911 psa.......

[MizTink]

just wanted to share some information with everyone.
even if a home doesn't currently have working telephone service, it still works for 911.
so many people have given up landlines and only have cell phones.
911 from a cell doesn't trace the call to the location. if you call 911 from a landline, they automatically trace the location.
so, even if you don't have home phone service, keep a cheap phone plugged in. hopefully you will never need it, but you never know!

 

[MizTink]

oh, and test it, just to make sure.
we tried it at my sister's house because she didn't believe me. it worked and the 911 operator wasn't annoyed when my sister told her why she called.
i tried it at my apartment, but the line was completely dead and it didn't work. the phone company fixed it (no charge).

and it works with cell phones that aren't currently working too. again, they can't trace the location, but at least you can reach them.

 

[scrapquitler]

do you actually hear a dialtone? The only time I've ever been without a telephone service (like when we've been just moving in somewhere), there was no dialtone on the line...how can you call 911 with no dialtone?

 

[LargoLori]

I am a 911 operator and yes this is true. Just be aware that if you do test it some departments are required by their SOP's to respond.

 

[Magpie]

I'd just like to add that you don't have to put money into a payphone to call 911, either!

We found this out by accident when I let my then-4yo play with the payphone at the bus stop.

 

[dakcp2001]

just wanted to share some information with everyone.
even if a home doesn't currently have working telephone service, it still works for 911.
so many people have given up landlines and only have cell phones.
911 from a cell doesn't trace the call to the location. if you call 911 from a landline, they automatically trace the location.
so, even if you don't have home phone service, keep a cheap phone plugged in. hopefully you will never need it, but you never know!

This is not true in every state! And with people changing companies so often the lines get cut and switched all the time, so even if you live in a state that requires this, it still does not work a lot of the time. I am a former phone company emplyee and in my region only one state out of 6 used to require it, and they got sold to another company so no idea if they still do. The other 5 states do NOT offer this service, never had and prob never will.