Calls for Service

The number 9-1-1 has been designated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as the three-digit “Universal Emergency (telephone) Number” for public use throughout the United States to request emergency assistance. This nationwide telephone number is intended to give the public direct access to a public safety call center, commonly referred to in the emergency communications industry as a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). A PSAP, typically managed by a local or county government, is staffed by call-takers (people who answer the call) and dispatchers (people who assign the call to the appropriate personnel—police, fire, and/or emergency medical services). The 9-1-1 systems are commonly funded through a user fee that is assessed to subscribers of commercial, residential, and cellular telephone service as a portion of their monthly telephone bill.

In 1967, during the administration of President Lyndon Johnson, The Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice recommended the concept of a single number for reporting police emergencies. The first 9-1-1 call was placed in Halleyville, Alabama, in 1968. As of October 2002, 99% of the population and 96% of the geographic United States have access to 9-1-1, and an estimated 200 million calls are placed over municipal and county 9-1-1 systems each year. It is estimated that there are more than 7,500 PSAPs in the United States.

There are three types of 9-1-1 systems:

• Basic 9-1-1 is a communication system in which the call is delivered to a PSAP without any type of caller identification information.
• Automatic Number Identification (ANI) Enhanced 9-1-1 is a system in which the call is delivered to the PSAP in such a way that the call-taker is able to see the caller's telephone number on a special screen.
• Enhanced 9-1-1 (E 9-1-1) is a system in which the call is delivered to the PSAP in such a way that the call-taker is able to see the caller's telephone number and address on a special screen.