Lombard police offer tips for making 911 calls

Lombard police are reminding residents that 911 is available to them whenever they do not feel safe, or believe they could be witnessing or experiencing a potentially unsafe situation.

Residents are reminded they should not wait until they are involved in a dangerous situation before contacting police.

"The police are here to provide assistance to those in need," Chief Roy Newton said. "If someone feels unsafe, they should not hesitate to dial 911 and an officer will be dispatched to the scene. If they wait to call later, or decide to post their concern on social media instead of calling us first, then we might be limited to any action we can take. It's important to dial 911 at the time of occurrence so we can observe the scene in question."

Some examples of when to dial 911 include, but are not limited to:

• Medical emergencies, including heart attack or stroke, or an unresponsive person.

• House fire.

• Domestic violence.

• Burglary or theft in progress.

• Car accident with life- threatening injuries.

• Suspicious activities.

• Concern for dogs locked in potentially hot cars.

• Aggressive solicitors.

• Anything else that seems like an emergency.

Newton reminds residents that dialing 911 is also appropriate when experiencing an excessive noise issue, or when confronted by solicitors that either cannot produce a village issued ID or are aggressive, or if you feel that you could be witnessing or experiencing an unsafe or suspicious situation.

"We receive a lot of inquiries from residents about what to do if they find a dog locked in a hot car, or when confronted by an aggressive solicitor," Newton said. "The best thing to do in these situations is to call us so we can best handle the situation."