Welcome to Morgan County, Ohio 9-1-1

Morgan County 9-1-1's goal is to provide the most efficient method for citizens to obtain fast, effective public safety services 24 hours a day throughout the year.​

When To Call 9-1-1
If you feel you are experiencing an emergency, please dial 9-1-1 immediately.
You should only dial 9-1-1 in emergency situations. An emergency is any situation that requires immediate assistance from law enforcement, the fire department or emergency medical services (EMS).

If you are ever in doubt of whether a situation is an emergency, call 9-1-1, and the telecommunicator will determine if you need emergency assistance.
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​Examples of when to call 9-1-1

• Life threatening medical situations (chest pains, seizures, bleeding, falls)
• Any type of fire
• Crimes in progress (anything that is happening RIGHT NOW)
• Domestic violence
• Vehicle accident with life threatening injuries
• Suspicious activities

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If You Call 9-1-1 By Mistake​

If you call 911 by mistake, DO NOT HANG UP. Stay on the line and explain that you do not actually have an emergency and answer any questions you are asked. If a caller hangs up without stating the problem, the caller must be contacted in order to ensure that no actual emergency exists. This may involve the dispatching of an officer to your home or place of business in order to ensure that a problem does not exist. ​

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 How to Text to 9-1-1

• Enter the numbers “911” in the “To” or “Recipient” field.
• The first text to 9-1-1 should be short, include the location of the emergency, and ask for police, fire or ambulance.
• Push the “Send” button.
• Answer questions and follow instructions from the 9-1-1 call taker.
• Text in simple words –no abbreviations or slang.
• Keep text messages short.

When NOT To Call 9-1​ -1
911 is to be used for emergencies only.
Don’t call 9-1-1 just because you burned dinner and your guests are arriving any minute, or because you are late for a meeting and need help finding an address. While those situations may count as emergencies for you, they aren’t for public safety. Inappropriate use of the 9-1-1 system wastes resources and ties up the lines at the 9-1-1 center, and nobody wants to be on hold when they are in the middle of a real crisis. Not to mention that in Ohio harassing or making prank calls to 9-1-1 is a crime, and you don’t want law enforcement showing up at your door​

Examples of when NOT to call 9-1-1

• For information
• When the power is out
• To report a broken fire hydrant
• When your water pipes burst
• To get a ride for a doctor's appointment
• For your pet
• As a prank

​For NON-EMERGENCY calls use the NON-EMERGENCY numbers:
Law Enforcement 740-962-4044
Fire/EMS 740-962-3444

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Morgan County 9-1-1 Facts​

Morgan County has provided 9-1-1 services for many years. In 2013, Morgan County became the first county in Ohio to offer Next Generation or
NG 9-1-1, serving as the pilot project for the State of Ohio.  Over the years 5 other counties joined in the pilot project. Beginning in 2024 more counties will join the State project with all counties being required to offer NG 9-1-1 within 5 years. 

All 9-1-1 calls placed from residential, business, VOIP, or mobile phones in Morgan County are routed to the Morgan County Sheriff's Office. Once the type of emergency is identified it is either handled by the Sheriff's Office or routed to the Fire/EMS dispatcher.

Morgan County 9-1-1 is governed by a committee of government and public safety officials and provides service to 2 law enforcement agencies, 6 volunteer fire departments, and the County contracted EMS service.

The mission of  Morgan County 9-1-1 is to serve as the critical and vital link between the citizens and visitors of Morgan County and the public safety agencies that serve them.

​Morgan County 9-1-1, 2024