Can I call 9-1-1 from my cellular or PCS phone?
Yes. If you have an emergency, you may call 9-1-1 from your cellular or PCS phone, but always be prepared to provide your exact location. The information received by 9-1-1 from your cellular or PCS phone will differ from when you call from a traditional land line telephone. Calling 9-1-1 from your cellular or PCS phone will provide us with the ability to receive basic information along with identifying your location within 50 to 300 meters (approximately 164 feet to 984 feet) depending upon your wireless service provider.

To make this easier to understand, say there is an accident on the side of the road and you call 9-1-1 from your cellular or PCS phone, but you don’t know where you are. Your phone would provide us with enough information to get emergency personnel close enough to look for and find you. However, if you are at home and you live in a subdivision or apartment complex and you call 9-1-1 from your cellular or PCS phone, we could still send emergency personnel, but it would take longer to find you because emergency personnel would have to go door-to-door until they found the correct house or apartment.

Show All Answers

1. When should I call 9-1-1?
2. What if I’m not sure whether my situation is an emergency or not?
3. Why are callers sometimes provided another number to call when 9-1-1 is dialed?
4. I have a hearing impairment and cannot communicate over a regular telephone. What should I do if I need help in an emergency?
5. How does 9-1-1 work?
6. Can I call 9-1-1 from my cellular or PCS phone?
7. What is a 9-1-1 address?
8. How can I find out what my 9-1-1 address is?
9. Where do I get a new 9-1-1 address from?
10. What is a 9-1-1 surcharge?