| Below is a memo sent to Helena
Fire Department to confirm the operation of 9-1-1 in their city. The City of
Helena has worked closely with Shelby County 9-1-1 during all their
annexations, including those in Jefferson County, to make sure the 9-1-1
records are accurate.
====================================================
TO: Helena Fire
Department
FROM: John Ellison, Executive Director, Shelby County 9-1-1
DATE: April 1, 2008
To follow up on our phone conversation
concerning 9-1-1 call routing for those parts of Helena located in Jefferson
County.
It does not matter that a caller lives in Jefferson County and zip code does
not control 9-1-1 call routing. We enter records into a 9-1-1 database used
to identify street names and addresses along with the emergency service
agencies that respond to a given address. This database is also used to
determine call routing to the proper 9-1-1 center.
- 9-1-1 calls from wired telephones in
Helena route directly to Shelby County 9-1-1.
- While it is rare, there can always be
human error when entering phone records that might cause a misroute.
- We encourage anyone who moves or
changes phone service providers to wait two business days and dial 9-1-1
to test their telephone. 9-1-1 will work prior to two days, but the
change in their record may not go through the same day. We much prefer
to correct the rare error prior to an emergency call.
- Citizens should call 439-6911 to report
their phone number and address if they route to any 9-1-1 center other
than Shelby County, or if their address is not correct. We will handle
the appropriate paper work to correct their record.
- 9-1-1 calls from cell phones may route to
Bessemer, Jefferson, or Shelby County 9-1-1. A cell phone may hit a tower
that is miles away from the caller so it is not possible to ensure these
will route to the correct 9-1-1 center. Callers from cell phones should
ask to be transferred to Shelby County 9-1-1 if they reach another center.
A 9-1-1 call is easily transferred by one button press or a few mouse
clicks and should only take a few seconds.
In the particular case of the Silver Lake
fire we received 5 calls from wired telephones all of which routed directly
to Shelby County 9-1-1. We also received two cell phone calls and while we
can not be sure these routed directly to Shelby 9-1-1, the callers did not
report anything unusual and no other 9-1-1 Center announced a transfer. |
