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Landline vs. Cellular Phone
Differences, Pros and Cons

Over the past two decades the popularity of the cellular phone has continuously risen. Today approximately 57% of the Lakewood 911 center's incoming calls come from cell phones. Cell phones are economical, and have the convenience of mobility. However, there are some drawbacks. Cell phones have gained enough popularity that many people use them as their only phone. Is this a wise decision?

A landline is the standard plug in the wall home phone that we should all be familiar with. When a person calls 911 from a landline phone, the 911-center receives the name and home address to where the phone is listed, and the call is routed to the correct agency to handle the emergency call. (See the 911 Landline Screen Image Below) If a person is unable to speak, but dials 911, an officer will be sent to the address to check for an emergency. However, it is always best to speak with a dispatcher if possible.

When a cellular phone-call is made, the phone sends a signal to the nearest cellular tower. A 911 call will be sent to the 911-center that handles the location of the cellular tower. In many cases, the tower may not be in the correct city for the emergency. Example: A 911 cell call is made from Denver but connects to a tower in Lakewood. (See the 911 Wireless Screen Image Below) Notice in the figure below the address shown is that of the cell tower, not the location of the caller. The Lakewood 911 center would receive the emergency call and would have to transfer the call to the correct agency once the location of the emergency is determined. In many cases this takes valuable time.

Many cellular companies advertise the E911 or Phase 2 phone capabilities. If your phone has these capabilities, some 911 centers are equipped to read the GPS information sent from the phone at the time of the 911 call. The only time GPS information is sent is during a 911 call. This usually only gives an approximate location of the cell phone at the time of the call. If the call is coming from an apartment building, it is impossible to know which apartment the call came from.

911 centers do not have the capability to track a moving cell phone, or to know where a cell phone is without having received a 911 call from that cell phone. It is important to know that while the Lakewood 911 center is equipped to receive GPS information, not all 911 centers are equipped to receive GPS information from these E911/Phase 2 phones.