During an emergency the Yakima Fire Department (YFD) and SunComm encourage you to call 9-1-1. Examples include:
- Anytime someone’s life is in danger
- When someone is sick or injured and needs immediate medical care
- When a crime is committed
- If someone witnesses a potential crime being committed or about to be committed
- Anytime you feel a police officer, the fire department or an ambulance is needed
However, there are instances when calling 9-1-1 is not recommended. These include reporting a missing dog, barking dog or being locked out of your home (unless there is food cooking or an unattended child).
YFD and SunComm also encourage teaching children to know their address and not to call 9-1-1 as a joke or prank. Also, allowing infants and toddlers to play with cell phones is discouraged. Even without a service plan, all cell phones will still call 9-1-1
Other tips include:
- Please remember to update your address with your phone provider. The updated address ensures you are routed to the correct 9-1-1 center.
- Text 9-1-1 if you cannot call or if it is not safe for you to speak on the phone.
- If you call 9-1-1 by mistake, don’t hang up the phone. Stay on the line until the call is answered. Then explain the call was a mistake and there is no emergency.
- SunComm does not monitor social media for emergency situations. Although social media is a communication platform, 9-1-1 technology is not equipped at this time for emergency reporting. SunComm has a Facebook page to communicate updates. It is not monitored 24/7.
SunComm, Yakima County 9-1-1, is a multi-agency, multi-discipline, multi-jurisdiction 9-1-1 and dispatch center serving the City and County of Yakima under the oversight of YFD.
Visit Suncomm – 911 Communications (yakima911.org) or call 509-248-9911 for more about SunComm.