# Questions about 911 welfare check **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 9, 2015, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-911-welfare-check/709398 "2015-01-09T14:53:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-911-welfare-check/709398/21 "2015-01-12T13:45:40Z")
There’s also the police who claimed a 911 call in order to get the occupants to consent to entry: > [@](#): > > In this case, police in Durham, North Carolina are being accused of falsely claiming that they received a 911 phone call from a particular house so that they could enter the house. According to ABC11. From another article I read about it, apparently the way they “explained” the call the occupants would think they had no choice but to let the police search for a suspected 911 caller. Obviously this is not the case for you. Plus, apparently a judge there has now basically said the procedure was illegal. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-911-welfare-check/709398/22 "2015-01-12T13:50:04Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > (1) No idea. > (2) No. A 911 hang up might justify a knock on the door, but it doesn’t justify a forceable entry standing alone. > (3) You would. Or your homeowner’s insurance provider. If they’d kicked in a door at the wrong house, then the municipality or county would most likely pay for repairs. How long would they be expected to knock until assuming nothing was wrong? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-911-welfare-check/709398/23 "2015-01-12T14:26:03Z")
Depends on the procedures adopted by the local agency or specified by the state, I expect. The important thing is that they can’t just enter unless their are “exigent circumstances”, which means more than just a 911 hang-up. A scream or something at the very least. ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-911-welfare-check/709398/24 "2015-01-12T19:54:46Z")
One example in which exigent circumstances may justify entry even though everything seems quiet is for a call from an alarm monitoring company for one of those I’ve-Fallen-and-I-Can’t-Get-Up alarms. No one wants to leave grandma on the floor just because she can’t come to the door so entry is usually approved even though most such calls are false alarms. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-911-welfare-check/709398/25 "2015-01-12T22:38:12Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > How long would they be expected to knock until assuming nothing was wrong? > [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Depends on the procedures adopted by the local agency or specified by the state, I expect. The important thing is that they can’t just enter unless their are “exigent circumstances”, which means more than just a 911 hang-up. A scream or something at the very least. There really isn’t one pat answer. I say this after 16 years of being sent to 911 hang ups. We have to look at the totality of the circumstances are. I know that sounds like a rote answer but it’s true. Just a 911 hang up isn’t enough. But if you add in a history of violent assaults, recent restraining orders, previous medical calls with someone sick or debilitated or some other background information then it might be enough to authorize forcing the door. Our SOP is to get permission from a supervisor before forcing a door after we explain all of the circumstances. Of course if there is an emergent situation like someone yelling for help then the guy at the door can and should make the call and act immediately. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2015, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-911-welfare-check/709398/26 "2015-01-13T05:09:24Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > But if you add in a history of violent assaults, recent restraining orders, previous medical calls with someone sick or debilitated or some other background information then it might be enough to authorize forcing the door. You actually maintain that detailed a history of 911 calls; and correlate it with other actions at the same address (restraining orders; previous medicals, etc.); and furthermore have substantially instant access to all that information? How long is that kind of history maintained? ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2015, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-911-welfare-check/709398/27 "2015-01-13T05:34:03Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > You actually maintain that detailed a history of 911 calls; and correlate it with other actions at the same address (restraining orders; previous medicals, etc.); and furthermore have substantially instant access to all that information? How long is that kind of history maintained? We have it back to whenever our current computer system has been in place. 10-11 years now. I don’t know what the future plans are. ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2015, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-911-welfare-check/709398/28 "2015-01-13T16:38:19Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > You actually maintain that detailed a history of 911 calls; and correlate it with other actions at the same address (restraining orders; previous medicals, etc.); and furthermore have substantially instant access to all that information? How long is that kind of history maintained? When I answer a 9-1-1 call I enter data in the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system and various alerts are generated automatically, lighting up the relevant button in red. I can hit one button that shows me every prior call at that address. Another is only for recent major events at that location. Known HazMat information for the location. Key codes for gated communities. Alerts for outstanding warrants light another button. And so on. The system can even pull up a list of individuals related to calls at that location. And pull up the motor vehicles registered to those persons. And so on. ---
**Author:** ![vomit\_comet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/73ab20/32.png) [@vomit\_comet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vomit_comet)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2015, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-911-welfare-check/709398/29 "2015-01-13T17:29:04Z")
I’ve been wondering for a while what CAD stood for. If I listen to the scanner for a few hours I hear at least 10 instances of cops saying their CAD crashed… Must be a super system. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2015, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-911-welfare-check/709398/30 "2015-01-13T19:17:43Z")
> [@vomit\_comet](#): > > I’ve been wondering for a while what CAD stood for. > > If I listen to the scanner for a few hours I hear at least 10 instances of cops saying their CAD crashed… Must be a super system. There isn’t just one system. CAD is a generic term. There are several competing companies that have CAD systems. I’ve only ever used QED so I can’t say which ones are better. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2015, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-911-welfare-check/709398/31 "2015-01-14T03:49:40Z")
> [@Iggy](#): > > I’ve not been able to prove it, but the urban legend in the industry is that some cell phones will dial 9-1-1 if _any_ key is pushed and held long enough, even if the keypad is locked. Not any button, but I’ve definitely owned phones where pressing and holding 9 will call 911, even though everything else is locked. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2015, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-911-welfare-check/709398/32 "2015-01-14T15:47:25Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Nitpick: **Dual** Tone Multi Frequency You are correct. Under the DTMF system, two tones are simultaneously sent for each single button pushed. Thanks for the correction. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-911-welfare-check/709398.md?page=1)