The Provost Marshal's Office Emergency Dispatch Center here makes this type of situation a little easier. 

The EDC handles all emergency calls for Status of Forces Agreement personnel on Okinawa, and will dispatch emergency services to any location on the island, said Lance Cpl. Javier Maranon, a dispatcher with Headquarters and Service Battalion, Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler.

The emergency dispatchers are bilingual, speaking Japanese and English, enabling them to handle the processing of all police, medical and fire/rescue emergencies.

The emergency dispatchers communicate with the Japanese police and inform the military dispatchers what they need to know to dispatch units to the scene or update units on scene, said Maranon.

There are a few things people need to remember to get emergency services to their location in the quickest time possible, said Maranon.

For all Marine Corps installations, when using a base phone dial 911. If calling from a cell phone or an off-base phone dial 098-911-1911.

These numbers will connect callers with an emergency dispatcher.

The dispatcher will ask for the caller's name, address including the base the caller is on, or the callers off base location, telephone number and the nature of the emergency.

"If someone needs emergency services off-base they must be prepared to give as much information as possible," said Maranon. "This will assist emergency services in getting there as quick as possible."

"The off-base response is coming from on-base units," said Scott S. Minakami, the fire chief for Marine Corps Bases Japan Fire Department. "The time frame will not be the same on base as off base. Giving good directions is the best thing you can do to ensure we get there in the quickest time possible."

"Try to remain calm and answer the dispatcher's questions in the order they are asked," said Maranon. "While the person is answering questions, emergency units are responding to their location."

While waiting for emergency personnel to respond, the caller should ensure they stay on the line with the dispatcher until told to hang up, unless a threat to their safety requires them to hang up, said Maranon.

"It is important to stay on the line so I know what is going on," said Maranon. "If the situation changes, I can give you advice on what to do."

It is important to talk with children about what an emergency is and what to do in case of one.

If 911 is called by mistake, the caller should remain on the line until the emergency dispatcher answers and explain it was an accidental call to avoid having emergency services sent to their location, said Maranon.

People should affix 911 stickers to every phone in their home and ensure their address is near the phone, said Minakami. These stickers are also helpful to any guests who have to call 911 and are available at any Fire Prevention Branch on island.

In an emergency it can be surprising what information people forget, said Minakami.

If someone tries to make an emergency call on a phone using a device such as Magic Jack or Vonage, they will get the emergency dispatch center in the United States not here on Okinawa.

It is recommended by the MCBJ Fire Department that people always have a phone connected into the wall jack or a cell phone available in case of emergency.

Critical days of summer is here. Before you need emergency services, learn how to make use of the system.