Consumers making a 9-1-1 call from a wireless phone should remember the following:
Tell the emergency operator the location of the emergency right away.
Provide the emergency operator with your wireless phone number, so if the call gets disconnected the emergency operator can call you back.
PSAPs currently lack the technical capability to receive texts, photos, and videos.
If your wireless phone is not initialized (meaning you do not have a contract for service with a wireless service provider), and your emergency call gets disconnected, you must call the emergency operator back because the operator does not have your telephone number and cannot contact you.
To help public safety personnel allocate emergency resources, learn and use the designated number in your state for highway accidents or other nonlife-threatening incidents. States often reserve specific numbers for these types of incidents. For example, #77 is the number used for highway accidents in Virginia.
Refrain from programming your phone to automatically dial 9-1-1 when one button is pressed, such as the 9-key. Unintentional wireless 9-1-1 calls, which often occur when auto-dial keys are inadvertently pressed, cause problems for emergency call centers.
If your wireless phone came programmed with the auto-dial 9-1-1 feature already turned on, turn this feature off. Consult your user manual for instructions.
Lock your keypad when you’re not using your wireless phone. This action prevents accidental calls to 9-1-1.
Consider creating a contact in your wireless phone’s memory with the name “ICE” (in Case of Emergency), which lists the phone numbers of people you want to have notified in an emergency.