The first phase of Enhanced 9-1-1 service for PCS and cellular phone users is now available in the Northwest Suburbs.

Until now, 9-1-1 calls made from cell phones were answered by a private call center in Chicago and then routed back to the local emergency dispatch center. The calls offered no information about the location of the caller nor the caller's phone number. The Enhanced system now routes 9-1-1 calls directly to the nearest public safety answering point and provides the dispatcher with information about the cell site where the call is made. In addition, it also provides the caller's phone number, which is very useful if the call is disconnected.

Cell Phone Users Should Dial 9-1-1 for Police, Fire, or Ambulance

and Dial *999 for Roadside Assistance

Phase 1 of Enhanced 9-1-1 service is a step forward in providing better public safety response to wireless phone users, but more improvements are still needed. Emergency dispatchers are only provided with the cell site location from where the call is made. A cell site can cover a large area and an exact location cannot be determined. Callers are encouraged to know their location and be prepared to provide it as accurately as possible.

The next step in wireless 9-1-1 enhancements (Phase 2) will provide the geographic coordinates of the caller which will then be displayed on a map at the dispatch center. This improvement will provide much greater location accuracy. However, this service will be a major challenge for wireless companies to implement and may take two more years before this service will be in place for wireless subscribers.