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History of
911
The Good Ole Days
by Thomas B. Norling
As a historian and retired communication engineer with over 40 years
of experience in the telephone field, I have been asked by DISPATCH
Monthly Magazine publisher Alan Burton to provide the readers with a
short history and background in the subject of 911 reporting
systems.
Your editor was looking for someone involved with the development of
911 systems. That has been a major part of my life. Not only have I
been involved in this field, but I have documented much of the early
911 history in a book I have been writing on this subject.
It has been a real challenge to document the history of the
telephone part of dispatch systems because there is so much there.
What will provide you is the ten most-asked questions.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Where did it all start? This is hard to define, and much harder to
answer. We humans, when we found we were in distress, will call out
for help using our voices. Or to put it another way, we humans
communicate, whether it's by voice, drums, fire or electrical or
electronic means. In so doing, we are letting others know that we
need help or other services.
With the advent of the invention of both the telegraph and telephone
systems, emergency communication became a very important part of
these systems; to a point where our telephone operators became our
first real dispatchers and they became known as Central.
These people knew almost every person connected with the system
where they worked. They had the knowledge of who to contact for
almost any emergency, whether it be fire, police or medical needs.
As these telephone systems began to expand, the task of providing
this type of service also expanded.
So where did it all start? It started with the local telephone
company.
Who started emergency reporting systems? This can be answered by
looking into the history of telephony. There one will find the
beginning of most all telephone operations was a need to provide
emergency communications. And with this need in mind, the people
involved put into operation a telephone system that provided that
service. The fact remains that local people formed their own
telephone net works, and these companies (or co-ops) became some of
the very large telephone companies known today.
Who started emergency reporting systems? Telephone people and
telephone co-ops to meet a need.
Why are telephone companies not as much involved with the
dispatching operation today? Look again at the history of the
telephone industry. But to state that the telephone industry is
less-involved would not be a true statement. As we go on into this
subject, one will find the telephone industry is very much involved,
and will be as long as there is a need for dispatching systems.
Telephone operations are not providing the dispatching and handling
of emergency calling today because the ever-expanding companies
reached a point where it was much better handled by local
dispatching systems who were part of the serving area.
The advent of national toll dialing and the central operator
operations made it too much of an undertaking for the telephone
system for these very companies to provide this type of service.
The telephone industry set out to develop and put into operation the
Emergency Service Dispatch systems and to make the telephone systems
function for this service.
When the telephone operations set up for emergency calling systems,
what were the major changes made to telephone operations? This
question should be divided into a number of answers, for to put it
into one lumped answer would not serve to answer what the reader
would wish to know. Let us look at some of the major changes that
took place, without going into too much detail.
First, equipment changes on the part of the telephone system. The
telephone company equipment had to provide the means to hold the
originating calling line so the call could be checked should the
calling party hang up or be disconnected. This was the same type of
service that was provided when local telephone operator provided
this service. (Sometimes called CLR holding.)
Second, equipment changes on the part of the telephone system so
that the calling party could be rung back when the calling party
went back on hook. This feature was limited where party lines were
involved but still could be done if and when required. Third,
equipment changes to the public telephone (paystation) methods of
operation. This did provide a major problem for the telephone
companies in that the change required a standard method of operation
throughout the country.
(a) The public telephones had to provide dial-tone first. Telephones
that required a coin deposit before the call originator would hear
dial tone had to he changed to provide dial-tone-first. (b) The
public telephones had to be coin-free when dialing service codes and
emergency service dispatch. (c) The public telephones had to return
any coin deposited when the call originator called emergency service
codes.
These changes were a major hardship to both large and small
operating telephone companies. Each of these changes involved much
development and the need for new methods of handling public
telephones and emergency call handling.
Why the dialing code 9-1-1? This is a real hard question to answer
and my first response is: Why not?
Everyone has his or her own access code and I have heard most of
them. But the truth is that AT&T and USITA had to come up with one
for the telephone system--for the total system.
I was an engineer for AECO Gen Tel Labs when I became part of this
task force. And believe me, this was no snap; it took much time to
resolve. No one wanted to give in, but as time went on, we all came
to the same understanding. The access code had to be three digits.
The first digit had to be an N digit, meaning it had to be one of
the digits 2 through 9. The digit 1 or 0 could not be used. The
second and third digits had to be 1.
So the real problem was what was the first digit going to be and the
task force set out to resolve this problem.
It came down to the fact that the digit 9 was the easiest to clear
for access, because in many systems it was already clear; in others,
equipment changes were small. With this, 9-1-1 was selected and work
started to make this an access code back as far as the late '50s.
There was one other factor that helped resolve this, and it was the
location of this digit on the dial or keypad.
If one had to dial 9-1-1 in the dark, all one had to do was place
the finger in the dial, slide the finger from the one position all
the way around to the zero position, back up one step and this would
be the ninth position or digit 9.
Then the call originator would again place the finger into the 1st
position; this would he the digit one--and dial it two times. The
outcome would he 9-1-1.
With the keypad, the call originator would locate the lower
righthand key position (the # or pound key) and move straight up to
the next position, which is the digit 9. Then move the finger so the
upper-most left hand side, which is the digit one. With this method,
one could easily dial 9-1-1 in the dark.
How did the telephone number and address play a part in emergency
reporting systems? From the emergency reporting dispatch center of
operation, the answer is self explanatory. This was the means to
complete the call-handling.
From the operating telephone company directing the call, it was used
to provide the emergency service center with much-needed
information.
The telephone companies made use of their automatic number
identification used in toll billing to provide the directory number,
and with this, the billing address from the billing computer. Backup
came from the outside plant records computers to provide additional
information where the billing address may have been a post office
box. There were other methods used where the originating call came
from a telephone service at two or more locations. Here, secondary
class marking determined the originating party location.
In any event, an originating party address was found in most
applications and forwarded to the emergency service dispatch center.
How did the very early emergency service center receive the
information from the operating telephone companies? The voice part
of the call was via telephone circuits where as many as were needed
were provided to meet the service needs. As to the very early
systems, Model 28 and 33 Teletype equipment was used. In time, these
were replaced with computer equipment with printers and then CRTs.
This was and is now an on going process. Who knows what the future
will bring?
Is there any reason why anyone with telephone service should be
denied 911 service today? Being an ex-telephone engineer, I don't
like to answer this question. But to be fair to both sides, I can
only say No--every telephone user in this country should and could
have access to 911 service.. The telephone industry already has
developed equipment. The local governments have the means now to
provide the services. There can be no real reason to keep people
from having access to 91 1
Why has there been little or no published information on how and why
the development of emergency dispatch systems? My answer is there
has been much documentation on this subject, but one has to know
where to look. Many people do not really wish to go into that much
detail. The real answer is that the information is out there, but a
real demand for this information is not. For those who want this
type of documentation, it's there; but it requires real effort to
locate it. . .
What do you see in the future of emergency dispatching systems? As
an old timer who has designed and helped with the development of
these systems, I .see a very big future using computer software and
the newer hard ware.
The dispatchers and responders are going to have many new tools.
There are many new features where everyone involved will soon have
much of the same information at the same time. The need to call up
information from the past will also be provided.
I have now provided you, the readers, my input into this subject. I
know those involved in the dispatching side know that we old-timers
look up to you for the fine job you are doing.
copyright 1995 911 Dispatch Services, Inc.
If you have any questions or comments regarding the Association,
please contact
Randy Stewart,
President of the MS E-911 Coordinators Association.
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