Origin of 911 as emergency number
Mark J. Cuccia
>
> The Globe and Mail (Canada's national newspaper) has a "collected wisdom"
> column where readers ask questions, and other readers submit answers.
> This morning's column includes a question "when and where the emergency
> telephone number 911 was first used and why it was chosen instead of
> 111."
> If anyone knows the answer, please email it to: wis...@GlobeandMail.ca
> with a copy to me if possible.
> Thanks!
(this *might* be long and "seem" to cover what "appears" to be non-related
info, but it DOES all connect togather, so please bear with me)
Here in North America, most local "service" code formats in most "Common
Control" local switching offices were of the format "N11" (N=any possible
digit 2 thru 9),
211 - Long Distance Outward Toll Operator
411 - Information (Directory Assistance)
611 - Telco Repair Service
811 - Telco Business Office
These codes were "more-or-less" standardized wherever a local area used
mostly Panel, #1XB, #5XB and later ESS/Digital offices. These codes date
back to the 1920's when Bell (and other telcos) began to covert manual
operator exchanges to dial service in towns and cities all over North
America.
Please note that not all of the above codes were used everywhere any one of
the codes was used, and they weren't always 100% standardized. The "odd"
codes (311, 511, 711, 911) had usually been used here-and-there by telco for
local testing functions, etc.
Locations which were primarily "Step-by-Step" switching mainly used "11X"
format local "service" codes.
112+ Access to DDD Toll
113 Information (Directory Assistance)
114 Repair Service
115 "Leave-Word" Operator for Conferences, Mobile, Marine, Air, etc.
116 "County" Operator (to reach nearby rural non-dial points)
117 Test Board
118-X1 Ringback for 4, 8, or 10 party lines
119-1 Ringback for 2-party lines
110 Long Distance Outward Toll Operator
Now, prior to the introduction of the prefix "1+" to be used as the standard
prefix for DDD toll, an initial "1" dialpulse would be "absorbed" or
"ignored" by both NON-common-control (Step) and Common-control (Panel, XB)
switching systems. The reason behind this was that taking the receiver off
the hook on an old "candlestick" desk-stand phone might be accidently
jiggled such that an initial dialpulse of "1" would be generated. A single
"1" prefix would usually be ignored by the system, and then a local number
beginning with a "lettered" digit (an "N" digit 2 thru 9) would be accepted.
But in Step systems, the way the trunking was handled on a real-time dialed
basis, they decided to use 11X codes. The first "1" wouldn't be actually
ignored, but "absorbed" in the first selector switch. Anything following
beginning with "N" as its digit would trunk as if the intial "1" wasn't even
dialed. Same goes if it received an initial (absorbed) "1" followed by "0".
That would trunk to the Cordboard Local Operator, as if an initial "1"
wasn't dialed. But if a *second* one were dialed, it would trunk to a
"miscellaneous-code" or "service-code" or "1st-level, 2nd-selector" bank of
switches, usually in the same building. The third digit in the 11X service
code would trunk to the proper location either in that building, or clear
across town!
But what if the switch-hook jiggled an initial "1", and then the customer
wanted to dial a 11X code? The initial jiggled dialpulse of "1" would be
"absorbed", the customer would dial their initial "1" of the 11X code which
would be a *second* "1" as far as the switch was concerned and trunk to the
misc.code selector, the customer would then dial their second "1" of the 11X
code. SO.... the ACTUAL digits as far as the switch saw it was "111". This
*third* "1" pulse would be absorbed in the "misc.code" selector, and
CONTINUE to be absorbed for any subsequent "1" dialed by the customer. The
misc.code selector would trunk to the proper 11X function when it received a
digit 2 thru 9 or 0.
Around 1960, Bell began to plan on 1+ for access to DDD toll from step
offices, and areas which may have had some #5XB but had a lot of step.
Eventually, 1+ has become a more-or-less de-facto standard for toll access.
