DISCUSSION OF CONSIDERATIONS IN IMPLEMENTING THE '911' UNIVERSAL EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBER

• NCJ Number: 63012
• Author(s): H G RYLAND; W C HANNA
• Date Published: Unknown
• Length: 18 pages
• Corporate Author: General Research Corporation
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE OPERATIONAL AND TECHNICAL FACTORS THAT MUST BE CONSIDERED IN IMPLEMENTING THE 911 UNIVERSAL EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBER ARE CONSIDERED.

Abstract

TECHNICAL AND OPERATIONAL PROBLEMS WITHIN THE PUBLIC SECTOR MUST BE SOLVED BEFORE 911 CAN OFFER ANY IMPROVEMENT OVER EXISTING TECHNIQUES (OR THOSE PROVIDED BY A COMMAND AND CONTROL SYSTEM). IN SOME AREAS TELEPHONE EXCHANGE BOUNDARIES MAY HAVE TO BE CHANGED TO BE COMPATIBLE WITH PUBLIC SAFETY JURISDICTIONAL BOUNDARIES. AUTOMATIC IDENTIFICATION OF THE TELEPHONE BEING USED FOR AN EMERGENCY CALL MAY BE ESSENTIAL. THE SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 911 CONCEPT WILL REQUIRE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF COMMAND AND CONTROL SYSTEM--IDEALLY A CENTRALIZED SYSTEM WITH EMERGENCY CALL LOCATION AUTOMATICALLY SUPPLIED BY THE TELEPHONE COMPANY. CITIES MUST ALSO WEIGH THE BENEFITS OF THE UNIVERSAL EMERGENCY NUMBER AGAINST THE COSTS. SOME COSTS ARE TANGIBLE, INCREASED CITY PAYROLL FOR TELEPHONE OPERATORS FOR EXAMPLE, WHILE SOME BENEFITS CANNOT BE ASSESSED, SUCH AS THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECT ON THE PUBLIC OF THE AVAILABILITY OF AN EMERGENCY NUMBER. THE REAL UTILITY OF THE UNIVERSAL EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBER WILL DEPEND ON THE CAREFUL INTEGRATION OF ALL THE TECHNOLOGY REQUIRED FOR THE EFFICIENT TACTICAL MANAGEMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY FORCES. (MJW)