McAllen Police Department
Communications Bureau
The McAllen Communications Bureau has the primary responsibility of answering all 9-1-1 calls within the McAllen city limits. Communications Bureau is responsible for handling all emergency and non-emergency calls 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Emergency Communications Specialists (ECS) work all weekends, holidays and special events. ECS's provide support and direction to field officers involved in calls for service and emergency situations. ECS's also input entries such as warrants, protective orders, missing persons, runaways, stolen/recovered property, etc into a database.
Important Numbers
Emergencies: 9-1-1
Non-Emergency: (956) 681-2000
Who Funds the 9-1-1 Program?
9-1-1 across the United States is funded by service fees. The amounts are set by state law. Service fee amount can be found on phone monthly statements. Contact your service provider for assistance when attempting to locate your current monthly fees.
What Happens When You Call 9-1-1
When you call 911, a call-taker will answer the phone and say "911" or "911, what's your emergency?". Ideally, you should tell the call-taker what the emergency is, for example:
- "My house is on fire!"
- "There's someone breaking into my home!"
- "There's a car accident at..."
The best and fastest way to get a response to your emergency is to patiently answer all the questions the call-taker asks you.
We understand that it can be difficult to be patient when you're terrified, but if you can remain as calm as possible and answer questions clearly, things will go much faster.
When seconds count, you don't want to waste any time repeating yourself, or screaming while the call-taker tries to calm you down.
When to Call 9-1-1?
- Domestic violence
- Crime in progress
- Car accidents
- House fires
- Medical emergencies
- Any other possible situation which may deemed an active emergency
Please do not abuse the 9-1-1 service. Do not call 9-1-1 as a prank. If 9-1-1 operators are busy with prank calls, someone with a real emergency may not be able to get the help they need. It is illegal to willfully abuse the 9-1-1 system.
When to Call the Non-emergency Line?
Any time a service is requested from the police department.
Cell Phone Facts
A typical residential phone or business land line gives 9-1-1 call takers an exact location. Cell phones with location technology will only provide an approximate location. The McAllen Police Communications Bureau has the equipment/capabilities to acquire exact locations on blocked, private calls, and unregistered phones.
Internet/Digital Phone Users (VOIP)
Ensure your phone is properly registered and a test call has been made with your local agency. If you travel with your VoIP adapter, be sure to update your registered location with your service provider. If you don’t update, your 9-1-1 call may not be answered at the correct 9-1-1 call center. Provide your address and call back number when making an emergency call. VoIP phones may not work in the event of a power outage. Consider acquiring a backup power supply for the phone.
Can I Call 9-1-1 From a Pay Phone
Yes, and it is free of charge. Most payphones are land lines and will provide the call taker with the exact address.
How Many 9-1-1 and Non-emergency Calls are Made?
Fiscal Year 2013-2014
911 calls - 97,697
Non-emergency - 245,216
Total calls - 342,913
Can the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Call 9-1-1?
Yes, our agency has the necessary equipment and training to be able to handle calls of this nature.
Employment Opportunities
Information on ECS openings can be obtained:
Online: www.mcallen.net
Phone: (956) 681-2130.
In person: McAllen Police Training Academy (2800 W. Oxford Ave).