As much as you take care to keep yourself and your loved ones safe and protected at all times, there is always the possibility of instances wherein you or someone will be in danger or an emergency that requires immediate help from the authorities.
In such cases, you would need to contact your local police force as soon as possible. In Australia, the number to remember is 000; when you dial this number in, you need to ask for the police services in your specific state and territory, and then wait for the dispatchers to pick up your call and send for help from your local police station.
Here is a guide to the information that you need to provide the dispatcher/police in the event of a life-threatening crime or emergency:
1. Where are you? The police need to establish where the call is coming from. If you are presently inside a house, provide the full address (house or unit number, street and suburb). If you are outside, like on the street, share the nearby street names or any major landmarks that could help police officers identify where you are.
2. What is going on? Right after sharing your location, tell the police exactly what is going on so they can make quick decisions on how to respond appropriately to the situation.
3. Is anyone injured? If your emergency involves any kind of violence or injury, the dispatchers will immediately contact local Ambulance services to attend with police. You should provide information about the injured person: gender, a rough estimate of their age and what specific injuries they are suffering. This will allow the authorities to get the right help to you right away.
4. Are there any offenders? In many of the calls received by emergency dispatchers, there are third parties involved, such as offenders. Provide as much information as you can about the offender so that police will be able to quickly find the individual or group in question. Share as much as you know: the offender's name, gender, what they look like (hair, facial features, estimated height), and what they are wearing.
These are some of the most common questions the emergency dispatcher will ask you, but depending on the situation, they may ask you more. Keep in mind that even as you are answering questions, the dispatcher will have sent for police from the nearest station to attend to your emergency within seconds of receiving your call, and they will relay the information you share to them as soon as possible. So your best hope of getting prompt and effective response from the police is to share all the information you can give.