E-911 Communications

The mission of the Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Department E-911 Communications Center is to provide protection and service to the community in a timely, professional, effective, and courteous manner. To attain this goal, we must establish professional standards, and attract, train, and retain the qualified employees necessary to provide this service. This section will carry out all tasks with an eye toward the future, striving to make innovation, efficiency and cooperation our standard.
Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International Logo
Indiana Chapter of National Emergency Number Association Logo

When To Call 911

Call 911 when it is an emergency and a prompt response is needed. Call 911 if it is a life-threatening situation, or something is occurring at the time of the call. Fire, medical problems, an assault, fight, traffic accident, or any situation that could result in loss of life or major property loss should be called in to 911. 

When You Call 911 

When you call 911, a call taker will ask: "where is your emergency?" You will be asked questions which call takers are trained to ask. Questions could include: 

What is your emergency?  

What is the location of the emergency?  

Where are you calling from?  

What is your name? 

Please do not assume that the call taker has this information in the computer. All facts need to be verified to ensure prompt response. 

Stay on the Line 

While you are on the phone with the call taker, he/she can send your call to the dispatcher. Staying on the line does not interfere with the ability of the call taker to dispatch help, and it will not delay the response. 

The call taker may need you to stay on the line to help direct emergency personnel to the right location, or to provide additional assistance that can help ensure your emergency is handled correctly. If it is possible, do not hang up the phone until the 911 call taker says it is okay to hang up. 

When to Call the Non-Emergency Number 

The non-emergency number for the Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Department is 765-423-9321, which you can dial 24 hours a day for non-emergency help. Using the non-emergency number keeps the 911 lines available for true emergencies. 911 call takers receive non-emergency and emergency calls often, most frequently the call is from someone wanting to report a crime which occurred a few hours, or even days ago. 

Some examples of events when you should call 765-423-9321 for the Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Department are: 

Life or property is not in immediate danger  

Your runaway child has returned home  

You need to add additional information to a report already worked by Law Enforcement 

911 Calls From Businesses 

911 works the same from any phone line. However, if the business has a private switchboard (PBX) the call may originate from one of several different buildings or floors. An example of this might be a bank with multiple branches, or a municipal government with multiple administrative office buildings. The information displayed on the 911 screens will show the location of the switchboard. The 911 call-taker will ask the caller for specific location information, such as which building or floor and room. 

Hearing Impaired 911 Callers 

All 911 PSAPs (Public Safety Answering Points) in the state of Indiana are required to have TDD capability for communication with hearing and speech-impaired persons. Each console is equipped to answer calls from the Hearing Impaired public.  

Cellular Phones 

Cellular phones can call 911 as a free call. Limited location information is provided; therefore, the dispatcher is dependent upon the caller to provide location information, roadway, direction of travel, etc.