I would suggest powering up this phone and try making a call on it and
> see what happens. The phone should be able to reach 911 and you could
> test that by telling the 911 operator immediately that you're testing
> a phone. If asked for a credit card see if you can find out what it
> will cost to complete a call. In the middle of nowhere in an
> emergency a $10 call charge isn't so onerous.
Using a credit card with the American Roaming Network is $2.99 to set up the call and $1.99 per minute.