911 is the emergency line for the whole US, how is it that when you call you’re not calling one centralized place?

Question

For instance, if I’m located in New York and call 911, how do I end up with New York’s emergency services and not California’s?

In: Technology

Answer 1

Your call actually goes to a switch, which decodes the number you dialed and then sent to another switch. This happens MANY MANY times until you’re finally connected to your intended recipient.

When you dial 911, it goes to the switch, and then the nearest 911 call center with your phone number and approximate location details. The call center then calls the appropriate police station based on your location (usually the one you give them if you’re able to speak)