As Hurricane Dorian approaches, the North Carolina 911 Board and county 911 centers are preparing to ensure continuous and effective emergency services throughout the storm.

North Carolina 911 centers in the southeastern and coastal regions have made preparations to route calls to back-up 911 centers in unaffected areas of the state if necessary due to weather or call volume. Rerouting calls is common practice during weather-related emergencies and ensures that North Carolina residents will not experience a disruption of service due to the hurricane. The professionals at the back-up 911 centers will be able to assist callers quickly and effectively.

State officials issued the following guidelines to help keep residents and first responders safe:

• Do not call 9-1-1 unless there is a life-threatening emergency.
• Call 2-1-1 for non-emergency disaster-related needs. 211 is available 24 hours a day to provide information on evacuations, shelter locations, and other disaster-related public assistance. 2-1-1 call specialists are available to help those evacuating access the information they need. You can also reach 2-1-1 by texting NCDORIAN to 898-211 or by calling 888-892-1162 if you use a Relay device.
• Provide as much information as possible when calling 9-1-1. The professionals answering the calls may be at back-up centers in a different area of the state, and it is important not to assume that they are familiar with your local geography or landmarks.
• Do not reach out through social media for assistance if you have an emergency. Call 9-1-1. First-responders will not monitor social media sites or networks during the hurricane.
• Be patient. First responders are working as quickly as they can. Many are volunteers who are stepping into harm’s way to help as many people as possible.

The N.C. General Assembly created the 911 Board in 2007 to manage both landline and wireless 911 services in North Carolina. A single, statewide service charge per connection for any type of voice communication service provider goes to the 911 Fund to support equipment purchases for all 911 centers in the state. The N.C. 911 Board is part of the N.C. Department of Information Technology and Secretary Eric Boyette serves as its chair.