Dial 911 in case of emergency

With the holiday season upon us, the Massachusetts State Police would like to remind motorists to dial 9-1-1 for all roadway emergencies. This is a fundamental cornerstone to ensuring a prompt emergency response of police, fire or EMS personnel. When you dial 9-1-1 on your wireless phone, vital information is presented to State Police dispatch personnel, including your approximate location. The dispatchers assess the information and notify the appropriate State Police barracks or the local authorities of jurisdiction.

Since 1986 Massachusetts motorists have been encouraged to dial *SP or *MSP in western Massachusetts to report highway emergencies. The new technology transition to wireless Enhanced 9-1-1 has made this system obsolete . In fact, dialing *SP or *MSP is not recommended because the State Police will not be able to use mapping technology to locate you during an emergency, and precious time could be lost and may place you at greater risk. The State Police encourage all citizens, whether traveling along the highways of Massachusetts or sitting in their own homes, to always dial 9-1-1 in an emergency.


REMEMBER 9-1-1 SAVES LIVES