Denver 911

While wireless phones (cell phones) can be an important public safety tool, they also create unique challenges for public safety and emergency response personnel.  Contrary to popular belief, we cannot determine the precise location of a caller who dials 911 from any cell phone.  It is essential that you stay on the line and clearly give your location to the 911 Operator.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has taken a number of steps to increase public safety by coordinating development of a nationwide, seamless communications system for emergency services that includes the provision of location information for wireless 911 calls.  This has taken place in three phases:

The first phase, sometimes called Wireless Phase 0, simply means that when you dial 911 from your cell phone a 911 Operator at a public safety answering point (PSAP) answers.  The Operator may be at a state highway patrol PSAP, at a city or county PSAP up to hundreds of miles away, or at a local PSAP, depending on how the wireless 911 call is routed.

Wireless Phase I requires carriers to provide the telephone number of a wireless 911 caller and the location of the antenna (cell site) that received the call.  This is important in the event the cell phone call is dropped, and may even allow PSAP employees to work with the wireless company to identify the wireless subscriber.  However, Phase I still does not help call takers locate emergency victims or callers.