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

What actually happens is that when you call your local phone provider (land line or cell phone) routes you to the closest emergency call center. Think of it like a shortcut. In the cell phone network this is more complex but happens by figuring out which cell towers you are closest to and routing you based on that information.