“where is your emergency,” (Public Knowledge)

When you call 9-1-1, the most important thing the dispatcher needs to know is “where is your emergency,” according to an interview on NPR’s All Things Considered last week, which featured PK’s Jodie Griffin.

As more people cut landline phone service, they may not realize that they are making it harder for emergency services to come to their assistance. In the past, callers could be easily located through their landline, down to the apartment number.

Today, one-third of homes rely solely on wireless phones, which are much more difficult to locate. Location accuracy is crucial for victims of domestic violence, children, callers who don’t speak English, and more.

The FCC currently requires cellphones to have technology that can only track a person with an accuracy of between 100 and 300 yards. That’s more than the length of a football field.

Recently, FCC has proposed new rules that will improve location accuracy for wireless devices--enough to find which floor you are on in a building. Public Knowledge is reminding the FCC that even as the technology we rely on to communicate changes, our values should stay the same. Sign our petition here.