Who pays for 9-1-1?

The 9-1-1 service in the El Paso County is funded by a 9-1-1 service fee assessed on all local exchange access lines within the County. The fee level is set by the El Paso County 911 District Board of Managers. The County of El Paso has a flat fee of $.40/line/month for residential customers, $1.00/line/month for business customers, and $1.60/trunk/month, and $.50/access/month for nomadic VoIP numbers.

The fees are billed on telephone bills of customers by all telephone companies, and are sent to the El Paso County 911 District who administers the funding for the 9-1-1 system.

A wireless 9-1-1 service fee is also assessed by the state at $.50 per subscriber number per month. These fees are transmitted to the Commission on State Communications (CSEC) monthly, and distributed to 9-1-1 entities based on population.

What is an “Enhanced” 9-1-1 system?

El Paso County has enhanced 9-1-1 (E9-1-1) system which routes an emergency call to the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), and for wireline calls automatically displays the caller’s phone number and address. The 9-1-1 call taker will ask the caller to verify the information, which appears on his or her computer screen. In most cases 9-1-1 calls made in El Paso County from a cellular/wireless phone display the phone number and the cell tower location address to the call taker.

Can I call 9-1-1 from a pay phone?

Yes, and it is free of charge.

How many calls are made to 9-1-1 every day?

The El Paso County PSAP answers an average of 1300 9-1-1 calls per day.

What is the percentage of non-emergency calls to 9-1-1?

26% of all calls are non-emergency.

What is the percentage of cellular calls to 9-1-1?

50% of calls to 9-1-1 are cellular.

When to call 9-1-1 system?

9-1-1 systems were implemented to help reduce the time it takes a person to reach the appropriate public safety agency in emergency situations. An emergency is any situation that requires immediate assistance from the police/sheriff, or fire/medical.

Should I only dial 9-1-1 in a “life or death” emergency?

No, 9-1-1 should be used where there are people or property at risk. Examples include fires, crimes in progress or medical emergencies.

What if I need the police for a more routine reason like a simple automobile accident?

To report a simple automobile accident use the non-emergency number 832-4400 and to make a report the number is 832-4436.

What should I do if I am unhappy with the service I received from dialing 911?

To report a problem with the service when dialing 9-1-1 use the non-emergency number 832-4400 and ask for a supervisor. 9-1-1 lines or call takers should be used for real emergency situations.

Do not call 9-1-1:

For information

For directory assistance

When you’re bored and just want to talk

For paying tickets

For warrants

For your pet

As a prank

About 9-1-1 prank calls.

Prank calls waste time and money, and can also be dangerous. If 9-1-1 lines or call takers are busy with prank calls, someone with a real emergency may not be able to get the help they need. It is against the law in El Paso County to make prank 9-1-1 calls.

If you call 9-1-1 by mistake, do not hang up. Tell the call taker what happened so they know there really isn’t an emergency.