9-1-1 is a single, easy-to-remember number used when reporting emergencies to fire, police and emergency medical service providers. An Enhanced 9-1-1 system (E9-1-1), operational in the Denco Area 9-1-1 District, is designed to automatically route any 9-1-1 call, placed from a telephone instrument (including wireless) within the district's geographical boundaries, to the proper public safety answering point (PSAP) responsible for dispatching emergency services to the caller. With an Enhanced system, the 9-1-1 Telecommunicator typically receives the caller’s phone number and information about the caller’s location. Benefits of E-911 The E9-1-1 system has enhanced the ability of emergency service providers to save the lives and property of citizens in the Denco Area 9-1-1 District. Some of the direct benefits of the emergency communications system provided by Denco are the following: • Only one three-digit number to remember in an emergency situation. • The 9-1-1 call is routed to the proper agency responsible for dispatching help to the caller. • Trained Telecommunicators answer 9-1-1 calls. (In the Denco Area 9-1-1 District, Telecommunicators are certified to provide emergency medical dispatch which helps them assess our medical emergency and provide appropriate instructions before the ambulance arrives. • Telecommunicators have the equipment and training necessary to communicate with callers who are Deaf or hearing/speech impaired. • With traditional, landline phones, the caller's name, address and telephone number, as well as the proper fire, police and emergency medical service designated to respond to the caller's address, is automatically provided to the Telecommunicator, reducing total response time. In the event the caller is unable to speak, the Telecommunicator has the ability to dispatch help to the caller's location that is provided by the E9-1-1 system. • The E9-1-1 system will identify calls from cellular phones. The Telecommunicator will ask questions to determine the exact location of the emergency. Phase I cell service provides the caller's telephone number so that the Telecommunicator has the ability to reconnect if the call is terminated. Phase II will provide additional approximate location information to Telecommunicators. • The public education programs associated with E9-1-1 promote citizen awareness and involvement with emergency service providers. • The E9-1-1 system enhances local government's ability to meet the ever-growing public expectation of emergency services. • The E9-1-1 system is designed to allow Communications Centers the ability to directly transfer a caller to another public safety agency or poison control center. • The system has the ability to identify telephone companies serving 9-1-1 callers, thus streamlining the process for reconciling routing and database errors.