911 should only be called to report life-threatening or medical emergencies, crimes in progress, or fires. To report all other concerns, please call the Lowell Police Communications number (978) 937-3200.

Only call 911 in the case of an emergency

  • Some examples of emergencies include: chest pain, a burglary in progress, or any type of fire. If you smell gas in your home, leave immediately and THEN call 911 – avoid doing so while in your home!
  • When you call 911, briefly describe the incident you are reporting to the dispatcher.
    • Remain calm.
    • Stay on the line with the dispatcher and do not hang up until they tell you to. In many cases, the dispatcher will keep you on the phone until the first emergency units arrive to help you.
    • Do your best to remain calm, speak clearly, and let the dispatcher control the conversation when you call. They have been trained to ask you specific questions, especially when it comes to medical calls.

Do not call 911 for non-emergencies. See the examples below, along with alternate numbers:

For non-emergency related issues, please call Lowell Police Communications at (978) 937-3200. Some examples of non-emergencies include:

  • Reporting a past theft, past vandalism, or parking problems.
  • There is a barking dog in the neighborhood.
  • You need a local phone number.
  • For non-emergency related issues, please call the Lowell Police Communications at (978) 937-3200.
  • For general animal-related issues, please call the Lowell Police Communications at (978) 937-3200.
  • If however, it is an emergency situation such as a vicious, loose animal or an animal bite, contact 911.

Should you or your child accidentally dial 911, please do not hang up the telephone.

  • Your address and phone number still comes through to the Communications Center and a police officer will be dispatched to your home – even in the event of a hang up.
  • Staying on the telephone and answering the questions of the trained Communications personnel will help ensure your safety and that of the responding units as well.

For any type of power problems, please directly contact National Grid at (800) 322-3223.

In case of emergency, please call 911.

If you need to call 911 and you are unable to speak for any reason, once the call is answered:

Press:

  • 1 – If you need police
  • 2 – If you need fire
  • 3 – If you need an ambulance.

If the 911 dispatcher asks questions, press

  • 4 – For YES
  • 5 – For NO

Residents and visitors are encouraged to use Text to 911 if they are unable to make a voice call. To send a text to 911, type the numbers 911 into the “To” or “Recipient” field. When sending a text to 911, please remember to state your address/location and the nature of the incident.  

For more information, please visit https://www.mass.gov/doc/text-to-9-1-1-public-faqs/download.