A proposed 911 network for Iowa would make calling for help on a cell phone quicker by sending calls to the appropriate agency, not to the Iowa State Patrol. The proposal would make Iowa one of the first states to impose a Federal Communications Commission order that requires specific routing of 911 calls made from cell phones. The calls will be placed to the closest public safety dispatcher, so that calls are not first sent to the Iowa State Patrol.
By fall of next year, the FCC will require cell phone companies to give dispatchers a caller's location. The Iowa program will be for rural and metro areas, according to US West, which has an $11 million contract with the state for wire-line networks for 911 calls. Cell phone callers report traffic accidents, domestic complaints, and other cases via phone.
