911 FAQ's

Do not call 9-1-1 for routine questions (for example; "When is the power going to be back on?, or "How are the roads?" or "Do you know what time the parade is going to be?"). Do not call 9-1-1 to speak to a member of the Sheriff's department or to obtain copies of police reports. Do not call 9-1-1 to inquire about the status of someone in jail. To request a police report or speak to a member of the department, please call one of our non-emergency numbers listed below. To inquire about someone in jail please call one of the non-emergency numbers listed below for the jail.

3. How do I notify 9-1-1 that I have an alarm installed at my business or residence (etc) ?

If you have an alarm installed at your place of business, your residence or some other structure that you own, rent or otherwise occupy or you are an alarm company that would like to notify us of an active alarm somewhere in our County please fill out the Alarm Response Data Form and submit it to our office (see form for further details).

4. What number should I call for routine matters?

The NON-emergency numbers for the Sheriff's Office are (585) 394-4560, (315) 781-1200 or 1-800-394-4560, please use one of these numbers for routine matters. Our fax number is (585) 394-3245. The phone numbers for the Ontario County Jail are (585) 396-1800 or (315) 781-1966.

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5. How do I request a "Property Check" of my house/property?

You can request a check of your house/property while you are away (vacation etc.) or if you have been having some other problems (vandalism, suspicious activity, etc.) by calling the Sheriff's Office, stopping in (Monday - Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm) or by filling out the Property Check form and sending it to the Sheriff's Office (mail or e-mail).

6. How do I list emergency/after hours contact numbers for my business?

To enter or update emergency or after hours contacts for your business, please fill out the Business Information Form and submit it to our office (see form for further details).

7. What should I do if I have a complaint about the way my call was handled?

Please call the appropriate NON-emergency number and ask to speak to the supervisor on duty. In the rare event that a supervisor is not on duty, please call between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday and ask to speak to the Chief Communications Officer, Murray Henry. If these hours are not convenient for you please ask to be connected to his voicemail at any time and he will return your call. Also, we now have an on-line survey that you can fill out.

8. What happens when I call 9-1-1 from my cell phone?

In Ontario County (and many others around the country) we are able to track the location of most wireless 9-1-1 callers. Whether or not we can track your call depends upon who your wireless service provider is (for example; Verizon, AT&T, Nextel, Sprint, etc) and in some cases how new your wireless phone is. Verizon and Sprint/Nextel services (among others) use a method to track callers using global positioning service (GPS) which requires a phone with a GPS "chip" installed in it. On the other hand T-Mobile and AT&T (among others) use a method of triangulation based on the distance of the caller from two or more cell towers.

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9. What if I accidentally dial 9-1-1?

If you accidentally dial 9-1-1 or if you dial 9-1-1 to "be safe" because you are home alone or hear a noise, etc. STAY ON THE LINE. If you stay on the line we can verify that everything is alright. If you hang up we WILL call you back to make sure that there is not a problem at your location. If we can not sufficiently determine that there is no emergency we will send police cars to your location to verify that everything is alright.

10. What should I expect when I call 9-1-1?

When you call 9-1-1, the call taker, using a proven and efficient interview process, will ask some common questions to verify the information displayed. You should be prepared to minimally give the following information.

The address where the assistance is needed. Including the nearest cross street.
What type of assistance is needed (Police, Fire, Medical).
The phone number you are calling from.
Other questions as dictated by the nature of the incident you are reporting

If you are calling for medical assistance (ambulance) you will be asked several more questions so we may assure that the proper level of care is sent to those that truly require it. If appropriate, you will be given instructions on how to properly assist the sick or injured person(s)

11. What if I receive a community alert/notification from the 9-1-1 Center?

Occasionally it is necessary for the 9-1-1 Center (using an outbound notification system called Hyper-Reach®) to call residents in a specific area to advise them of a situation in their area. This system can be used to advise of water main breaks/boil water advisories, lost children, dangerous situations and many other reasons. The 9-1-1 Center staff can choose to call a specific address, a range of addresses or a geographical area. If you receive one of these calls, please follow the directions given and do not call 9-1-1 unless you have an emergency or are directed to do so. If you have a wireless (cell) phone and no longer have a home phone please consider registering your wireless phone here to receive these important messages.

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