Chief Kirk Beattie: Dial 911 for fire or medical emergencies

To The Daily Sun,

The Laconia Fire Department has seen a significant increase in the number of emergency requests that are called directly to one of our fire stations through our business line. These may be for fires, or requests for an ambulance. Unfortunately, there is not always someone in the station to answer your call. Companies may be out on another incident, training, or not immediately able to answer the phone. This means a delay for you in receiving the help you need.

By dialing 911, the caller is guaranteed to talk to a trained emergency telecommunicator. This operator will gather vital information that our crews need, and forward that information to our dispatch center, all while staying on the line to assist you until help arrives. This is a quick process that saves a lot of valuable time.

All non-emergency calls, or questions for our staff can still go directly into our business line. However, we ask that all emergency requests are initiated by dialing 911.

Chief Kirk Beattie

Laconia Fire Department