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Why is the standard number for emergencies 911?

Posted: April 16th, 2018, 11:05 am
by jacob3
Just wondering why most countries including USA have 911 as the standard phone number for emergencies.
Technically speaking, I'll argue that it's faster for me to dial 999, 123 or 000 when faced with split seconds decisions during emergency than 911. The numbers are just miles apart.

Re: 911 ?

Posted: April 16th, 2018, 11:06 am
by jacob3
When they had rotary dials, the idea was that you could dial 999 easily in the dark. You find the dial, spin your fingers to the last finger hole, and off you go!

It’s been so long since I’ve seen a rotary dial Phone I can’t remember if 0 was the first or last number in the dial.

I’ll go and check.

Edit. Zero was the last number. So you’d find the last number, then it was back one.

Another interesting question is the 9 for an outside line idea. Why 9?

Re: 911 ?

Posted: April 16th, 2018, 11:06 am
by jacob3
Most extensions started at lower numbers. Accouting in the 300s, sales in the 400s. Perhaps an easier example is a hotel. You dials the hotels main number, get the automated system and enter the room number. Few hotels had 90 rooms or 9 floors (at the time) so any tenant could dial a 3 digit number and get another room or dial 9 to get an outside number.

Re: 911 ?

Posted: April 16th, 2018, 11:07 am
by Brain.
It isn't. 911 is chiefly used in North America and a few other countries.

Many other countries use other combinations like 112 or 999.

Re: 911 ?

Posted: April 16th, 2018, 11:07 am
by jacob3
wow they still use 01/02/03 in Russia. i thought they switched to one number for all.

Re: 911 ?

Posted: April 16th, 2018, 11:08 am
by Crack
Convention.

Sometime around 1960 it was chosen to be the emergency number for the US and Canada.

Re: 911 ?

Posted: April 16th, 2018, 11:08 am
by jacob3
Ok but the question is why.

Re: 911 ?

Posted: April 16th, 2018, 11:09 am
by Crack
I don't know i just read it some where

Re: Why is the standard number for emergencies 911?

Posted: December 27th, 2021, 10:58 pm
by ceoboss
Found this interesting article that talked about why, when and how 911 became usual number for emergencies at least here in the west (USA).

When did the emergency number become 911?
911 became the number to call the police or emergency services in 1968 in the United States.

What was the emergency number before 911?
Before 911 was introduced, there was no centralized number that people could call in times of an emergency. Anyone who wanted to contact the police or the fire department had to dial "0" to reach a telephone operator or dial a 10-digit number.

What is the meaning of the 911 emergency number?
In 1967, the FCC and AT&T collaborated to establish a universal emergency number that could be quickly implemented. The digits "911" were chosen because it was easy to remember and served both parties.

Details

Funny how Millennials with mistake this for a sequel action at the September 11, 2001. Long story short, it is unrelated :)