Have you ever been driving and seen something that looked like a potential emergency situation? Perhaps you wondered whether or not you should call 911. According to Linda Hanson, Manager of Anoka County Central Communications, the answer is yes. If you believe there is a potential problem under any circumstances that may require police or fire assistance do not hesitate to call 911. Additionally, if you think something looks suspicious or you think you've seen something that police and fire personnel should know about, call 911. These situations could include the spotting of a stranded motorist, rail system crossing gates that are unexplainably down, traffic signal outages, a non-injury accident, or a front door to your home that is mysteriously open. Don't deliberate; just call 911.

 As you call 911, however, there are some do's and don'ts. First, if you accidentally called 911, stay on the line and explain what has happened rather than generate a response from an officer. Secondly, take a moment to visualize where you are and be prepared to describe your location. Third, do not necessarily expect an immediate response. Police officers and firefighters are often very busy responding to concurrent calls and must be given the flexibility to prioritize their calls. Also realize that in some circumstances you may get a telephone response or no response at all if it is something that has already been reported.

 While you should not hesitate to call 911 for circumstances that may require police and/or fire department assistance, you should not be calling 911 for information about public events, power outages or other circumstances that are not public safety issues. Also, do not call 911 for situations where keys are locked in cars. The Fridley Police Department does not assist with vehicle lockouts; nor does it respond to reports of deer running near your home.

 While you should be calling Xcel Energy at 1-800-895-1999 to report power outage, you should call 911 immediately if you spot a downed power line. If you smell, hear, or see a natural gas leak call 911. Once you have alerted public safety responders to the gas leak, you should call Center Point Energy's emergency gas leak hotline at 1-800-296-9815 to report the leak.

 Both emergency and non-emergency 911 calls are handled by Anoka County Central Communications from their facilities in the Anoka County Courthouse. Fridley residents who wish to make non-emergency police reports, report a crime tip, or request a vacation house check have the option of reporting their matter online. Just go to the Fridley website, click on Police Department and follow the directions to their online reporting system.