9-1-1 Systems in a Mobile Phone World

Current 9-1-1 systems were developed decades ago before mobile phones became popular replacements for landlines. Each year an increasing number of households, like mine, do not have a land line.

From Wikipedia:

Dialing 9-1-1 from a mobile phone (Cellular/PCS) in the United States originally connected the call to the state police or highway patrol, instead of the local public safety answering point (PSAP). The caller had to describe an exact location so that the agency could transfer the call to the correct local emergency services. This was a regular problem, because the exact location of the cellular phone isn’t normally transmitted with the voice call, and with the exponential growth of cellular use, such calls were frequent occurrences.

In 2000, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued an order requiring wireless carriers to determine and transmit the location of callers who dial 9-1-1. The FCC set up a phased program: Phase I transmitted the location of the receiving antenna for 9-1-1 calls, while Phase II transmitted the location of the calling telephone. The order set up certain accuracy requirements and other technical details, and milestones for completing the implementation of wireless location services. Subsequent to the FCC’s order, many wireless carriers requested waivers of the milestones, and the FCC granted many of them. By mid-2005, the process of Phase II implementation was generally underway, but limited by the complexity of the coordination required from wireless carriers, PSAPs, local telephone companies and other affected government agencies, and the limited funding available to local agencies which need to convert PSAP equipment to display location data (usually on computerized maps). Such rules do not apply in Canada.

FCC rules require that all new mobile phones will provide their latitude and longitude to emergency operators in the event of a 9-1-1 call. Carriers may choose whether to implement this via Global Positioning System (GPS) chips in each phone, or by means of triangulation between cell towers. Due to limitations in technology (of the mobile phone, cellular phone towers, and PSAP equipment), a mobile caller’s geographical information may not always be available to the local PSAP. Technologies are currently under development to remedy this situation and improve performance. Although there are now technological ways to obtain the geographical location of the caller, a 9-1-1 caller should try to be aware of the location of the incident about which he or she is calling.

I’ve read some cities are adding the ability to text the 9-1-1 center in case of emergency.  When I had my stroke on 2/1/2008 I could not get to my mobile phone.  But even if I had there is a chance I could not have clearly been able to verbally tell the operator my location.

To address my own concerns I recently bought a $3 app (reg $7) for my iPhone known as I am Safe.  Other phones to be added soon, I believe.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNtreYBbX7s&feature=player_embedded

If I press the app on my phone I can cancel in 3 seconds.  If not canceled it rings the phone and begins recording audio.  It also sends text messages to five people I predetermined.  Those same five will receive an email with a link to a map of my GPS location (example below) as well as the ability to hear the audio.  In case I’m at home the email includes the front door code and contact info for my neighbor with a key to my place.  I feel better having this app.  And yes, my phone is always close to me now.

I have no connection with this company other than as a paying customer.

I’m told the City of St. Louis is looking at our 9-1-1 technology and how to improve it.  But our region is vast and is covered by numerous emergency systems (23 in St. Louis County),  all tied to land lines.

Used to be you kept a dime for the pay phone, then a quarter. Then both. Now a pay phone is a rare sight in the urban landscape.

Voters in St. Louis County have a chance on Tuesday to determine if part of our region will get newer technology:  Proposition E-911.

– Steve Patterson