Free Government Cell Phones

Lifeline phone service provides free cell phones to America's financially disadvantaged

Menu
  • Home
  • Do You Qualify?
  • How to get one?
  • States
  • Providers
  • Minutes
  • FAQ
  • News
  • Cheap Plans
  • Earn Money

Safety news: You can make 9-1-1 emergency calls from any cell phone (even if you don’t have a cell phone account)

April 14, 2013

911 signFile this story under “Hard to believe, but true.” Any cell phone can be used to call 9-1-1 emergency service, even if your cell phone is old and you don’t have an active cell phone account.

Fact is, Federal Communications Commission regulations state that all cell phone providers – even free government cell phone companies — must take 9-1-1 calls from any cell phone. And that even includes old cell phones gathering dust in your closet or junk drawer.

You don’t need an active service contract nor a “live” phone number. You can use any old cell phone as long as its battery is charged.

However, here are a few things you should keep in mind:

Using your cell phone to make a 9-1-1 call might slow down the response time of emergency personnel.

Unfortunately, 9-1-1 technology was developed long before cell phones were invented. When you call 9-1-1 from a landline, the address of that landline quickly pops up so the dispatcher knows exactly where you are located. It doesn’t work the same way with cell phones because they are not tied to a specific address and your emergency may occur far from home.

“For instance, in Oakland, California, all 911 calls from cell phones are routed to the California Highway Patrol,” CNN reports. “That’s great if I’m reporting a car accident on the Bay Bridge. But it might not be as efficient if my house is on fire.”

In fact, the Oakland Police Department has issued the following advice, “DO NOT CALL 911 from a cell phone. When you call 911 from a cell phone, the call is routed to the California Highway Patrol (CHP). The CHP then has to reroute the call to your local police or fire dispatcher, losing precious time.”

Another potential problem is that since your cell phone isn’t linked to a specific address, dispatchers may be unable to pinpoint your location as rapidly as they can identify the source of a landline call. If your emergency takes place is a weak cell zone and you lose lose your connection, it may be impossible for emergency responders to track you down.

Consumer Reports observes, “Landline and VoIP 911 give the operator your home address, including an apartment number if it appears on your phone bill. With cellular, operators see only geographic coordinates.”

The report continues by saying, “With all phone technologies, the operator asked respondents for their location at the start of the call in at least three of every four calls, perhaps if only to verify the address on the screen on landline and VoIP calls. But if you can’t speak—if you’re incapacitated or distraught, for example—it’s clearly a huge advantage if your address automatically shows up on the operator’s screen.”

To sum it all up, you can call 9-1-1 from any old cell phone as long as its battery is charged. But it’s probably safer to call from a landline if you possibly can.

Source: Consumer Reports

Want more news from Free Government Cell Phones?

Click here and we'll drop you a line when new articles are up.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comments

  1. Marty Pidcock says

    September 28, 2018 at 12:10 pm

    Unaware of the free cell phone offer, I recently bought a cell phone for 911 service only- nothing else. Can I use my phone to call 911 just by putting the battery in it, and making sure it’s charged?

    Reply
  2. GRACE A FISHER says

    March 8, 2018 at 8:00 am

    What I was looking for was free 911 service from my cellphone, the account has been cancelled. Just wanting to make sure I can still call 911 if needed. I am a senior, on a limited income, and I don’t ever use my cellphone, so why pay for a contract.

    Reply
  3. Sarai says

    June 15, 2017 at 1:38 am

    So can you still contact the police without service on a cell phone? Sorry, I’m a bit confused.

    Reply
    • Free Government Cell Phones says

      June 15, 2017 at 2:40 am

      Most people don’t know this, Sarai, but you can call 9-1-1 on any cell phone — even if you don’t have an account — as long as the phone is operating properly.

      Reply
  4. Rosetta Leach says

    December 19, 2016 at 3:29 pm

    I recently was held hostage for two days in an outdoor shed, temperatures in the 20’s,
    I was advised to have old cell phone located in the two out buildings of my farm. I got one yesterday and charged it up. Dialed 911 to test it out, and it says must have a SIM card. Is that true?

    Reply
    • Free Government Cell Phones says

      December 19, 2016 at 5:43 pm

      No way for us to know if it’s true, Rosetta, without knowing the tech specifics of your situation. Contact your free government cell phone service provider’s customer service or tech support team.

      Reply
  5. Brieanne Mackay says

    September 5, 2016 at 11:02 am

    my boyfriend took my cell phone and i need the police to come to my house. how do i do that?

