Editing 911 (emergency telephone number) (section)

==History==
The first use of a national emergency telephone number began in the United Kingdom in 1937 using the number [[999 (emergency telephone number)|999]], which continues to this day.<ref>{{cite web|date=June 29, 2007|title=999 celebrates its 70th birthday|url=http://www.btplc.com/News/Articles/ShowArticle.cfm?ArticleID=6e55cb12-8c0c-417f-b68c-6a7f62b1d8c8|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090114072201/http://www.btplc.com/News/Articles/ShowArticle.cfm?ArticleID=6e55cb12-8c0c-417f-b68c-6a7f62b1d8c8|archive-date=January 14, 2009|access-date=October 16, 2008|publisher=[[BT plc]]}}</ref> In the United States, the first 911 service was established by the [[Alabama Telephone Company]] and the first call was made in [[Haleyville, Alabama]], in 1968 by [[Speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives|Alabama Speaker of the House]] [[Rankin Fite]] and answered by [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. Representative]] [[Tom Bevill]].<ref name="and-e9"/><ref name="w454">{{cite web | title=History of 9-1-1 | website=Iredell County, NC | date=1968-03-01 | url=https://www.iredellcountync.gov/1768/History-of-9-1-1 | access-date=2024-07-15}}</ref> In Canada, 911 service was adopted in 1972, and the first 911 call occurred after a 1974 roll-out in [[London, Ontario]].<ref>{{cite web | title=SPVM History | url=https://spvm.qc.ca/en/Pages/Discover-SPVM/Who-does-what/911-Emergency-Centre-/History | access-date=December 1, 2019 | publisher=[[Service de police de la Ville de Montréal]] | archive-date=April 6, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200406191334/https://spvm.qc.ca/en/Pages/Discover-SPVM/Who-does-what/911-Emergency-Centre-/History | url-status=live }}</ref>

In the United States, the push for the development of a nationwide American emergency telephone number came in 1957 when the [[National Association of Fire Chiefs]] recommended that a single number be used for reporting fires.<ref name="NENA">{{Cite web |url=https://www.nena.org/?page=911overviewfacts |title=9-1-1 Origin & History |website=[[National Emergency Number Association]] |language=en |access-date=February 14, 2018 |archive-date=May 15, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180515005550/https://www.nena.org/?page=911overviewfacts |url-status=dead}}</ref> The first city in North America to use a central emergency number was the Canadian city of [[Winnipeg]], Manitoba, in 1959, which instituted the change at the urging of [[Stephen Juba]], Mayor of Winnipeg at the time.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.winnipeg.ca/police/History/history5.stm |title=History of the Winnipeg Police - Part Five - the Fifties & Sixties |first1=Jack |last1=Templeman |website=Winnipeg Police Service |access-date=October 16, 2008 |archive-date=June 16, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170616142920/http://www.winnipeg.ca/police/History/history5.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> Winnipeg initially used 999 as the emergency number<ref>{{cite news |title=Winnipeggers call 999 for help |publisher=CBC News |url=http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/science-technology/technology/canada-says-hello-the-first-century-of-the-telephone/winnipeggers-call-999-for-help.html |url-status=dead |access-date=October 16, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105054133/http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/science-technology/technology/canada-says-hello-the-first-century-of-the-telephone/winnipeggers-call-999-for-help.html |archive-date=November 5, 2012}}</ref> but switched numbers when 911 was proposed by the United States. 

