Emergency calls to 911 are routed to designated emergency call takers, often local or county police, fire and rescue departments, known as Public Safety Answering Points or PSAPs. Verizon Wireless provides PSAPs that have upgraded their equipment with what's known as Enhanced 911 or E911 service, which automatically provides call takers with the telephone number and information on the estimated location of the 911 caller to assist them in dispatching emergency assistance. The most advanced form of E911 service is referred to as Phase 2.
Verizon Wireless' Phase 2 E911 location technology is built into the phone's handset; GPS-capable phones rely on signals from the Federal Government's Global Positioning System satellites to help estimate their location when you make a 911 call. Verizon Wireless' handset-based location technology provides the most accurate capability over varied terrain, and is generally capable of estimates within 50 to 150 meters in most cases.
Many of the phones sold in 2002-2003 and 100% of the new handsets sold by Verizon Wireless since December 31, 2003 are GPS-capable, which means there is a chipset in the phone that will help provide location information to a PSAP when a caller dials 911. GPS-capable phones have a chipset in the phone that will help provide location information to a PSAP when a caller dials 911. The phone itself is not a stand-alone GPS device, and the handset alone does not support or initiate any kind of individual tracking capability. The location-determining capability becomes functional after dialing 911 when the network is prompted to determine the handset's location.
No, Verizon Wireless will not be turning off handsets that are not GPS-capable. However, because the FCC requires that carriers convert nearly all of their handsets to GPS capability, Verizon Wireless will not allow a handset to be activated on the network unless it is GPS-capable. Older phones that are not GPS-capable cannot assist in estimating their location. If a non-GPS phone that is currently active is disconnected for any reason, it will not be reactivated. If you purchased your handset in 2001 or earlier, it will not be GPS capable and you should upgrade it. Even if you bought your phone in 2002 or later, it may not be GPS capable and if so you should upgrade it.
Verizon Wireless' Enhanced 911 service works only where PSAPs have upgraded their equipment/systems to be able to read and use the Enhanced 911 location data. If interested, customers should contact their local or state elected officials to find out if the PSAP serving their town/city has updated their systems to use the Enhanced 911 information or when wireless E911 service will be available in their area. As of September 2005, fewer than half of the PSAPs nationwide had upgraded their systems.
Upon dialing 911 the caller will hear an audible tone from the speaker or earpiece confirming the connection. Calls to 911 are routed and answered according to guidelines set by local public safety officials in your area. For example, some PSAPs answer emergency calls centrally for their entire state, others for their county or town. Most transfer calls or dispatch a responder nearest the emergency.
Verizon Wireless provides enhanced location information to emergency call takers but it cannot guarantee your precise location. Wireless phones are radios and can react to the environment. Rain, snow, fog, falling leaves, water, mountains, canyons and buildings may affect service. And in some places Public Safety call takers still rely only on the caller's descriptions to locate and dispatch help to people in emergency situations.