911 (emergency telephone number)

This article is about the North American emergency telephone number. For the emergency telephone number in the Philippines, see 911 (Philippines). For emergency telephone numbers generally, see Emergency telephone number. For other uses, see 911 (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with the 9/11 attacks.

A dispatcher takes an emergency call at the Jackson, Tennessee, 9-1-1 Dispatch Center.
Global applications of ITU-approved[1] emergency telephone numbers (this map may not be entirely correct):
  112
  911
  112 and 911
  Other number, no redirection or redirection for mobile phones only

911, sometimes written 9-1-1, is an emergency telephone number for Argentina, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Fiji, Jordan, Iraq (in September 2024) [citation needed], Mexico, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, the Philippines, Sint Maarten, the United States,[2] and Uruguay, as well as the North American Numbering Plan (NANP), one of eight N11 codes. Like other emergency numbers, dialing 911 for whatever purpose (besides emergency purposes) is a crime in most jurisdictions. Penalties for abuse or misuse of 911 can range from probation or community service to fines and jail time. Offenders can also be ordered to undergo counseling and have their use of telephones restricted or suspended for a period of time as a condition of probation.

In over 98 percent of locations in Argentina, Sint Maarten, Panama, Belize, Anguilla, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Jordan, Ethiopia, Liberia, Saudi Arabia, Philippines, Uruguay, United States, Palau, Mexico, Tonga and Canada, dialing 911 from any telephone will link the caller to an emergency dispatch office—called a public safety answering point (PSAP) by the telecommunications industry—which can send emergency responders to the caller's location in an emergency. In approximately 96 percent of the United States, the enhanced 911 system automatically pairs caller numbers with a physical address.[3]

In the Philippines, the 911 emergency hotline has been available to the public since August 1, 2016, starting in Davao City. It is the first of its kind in the Asia-Pacific region.[4] It replaces the previous emergency number 117 used outside Davao City.

As of 2017, a 911 system is in use in Mexico, and Argentina where any implementation in different states and municipalities is being conducted. Venezuela also has a 911 emergency service called VEN911. As of 2023, it has been in operation for almost 10 years.[5]

  1. ^ "911, 108 and 112 are the world's standard emergency numbers, ITU decides". The Verge. Archived from the original on April 16, 2021. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  2. ^ "911 and E911 Services | Federal Communications Commission". www.fcc.gov. Archived from the original on December 14, 2019. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  3. ^ "9-1-1 Service". Federal Communications Commission. Archived from the original on September 28, 2015. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  4. ^ "911 Philippines is ready!". Manila Bulletin. MB. Archived from the original on August 3, 2016. Retrieved July 31, 2016.
  5. ^ Escobar, Rosanny (November 22, 2022). "VEN 9-1-1 arriba a sus 9 años de creación – Ven 911". Ven 911 (in Spanish). Archived from the original on February 23, 2024. Retrieved October 14, 2023.