9-1-1 Calls Peak During Summer Months!

June is National Safety Month: Get Your Emergency Safety Kit Ready…A Corded Phone with Landline Phone Service is Key

With severe summer weather on the horizon, Qwest Communications and the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) urge consumers to take a moment to think about emergency preparedness. According to NENA, 9-1-1- calls peak during the summer months, so National Safety Month in June is a great time to get prepared.

To help with public safety preparedness during the summer season, Qwest and NENA, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing emergency communications, continue the “Connect for Safety” campaign to raise awareness about how landline service and corded phones could save lives in an emergency use.

Since power outages and other emergencies often strike during severe summer storm seasons, it is important for all families to be ready. Qwest and NENA recommend that all households prepare for scenarios by having an emergency kit on hand including the following items:

* Flashlights with working batteries in easy-to-find locations
* Battery-powered radio
* First aid kit
* Working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
* Fire extinguisher
* Corded phone with landline phone service
* List of emergency numbers near the corded, landline phone

The Importance of A Corded Phone

When a call is made from a landline phone in an enhanced 9-1-1 service area, the dispatch center answering the call receives the caller’s address automatically. And, during a power outage, cordless and Internet phones might not operate because they rely on the main electrical supply, while a traditional home phone with a cord uses a different electrical system.

“Other phone technologies offer great features and mobility benefits, but a landline is more reliable and effective for accessing emergency-response services,” says Robert Martin, executive director for NENA. “To be ready for emergencies, all homes should have at least one landline connected to a corded phone.”

Connected to Help

Even when the power is on, landline service offers safety advantages. When a call is made from a landline phone in an enhanced 9-1-1 service area, the dispatch center receives the address automatically – saving time and sometimes lives. A system to convey location information for cell phone calls to emergency responders is not yet fully deployed in every community.

“As families work to make their homes safer, the benefits of a corded phone and landline service are often overlooked,” says Dan Yost, executive vice president of product for Qwest. “Through this educational campaign and through our partnership with NENA to develop and enable next-generation emergency communications systems, Qwest wants to help ensure that local residents have reliable home access to potentially life-saving 9-1-1 service.”

For more helpful tips on calling 9-1-1 and about the safety benefits of traditional phone service, visit www.connectforsafety.com.