Frequently Asked Questions
About the 911 System
WHEN DO I USE 9-1-1?
9-1-1 is a reporting number. Call 911 to report an incident which you believe requires the response or intervention
of a law enforcement officer, firefighter or emergency medical service. The professionals answering the 9-1-1 call
will determine which agencies or units should respond and how quickly they need to reach the scene of the
incident.
When a person is hurt or injured.
When a crime has been or is being committed.
When a motor vehicle accident occurs.
Any situation involving a fire.
HOW DOES 911 WORK?
Special computers and monitors display the location and phone number where the 9-1-1 call originated. A typical
9-1-1 display will give the phone number of the caller, the address and apartment or lot number, and the name of
the telephone service subscriber.
HOW DOES A 9-1-1 CALL GET TO THE RIGHT PLACE?
Telephone computers are set up to identify the location where the 9-1-1 originated and automatically route it to
the correct 9-1-1 center for that geographic location. Usually the calls are routed based on the political
jurisdictional boundaries.
In Jefferson County, a 9-1-1 call from anywhere in Jefferson will go to the Jefferson Counties Sheriff's office. Calls
from outside this area will ring in to the respective police departments for those jurisdictions. Calls originating
anywhere else in Jefferson County will ring to the Sheriff's Office. Calls requiring fire control or rescue will be
transferred with the touch of a button to the nearest Fire/Rescue Department.
WHAT ABOUT 9-1-1 CALLS FROM BUSINESSES?
9-1-1 works the same way from businesses.
WHAT IF I NEED TO CALL 9-1-1 WHEN I'M AWAY FROM HOME?
You can call 9-1-1 from a pay phone. It is a free call, you don't need a quarter. The address information from the
coin phone is provided on the 9-1-1 display screen.
CAN I USE MY CELLULAR PHONE TO CALL 9-1-1?
Cellular phones can call 9-1-1 as a free call. No location information can be provided, (because cellular phones
are usually moving) so in that case the dispatcher is dependent upon the caller to provide location information,
roadway, direction of travel, etc.
CAN HEARING IMPAIRED PEOPLE USE 9-1-1?
All 9-1-1 PSAPs (Public Safety Answering Points) in the state of Oklahoma are required to have TDD capability for
communication with hearing and speech impaired persons.
WHAT IF A CALLER DOES NOT SPEAK ENGLISH?
Jefferson County PSAPs have translator services available for non-English speaking callers.
Cellular phone users do not contribute any fees to the 9-1-1 system at this date.
IS THERE A PENALTY FOR ABUSE OF 9-1-1?
YES. It is a first class misdemeanor to make false 9-1-1 calls. Punishable by $1000 fine or up to 1 year
imprisonment.
HOW DID 9-1-1 BECOME THE UNIVERSAL NUMBER?
9-1-1 ..... the first telephone call was a call for help. In 1876 Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone.
During his testing he spilled a bottle of acid and called out "Watson, come here, I need you." His conversation was
transmitted via the telephone to his assistant Watson in another room, and the first telephone call became a part
of history.
The concept of being able to dial a single (universal) number to report emergencies was first utilized in Great
Britain, back in 1937. Citizens could dial the digits 9-9-9 and reach a central operator who would in turn dispatch
police, fire or ambulance as needed.
This idea came to the United States in 1967. It was introduced to Congress and committees were formed to decide
how to make the concept a reality.
First, the telephone companies had to find a three-digit number that was not being used anywhere in the United
States or Canada as a central office exchange or an area code. Other considerations were that it should be easy
to find on the telephone dial or easily dialed in the dark. The telephone industry decided on the numbers 9-1-1.
The very first 9-1-1 call was placed on February 16, 1968 in Haleyville, Alabama.
The first 9-1-1 calls could only provide a voice connection. Callers knew that a call to 9-1-1 would connect them to
the right people for emergency help. But the emergency responders did not have any information other than that
provided by the caller. Still, 9-1-1 was a big improvement in emergency services.
Enhanced 9-1-1 provides the callers location information and telephone number via special computers and
display screens. Enhanced 9-1-1 also provides for selective routing of 9-1-1 calls to multiple jurisdictions.
WHAT CAN I DO TO MAKE 9-1-1 WORK BETTER?
Post your house number clearly - so the emergency responders can find you more quickly.
Don't use vanity addresses such as "1 Sam Jones Road" or "100 American Widget Industries Plaza." These vanity
addresses may cause confusion for the emergency responders and could cause a delay in locating the
emergency.
Don't use 9-1-1 to play games - children frequently want to try 9-1-1 and see if it works. It works. False calls tie up
the 9-1-1 lines and could prevent a genuine emergency call from getting through.
Don't call for situations which are not time sensitive or which do not require the response of police, fire or
emergency medical services.
Don't call 9-1-1 to report inconveniences such as "no electricity" or plumbing problems, or to ask for weather
reports or other information.
Frequently Asked Questions about 911 services
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