Public Education

9-1-1 has been successfully promoted so that most people know to call 9-1-1 in an emergency. However, many people now call 9-1-1 for non-emergencies, tying up lines and call takers and delaying calls for real emergencies getting through. Examples of improper reasons people have called 9-1-1 include for information, directory assistance, traffic information or directions or an address, weather conditions, road conditions, school closings, paying tickets, asking if someone has been arrested, asking for legal advice, to get household or car repairs, requesting rides to the doctor or hospital for routine appointments, for their pets or to report an injured wild animal, or for pranks. Dispatch centers receive hundreds of calls a day when buttons programmed to speed-dial 9-1-1 are accidently pressed in their pockets or purses. Some people avoid calling 9-1-1 when they should, such as when they are uncertain if the person who pulled them over in an unmarked car is a real officer. There is a need for public education regarding proper use of the 9-1-1 System.

With some wireless phones, a caller's location will not be automatically provided to the Emergency Call Center, and the Center may not be provided the caller's phone number to re-connect if the call is disconnected. This is the case with recycled or donated phones, capable of dialing 9-1-1 only, which are given to abused persons or the elderly. In some areas, the location of a wireless caller will not be provided to the Emergency Call Center no matter what phone and carrier the caller uses. Some internet phone providers do not participate in the 9-1-1 System, or their location cannot be determined to route calls to the correct Emergency Call Center.

Some people believe they can send text messages to 9-1-1 today, and in the Virginia Tech incident a number of students tried to text message 9-1-1. Text messages cannot be sent to 9-1-1 today, although some Emergency Call Centers are establishing 10-digit numbers to which text messages may be sent. After Next Generation 9-1-1 is deployed, text messaging to 9-1-1 will be possible. We believe it is important for people to understand the limitations of the 9-1-1 System, and to inform the public of new 9-1-1 Services as they are implemented.

Emergency Notification Services are relatively new. Many people are unaware of these services. People receiving calls from Emergency Notification Services warning them of a hazardous situation, are often confused and call 9-1-1 to verify the information provided. When people place calls to 9-1-1 through their local telephone exchange, they limit the ability of the exchange to handle the Emergency Notification calls to their neighbors, and distract Emergency Call Center personnel from addressing the incident and coordinating First Responder activities.

A recent enhancement to Emergency Notification Services is the ability of people to register to receive Emergency Notification messages on their cell-phones, internet phones, pagers, and by text message, fax or e-mail. In many areas, less than 30 percent of residents have registered to receive messages on additional devices. There is a need for additional public education about the ability to register additional devices with Emergency Notification Services.

Children need to be educated in the proper use of 9-1-1. Many public safety agencies distribute materials to parents and schools to assist with this.

The Foundation can assist public safety agencies with their education efforts. It can also provide additional public education in these areas on a statewide basis more cost-effectively.