Improving the Emergency Response System

Learning to call 911 is one of the first lessons parents teach their young children when there is an emergency. The system provides a sense of security for individuals in danger as they are assured that someone will come to provide safety as soon as possible. The emergency response system allows a responder to dispatch fire, ambulance or police assistance to an address or a location that can be located through their system. Although the system is effective in providing assistance to individuals in need it is not a perfect system and would benefit from improvements to enhance the effectiveness of responding to emergencies. Through the analysis of what has and has not been effective within the emergency response system suggestion can be made to improve the system and provide increased safety.

The emergency response system that we now have in place was developed in the 1960’s. Since that time technology has evolved and with these advances the 911 system has evolved as well. Increased need brought upon changes within the emergency response system. “When the FCC created the rules for wireless Enhanced 911 (E-911) service, a flurry of research and development activities dedicated to locating the position of emergency callers followed” (Reed 30). The system has advanced to be able to locate individuals who were unable to provide an address. Despite this remarkable advance the system has its limitations as it can falter in areas where the infrastructure is weak. This usually occurs in communities with low socioeconomic status. In order to improve the effectiveness of locating individuals the infrastructure of telephone lines need to be upgraded. By fixing this infrastructure the 911 emergency response system would be more effective in dispatching emergency vehicles to accurate locations.

Being able to dispatch an emergency response vehicle to an accurate location is one of the key responsibilities of 911. Improving the infrastructure of telephone lines can be an effective method in improving the accuracy of response. However, in the age of cellphones having a landline telephone is becoming obsolete. The 911 system needs to now be able to track the location of a cell phone rather than just the number of the cell phone caller. This would allow the 911 operator to find a location for someone who is calling, and if that person moves from one location to another, they would be able to be tracked. This would require advances in technology, cooperation from cell phone companies and also legislative approval as issues of privacy can occur. The advances in technology would need to improve the time that the system takes to locate a cell phone. According to Stilp, the response times are slow for not only sending out emergency vehicles but also in locating phones. The emergency response system needs to adapt to the cell phone age otherwise the system cannot be as effective in locating callers who need emergency assistance. 

As most individuals no longer have land line telephones having access to 911 can be difficult for those who do not have cell phones. Ensuring that everybody has access to a telephone is a crucial step in saving lives. The cell phone age also has made payphones increasingly obsolete. This can also be a barrier for someone trying to get access to 911 services. In order to solve this problem cell phones can be provided to each individual that would only be able to be utilized in case of an emergency. Specialized phones, which would resemble pay phones, could be placed in various locations that would be accessible to individuals in an emergency. These phones could be used easily as they would only have one button to access the emergency response service. The phones could also be utilized with ease by the disabled.

Making the 911 system easily accessible to the disabled population is an important step in improving the emergency response system. However, the system also needs to be able to effectively respond to mental health needs like PTSD. Individuals with mental health needs may at times be sent a police officer who is unaware of their condition and may respond to them in a violent way. The 911 system should train their responders to recognize signs of mental illness or be able to provide assistance to those caring for the mentally ill. With unlimited funding a division could be created within the 911 system that would solely handle all mental health calls and would be able to send the appropriate emergency personnel to assist them. Many cities have an alternate number for handling mental health calls. However not everyone is aware of the 311 number or may not understand that the situation needs a mental health professional rather than a medical or law enforcement professional. The 911 system needs to have responders who are aware of mental health needs. The 311 system should be incorporated within the 911 system and all responders should be provided with training to understand when to divert the call to the 311 system.

Another area in which the 911 system falters is that of managing disasters which affect individuals on a larger scale. During these periods of crisis, the system can be overwhelmed with calls. “But when natural disasters, public health threats, or terrorist attacks occur that effect thousands of individuals or more, 911 operators cannot handle all the requests. Such disasters may require massive coordination of public and private agencies, plus cooperation from millions of citizens” (Shneiderman 944). During these times of crisis, the emergency response system should utilize the assistance of its citizens through creating a reserve force of 911 responders who could assist with managing the large wave of calls that they encounter. A division could be created like the mental health example which would be responsible for handling the calls, providing information and dispatching emergency professionals.

The emergency response system should also incorporate the disaster response with the advent of technology. Many calls can be reduced through the use of social media sites or search engines which are used by millions of users at a time. By broadcasting emergency information on these sites during disaster times the number of non-essential calls to the 911 system can be drastically reduced. On these sites they could also disseminate information on when individuals should and should not call 911. The emergency response system could also utilize the internet to handle calls that are non-emergency or not as critical as other calls. The 911 system could utilize the internet as both a reporting site for non-violent and non-urgent crimes. The internet could be utilized to record these crimes and dispatch an officer to the location electronically. The internet could also be utilized to have a chat system where individuals would be able to contact a 911 responder through the computer if they were unable to access a phone or did not want to be heard making a 911 call. This technology could make the system more accessible to individuals especially in an era where phones are increasingly becoming obsolete and the internet is accessible from anywhere.

By making the system more accessible 911 responders may begin receiving more calls than they have previously received. According to Campbell, current emergency response times are lacking and need to be improved to become more efficient. In order to accommodate the increased calls more 911 responders need to be hired to manage the calls. The system also needs to be fixed so that multiple emergency response vehicles are not sent to the same emergency. This waste of resources could be fixed by creating a computer system which allow 911 responders to map emergencies and record where they have sent vehicles. This would allow responders to see if a vehicle is already responding to an emergency.

These changes to the 911 system would require extensive training to prepare the emergency responders for the use of the new technology. While the employees are going through re-training new concepts should be introduced into the training that may have previously not been included. These topics can include mental health issues, cultural competency issues and handling calls from disabled or developmentally delayed individuals. By broadening the training 911 personnel receive they would be better equipped to manage any situation they may encounter. The mental health needs of the 911 personnel should be addressed along with the additional training provided. Mental health professionals need to be put on the staff to work in conjunction with the 911 staff. These professionals could not only be a resource for handling mental health calls but to also provide counseling services to 911 personnel who have to handle very stressful call and situations. These steps would create a staff who could manage calls efficiently.

The 911 system needs to be revamped in order to become a more efficient system. These changes need to occur from a technological and a personnel standpoint in order to make all around changes. These changes are necessary in order to become a more effective emergency response system. Through making these changes it could result in saving the lives of millions of American citizens who utilize the system each day. While these specific changes may not be able to be put into place with the current funding the emergency response system receives it could be utilized as a model to strive towards.

Works Cited

Campbell, J P, and R L Muelleman. "Measuring Response Intervals in a System with a 911 Primary and Emergency Medical Services Secondary Public Safety Answering Point." Annals of Emergency Medicine 29.4 (1997): 492-496. Print. 

Reed, Jeffrey H., et al. "An overview of the challenges and progress in meeting the E-911 requirement for location service." Communications Magazine, IEEE36.4 (1998): 30-37.

Shneiderman, Ben, and Jennifer Preece. "911. gov." SCIENCE-NEW YORK THEN WASHINGTON- 315.5814 (2007): 944.

Stilp, Louis A., Robert J. Anderson, and Joseph W. Sheehan. "Modified transmission method for improving accuracy for e-911 calls." U.S. Patent No. 6,334,059. 25 Dec. 2001.