Using a cell phone to call 911? Remember to say - I'M AT WINTERGREEN!

Consider storing the direct number for Wintergreen Dispatch as a “favorite contact” in your cell phone. The number is 434-325-1106.

Cellular 911 calls within Wintergreen are tricky.

Within the past month, we have experienced a delayed response to 911 calls from within Stoney Creek because the cell call was routed to neighboring counties. Fortunately, the delays were slight and didn’t have an effect on the outcome of the call.

The Wintergreen 911 center can only receive landline 911 calls. Cellular 911 calls from Wintergreen are typically routed to Nelson County and Nelson can directly dispatch our resources without delay. With that being said, cellular systems do have overlap, and therefore it’s easy to imagine cellular 911 scenarios where the caller is within Nelson County, however the call is received by a different county.

There is a new national number for mental health emergencies. The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline number is 988 and it works anywhere in the United States.

If you dial 911 with a cell phone, you will likely hear “911, what are you reporting?” You should start your answer with the words “I am at Wintergreen.”

911 was created so that citizens would never have to look up the number for emergency services. It has worked. Virtually every man, woman, and child knows 911. We can’t recommend any number other than 911.

You may choose to store the direct number for Wintergreen Dispatch as a “favorite contact” in your cell phone. The number is 434-325-1106. Our Wintergreen Police dispatchers answer this line 24/7.

-Curtis Sheets, Chief Wintergreen Fire & Rescue