In 1964, the rape and murder of [[Kitty Genovese]] in New York City greatly increased the urgency to create a central emergency number. ''The New York Times'' falsely reported that nobody had called the police in response to Genovese's cries for help. Some experts theorized that one source of reluctance to call police was due to the complexity of doing so; any calls to the police would go to a local precinct, and any response might depend on which individual sergeant or other ranking personnel might handle the call.<ref>"[https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/blog/history-of-911-americas-emergency-service-before-and-after-kitty-genovese/ History of 911: America’s Emergency Service, Before and After Kitty Genovese]", January 19, 2017, by Carolyn Abate in Beyond the Films, PBS. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210520191051/https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/blog/history-of-911-americas-emergency-service-before-and-after-kitty-genovese/ |date=May 20, 2021 }}.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-03-21 |title=How the Death of Kitty Genovese Birthed 911 and Neighborhood Watches |url=https://www.insideedition.com/how-the-death-of-kitty-genovese-birthed-911-and-neighborhood-watches-58288 |website=Inside Edition |language=en-US |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210520192547/https://www.insideedition.com/how-the-death-of-kitty-genovese-birthed-911-and-neighborhood-watches-58288 |archive-date=May 20, 2021 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Adoption Of 911 |url=https://iaedjournal.org/adoption-of-911/ |website=IAED Journal |language=en-US |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210520191045/https://iaedjournal.org/adoption-of-911/ |archive-date=May 20, 2021 |date=April 2, 2018 |first1=Heather |last1=Darata }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Thomas |first=Kristin |date=2018-06-08 |title=The murder of "Kitty" Genovese that led to the Bystander Effect & the 911 system |url=https://www.thevintagenews.com/2018/06/08/kitty-genovese/ |website=The Vintage News |language=en |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210520191219/https://www.thevintagenews.com/2018/06/08/kitty-genovese/ |archive-date=May 20, 2021 }}</ref><ref>"[https://www.history.com/topics/crime/kitty-genovese Kitty Genovese]", August 21, 2018, History. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210520191212/https://www.history.com/topics/crime/kitty-genovese |date=May 20, 2021 }}.</ref> 

In 1967, the [[President's Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice]] recommended the creation of a single number that could be used nationwide for reporting emergencies. The [[Federal Communications Commission]] then met with [[AT&T Corporation|AT&T]] in November 1967 in order to choose the number.<ref name="NENA" />

In 1968, the number was agreed upon. AT&T chose the number ''911'', which was simple, easy to remember, dialed quickly (999, with the [[rotary dial]] phones in place at the time, would take longer), and because of the middle 1, which indicated a special number (see also {{nowrap|[[4-1-1]]}} and {{nowrap|[[6-1-1]]}}), worked well with the phone systems at the time.<ref name="NENA" /> At the time, this announcement only affected the [[Bell System]] telephone companies; independent phone companies were not included in the emergency telephone plan. Alabama Telephone Company decided to implement it ahead of AT&T, choosing [[Haleyville, Alabama]], as the location.<ref name="Dispatch">{{Cite magazine |last=Allen |first=Gary |title=History of 911 |url=https://www.countyofunion.org/site/cpage.asp?cpage_id=180009766&sec_id=180003667 |magazine=Dispatch Magazine |publisher=County of Union, South Carolina |access-date=February 14, 2018 |archive-date=September 23, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180923121122/https://www.countyofunion.org/site/cpage.asp?cpage_id=180009766&sec_id=180003667 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

AT&T made its first implementation in [[Huntington, Indiana]] on March 1, 1968. However, the rollout of 911 service took many years. For example, although the [[Chicago|City of Chicago, Illinois]], had access to 911 service as early as 1976, the [[Illinois Commerce Commission]] did not authorize telephone service provider [[Illinois Bell]] to offer 911 to the Chicago suburbs until 1981.<ref>{{cite news|date=April 23, 1981|title=Illinois Bell to offer 911 system to suburbs|work=[[Chicago Tribune]]|url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1981/04/23/page/10|url-status=dead|access-date=November 15, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117231228/http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1981/04/23/page/10/|archive-date=November 17, 2015}}</ref> Implementation was not immediate even then; by 1984, only eight Chicago suburbs in [[Cook County, Illinois|Cook County]] had 911 service.<ref>{{cite news|last=Thomas Powers|first=William Recktenwald|date=April 6, 1984|title=Suburbs scurrying to get quick-dial emergency systems|work=[[Chicago Tribune]]|url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1984/04/06/page/533/article/suburbs-scurrying-to-get-quick-dial-emergency-systems|url-status=dead|access-date=November 15, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117063357/http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1984/04/06/page/533/article/suburbs-scurrying-to-get-quick-dial-emergency-systems|archive-date=November 17, 2015}}</ref> As late as 1989, at least 28 Chicago suburbs still lacked 911 service; some of those towns had previously elected to decline 911 service due to costs and—according to emergency response personnel—failure to recognize the benefits of the 911 system.<ref>{{cite news|last=Cekay|first=Thomas|date=April 2, 1989|title=911 service becomes No. 1 on suburb referendum list|work=[[Chicago Tribune]]|url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1989/04/02/page/33/article/911-service-becomes-no-1-on-suburb-referendum-list/index.html|url-status=dead|access-date=November 15, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117024647/http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1989/04/02/page/33/article/911-service-becomes-no-1-on-suburb-referendum-list/index.html|archive-date=November 17, 2015}}</ref> 

