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Winter weather can be dangerous, but when does it become a real emergency in your home?
Adams County 9-1-1 Director Steve Rowlands says during big snow events, the dispatch center tends to get flooded with calls; some necessary, some not so much.
He says the only appropriate times to call 9-1-1 are when there is a life or safety issue, like a traffic accident, medical emergency, or down power line.
He says sometimes dispatchers get calls that really aren't emergencies.
"Inconvenience during a winter storm is not something that 9-1-1 should be called for - if the power is out, shoveling snow, directing a snow plow, that isn't a call that's appropriate to 9-1-1," he said.
Rowlands says if you call and 9-1-1 can't help you, they will let you know who you need to contact.