    Reply
    • Free Government Cell Phones says

      September 5, 2016 at 4:21 pm

      We are experts on the free government cell phone program, Brieanne, NOT on law enforcement. But our dear ol’ grandpappy would say, “Call 9-1-1.”

      Reply
  6. Teri Lee says

    August 3, 2016 at 11:25 am

    If the phone is an old phone and not connected to an account, would they be able to locate you?

    Reply
    • Free Government Cell Phones says

      August 3, 2016 at 12:37 pm

      Yes. All working cell phones with a working battery work with the 9-1-1 system even if you do not have an account.

      Reply
  7. ann says

    March 11, 2016 at 11:06 pm

    thnak you for infomring me of this . i had no idea i just assumed thatr cell phone ere as good as landline phones.

    Reply
  8. Melina says

    July 21, 2015 at 2:54 pm

    I think my sister needs this phone really bad because when she is home alone she don’t have nothing to call us with she stays at home because she sometimes don’t want to go to grandma’s with us. We just need a emergency phone at home incase something happens.

    Reply
    • FreeGovernmentCellPhones.net says

      July 22, 2015 at 7:35 am

      Yes, she should have a phone. But what’s going on with her and grandma?

      Reply
  9. Telephone system Toronto says

    April 10, 2014 at 3:43 am

    Add important number on your hot list because every one needs these numbers like Police, near Hospital, Emergency etc. numbers that u can easily dial these numbers.

    Regards
    ———–
    InLineCom

    Reply
  10. Free Government Cell Phones says

    August 13, 2013 at 8:48 am

    test

    Reply
Previous Post: Georgia regulator wants to start charging free government cell phone customers
Next Post: High demand for free phones meets high temperatures, chaos ensues

Just tell me how to get a Phone!

Confused? Getting a phone is actually very simple. Click here to begin, read every word, and then simply follow the instructions.

Sign up for our Free Newsletter

Click to learn more...

Search this site

More Information

  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Readers' Questions
  • Help
  • Contact
  • About Us

Recent Articles

11 things you need to know about the new Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)

Q Link Wireless raided by FBI, IRS, US Post Office, Sheriffs

Limited time only: Free unlimited talk, unlimited text AND unlimited data

Q Link F ups continue: Company makes it easy to access private customer info

Were our readers right? Are free government cell phones hacked before they’re activated?

Crisis in free government cell phone program: Will new demands kill off service providers?

WTF? Assist Wireless screws up, exposes tens of thousands of customer IDs

Number of free government cell phone customers drops by two million in last three years

Leading industry analyst calls for universal broadband and free government cell phones for everyone who needs them

Sprint busted for Lifeline fraud, forced to pay $200 million penalty

Latest Reader Comments

  • Terri H on enTouch Wireless Free Cell Phones: “To file a FCC complaint, you have to choose “Billing” as the problem, to eventually get to the provider names…” May 27, 21:50
  • Stuck at Home on enTouch Wireless Free Cell Phones: “I’m on my SIXTH day out, heading into a 3-day weekend, so it will be at least TEN DAYS with…” May 27, 21:42
  • Free Government Cell Phones on More cash-strapped students now eligible for free government cell phones and cheap internet: “Assuming that your qualify, you need to enroll with one of the companies offering phones in your state, Joseph. Here’s…” May 27, 21:29
  • Free Government Cell Phones on Can I use my Safelink Wireless SIM card in another phone?: “What works for one does not necessarily work for all, Cim.” May 27, 21:27
  • Free Government Cell Phones on How to file a Lifeline Service Complaint: “Aha! You bought a phone. That answers the question we asked on one of your other comments.” May 27, 21:26
  • Free Government Cell Phones on How to file a Lifeline Service Complaint: “It appears that you went right past filing a complaint with the FCC or the BBB and went straight to…” May 27, 21:25
  • Tyrone Kelly on How to file a Lifeline Service Complaint: “They insist on keeping my refund the US government should I fire them from the lifeline program they have no…” May 27, 20:50
  • Tyrone Kelly on How to file a Lifeline Service Complaint: “They don’t have any respect for us senior citizens they taking the government money and not doing their job their…” May 27, 20:45
  • Tyrone Kelly on How to file a Lifeline Service Complaint: “Assurance Wireless said they were going to sell me a Samsung 10 Galaxy they charged me $27 they sent me…” May 27, 20:43
  • Cim on Can I use my Safelink Wireless SIM card in another phone?: “This is not good advice. I put a old Safelink SIM in an unlocked phone (2022) and there were no…” May 27, 19:13
Copyright 2019 FreeGovernmentCellPhones.net. | Privacy Policy | Contact