What happens if 911 is busy

I am sure that the incident can be fully explained by a lack of staffing at the CHP center that routed the call, or maybe the fact that the accident occurred near a county line caused some jurisdiction issues. At its core, this is more a political issue than a purely technological problem: more money needs to be routed to the right places.

Calling filters could be improved. Perhaps the system could detect when multiple phones were calling from the same area and inform callers that an accident had already been reported. A Hang up and attempt to call again. In situations that occur with the potential for multiple witnesses, the incident may have already been reported; however, the caller should not assume that.

In addition, the caller may have additional information that previous callers may not have been able to provide. If calling in a more secluded location at home or a remote location and you receive a busy signal, call again until you get through, as you may be the only person who witnessed the incident. Finally, if the caller is at home and has a landline home telephone, use it first since it will generally connect directly with emergency services for their home address, and provide an exact location.

When turning left off Van Ness onto one-way Hayes, there is a very brief left-turn arrow that allows perhaps two cars in each lane to turn left across the oncoming traffic. It is a huge hazard because it is a major entry to all the performing arts buildings and there is usually a line of cars waiting to turn on most afternoons.

The FCC is now considering new rules that may curb a related problem: location tracking. Rules that haven't been updated since require phone carriers to track a caller's location to within 50 to meters, depending on the tracking technology used, when callers are outdoors.

But advocates have been arguing that the technology to track callers indoors is lacking. If you make a call inside, no current regulations are forcing carriers to deliver information on where you are. The FCC has said "indoor use poses unique obstacles. Meanwhile, for purposes unrelated to public safety, other private-sector companies are zipping ahead of wireless carriers in location tracking, largely thanks to Wi-Fi accuracy.

Google provides tracking data everywhere you go; more than telling you where you are at a moment, the company can chart your entire location history. Engineers there are reportedly working on tracking devices down to inches. Companies like Skyhook Wireless have been built around the idea. But telecoms and emergency responders, caught off guard by the rise of the mobile, have failed to catch up to those companies, as Richard Barnes and Brian Rosen explain in a history of tracking at IEEE Spectrum.

The new regulations could help. Within two years, under the new regulations, providers would have to track callers to within 50 meters horizontally and 3 meters vertically for 67 percent of calls. Within five years, 80 percent of calls would need to have accurate indoor location information.

Carriers have been fighting those regulations, as they have attempted several times to forcefully regulate calls. The major providers have argued that the regulations would be overly difficult to put in place, and that better technology is right around the corner.

They've argued, essentially, that tracking indoor calls is a solution in search of a problem. T-Mobile wrote , "FindMe continues to push sensationalist headlines rather than facts as it tries to manufacture a crisis that simply does not exist.

Dispatchers and others working in the community agree with Weinstein; they say it's a continuous issue that's resulting in deaths across the country, maybe thousands. Crombach and a team conducted a study that determined more than half of calls placed in California don't provide accurate information. In San Francisco, the numbers were particularly dismal: more than 80 percent of calls didn't accurately transmit information to first responders.

In FCC filings, service providers have disputed the study's findings. In August of last year, Vicki Miller, coordinator for the city of Galesburg, Illinois, was upset with a company called Life Wireless.

When a call is put through to operators, they "rebid" the call, pinging the wireless carrier for the longitude and latitude of the caller. But one day, she says, that wasn't what happened. Once you indicate which service you need, your call will be immediately transferred. Please understand that while call takers are asking you questions, they are relaying vital information electronically to the dispatchers and emergency personnel on their way to help you.

We receive hundreds of unintended calls every day, from pocket dials to hang-ups. Please follow these simple tips to help prevent them:. If you dial accidentally, stay on the line and tell us. Teach children to use properly and remind them it is not a toy.

Always keep cordless phones fully charged and in the same place in the home. Keep your address information near the phone and show your children and caregivers where it is.