Wireless 9-1-1 Services
Wireless Works When You Need It Most
Wireless technology not only provides the freedom to connect with friends and family, it is a powerful tool for your personal safety and security. Every day, more than 291,000 Americans use their wireless phones to contact 9-1-1 emergency services - saving lives, stopping crimes, and helping others in emergencies. But the numbers don’t really tell the full story. Check out some true stories about everyday wireless users like you, who saved lives, stopped crimes, or helped out in emergencies.
The wireless industry and public safety community invest substantial resources and work together to deploy Wireless Enhanced 9-1-1 (E-911) service that ensures wireless works for you in an emergency, when you need it most. As we migrate to a more advanced 9-1-1 systems, the wireless industry is proactively and collaboratively working to ensure wireless communications are a part of this innovative approach to emergency services. You can do your part by telling your local representatives not to raid your state’s 9-1-1 funds and prevent harassing or fraudulent calls to 9-1-1.
Enhancing Wireless 9-1-1 Services
Today, Wireless Enhanced 9-1-1 (E-911) services allow you to call 9-1-1 from any wireless device and reach a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) which is called Phase I. In many Phase II E-911 jurisdictions, upgrades to the wireless and public safety networks ensure you are connected to the nearest PSAP and emergency responders can locate you. According to the National Emergency Number Association, about 93% of emergency responders in the U.S. are capable of receiving and mapping the longitude and latitude of a wireless 9-1-1 call.
Upgrading our Nation’s 9-1-1 System
From voice to text and e-mail to camera phones and internet enabled devices, we have seen an innovation explosion in wireless devices and services over the last 25 years but wireless E-911 services only work with our nation’s current 9-1-1 system which is more than 40 years old. The wireless industry, public safety and policymakers are in the process of developing a new Internet Protocol (IP)-based 9-1-1 system.
As the National E-911 Implementation Coordination Office notes in a recent report, the primary goal for migrating to IP-based 9-1-1 system is to allow the general public to make a 9-1-1 “call” from any communication device in any mode (e.g., voice, text, or video) and potentially to furnish additional incident information (e.g., photo, crash data). However, this requires fundamental changes to the current 9-1-1 standards and technology, governance and policy, operations and funding mechanisms. We need your help to ensure the necessary legal and regulatory changes are made to deploy IP-based 9-1-1 services quickly and ubiquitously.
Help Stop 9-1-1 Fund Raids!
While wireless carriers invest substantial resources to support 9-1-1 services over their networks, the E-911 system is mostly funded by wireless customers through E-911 surcharges and fees on wireless bills. Wireless carriers annually collect nearly $2 billion dollars of dedicated taxes, fees and surcharges from wireless consumers for the purpose of supporting and upgrading the capabilities of more than 6,000 PSAPs that exist across the country.
Unfortunately, desperate times are calling for desperate measures as some states dip into their E-911 funds to pay for other things—ranging from stopgap patches covering budget shortfalls to outright diversion of funds to other purposes. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released report to Congress on how states collect and distribute the E-911 taxes and fees. The report found that in 2008 alone, 12 states (Idaho, Illinois, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Wisconsin) raided their E-911 funds for other budget purposes. To see a copy of the FCC report, please click here.
Everyday wireless customers and public safety responders are left out when states raid their E-911 funds because fees are not used to maintain and upgrade our nation’s outdated 9-1-1 system and public safety entities are disqualified from receiving federal grant funds for 9-1-1 systems. Be sure to contact your state representatives to keep E-911 funds earmarked strictly for E-911 purposes.
Help Stop Harassing and Fraudulent 9-1-1 Calls!
Today, wireless carriers forward any call to 9-1-1 made from a wireless device which allows you to reach emergency services where and when you need them most. Unfortunately, prank, accidental, and misdialed 9-1-1 calls are a serious problem which wastes the limited resources of our public safety community. You can help prevent this type of abuse by following these simple tips.
- Only dial 9-1-1 in an emergency. If you do call 9-1-1, stay calm and speak clearly and do not hang up until the 9-1-1 call taker has obtained all necessary information, including your location, number, nature of the emergency, and the type of assistance needed.
- Lock your phone. To avoid accidental calls to 9-1-1, make sure to lock your phone when you are not using it and do not give your old cell phone to children as a toy.
For many Americans, safety and security are a primary reason for owning a wireless phone. Accessing 9-1-1 emergency services from a wireless phone can save lives, prevent crimes, make communities safer, and enhance our homeland security. That’s why implementing Phase II of enhanced 9-1-1 services is so important. As we migrate to an IP-based 9-1-1 system, the wireless industry will work in close coordination and cooperation with the public safety community and all levels of government to ensure wireless can help you reach emergency services where and when you need them most.