Frequently Asked Questions
Who pays for 911?
The 911 service in the El Paso County is funded by a 911 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 911 system.
A wireless 911 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 911 entities based on population.
What is an “Enhanced” 911 system?
El Paso County has enhanced 911 (E911) 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 911 call taker will ask the caller to verify the information, which appears on his or her computer screen. In most cases 911 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 911 from a pay phone?
Yes, and it is free of charge.
How many calls are made to 911 every day?
The El Paso County PSAP answers an average of 1,300 calls per day.
What is the percentage of non-emergency calls to 911?
26% of all calls are non-emergency.
What is the percentage of cellular calls to 911?
50% of calls to 911 are cellular.
When to call 911 system?
911 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 911 in a “life or death” emergency?
No, 911 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 915-832-4400 and to make a report the number is 915-832-4436.
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 911 use the non-emergency number 915-832-4400 and ask for a supervisor. 911 lines or call takers should be used for real emergency situations.
Do not call 9-1-1:
About 911 prank calls
Prank calls waste time and money, and can also be dangerous. If 911 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 911 calls.
If you call 911 by mistake, do not hang up. Tell the call taker what happened so they know there really isn’t an emergency.
Who pays for 911?
The 911 service in the El Paso County is funded by a 911 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 911 system.
A wireless 911 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 911 entities based on population.
What is an “Enhanced” 911 system?
El Paso County has enhanced 911 (E911) 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 911 call taker will ask the caller to verify the information, which appears on his or her computer screen. In most cases 911 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 911 from a pay phone?
Yes, and it is free of charge.
How many calls are made to 911 every day?
The El Paso County PSAP answers an average of 1,300 calls per day.
What is the percentage of non-emergency calls to 911?
26% of all calls are non-emergency.
What is the percentage of cellular calls to 911?
50% of calls to 911 are cellular.
When to call 911 system?
911 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 911 in a “life or death” emergency?
No, 911 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 915-832-4400 and to make a report the number is 915-832-4436.
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 911 use the non-emergency number 915-832-4400 and ask for a supervisor. 911 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 911 prank calls
Prank calls waste time and money, and can also be dangerous. If 911 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 911 calls.
If you call 911 by mistake, do not hang up. Tell the call taker what happened so they know there really isn’t an emergency.
Non-Emergency Numbers:
Police
(915) 832-4400
Fire/Medical
(915) 832-4432
Sheriff
(915) 832-4408
