News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Putnam County’s 911 service urges people not to call for non-emergencies over the 4th of July Weekend.
Assistant Director Josh Womack said there is often an uptick in non-emergency 911 calls around the holiday. He said people often call 911 just to ask questions and get information about local celebrations.
“We get several calls ranging from what time do the fireworks start, to where are they going to shoot the fireworks,” Womack said. “And those kinds of things just overload the 911 system and take away from people who truly have emergencies.”
Womack said noise complaints and people mistaking fireworks for gunshots are also very common. He said these things do not constitute emergencies. He said people usually call 911 for these things just because it is a number they are familiar with.
“They know if they call 911 somebody is going to help them,” Womack said. “And no matter what the call is we are going to answer the phone promptly, we’re going to process the call like we would for anything else, so I think its just a number they know.”
Womack said you should call 911 about fireworks if there are burns or injuries involved, especially with children.
“At this time you get more calls for burns, hand injuries, eye injuries, especially with kids,” Womack said. “Kids are more likely to be injured because they’re looking at the fireworks and not seeing the danger, or they are lighting fireworks and burn themselves.”
Womack said there is a non-emergency number for the 911 center if people have appropriate questions. He said that number is (931) 646-4357. He said if there is a non-emergency need for law enforcement, those calls should be directed to the Police Department or Sheriff’s department, and not the 911 center.
