911
911 (Emergency Number)
911 (pronounced "nine-one-one") is a emergency telephone number in North America that connects callers to emergency services such as police, fire, and medical assistance.
Pronunciation
The number is pronounced as "nine-one-one", not "nine-eleven".
Etymology
The number 911 was chosen as the universal emergency number for the United States in 1968. It was chosen because it is easy to remember and dial on rotary phones, and it was a unique number that had not been used as an area code or service code.
Usage
When a person dials 911, the call is routed to the nearest public safety answering point (PSAP), which dispatches the appropriate emergency services. The caller may be asked to provide details about the emergency, their location, and personal information.
Related Terms
- Emergency Medical Services (EMS): A system that provides emergency medical care to people who are injured or ill, often at the scene of an incident and while transporting patients to a hospital.
- Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP): A call center responsible for answering calls to an emergency telephone number for police, firefighting, and ambulance services.
- Emergency Service: A service that is provided by government or private organizations in response to emergencies, disasters, and accidents.
See Also
- 112 (emergency telephone number): The emergency number used in many parts of the world, including the European Union and several other countries.
- 999 (emergency telephone number): The emergency number used in the United Kingdom and many other countries.
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