911 Not Very Effective, Funds Charged to Consumers Often Redirected Elsewhere

I remember from about 10 years ago, when you called 911, they knew where you were. They didn't have to transfer you multiple times if you called. The 2 times I had to call about 10-12 years ago, the calls were from landline phones and multiple emergency personnel responded in a few minutes. Once, my mother had a seizure (she is not an epileptic), we were in her condo on the 8th floor of a high rise and emergency when I called, they just asked for the floor and condo number. The first responders took no more than 4 minutes. Another time, my daughter had a nosebleed from both nostrils, it appeared to be a lot of blood to me. I called 911. within 5 minutes my living room was packed with emergency responders. Turns out, was due to dry air. Both of those calls were made form landline phones.

In the last 3 months or so, I called for myself. I had an allergic reaction to a common medication. It was prescribed, but is also available OTC. I didn't know if I was having a dizzy spell or an allergic reaction. I had tunnel vision. I called 911. The person who answered, did not know exactly where I was. When I noted the village I live in (1/2 mile outside of a huge city), she transferred me. I was having great difficulty fighting fainting. By the time I was transferred a third time to the proper 911 center, I did faint. Luckily, I was able to communicate my street address to the 2 previous people. As I fell to the floor, I heard the sirens.

I have wondered about WHY do they not know where I am? My cell phone bill has a 911 charge. One would think that means they know where I am when I call. Had I committed a crime, I am SURE the government would be able to find me quickly via my phone.

Here is John Oliver describing why this might happen:

Did your cell phone have GPS?

If not, they have to use triangulation and that can be delayed, and the exact location may not show.

originally posted by: xuenchen
Did your cell phone have GPS?

If not, they have to use triangulation and that can be delayed, and the exact location may not show.

Yep, it does. Every other thing I order like a taxi or a pizza, like in the video, can find me. Sometimes I turn GPS off, it uses battery power at home and data out of the house. Those places still find me once logging in and ordering online. My GPS was on when I called 911.


It still hits a cell tower and my call and other people;s calls may hit a tower in a neighboring town.

Still ridiculous, as 80% of 911 calls come from cell phones.

a reply to: reldra

Then your theory of fund diversions is probably true.

originally posted by: xuenchen
a reply to: reldra

Then your theory of fund diversions is probably true.

Yes and they are charging people money on their cell phone bills and moving that money to unrelated things in many states.

Don't worry, someday 911 will be privatized and have several levels of 911 responder plans. If you pay for "Premium Lifesaver Service" you will get bumped to the front of the call queue no matter what, even ahead of other people dying who haven't purchased a more expensive plan.

911 calls are paid?

originally posted by: ArMaP
911 calls are paid?

At least partially, towards technology, employees, infrastructure,-from phone bills. I am not sure about completely.

It is a line item in phone bills, about $2 monthly per person per landline phone and per cell phone.

The video shows that 1/3 or more of the funds from consumers were diverted to an unrelated general fund for the state.

For many states.

I don't call 911, I call smith & wesson and I have a first aid kit and some salad tongs dipped in vodka.....

For our town/city of 350,000 people we have only three 911 operators on duty at any given time. Sometimes, maybe fewer.

originally posted by: BooCrackers
I don't call 911, I call smith & wesson and I have a first aid kit and some salad tongs dipped in vodka.....

Does a Smith & Wesson know how to defib someone who's having a heart attack?

a reply to: MystikMushroom

Sorry no, just means you're gonna die. Problem is no matter how much I pay 911, they're still going to likely show up 15 minutes after I'm dead anyway. Response times blow due to me living in the sticks. But since I used to be a corpsman, it shouldn't be all that bad a death.

a reply to: reldra

Thanks, I didn't know that.

I didn't watch the video, I started, but when I saw it was 15 minutes long (12 minutes longer than my self-imposed limit) I stopped watching.

Edited to add that in Portugal emergency calls are free. I don't know if that's the same in the other European countries that share the same number.

Funny, I watched this video last night, before I saw this post and was surprised at some of the things he said.

I was not aware of these problems with 911, I just know of it from the Public Enemy song 911 is a joke which is NOT about 9-11, but about the medical call number.

In the video, I loved the part where the guy called the 911 number to see if they could state his location, when he was right in the Call Centre, and they placed him elsewhere. Epic.

a reply to: reldra

While your GPS does show where you're at, it's not an "accurate to within 10 feet" type of locator. Everything involved in the call affects to accuracy of GPS. Your type of phone, your carrier, what kind of location you're at (inside a high rise building versus standing on the side of the road) to how much signal strength you have when you call. Out of all those factors, there's only one thing the emergency communicator has any effect on, and that's how good their equipment is.

And good equipment costs money.

Which is why you get transferred: your GPS isn't giving a specific enough location to the communicator's computer to get you to the right call center.

Trust me when I say that those of us who are reliant on the emergency communicators for information are usually left more frustrated than the caller at the inability to get solid information on a person's location. But don't blame the 911 communicator for it.