“911” confusion

I received an Emergency Notification that the 911 system was down and I needed to call the Fire Department or police/sheriff directly to report an emergency. I planned to add the phone numbers to my cellphone and post them near my landline.

I googled “How to report a fire in Spokane County” and got links to Outdoor Burning Information, the City of Spokane Fire Department, Fire Incidents – City of Spokane, Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency. … I tried “Nine Mile Falls Fire” and got nothing telling me how to report a fire.

I googled “Spokane County Sheriff.” A few links down was at “Contacts” in the Spokane County link. It specified “To file a report over the phone, call Crime Check at (509) 456-2233.” I thought Crime Check was where you reported a stolen snowblower, not a chimney fire.

I called Crime Check and was told the Crime Check number is the equivalent of calling 911. For both fire and police.

“Crime Check” should be renamed “Spokane County Emergency Reporting” and be the “go to” link when one submits internet queries like “Fire Spokane” or “Spokane Sheriff.” The Crime Check number (509) 456-2233 should be as widely reported as “911”.

Eric Erickson

Nine Mile Falls