In STEP offices, 1+ realtime trunked to a toll/tandem switch which realtime
received the digits NNX-XXXX (if in the same NPA) or NPA-NNX-XXXX if in a
"foreign" NPA. In common control offices, if they used a 1+, all digits
dialed after the 1+ were stored and THEN translated/trunked. Some #5XB
offices used 11X service codes usually if the majority of offices in a local
area were step. Some areas (New York City metro; primarily Panel & #1XB)
used 11- as a prefix to dial suburbs (Long-Island or Northern New Jersey).
Even though these other uses of "11" as either an adjacent area access code,
or as a 11X Service Code, were being phased out in the early to mid 1960's,
it did take MANY years to completely eliminate them by changing the 11X code
uses to local N11's or even local 7-digit numbers, or a simple 1+ for toll
(ask people in British Columbia about 112+ for DDD, 113 for Information,
etc. I think BCTel used them well into the 1980's! Ditto for Linclon
Nebraska Tel & Tel, and many Caribbean locations).
The first use of 911 for Emergencies began in the mid-60's, I think
somewhere in Connecticut. Bell (Telco) wanted to standardize all local
service codes as N11 everywhere in the North American Telephone Network; 1+
was intended for toll access (particularly in step areas), but many places
still used 11X service codes, with their limitations as desribed above!
And if 111 were used for emergencies here? Many people (children playing
with the phone) might ACCIDENTLY "jiggle-out" 1-1-1 and get the emergency
dispatch operator who might send out the police or ambulance when there was
really NO emergency!
(the other night... I dropped a phone on the floor- it was my "candlestick"
phone from the 1920's with the hook on the side. It impacted on the floor
such that the hook jiggled out a "2" pulse. I have BOTH speed-dialing-8 AND
speed-dialing-30 with Bell. When I picked up the phone to see that it wasn't
broken- and thank GOD that 70+ year old phone still still worked- I realized
that I was being connected to my party who I had programmed as a "2(#)" on
my telco Speed-Calling-8. So something as "simple" as 1-1-1 for Emergencies
COULD be accidently dialed MORE frequently than 9-1-1)
I know that this above was quite long, but I was trying to cover all bases
as to most likely WHY 911 has been used rather than 1-1-1.
--
MARK J. CUCCIA PHONE/WRITE/WIRE: HOME: (USA) Tel: CHestnut 1-2497
WORK: mcu...@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu |4710 Wright Road| (+1-504-241-2497)
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Stanley Cline
>> This morning's column includes a question "when and where the emergency
>> telephone number 911 was first used and why it was chosen instead of
My understanding was that the first 911 service was instituted somewhere
in rural ALABAMA (of all places) back in the 60s. I can't remember the
name of the town, or the LEC in that area...
>611 - Telco Repair Service
(The former) South Central Bell NEVER used 611 to reach repair service;
it still doesn't work here. At one point, 611 in the Rossville GA CO
(706-858,861,866) went to the Chattanooga, TN 911 dispatch center (911
went to Walker County, GA's. We're on the state line.)
SCB has always had a hangup with 557 numbers (no pun intended.)
>the codes was used, and they weren't always 100% standardized. The "odd"
>codes (311, 511, 711, 911) had usually been used here-and-there by telco for
>local testing functions, etc.
311 and 511 are still used by many telcos for this and that. In some
switches, 311 or 511 are used for ANAC's or to reach test boxes; in
Atlanta, 511 and 711 are used for "special services" (i.e. pay-per-call
info services.)
>Even though these other uses of "11" as either an adjacent area access code,
Could the 11x codes have become things such as "8"? In the small,
independent Ringgold, GA telco adjacent to Chattanooga, callers used to
have to dial "8" to call to Chattanooga...same goes for Chickamauga
telco (independent also.)
>And if 111 were used for emergencies here? Many people (children playing
>with the phone) might ACCIDENTLY "jiggle-out" 1-1-1 and get the emergency
>dispatch operator who might send out the police or ambulance when there was
>really NO emergency!
That's all too easy to do, particularly with switches that don't want to
hang up (press switchhook and phone pulses 1, but does not hang up or
"flash.")
SC
--
Stanley Cline, d/b/a Catoosa Computing Serv., Chatta., TN
mailto:scl...@usit.net -- http://chattanooga.net/~scline/
CIS 74212,44 -- MSN WSCline1
All opinions are mine alone, not those of anyone else....