10 Reasons Why 911 Saves Lives

Those three digits, 9-1-1, have become synonymous with calling for help. But 911 emergency services don’t just provide help, they save lives. Below are ten of the reasons why this service has become one of the greatest life savers of our time.

1. A child can use it. Story after story has been reported on local and national news of children who have called 911 in an emergency situation and saved a life because of it. Its simplicity of use eliminates the need of an adult to access it.
2. Location based. The system is designed to route calls to the nearest 911 operator to the location of the caller. This saves time in several ways. It eliminates the need to transfer to a closer call center and it also puts the caller in touch with someone who may be more familiar with the area than if they were talking to someone from another city.
3. Quick dispatch. A 911 operator can begin dispatching emergency services while they are still on the line with the caller. They have finger tip access to all the different services that might be needed and can send the call out to one or multiple services at once.
4. Trained operators. Operators are trained on what information to collect from the caller and how to keep themselves and the caller calm. In many locations, 911 operators are also being trained on how to give basic life saving instructions over the phone, such as CPR.
5. Emergency central. The 911 service eliminates the need to call multiple services such as ambulance, fire and police. One call can reach them all at once. Their is no need for the caller to determine who should be called, the 911 dispatcher will determine that based on the information given by the caller.
6. Call tracing. There are many times when a caller either is too emotional or badly injured to provide the address, or is uncertain of the address that they are calling from. This could keep emergency teams from reaching them on time. 911 call tracing has saved many lives by being able to determine the location of the caller.
7. Response time.  The amount of time it takes for emergency services to arrive on the scene after an accident or medical emergency can mean the difference between life and death. The ability of 911 to dispatch the request quickly shortens that response time immensely.
8. Every second counts. If someone has stopped breathing or their heart has stopped, every second is critical. Simply being able to dial three known digits, or push a speed dial number to reach emergency services, saves several of those important life saving seconds.
9. Rural house numbering. In order to allow 911 dispatchers to properly direct emergency services to locations in rural areas, 911 numbering is implemented. This provides for accurate and logical mapping of locations that otherwise might be difficult to find.
10. Text messaging. 911 call centers are now beginning to add text messaging to their means of receiving emergency requests. This is not just a matter of convenience or preference. There are many situations where the injured person is unable to speak clearly or is deaf. In these situations, a text message received by 911 can become a life saver.

The development of a universal emergency call system has been one of the greatest life saving measures implemented in the last century. The thought of living without it has become unthinkable for the majority of the United States.

(source: landlinephoneservice.net)