On Connecting Americans to Emergency Personnel Whenever They Dial 911

By and large, our nation’s 911 system has been a tremendous success story. And much of that success is due to the simplicity and uniformity of that three-digit number. When your life or the life of a loved one is on the line, you shouldn’t have to think about whether you need to use a “9”, “8”, or “7” to get an outside line. You should be able to dial 911 and reach first responders who can assist you in your time of need.

Dialing 911 must always work. Many institutions have phone systems that aren’t configured to allow for direct 911 dialing. They need to fix them. And in this respect, I am disappointed that the place where I work, the Federal Communications Commission, has fallen short. At the FCC, we should be leading the way, not lagging behind, when it comes to public safety communications. Unfortunately, I don’t have the authority to solve the problem. That’s why both FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly and I have asked the Chairman of the FCC to fix it.