How does 911 dispatching work? The thought of not being found by the police in an emergency is super anxiety-inducing, and it’s difficult to understand how exactly it all works if you haven’t been in that scenario yourself. Luckily, 911 dispatchers have excellent GPS tracking technologies at their disposal in order to help callers quickly and effectively. That said, do these GPS technologies have limitations? What can you expect to happen if you’re calling 911 in an emergency but don’t know or can’t say your exact location? These are exactly the kinds of questions that Ryan French, an FMR dispatcher (and the podcast’s own videographer!) sits down to answer with David Papa in today’s episode.

If you’re in a car accident and call 911, what happens on the dispatcher’s side? The first priority is to confirm where you are. Dispatchers can usually see you on their mapping system, but they’ll try and get a better idea of where you are located. For example, if you’re on a highway, it’ll be helpful to know whether you’re northbound and southbound. Small details like these help to save the most precious resource you have in an emergency: time. It’s important to remember although you may not find yourself calling 911 if you were involved in an accident, it’s also possible that you’ll witness an accident that needs to be called in. By remaining aware of your surroundings and directions, especially on the highway, you’ll be able to give the most detailed description possible if you’re ever in that situation, potentially saving a life. To learn more about the useful information Ryan has to share about emergency responses and 911 dispatching, be sure to listen to the full episode.

If you or a loved one were injured in a car accident, you deserve to know what your options are for getting justice. Don’t hesitate to schedule a free consultation with David A. Papa to talk through your options.