How does 911 know where you are?

The signal that the tower sends to 911 gives data that falls under one of two phases. Phase one calls provide the latitude and longitude of the cell tower that received your call, while calls that fall under phase two send the nearest known address relative to your phone.


How do 911 operators track your location?

The solution is relying on a trusted medical alert service like MobileHelp with built-in GPS technology that ensures 911 responders will be given both the details of your emergency and your exact, GPS-issued location.

How does a 911 call get routed?

When you dial into 911: The signal goes to the phone company's database. There, it finds out the information that you supply the phone company when you start your service. Then your signal, along with the information is sent to us in the form of Automatic Name and Location information (ANI/ALI).


How does 911 know what state you're in?

When you initially dial 9-1-1, your call is routed to a building called a central office, which houses information that is managed by the telephone carriers. The central office uses your phone number to send your call to the correct tandem office, which is divided by regions.

How close can 911 track your location?

Dialling 911 doesn't automatically connect you with the local police or fire station. Wireless emergency calls are traditionally based on cell tower locations, which can cover up to a 10-mile radius and make pinpointing an approximate location difficult.


How 911 tracks your location



Can a 911 only phone be tracked?

The National Emergency Number Association says 80 percent of 911 calls come from wireless devices. Most people expect for 911 call centers to be able to track your location, but it doesn't quite work that way. Wireless carriers provide a signal to EMS that determines your location.

Can police track you if your location is off?

The answer is yes, it's possible to track mobile phones even if location services are turned off. Turning off the location service on your phone can help conceal your location.

What is the first question a 911 operator asks?

Remember these questions: Where, What, Who, When, Why?


How does 911 record before they answer?

Our systems provide 911 call centers, dispatchers, and other law enforcement agencies with synchronized recordings for each 911 call they answer and more. When a call comes in, even before the dispatcher answers, our systems are already recording the call.

Why do 911 operators ask for your name?

Do I have to give my name? The call-taker is always required to ask the caller's name and phone number. This is in case we have to call you back, or the responders need to talk to someone who actually saw what happened.

What happens if you call 911 and hang up?

a. All 9-1-1 hang-ups from landlines shall be called back by a call taker. The call taker will attempt to contact the caller once, if necessary, and determine the nature of the incident and an accurate location for the appropriate public safety response.


How do you secretly dial 911?

On Android devices press the power button 3 times quickly to contact 911 and message your emergency contacts. You can also choose to send photos and audio recordings when you activate the alert.

What happens when 911 doesn't answer?

If you hang up, a call-taker will call back to confirm that there is no emergency. If you don't answer, a deputy will be dispatched to confirm that you are OK. This will needlessly take resources away from true emergencies.

How do police track location?

A mobile service provider can block the said mobile phone by putting the IMEI number in the black list. Once blacklisted, the phone is useless as it cannot be used anymore. The operator can also trace a mobile phone using its IMEI number by GPS, thus helping you find the lost or stolen mobile phone.


Can 911 see who is calling?

In California 911 call records are not exempt from the new CPRA (2020). This means that 911 call records are available for public inspection and copying in California.

Can you actually text 911?

Text-to-911 is the ability to send a text message to reach 911 emergency call takers from your mobile phone or device. However, because voice calls to 911 provide more information to 911 call centers, you should always make a voice call to 911 during an emergency whenever possible.

Why doesn t 911 show in call history?

You may experience that calls made to emergency numbers do not show up in the call log of your device after the call has been cancelled or completed. This works as designed, and the purpose is that the emergency calls should not be visible to anyone going through your device.


How long do police keep 911 recordings?

How long the agency can withhold depends on whether investigation is criminal or just administrative, but in most cases it cannot withhold longer than 18 months after the incident occurred.

How does 911 connect to local police?

A citizen dials 9-1-1 in an emergency situation. The caller's telephone provider automatically routes the call to the appropriate public safety agency. A 9-1-1 Operator receives the call. If the call is from a non-cellular phone, the caller's name, address and telephone number appear on a computer screen.

What are 3 things you need to know when you call 911?

When you call 911, be prepared to answer the call-taker's questions, which may include:
  • The location of the emergency, including the street address, and room/apartment number, if you're in a large building.
  • The phone number you are calling from.
  • The nature of the emergency.


What are 4 things you should do when calling 911?

When you call 9-1-1:
  1. Stay calm.
  2. Give your location, or an address if possible.
  3. Give clear answers.
  4. Follow directions.
  5. Remain on the phone with the 911 dispatcher until they've told you it's safe to hang up.


What are 3 emergencies that would require a call to 911?

A Call To 911 Should Always Be A Call For Emergency Help
  • Life threatening situations.
  • Fires.
  • Motor vehicle accidents.
  • Injuries requiring medical attention.
  • Hazardous chemical spills.
  • Smoke detector, carbon monoxide alarm or other alarms sounding.
  • Smoke in a building.
  • If you see someone hurting someone else.


How do I stop being tracked?

Open Settings, then scroll down and tap Location. To stop all tracking, you can toggle Use location off. If you don't want to remove all permissions, tap App location permissions. For each app, tap it to choose your preferred setting: Allow all the time, Allow only while using the app, Ask every time, or Don't allow.


Do police put trackers on your phone?

The police won't track your phone without reason, but they can access your device's location history in an emergency or if they suspect criminal activity. Once they have a warrant, the police can access a phone's GPS data through a cell provider and view its current or last known location.

Can police tap your phone without having it?

Police Must Obtain an Order to Tap Your Phone

Before they tap your phone, the police must obtain an order from a judge.