmly state the nature of the emergency.  So, a typical call
should ideally look like this:

"911 Dispatch.  What is the nature of your emergency?"

"I have an emergency.  I need two ambulances, a police unit, and a fire
truck at Fifth and Main.  There has been an auto accident.  Both drivers
appear injured.  The vehicles are on fire."

Wait for further instructions or questions, if appropriate.

WILLIAM: This I know from personal experience.  I called 911 and stated that
I had an emergency.  Structural fire in a business.  And proceeded to answer
questions.  They got there QUICK.