The following is a disturbing story. The Newark NJ Star Ledger reported that the victim of an attack dialed 911 for help, but apparently the 911 center was unable to determine the location of the call. It was not clear whether the 911 center had the technology to do so, or [if] there was a flaw [in] it. Perhaps others more familiar with modern 911 operation can elaborate.
For full article please see:
It seems to me that anyone in trouble should use a landline phone if at all available. Unfortunately there are few pay phones out there these days and one might have to go to a house. I think most people in a store, home, or office would call the police if a stranger banged on the door and asked them to do so (I would do so merely because someone was banging on my door). However, there are some businesses in high crime areas where the clerks do not speak English very well and stay locked in a booth.
For a motorist in trouble on a rural highway the situation is harder. Most of us do not pay attention to intermediate landmarks when we travel a road--we are looking for the distant place where we get off. That is, if we're exiting at exit #104 and we've passed #24, we're not gonna remember that we just passed #24. So, if we get into trouble and call for help, we'll have little idea of where we are.
[Comments requested. Public replies, please. Thanks.]***** Moderator's Note *****
The person who made the call was already inside a building: he was a priest inside a church rectory. He was attacked by a church employee, apparently while making his 911 call. It's very unlikely that a faster response would have helped him, since the newspaper article alluded to "32 stab wounds".
The problem is not caused by cell phones: it's caused by the unrealistic expectations we have regarding what is and is not possible in public-safety responses. The TV-viewing public has adopted a fantasy where it expects a telephone to transform into a trained and well-equiped and well-supported public safety professional in the blink of an eye, all the while forgetting the basic imperatives of distance and time. Municipal managers have endorsed electronics as the "magic bullet" which cures all ills, and have placed poorly trained call-takers in positions where experienced police officers and/or firefighters would be more effective. The results have been foreseeable.
Bill Horne Moderator