What's the REAL scoop on cell phones & 911?

I have worked placing data circuits to cell towers. All the ones I have worked at have a GPS receiver at the tower.
It was explained to me by one of the cellular techs that you get routed to the closest 911 center for the tower you are connected to.
Data from your phone location can be used to further help the 911 tech depending on how advanced the 911 center's equipment.
Some 911 centers are even upgrading to TEXT 911, mostly in bigger cities.

The small town I live in does not have as "up to date" 911 equipment as say a bigger town/city. (i know, i've worked on it)

A couple years ago, my wife had to call 911 from our home. The call was routed to the 911 center in the city where the tower is located. We live on the TN river and we get reception from the city across the river.
They quickly routed her to our 911 dispatch.

Yes, as others have said... always give the dispatcher as much detailed information as possible about where you are... regardless of what phone you are using. Most times they can get your basic/general location information, but offer anything unusual that may help the responders find you, aside from them knowing the address. Use common sense, if you were an outsider looking for someone where you are, what would you need to know... this is always helpful. I was a Firefighter/EMT and the little things helped a lot when responding.

And it should be noted that if you have, use, or borrow a sat phone and call 911 in an emergency when the cell phone doesn't work, that the 911 call will not go through. You must dial an country code, area code and full phone number.

Bill

When you call 911 from a cell phone, please, try to give as much information as you can about where you are. There is one problem that I don't think I have seen addressed. I live in MA, and here ALL 911 calls go to the MA State Police. So, at the very least they must transfer you or your information to the local EMS where you are located, so the more info available, the better. As mentioned above, sometimes the only information they receive is the closest cell tower that your call was sent from. I would be amazed if this is not true in other areas as well, where there is a central wireless 911 response center.

Why not just dial 911 and ask if they know where you are?

When using a cell phone always be ready to give an accurate description as to exactly where you are. The technology is improving but a number of variables can and does cause emergency response delays. It is not like your land line where you can simply call 911 and hang up without talking and have the PD come visit you. They will get your cell phone number and call you back though. Also if you are in a high rise or apartment building tell them what floor you are on. GPS coordinates will not give the dispatcher this info.

This is what the LA County Fire Department dispatchers have told me.

BTW, I've been a fireman and an EMT and it's rare that the problem is a mistake by the first responders.

X2

When I moved out of the suburbs of Chicago to rural Wisconsin is when I gained an incredible amount of respect for all the rural volunteer first responders.

They have a lot of hurdles before they ever arrive on scene from finding the location, most never have numbers, long rural roads to get to them, to finding water to pump to bring to the scene, the list is endless. AND they ALWAYS find the location promptly.

I watched my neighbors stables catch fire and heard the rescue sirens go off I ran down there to help and within minutes those trucks where there and miraculously from what seemed out of no where a huge pool went up and tankers where filling it with water and they were fighting the fire with the same power/equipment as 40 Chicago Firemen with 10 hydrants at their disposal. Blew me clean away watching them!

They saved the stables from burning down to the ground.

2 of the EMT responders assisted us in getting the horses out, triage, and administering treatment to the more severely wounded ones right there on scene.

So make sure you support your volunteer first responders, they DESERVE it!

It's always best if you take full personal responsibility for knowing where you are, how to get there (major and minor roads), etc.

I doubt that there is a day that goes by that somewhere in the US newspapers there aren't stories about mixups by dispatchers, equipment, new construction projects, flooding, whatever that leads to an ambulance going to the wrong place, a fire truck not responding at all, etc.

Many times this is the result of problems like multiple streets with the same name in different areas, transposing digits in a street number (often by a homeowner), etc. etc. etc.

BTW, I've been a fireman and an EMT and it's rare that the problem is a mistake by the first responders.

caberto wrote:
Sorry, but let me get this straight... the fire chief (who works intimately with 911 operations) tells you that you don't have to dial the direct # and 911 on your out of state cell phone will get you the local rescue, and you come to a web forum to get confirmation of the REAL answer to confirm what the Fire CHIEF told you about 911?

There are a number of forum members who are current or former law enforcement officials, some who work or have worked as 911 dispatchers, and can add their personal insight into the question. Never hurts to get a second or concurring opinion on a subject?

The answer is a bit complex.. Moden cell phones often have the ability to use WI-FI calling, so if I use Wi-Fi sitting here as I am in Michigan.. the system will think I am in TEXAS. Not good.. of course I do not use Wi-Fi here for calling.

Now, if I dial 9-1-1, on the cell network, EVEN if there are "No minutes" on a pre-paid or if the phone has been disabled due to non-payment. The system is SUPPOSED (By federal law passed over a decade ago) figure out where I am either by using the phone's built in GPS chip or by triangulation (You see them use both methods on the CSI showsz) and call the proper department or at worst the State.

Problem is I've gotten 9-1-1 calls from oer 200 miles away, Well out of my Juristiction (Yes, that was my office phone number) and even from other states and one other country!!!!

How does this happen? Well, sometimes it's a case of signal path.. In the case of the other country I have seen my phone connect to a tower across the river (National boundry is a river) and someone over there connects to my side.

And per AT&T, if one call center gets overloaded... they transfer to another call center rather than give the 9-1-1 caller a busy signal buzz.

So, this remains the best advice: Be prepared to give your location and/or the name of the police or emergency operations agency/center you need to talk to at the start of the call.

This does, of course, require you to know where you are... I've gotten some calls from folks who had a bit of a problem there.. However between my knowledge of the area. and one other's and a comm net that would take longer to describe than this message has taken so far.... We found 'em.