9-1-1 is the phone number to call to report a fire, police or medical emergency

9-1-1 is initially answered by the Tempe Police Department, regardless of the emergency you are reporting. If reporting a fire or medical emergency, you will immediately be connected to a Tempe Fire Medical Rescue Department operator.

When reporting an emergency, remain calm and remain on the line until the operator tells you it's ok to hang up.

The operator will ask you the following series of questions:

1. What is the address of the emergency or incident?
2. Is this a house or an apartment?
3. What is your telephone number?
4. What is your emergency?

• For a medical emergency:
  • Is the person awake?
  • Is the person breathing?
  • What are the symptoms? (vomiting, bleeding, convulsions)
• For an auto accident:
  • Is it a two car, pedestrian-car, or a rollover accident? Be specific.
• For a fire emergency:
  • What is burning? (structure, brush, trash, car, etc.)
  • What do you see? (smoke, flames)
  • What color is the smoke?

Non-emergency assistance

If you may have an urgent or pressing need but it may not be an emergency call for 9-1-1, there are ways the city can help. The Tempe Police Department has a list of various resources that might help you.

Patient Advocate Services

We can help you reduce your calls to 9-1-1 for emergency medical services.  Our professional medical staff from Patient Advocate Services can make home visits for basic check ups and take questions over the phone.

Reverse 9-1-1

In an emergency, you may get a call from the Reverse 9-1-1 system that contacts telephone landlines and registered cell phones within a designated area with a recorded message about what’s happening in your area.  In Tempe, the system is activated by the Tempe Police Department. All landlines are in the system’s database but cell phones must be registered for Reverse 9-1-1; go to https://maricoparegion911.onthealert.com/Terms/Index/?ReturnUrl=%2f