News

Do not call 911 with these questions

By Lightning Reports, Published: January 16, 2022

The Henderson County sheriff's office implored the public to refrain from calling 911 to ask about road conditions, when roads will be cleared and other questions that dispatchers can't answer.

Non-emergency calls jam up the lines and take time away unnecessarily from actual emergencies. If someone asks when roads will be cleared, "E-911 Operators do not have this information," the sheriff's said. If the question is, Can I make it to the grocery store? the answer is no.

"These are only a few examples of the 911 calls we receive when it snows," the alert said. "PLEASE DO NOT call 911 to check road conditions. Our 911 operators are unable to advise you on road conditions and will direct you to the NCDOT road condition website https://drivenc.gov." (The website reported Sunday morning that all interstate, primary and secondary roads were covered with snow and ice.)