cies to improve interoperability among first responders, and promoting use of enhanced 911 best practices. For more information regarding these and other initiatives, visit PSHSB’s Web site at
www.fcc.gov/pshs.
The following information will help you better understand what happens to our communications systems during an emergency and how best to use our communications systems during a crisis or disaster.
Emergency Communications Components
There are three main components to emergency communications: 1. 911 telephone call processing and delivery through Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP) and call dispatch
2. The Emergency Alert System; and 3. Radio and/or broadcast or cable television station news and updates.
All of these components must oper‐ ate effectively in order to achieve a suc‐ cessful response to an emergency.
911 Calls
Emergency personnel and others often learn about emergencies through 911 calls. The 911 network is a vital part of our nation's emergency response and disaster preparedness system. This network is constantly being upgraded to provide emergency help more quickly and effectively. Dialing 911 quickly connects you to a PSAP dispatcher trained to route your call to local emergency medical, fire, and law enforcement agencies. At the PSAP, the dispatcher verifies the caller’s location, determines the nature of the emergency, and decides which emergency response teams should be notified.
Most traditional wireline 911 systems automatically report to the PSAP the telephone number and location of calls, a capability called “Enhanced 911” or “E911.” With this information, PSAP staff is able to call back if the 911 call is disconnected, and also know where to send emergency services personnel.
E911 service from wire‐
line phones is available in most parts of the country.
Wireless 911 Calls
The mobility of wireless telephone service makes determining a wireless 911 caller’s location more complicated than determining a traditional wireline 911 caller’s location, where numbers are associated with a fixed address. In order to enhance the ability of emer‐ gency personnel to respond efficiently and effectively to callers placing wire‐ less 911 calls, the FCC has taken a num‐ ber of steps to ensure that wireless ser‐ vice providers make location informa‐ tion automatically available to PSAPs.
Basic 911 rules require wireless ser‐ vice providers to: • Transmit all 911 calls to a PSAP, regardless of whether the caller subscribes to the provider’s ser‐ vice or not.
Phase I Enhanced 911 (E911) rules require wireless service providers to: • Within six minutes of a valid request by a PSAP, provide the PSAP with the telephone number of the origi‐ nator of a wireless 911 call and the location of the cell site or base sta‐ tion transmitting the call.
Phase II E911 rules require wireless service providers to: • Within six minutes of a valid request by a PSAP, provide more precise location information to PSAPs, specifically, the latitude and longitude of the caller. This information must be accurate to within 50 to 300 meters depending on the type of technology used. For more information about wireless 911 service, see the FCC consumer fact sheet at
www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumer‐; facts/
wireless911srvc.html
VoIP And 911
Some VoIP services allow you to make and receive calls to and from reg‐ ular phone numbers, usually using an Internet connection. This type of VoIP service is called an “interconnected VoIP” service, whether the service is one that can only be used at a fixed location, such as a residence, or one that can be used wherever the user travels as long as a broadband Internet connection is available.
Since 2005, the FCC has required interconnected VoIP providers auto‐ matically to provide 911 services to all customers as a standard, mandatory feature without customers having
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