​ST. PAUL — Minnesota residents and visitors should be prepared to provide specific location information when calling 911 from a cell phone, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety division of Emergency Communication Networks (DPS/ECN).
Cell phones are creating ongoing challenges for 911 call takers as they wait for the carriers to implement improved location information technology.
Minnesota 911 call centers handled nearly three million calls in 2014, with 80 percent of those calls for help being made from wireless phones.
“Minnesota 911 call takers do a great job using the technology available to determine where a wireless call is coming from,” said Jackie Mines, director of Emergency Communication Networks. “All 911 call centers in Minnesota have the ability to receive location information as long as the carriers are able to provide it.”
When a 911 call is placed using a traditional land line the 911 call taker can instantly see the address connected to that phone, including the floor, apartment or suite number in a multi-unit building. That is not the case with cell phones. DPS/ECN recommends callers using phones other than traditional land lines to:

• Immediately provide the 911 call taker with precise location information.
• Stay on the line when they are unable to verbally communicate their location. Call takers can use various tools in the 911 call center to further refine a caller’s location.
  

The Federal Communications Commission recently adopted an order requiring cell phone carriers to improve location information. “DPS/ECN supports this order because it will provide increased location information for 911 call takers who must act quickly to get help to those in need,” said Mines.
DPS/ECN also has important consumer information for callers using phones other than cell or landline.

• Callers using VoIP phones that provide the option to use the phone while traveling must understand the 911 call taker will see the address registered to the phone, not the person’s current location.
• Callers using VoIP phones should be sure to change the address connected to the phone if they move or travel to any location other than where they initially registered the phone.
  

Editor’s Note: DPS has produced a video for your use. It features DPS Communications Director Bruce Gordon and ECN Director Jackie Mines discussing best practices for consumers making 911 calls on phones other than a traditional land lines. https://youtu.be/s237BCUrPG4