Regarding national U.S. coverage, by 1979, 26% of the U.S. population could dial the number. This increased to 50% by 1987 and 93% by 2000.<ref name="NENA"/> As of March 2022, 98.9% of the U.S. population has access.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nena.org/page/911Statistics |title=9-1-1 Statistics |publisher=[[National Emergency Number Association]] |language=en |access-date=March 26, 2022 |archive-date=March 11, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220311013825/https://www.nena.org/page/911Statistics |url-status=live }}</ref>

Conversion to 911 in Canada began in 1972, and as of 2018 virtually all areas (except for some rural areas, such as [[Nunavut]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Community Directory&nbsp;– Fire/Emergency Numbers|url=http://publiclibraries.nu.ca/site/main/npls/fire-emergency|access-date=December 31, 2017|publisher=Government of Nunavut|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180216152146/http://publiclibraries.nu.ca/site/main/npls/fire-emergency|archive-date=February 16, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>) are using 911. {{As of|2008|post=,}} each year Canadians make twelve million calls to 911.<ref>{{cite news |title=Canada's 9-1-1 emergency |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/technology/canadas-9-1-1-emergency/article560927/?page=all |access-date=November 20, 2009 |work=[[The Globe and Mail]] |first=Grant |last=Robertson |date=December 19, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091123102834/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/article728860.ece |archive-date=November 23, 2009 |url-status= live}}</ref> On November 4, 2019, the [[Northwest Territories]] launched the 911 service across the territory with the ability to receive service in the territory's 11 [[official language]]s.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cohen |first1=Sidney |title='Growing pains' expected when N.W.T.'s 911 service goes live on Monday |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/nwt-911-live-1.5340356 |publisher=CBC |access-date=August 22, 2021 |archive-date=August 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210822213842/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/nwt-911-live-1.5340356 |url-status=live }}</ref>

On September 15, 2010, AT&T announced that the [[Tennessee|State of Tennessee]] had approved a service to support a [[Text-to-911]] trial statewide, where AT&T would be able to allow its users to send text messages to 911 PSAPs.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/att-and-state-of-tennessee-to-launch-text-to-9-1-1-trial-168598246.html |title=AT&T and State of Tennessee to Launch Text to 9-1-1 Trial |publisher=PR Newswire |date=September 5, 2012 |access-date=February 17, 2013 |archive-date=September 9, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120909232500/http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/att-and-state-of-tennessee-to-launch-text-to-9-1-1-trial-168598246.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Most [[British Overseas Territories]] in the [[Caribbean]] use the North American Numbering Plan; [[Anguilla]], Bermuda, the [[British Virgin Islands]], and the [[Cayman Islands]] use 911.

Mexico switched its emergency phone number from 066 to 911 in 2016 and 2017.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.theyucatantimes.com/2016/08/mexico-will-start-first-phase-of-emergency-911-in-october/ |title=Mexico will start first phase of emergency 911 in October |date=August 8, 2016 |work=The Yucatan Times |access-date=February 14, 2018 |language=en-US |archive-date=February 15, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180215083701/http://www.theyucatantimes.com/2016/08/mexico-will-start-first-phase-of-emergency-911-in-october/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=July 24, 2017|title=Por primera vez México cuenta con datos sobre llamadas al 911|language=es-MX|work=La Razón|url=https://www.razon.com.mx/por-primera-vez-mexico-cuenta-con-datos-sobre-llamadas-al-911/|url-status=dead|access-date=February 14, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180215024004/https://www.razon.com.mx/por-primera-vez-mexico-cuenta-con-datos-sobre-llamadas-al-911/|archive-date=February 15, 2018}}</ref>