9-1-1 and Cell Phones

You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone today who doesn't have a cell phone and those who have one wonder how they ever survived without it. Cell phones, however, have not been without problems. One of those problems is how to deal with a 911 call that comes from a cell phone. In Dickinson County, we upgraded our equipment in the spring of 2005 to accept what's called Phase II data. This simply means we now have the ability to locate most wireless 911 callers and plot their location on a map.

There are two ways your phone can give up it's location. One way is your cell phone provider's system triangulates your location using nearby towers. Once the location has been determined, the coordinates are sent to our 911 system and your location is plotted on the map.

The other way is using GPS. Newer phones have a GPS "chip" built into them that allows them to receive GPS signals from satellites. This is the means by which most phone companies in and around Dickinson County use to determine your location.

There are, however, factors that may prevent us from being able to locate you. For instance, if you are inside a building, your phone may not be able to receive GPS data from satellites and thus, not be able to transmit that data to our system. Other factors may include the cellular company's equipment and the type of phone you are using.

The most important thing you can do when traveling is to always know where you are. Watch street signs, mile markers and highway markers as you drive.