After thirty years of supporting emergency communications centers across the U.S., I estimate that I have typed the characters 9-1-1 tens of thousands of times and seen it written ten times more. But, have you ever stopped and wondered about the construct of those numbers? Specifically, what\u2019s with the dashes (hyphens)? Speaking for all of us who have been banging on keyboards since Windows 3.1, it sure would be easier just to type 911.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019ve spent any time in 9-1-1 public education, you may have heard that that the dashes serve, like dashes so often do, as separators. As it was explained to me, many, many, years ago, the concern was that without the dashes, 9-1-1 would be referred to verbally as \u201cnine-eleven\u201d and, as I\u2019m pretty sure you know, there is no eleven on a telephone. When seconds count, lives could be lost while a caller searched futilely for the eleven on the (rotary) dial.<\/p>\n
Whether real or perceived, and I have no factual data to prove whether a response was ever delayed while little Johnny fumbled for the eleven on the phone, it sounded plausible to me. Public education is incredibly important to influencing a safe and effective response, and we all know that child callers represent a subset of calls that require special attention. If adding a couple of dashes helped, I was all in favor. But it\u2019s a different world now, and we have advanced. The kids of today are tech-savvy. If they\u2019re capable of using a phone, I\u2019m pretty sure they\u2019re fully aware there\u2019s no eleven. Same with Gram, she\u2019s got this.<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” left_margin=”25″ text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none” gradient_type=”default” shape_type=””][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][nectar_single_testimonial testimonial_style=”bold” text_color=”#808184″ color=”Extra-Color-1″ quote=”In a profession where clear, efficient communication matters, why must we resort to asterisks and disclaimers? It\u2019s just 911.”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]\n
Further, I know with as much certainty as I can muster, that after the events of September 11, 2001, very few, if anyone at all, refers to our universal emergency services number as \u201cnine-eleven\u201d any longer. Those words, now and forever, are reserved for a much more somber significance. When I say 9-11, I\u2019m not referencing a phone number, and I\u2019m willing to bet you aren\u2019t either.<\/p>\n
Now that text to 9-1-1 has gained traction, public education is front and center again for many agencies. How many of you have this functionality already, yet also include a disclaimer in your promotional and instructional material about omitting the dashes when texting? A quick search<\/u><\/a> shows most, if not all of you do. What happens if we\u2019ve done such a good job of educating callers about the dashes that they still try to text them? Why don\u2019t we just drop the dashes entirely? At a minimum, think of the cost savings on vinyl decals for your response units. Perhaps the chiefs can donate the savings back to your training budgets?! Seriously though, in a profession where clear, efficient communication matters, why must we resort to asterisks and disclaimers? It\u2019s just 911.<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”25″][image_with_animation image_url=”2338″ image_size=”full” animation_type=”entrance” animation=”None” animation_movement_type=”transform_y” hover_animation=”none” alignment=”center” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” image_loading=”default” max_width=”100%” max_width_mobile=”default”][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”25″][vc_column_text]\n I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve seen the push Apple is making into public safety<\/u><\/a>. \u00a0Finally, enhancing health and safety via technology is going mainstream. Pretty cool right, and it\u2019s awesome to see cutting edge technology being deployed to save lives. Kudos to them and our friends at RapidSOS<\/u><\/a> for their outside the box thinking. While the tech is amazing, did you see the graphical treatment of 9-1-1 in their ad campaigns? It was 911, no dashes, and you can bet your AirPods that was done by design. While I have no inside knowledge, as a technologist who appreciates innovation, I am certain they \u201cdropped the dashes\u201d intentionally. Non-traditional methods of calling 911 are on the rise and will only increase as more and more devices connect. Rather than a disclaimer about dashes, why not just drop them entirely?<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”25″][image_with_animation image_url=”2333″ image_size=”full” animation_type=”entrance” animation=”None” animation_movement_type=”transform_y” hover_animation=”none” alignment=”center” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” image_loading=”default” max_width=”100%” max_width_mobile=”default”][vc_column_text]\n So, what\u2019s my point? I\u2019ve been in this space long enough to know that we don\u2019t necessarily rush to embrace change, often for good reason and often because we just don\u2019t like it. But change sometimes is good. At PowerPhone, we\u2019ve dropped the dashes, so you won\u2019t see 9-1-1 in any of our apps, tools or collateral. Maybe this begins a larger conversation. Maybe it\u2019s time to drop the dashes nationwide. We\u2019ve got this.<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”25″][image_with_animation image_url=”2334″ image_size=”full” animation_type=”entrance” animation=”None” animation_movement_type=”transform_y” hover_animation=”none” alignment=”center” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” image_loading=”default” max_width=”100%” max_width_mobile=”default”][vc_column_text]\nHealth and safety becomes marketable<\/span><\/h3>\n
MacRumors<\/em><\/h6>\n[\/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”25″][vc_column_text]\n
It’s time to drop the dashes<\/span><\/h3>\n
Office of Unified Communications \u2013 DC.gov<\/em><\/h6>\n[\/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”25″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/4″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][image_with_animation image_url=”2206″ image_size=”full” animation_type=”entrance” animation=”Fade In” animation_easing=”default” animation_movement_type=”transform_y” hover_animation=”none” alignment=”” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” image_loading=”default” max_width=”100%” max_width_mobile=”default”][\/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”3\/4″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]Chris Salafia is the CEO of PowerPhone. A 30-year industry veteran, he holds four patents relating to emergency communications. An unabashed futurist, he enjoys challenging the status quo and engaging people, processes, and technology to improve 911.<\/em><\/p>\n