Emergency Call

Before you dial

You will not have time to prepare during an emergency, so prepare at the start of every shift:

• Safety and Emergency Protocol open in a tab
• On-call schedule and escalation ladder for today, with phone numbers
• After-hours fee and rules for your client
• Your campaign's escalation method ready (team channel, paging, phone)
• A clock showing the client's local time

The flow

Stage 1: Recognise and interrupt

When you hear danger words (gas, rotten eggs, alarm, beeping, smoke, burning, sparks, water near the panel, dizzy, headache, no heat with a baby or elderly person), interrupt politely and take control.

You: (CUSTOMER NAME), I'm going to stop you there for your safety. I need you to listen carefully for a moment.

Why it works: a calm, firm interruption tells the caller you know what to do, and it stops valuable seconds being lost.

Stage 2: Give the safety steps

Gas smell

You: Please get everyone out of the house right now, including pets. Don't touch any light switches or appliances on the way out, and don't use the garage door. You: Once you're well away from the house, call 911 or your gas company. Don't go back in until they tell you it's safe. You: I'll call you back in 15 minutes on this number. Please hang up and go now.

Carbon monoxide alarm or symptoms

You: Please get everyone, including pets, outside into fresh air right now, and call 911 or the fire department from outside. You: Is anyone feeling dizzy, sick or having a headache? (If yes:) Please tell 911 that straight away. You: Don't go back inside until the fire department says it's safe. I'll call you back in 20 minutes. Please go now.

Smoke, flames, sparks or a hot electrical panel

You: Please get everyone out of the house now and call 911 from outside. Don't touch the panel, outlets or wires. You: I'll call you back in 15 minutes to see how you are.

Burning smell from the heating or cooling system, no smoke

You: Please turn the system off at the thermostat now and keep away from the unit. If you see smoke or the smell gets stronger, leave the house and call 911. You: Once it's off, I'll get a technician scheduled for you.

Then continue to Stage 3 on the same call.

Flooding or active leak

You: First, is any of the water near outlets, cords or the electrical panel? (If yes:) Please stay out of the water and keep everyone away. Call your electric company or 911 from a safe spot. You: (If no, and the client approves the shut-off script:) Do you know where your main water shut-off is? It's usually where the water line comes into the house. Turning it off will stop the water while we get a plumber to you.

If they cannot find it or it will not turn, stop. Do not tell them to force it. Continue to Stage 3.

Sewage backing up

You: Please stop using all water in the house for now, including toilets, showers and the washing machine, and keep everyone and your pets away from the backed-up area.

Continue to Stage 3.

No heat or no cooling with vulnerable people

You: Thank you for telling me. I'm marking this as a priority right now. You: If anyone starts to feel unwell, please call 911 straight away. Don't wait for us. You: (If they mention using an oven, grill or generator for heat:) Please stop using that for heat and get some fresh air. Those can make carbon monoxide, which is dangerous.

Continue to Stage 3.

Stage 3: Notify on-call (within 2 minutes)

For evacuate-and-call-911 situations, end the call first, then escalate. For stay-on-the-line situations (burning smell turned off, leak shut off, sewage, no heat), keep the caller on the line or tell them you will call back in 5 minutes while you escalate.

Escalation message (team channel, page or call, per your campaign):

You: SAFETY CALL. (SERVICE ADDRESS). (ISSUE). Safety steps given at (TIME). Customer (CUSTOMER NAME), (PHONE NUMBER). Vulnerable occupants: (YES OR NO). Callback promised at (TIME). Need on-call decision.

Follow the escalation ladder in the Priority and Dispatch Standard if there is no reply.

Stage 4: Disclose the fee and confirm dispatch (once safe)

You: (CUSTOMER NAME), I'm glad everyone is safe. Because this is outside normal hours, the visit has an emergency fee of (AFTER-HOURS FEE), plus any repair the technician quotes you on site. Would you like us to send someone tonight, or book the first appointment tomorrow morning?

During office hours with no after-hours fee, skip the fee line and offer the earliest priority window.

If they say: "That's too expensive for tonight."

You: I understand. If everyone is safe and comfortable, I can book you first thing tomorrow at the regular fee of (DIAGNOSTIC FEE). If anything changes overnight, or anyone feels unwell, call 911 first and then call us back.

Stage 5: Collect details and confirm the ETA

Now collect the full booking details (address, access, equipment, history) as in the Inbound Service Call script.

You: (TECH NAME) is on call tonight and has confirmed. They expect to arrive between (ETA WINDOW) and will call you when they're on the way. If you don't hear from us within (MINUTES) minutes, please call us back on this number.

Only say a technician is coming once the technician has confirmed.

Stage 6: Callback (if you promised one)

You: Hi (CUSTOMER NAME), it's (YOUR NAME) from (COMPANY NAME), calling back as promised. Is everyone safe? Has the gas company or fire department been out? What did they say?

Then continue at Stage 4.

Objections

They say	You say
"I don't want to make a fuss calling 911."	"They come out for exactly this, and it's always better to check. Please call from outside."
"Can't your tech just come check the gas?"	"We'll send a technician as soon as the gas company or fire department has cleared the home."
"It's probably just the batteries."	"I can't tell from here, so let's be safe. Please get fresh air and call 911 or the fire department."
"How long until someone gets here?"	Give only a confirmed ETA window. If not yet confirmed: "I'm working on it right now, and I'll update you within (MINUTES) minutes."

After the call

Add the call to your shift handoff.

Check yourself

1. On a gas smell call, what is the very first thing you tell the caller?
2. For which emergencies do you end the call before escalating?
3. When can you tell a caller that a technician is on the way?
4. A caller has no heat, it is 25°F outside, and they are using the oven to stay warm. List your steps.

Answers

1. To get everyone out of the house now without touching switches or appliances.
2. Gas smell, CO alarm or symptoms, and smoke, flames, sparks or a hot panel, because the caller must leave and call 911 or the utility.
3. Only after the technician has confirmed.
4. Tell them to stop using the oven for heat and get fresh air, ask if anyone feels unwell (if yes, call 911), mark the call priority, escalate to on-call within 2 minutes, disclose any after-hours fee, and confirm a technician and ETA.

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