911 Emergencies

If this is an emergency, please call 9-1-1

9-1-1 Emergency Communicators must be able to field hundreds of incoming calls each day, determine the best course of action, and forward that information to the appropriate resource.

Most people only call 9-1-1 once or twice in their lifetime. Listen to the communicator. Please let them ask the questions. They are trained to know what questions to ask and will save valuable time in getting you the assistance you require.

Have the necessary information ready to aid the dispatcher in sending you the appropriate resources quickly and efficiently.

Try to remain calm. Listen and answer the questions that are asked. Help is being sent, even if the communicator is still asking questions or giving instructions. You are speaking to a live person that is trained to help you through this emergency. Be mentally prepared to follow instructions.

For non-emergency calls or for law enforcement-related questions, please call 705-675-9171

Dial 3-1-1 for City of Greater Sudbury services

Dial 2-1-1 for provincial, community-based and non-clinical social resources

If you are in crisis and need to speak to a mental health professional, please call 705-675-4760 or toll free at 1-877-1101 or visit the Canadian Mental Health Association

What to expect when you call 9-1-1

Only call 9-1-1 if you have a police, fire or medical emergency. A 9-1-1 emergency communicator will ask you if you require Police, Fire or Ambulance. If you ask for Ambulance, you will be transferred to an Ambulance Communications Operator that is trained to handle any medical emergency.

Call 9-1-1 for emergencies

to report a fire
to stop a crime in progress or one that is about to occur
for medical emergencies
when life or property is at risk

Do not call 9-1-1

when a crime is not happening right now and no one is in danger
for routine law enforcement inquires
for weather information
for directions
for directory assistance
to complain about loud noises from neighbours to report utility problems

Tips for calling 9-1-1

know the location of your emergency - address or nearest intersection.
is a person hurt or in danger? Do you need the police, fire or ambulance?
if you do call 9-1-1, even by mistake/pocket dial, DO NOT hang up the phone. We will call you back to confirm there is no emergency.
do your best to stay calm, speak clearly and answer all questions – be able to describe the emergency.
help the call taker help you by listening and answering questions asked.

- Where you are? What is your address/nearest intersection
- What you are seeing?
- Who you are and are you involved?
- When did the incident take place?
- Are there weapons present/involved in the incident?
- Is anyone injured?
- Are there witnesses?

Prank calls to 9-1-1 are traceable and will be investigated.
9-1-1 calls from a cell phone only provide limited information. You will need to provide us with information about where you’re calling from.

What happens if you accidentally dial 9-1-1?

If you dial 911 by mistake, or if a child in your home dials 911 when no emergency exists, do not hang up – that could make communicators think that an emergency exists, and send police to your location. Instead, simply explain to the call-taker what happened.

Can I dial 9-1-1 from a wireless phone without a wireless plan?

All wireless phones, even those that are not subscribed to or supported by a specific carrier, can call 911. However, calls to 911 from phones without an active service do not deliver the caller’s location to the 911 call center, and the call center cannot call these phones back to find out the caller’s location or the nature of the emergency. If disconnected, the 911 center has no way to call back the caller.

These uninitialized phones are often used to place malicious or fake calls to 911 call centers. These calls are a burden on the 911 system because 911 call centers are required to find out whether or not an emergency truly exists.

Oftentimes, parents provide these uninitialized wireless phones as toys to young children, unaware that if the child dials 911, a live call will be connected with the local 911 call center. It is recommended that parents remove the phone’s battery before giving these phones to children.

Teaching children about dialing 9-1-1

Teaching children when to call 9-1-1 is just as important as teaching them how to place a 9-1-1 call. A variety of resources are available to help parents and educators train children when and how to call 9-1-1.

Parents should also be aware that wireless phones without a current calling plan through a wireless provider are still capable of connecting a call to a local 9-1-1 center.

Children should be told not to dial 9-1-1 from these old or uninitialized phones, and it is recommended that parents remove the phone’s battery before giving these phones to children.

Reporting a non-emergency

Rubireports offers a more intuitive, accessible, and user-friendly experience for reporting non-emergent crimes and incidents. Designed with modern users in mind, Rubireports features:

Multi-lingual support in over 50 languages, ensuring accessibility for all members of our diverse community
Geolocation accuracy with integrated Google Maps address search, making it easier to pinpoint incident locations
Mobile-friendly design, allowing users to report from any device, anytime, anywhere
Digital evidence collection, with the ability to upload any file type 3GB+, supporting photos, videos, documents, and more

Before getting started, there are a few things you should know before submitting an online report.

We can only accept reports where the incident happened within the City of Greater Sudbury.
You must have a valid email address to file an online report.
An officer will NOT attend your residence/business after an online report is submitted.
If you are reporting a Sexual Assault, Human Trafficking or a Hate Crime/Hate-motivate Incident, you will be contacted by a detective.
For all other report types, you will ONLY be contacted if more information is required.

File an online report