At lot has changed over the recent years with the Emergency Response systems across the country. Once there was a local EMS number, then there was EMS and a 911 system, then there most recently arrived an E911 system and finally a NG911 system is coming into action.
If this subject has already made you head spin, it completely confuses you if you’re in an emergency. So pay attention to this article and the supporting documents I have attached. IT MAY SAVE A LIFE!
Lets take the basic 911 call that we somewhat understand. First it is done on what we call now a “Land Line”. This phone in many communities is connected to a Public Safety Answering Point. The phone you use is connected to an actual physical address. This is not a perfect system, as some PSAP’s have incorrect addresses, the saying about any data basis and every computer user knows, “Garbage in, Garbage out”. In one 911 call the address had the wrong town attached and the Fire Department responded to the wrong city, it took over 30 minutes to sort this out and by the time the right department responded to the correct location the owner of the business suffered a $10 Million loss. (http://www1.whdh.com/features/articles/hank/64/)
Next 911 option is usually in your pocket or purse; it is called your cell phone. If you’re in California on vacation and you call 911 you most likely will get the California Hwy Patrol, who then will route you to the closes PSAP office to dispatch emergency personnel. If you’re in Washington or Oregon, your cell 911 call may be located by your closest cell tower, now here is where it gets a bit dicey.
According to the FCC, Basic 911 rules require wireless service providers to:
Transmit all 911 calls to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), regardless of whether the caller subscribes to the provider’s service or not.
Phase 1 I Enhanced 911 (E911) rules require wireless service providers to:
Within six months of a valid request by a PSAP, provide the PSAP with the telephone number of the originator of a wireless 911 call and the location of the cell site or base station transmitting the call. (Notice this is after your first 911 call, not before, this indicates that the first 911 call you make on your cell phone tells the PSAP absolutely nothing about your location).
Phase II E911 rules require wireless service providers to:
Within six months of a valid request by a PSAP, provide more precise location information to PSAPs; specifically, the latitude and longitude of the caller. This information must be accurate to within 50 to 300 meters depending on the type of technology used. (For those who don’t do meters, 300 meters is almost 1000 feet.)
By September 11, 2012, provide even more precise location information, specifically, information accurate to the closest PSAP. The FCC established a five year phase-in period for this requirement to allow wireless service providers more time to develop this capability. Wireless service providers must report to the FCC annually on their progress in supplying this more accurate location information for PSAPs with Phase II E911 capability.
Phase II assumes your phone is E911-capable. For those of us who have older phones, this may not be the case, if it is, then your area code dictates where you are calling, the towers don’t help you with your location, if you have an older phone, then your 805 Area Code you kept from your previous address to your new 509 area may be calling California to connect to a 911 operator.
Cell Phone companies have a variety of remedies for the non E911 – capable phones. These remedies are discounts, offer new phones, or simply not repair or enable older phones on their service. (So get ready to renew your contract on your phone as these new 911 options come your way.)
The final issue now surfaces that complicates the 911 call. We now have the VoIP, or Voice over internet provider. Calls can now be made through your cell phone or laptop computer that tells absolutely no one where you are. It is up to you to keep your account profile current if calling from home.
The flexible nature of VoIP calls brings many complications. If you use VoIP, familiarize yourself with the emergency services your provider provides. There are many draw backs with VoIP and Emergency Responses.
Because VoIP service works differently from traditional phone service, consumers who use it should be aware that VoIP 911 service may also work differently from traditional 911 service. VoIP service providers, in response to FCC action, are making progress in eliminating these differences, but some of the possible differences include:
• VoIP 911 calls may not connect to the PSAP, or may improperly ring to the administrative line of the PSAP, which may not be staffed after hours, or by trained 911 operators;
• VoIP 911 calls may correctly connect to the PSAP, but not automatically transmit the user’s phone number and/or location information;
• VoIP customers may need to provide location or other information to their VoIP providers, and update this information if they change locations, for their VoIP 911 service to function properly;
• VoIP service may not work during a power outage, or when the Internet connection fails or becomes overloaded.
(Federal Communications C Consumer & Governmental commission affairs Bureau)
Therefore, when calling 911 from a wireless phone or VoIP should remember the following:
Tell the emergency operator the location of the emergency right away.
Give the emergency operator your phone number so that, if the call gets disconnected, the operator can call you back.
If your wireless phone is not “initialized” (meaning you do not have a contract for service with a wireless service provider), and your emergency call gets disconnected, you must call the emergency operator back because the operator does not have your telephone number and cannot contact you.
To help public safety personnel allocate emergency resources, learn and use the designated number in your state for highway accidents or other non life-threatening incidents. Often, states reserve specific numbers for these types of incidents. For example, “#77” is the number used for highway accidents in Virginia. The number to call for non life-threatening incidents in your state can be found in the front of your phone book.
Refrain from programming your phone to automatically dial 911 when one button, such as the “9” key, is pressed. Unintentional wireless 911 calls, which often occur when auto-dial keys are inadvertently pressed, cause problems for emergency call centers.
If your wireless phone came pre-programmed with the auto-dial 911 feature already turned on, turn off this feature. Check your user manual to find out how.
Lock your keypad when you’re not using your wireless phone. This action also prevents accidental calls to 911. (No Pocket Dialing).