After reading this msn news story, I was shocked that some 911 centers can’t get in contact with callers due to their wireless phones, especially during a life threatening situation. Taking into account of what happened with Donnie and Sharon Leutjen and their 15-year-old granddaughter, Taron Leutjen, their lives could’ve been saved if only the 911 center had knowledge of the location from where the call was made. Help never made it to their location since the 911 call was made from a cell phone. This incident left me wondering about the future victims who might need help during a life or death situation and whether or not they can be reached through their wireless line. I am aware that “every household should have a centrally located, easily accessible land line for emergency calls” but what if one doesnâÂÂt have access to a land line? Does that mean that they are limited to immediate help?
As technology is becoming increasingly popular and so are wireless phones, it is hard to imagine not having an adequate connection between cell phones and 911. According to the nonprofit 911 industry alliance, the fact that the 911 service is limited leaves “many wireless callers without the benefits of location identification information when they call 911.â I’m not sure what to think of that because I believe that every cell phone should have a direct connection with 911. Despite the fact that some centers can’t keep tab on cell phones, something should be worked out. This is not a typical situation. People need to be aware that this predicament affects everybody whether they realize it or not.
Because more Americans are dropping land lines, it leaves me to ask whether or not that move is going to affect their connection with 911 centers. We can’t stop people from getting cell phones and we most certainly can’t stop where technology is going to take us for the future, but I think we can put some effort into making sure that 911 centers do have access to callers especially from wireless phones. There is too much of a possibility that one will need emergency help when one does not have access to a landline. After all, this is a serious matter that involves a fine line between one’s life and one’s death. Ultimately when it comes to an incident where one’s life is endangered, I think all action should be taken in order to obtain help and it should not be limited to just land-based phones.
Imagine calling 911 from your cell phone and not being able to get the help you need in case of an emergency due to the fact that they can not locate you. That is ridiculous! It would be a scenario that I know I would not want to be in and I know many others would agree.