There currently are more cellular phones in the world than landlines, and the gap between the two is increasing every day. Cell phones offer a quick, easy way to contact emergency services. They are very popular for teenagers, and I met a 5-year-old who had his own cell phone so his parents could always reach him. So what can the problem be with cell phones and 911?

Almost 50% of all calls to the Pinellas County, Fla., 911 center are made from cell phones. In 2003, 74,000 cell-phone calls were what we call open-line calls. This is when an older-model cell phone (generally purchased before January 2003) has the “9” button inadvertently pressed down on an open-faced keypad. These older phones are programmed in the factory to call 911 automatically if that key is pressed and held. It was a great selling feature, but it has become a great big problem for emergency communications centers. It's estimated that from 50% to 70% of all cell-phone 911 calls are from these situations.

In the past, these calls took up little operator time. All the operator could do was listen in, see if they could get the caller's attention, then hang up. They had no phone number or location for the cell caller like they would have from a landline. But the Federal Communication Commission has mandated that 911 centers implement Phase I, which involves receiving the cellular caller's phone number, and Phase II, which requires knowing where the caller is located. So now that some 911 centers know the open-line caller's cell-phone number, many have to take the time to call back. A few seconds of a problem call now turns into minutes of time probably spent better elsewhere.

Wasted time

In many cases the operator has to explain a few times to the caller why 911 is calling them. In other cases the caller will continue to argue with the 911 operator or dispatcher that he or she did not call 911. All of this conversation takes time from real emergency calls. While any of these calls might be true emergencies, we in Pinellas County have yet to run into that possibility. If a caller is heard screaming or choking while declining an emergency, of course help would be sent.

But what should you do with a cell-phone call where all you hear is someone singing to the car radio? At those centers where Phase II is available, should an officer or emergency responder be sent? In many communities responders are sent to check out hang-up calls from landline phones. The California Highway Patrol estimates that it would have to double the number of officers to respond to open-line cell-phone calls in that state. In Pinellas County we have more than 18,000 hang-ups that were responded to; could we add 74,000 more calls to that burden?

Rarely, if ever, is there a nature code change, where a call comes in as a hang-up but the responder arrives to find a situation. The few nature code changes have been a neighborhood beef where the caller had threatened to call 911 on the neighbor, called, then left the house to watch the neighbor. When the officer arrives, he or she may decide to press charges, but no real emergency has occurred. A cellular open-line call ties up not only the 911 operator or dispatcher, but potentially emergency responders as well.

What if a community decides to check out every open-line call? If police already are engaged, will fire department units be asked to check it out? I know you are thinking that would not happen, but haven't fire departments taken on a lot of other roles in the past?

The best option is to reduce or eliminate open-line cell-phone calls. Pinellas County 911 has conducted a pilot test to reduce these types of calls. The program consisted of three messages:

• Learn to lock your keypad.
• Upgrade your phone to one without the 911 feature.
• Get a free button guard.

These messages went out to the mass media and they loved it. The issue was contemporary, the problem was widespread and the solution was simple. Pinellas County offered free button guards to those who lived or worked in our county via a phone call or request at www.co.pinellas.fl.us/ces/ActCallsPub.htm

The button guards are small rubber die-cast guards in five shapes designed to fit 37 different cell-phone makes and models. The packet includes instructions, an alcohol prep pad to clean the faceplate and the stick-on guard. Pinellas purchased 30,000 guards and is working to distribute them through schools, neighborhoods, businesses, retirement communities, safety fairs and 911 presentations. We have given displays and guards along with the messages to other safety educators in our county.

In January 2003, 35% of all cell-phone calls were open lines. By the end of June 2004 the number was reduced to 29.2%.

Does your 911 center have the same problems with open-line cell-phone calls? If so, try a public-education delivery that uses the three messages. Don't let cellular phones become a problem for your emergency communications personnel and emergency responders.

Lori Buck is the public-education coordinator for Pinellas County, Fla. For more program information, contact her at 727-464-3858 or ed911@aol.com.