Whether you’ve suffered a brain injury or been hurt in a car accident, it’s likely that you will depend on calling 911 in order to receive emergency services. It’s important to remember though: 911 systems have flaws that could result in you not getting the care you need in a timely manner.
Typically, when a 911 call comes in, it is immediately traced in order to determine the location where the call was made. With cellphones and today’s technology though, this can be a difficult task because of cellphone towers. Sometimes, all of a caller’s information isn’t transferred to the dispatcher from the cell phone tower. In many more cases though, a call is sent to the nearest cellphone tower and then the nearest dispatch location. Unfortunately, sometimes the cellphone tower can pass along bad information about a caller’s location.
According to an article from 13 News Now, only around one-quarter of 911 calls in eastern Virginia come in with data about where a person is calling from. So what can you do to stay safe? The Norfolk personal injury attorneys with Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers suggest:
- Stay vigilant– Being aware of your surroundings at all times and not engaging in risky behavior goes a long way in helping to keep you safe.
- Call 911 from a land line– Most location errors occur because of interruption in the transmitting of data to cellphone towers. You can eliminate these issues by calling from a wired phone.
- Be precise– If you call 911, explain your location in detail to the dispatcher. This can include zip codes, addresses, landmarks, etc.
We hope these tips help to keep you and your loved ones safe in the future.
