Deadline Nears for Adding 911 Call Location to Cell Phones

People who keep cellular phones handy in case of an emergency might be in for a surprise: The person on the other end of that 911 call can’t find you by homing in on the signal.

Wireless carriers face a fast-approaching government deadline to add this capability to their systems, but some companies are pressing regulators for more time to complete the costly overhaul. Federal officials warn they will have to present a strong case.

Public safety officials say they can’t wait any longer.

“There is a public expectation that people can be found if they make a 911 call from their cell phones,” said William Hinkle, director of the Hamilton County communications department in Ohio. “We are concerned about any additional loss of life.”

About 45 million Americans made 911 calls from their wireless phones last year, said Hinkle, who works on the issue for the Assn. of Public-Safety Communications Officials. In some areas, cellular 911 calls make up 50% to 70% of the safety center’s call volume.

Without location information, public safety officials say they are leaving those in emergencies at greater risk. In an oft-cited case, a Florida woman died after her car sank in a canal off the Florida Turnpike in February. She dialed 911 but couldn’t tell the operator where she was.

In another case, a man driving in Greensboro, N.C., suffered an allergic reaction to a bee sting. He dialed 911 from his cell phone but passed out before he could give an exact location. Public safety officials figured out where he was by listening to the sound of a siren in the background.

When a person punches 911 from a traditional wireline phone, personnel at the answering center see a screen that displays the number of the caller, what street that person is on and even a map showing where that home is.

But people using cell phones are on the move and their number doesn’t correspond to a fixed address. Some wireless providers can now provide location within broad ranges, from city blocks to miles in rural areas, and callback numbers.

To target a more precise location, they need to add new technology; the least precise option would still give public safety personnel location information that is within about 328 feet of the caller 67% of the time and within about 984 feet 95% of the time.

In 1996, the Federal Communications Commission adopted rules setting Oct. 1, 2001, as the deadline for implementing this capability.

Some wireless operators, including AT&T; Wireless and Nextel, already have asked the FCC to push back the deadline. Other major carriers say they are on track to meet the date.