What is the emergency response number in your area? Most areas use 911, which if you have a landline available, is a great system. When someone calls 911 all their location information is available to the dispatcher. You could, theoretically, put the phone down without saying a word, an help would be able to find you. However, nowadays, with most people having cell phones, more people do not have landlines or are just outside where a landline is not available. Do you know what happens if you call 911 from a cell phone? Did you know the call does not go to a 911 dispatcher as it does when you call from a landline.
Cell phone technology has not quite reached the point where it can tell exactly where you are and locate the nearest 911 call center. As a result, if you call 911 in California, you will actually be calling a CHP (Highway Patrol) call center, possibly nowhere near your location. It is also not an emergency line so the phone may not get picked up as quickly as a 911 call center. The system still works, but you must be aware that you will need to give details about your location so they can transfer your call to the appropriate call center.
