DIPAZE
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After-Hours Emergency Call Policy Generator

Decide what counts as an emergency after hours, then get a one-page internal policy, the message to tell callers and the questions to ask. Pick your trade, tick what you treat as an emergency, add your on-call number and fee, and copy the results.

Tick what you treat as an emergency
Unticked items go on the next-business-day list. Gas smell, fire, sparks, carbon monoxide and medical danger are always handled as "hang up and call 911".
Example: within 60 minutes. Only promise what you can keep.
Example text. Replace it with your real fee, or clear it.
Optional.

1. Internal after-hours policy

AFTER-HOURS EMERGENCY CALL POLICY: Riverside Plumbing Trade: Plumbing SAFETY FIRST (always) If a caller reports any of these, tell them to hang up and call 911 (or the gas utility for a gas smell) before anything else. Do not dispatch first and do not keep them on the line. - You smell gas: leave the building and call the gas utility's emergency line or 911. - There is a fire, smoke, sparks or a burning smell: get out and call 911. - A carbon monoxide alarm is sounding: get everyone out into fresh air and call 911. - A downed power line or someone is in electrical danger: stay away and call 911. - Anyone is hurt, trapped or in medical danger: call 911. WHAT WE TREAT AS AN EMERGENCY - Burst pipe or active flooding - Sewage backing up into the home - No water at all to the property - Water heater leaking heavily - Frozen pipes at risk of bursting WHAT WAITS UNTIL THE NEXT BUSINESS DAY Take a message and promise a callback when we open. - Slow drain - Dripping faucet or running toilet - Low water pressure - No hot water (no leak) WHO IS ON CALL Phone: (555) 010-0142 RESPONSE TIME For a true emergency we respond within 60 minutes. FEES After-hours fee: $150 after-hours dispatch fee. Tell the caller the fee before anyone is dispatched and get a clear yes. EVERY CALL Ask the intake questions, repeat back the address and callback number, and tell the caller what happens next. Log the call so the on-call person sees it right away.

2. What to tell callers: phone message

Thank you for calling Riverside Plumbing. Our office is closed right now. If anyone is in danger, or you smell gas, see fire, smoke or sparks, or a carbon monoxide alarm is sounding, hang up now and call 911. For a gas smell, leave the building and call 911 or your gas utility. If you have an emergency such as burst pipe or active flooding, sewage backing up into the home or no water at all to the property, please call (555) 010-0142, and we will respond within 60 minutes. An after-hours fee applies: $150 after-hours dispatch fee. We will confirm it with you before we send anyone. For anything else, please leave your name, number and a short message and we will call you back on the next business day.

Caller text message

Riverside Plumbing: we are closed right now. Gas smell, fire, smoke, sparks or a CO alarm? Leave and call 911. Other emergency (burst pipe or active flooding or sewage backing up into the home)? Call (555) 010-0142. Fee: $150 after-hours dispatch fee. Anything else, we reply next business day.
294 characters · 2 text segments

3. Intake questions to ask every caller

1. Is anyone in danger right now? Do you smell gas, see fire, smoke or sparks, or hear a carbon monoxide alarm? If yes: tell them to hang up and call 911 (or the gas utility) now. 2. What is your name and the best callback number? 3. What is the full service address, including unit or gate code? 4. What is happening, and when did it start? 5. Can you reach the main water shut-off valve? If it is safe, please turn it off now. 6. Is water reaching electrical outlets, panels or appliances? 7. Our after-hours fee is $150 after-hours dispatch fee. Is it OK to go ahead? 8. Are you the owner or tenant, and are you authorized to approve the work? 9. Repeat back the address and number, then tell the caller what happens next (we respond within 60 minutes).

How to use this tool

  1. Pick your tradeEach trade comes with a checklist of typical emergencies and things that can wait until morning.
  2. Tick your emergenciesMove the line to match your business. Add your on-call number, response promise and after-hours fee if you charge one.
  3. Copy and use itShare the policy with whoever is on call, put the message on your phone line and give the questions to whoever answers.

The policy only works if every call is answered

A burst pipe at 2 AM does not wait for a voicemail callback. The caller tries the next company, and the job is gone before you wake up. Deciding what counts as an emergency matters, but only if someone picks up, asks the right questions and gets the details to you.

That is the gap DIPAZE fills. DIPAZE answers your calls 24/7, finds out what the caller needs and texts you the job. You keep your own number. Use the intake list on this page to brief whoever answers, a person or DIPAZE, so every after-hours caller gets the same first questions, and you see the address and the problem before you call back.

These checklists are general starting points, not legal or safety advice. Adjust them to your licenses, insurance, local rules and the people you serve. In a life-threatening situation the caller should call 911 first.

Always say this first

Whatever you tick, the policy, the phone message, the text and the intake list start with safety:

  • You smell gas: leave the building and call the gas utility's emergency line or 911.
  • There is a fire, smoke, sparks or a burning smell: get out and call 911.
  • A carbon monoxide alarm is sounding: get everyone out into fresh air and call 911.
  • A downed power line or someone is in electrical danger: stay away and call 911.
  • Anyone is hurt, trapped or in medical danger: call 911.

Examples by trade: AI receptionists that answer after hours

Frequently asked questions

What counts as an emergency after hours?
Anything where waiting until morning risks someone's safety or causes serious damage that grows by the hour, such as active flooding, no heat in freezing weather for a vulnerable household, or a roof open to a storm. A slow drain or a dripping faucet can wait. The checklists give you typical starting points; you decide where your line is.
What do I tell a caller who smells gas or has a carbon monoxide alarm?
Tell them to hang up, get out of the building and call 911 or the gas utility's emergency line. Do not troubleshoot, dispatch first or keep them on the phone. The generated policy and scripts always lead with this, whatever you tick.
Can I charge more for after-hours calls?
Most trades do, and it is normal when it is disclosed before the visit. Put the fee in the field and the scripts say it up front and ask for a yes. Check your state and local rules on fee disclosure and licensing; this tool is a drafting aid, not legal advice.
How fast should I promise to respond?
Only what you can keep, with whoever is on call. A promise like "within 60 minutes" that you miss is worse than "within 2 hours" that you meet. Leave it blank to omit the promise from the scripts.
Who should be on call, and how do I share the number?
One named person per night or weekend, with a phone that gets loud notifications. Put that number in the policy so everyone knows it, and in the caller message only if you want callers to ring it directly. Leave the field blank and callers are asked to leave a message that starts with the word emergency.
Does this policy work if the phone goes to voicemail?
Not well. A caller with a burst pipe will not wait for a callback they are not sure of; they call the next company. The policy only works if every call is answered. DIPAZE answers your calls 24/7, finds out what the caller needs and texts you the job, and you keep your own number.

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