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How do I register my address with 911?

How do I register my address with 911?

February 7, 2022 by Amelia Mueller in

New year, new you, maybe a new home? Or even the launch of a new business? Either way, if you’re setting up a new phone system, or if you are responsible for ensuring new housing developments are addressed and listed in an Emergency Communications Center (ECC), it’s important to know how to register an address with 911.  

Our 911 call centers and our staff members get this question a lot, but we at NCT9-1-1 actually are not the authority for registering 911 addresses. So, where do you begin? 

What kind of buildings need 911 addresses? 

Obviously, any house or brick and mortar business needs an address that is verifiable by 911, but also mobile homes, barns, garages, water towers, and other similar structures need to have an address associated with them. Usually, when applying for a building permit, you will also be required to fill out an application for a 911 address. 

How do you apply for an address? 

You need to reach out to your local 911 addressing authority to request a 911 address. You can search online for your county addressing coordinator’s contact information, or call your county government headquarters, or your county appraisal district offices. 

We’ve collected all of the NCT9-1-1 addressing coordinator or county government information in the lines below. 

Collin County 

Ellis County 

Erath County 

Hood County 

Hunt County 

Johnson County 

Kaufman County 

Navarro County 

Parker County 

Palo Pinto County 

Rockwall County 

Somervell County 

Wise County 

 

How do you display your address? 

Registering your 911 address doesn’t do you any good if field responders can’t identify it in an emergency. It’s important to clearly display your 911 address numbers from the road. Post these numbers where it would be obvious for someone who has never visited your home or business to see. 

If you live at the end of a long driveway or access road, don’t just mark your mailbox. Make sure you also mark the entry to your driveway.  

Though we emphasize that rural areas should take steps to display a readable address that is clearly identified, members of the public in suburban or even urban areas should also ensure their address is easy to see from the street. 

911 Accessibility for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

911 Accessibility for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

January 12, 2022 by Amelia Mueller in

What efforts are out there for 911 accessibility for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing communities? The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), which passed on July 26, 1990, states that “all Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) must provide direct, equal access to their services for people with disabilities who use a teletypewriter (TTY), which are also known as a ‘telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD).”  

Title II of the ADA specifically addresses the requirements of telephone emergency service providers, which includes police, fire, and EMS. TTY users must have access to 911 or a seven or ten-digit emergency service number. A TTY is a device used with a telephone to communicate with a person who is Deaf or hard of hearing, as it turns telephone tones into letters on a display screen. It is limited as TTY communication can only occur in one direction at a time, therefore two users can’t type to one another at the same time and must take turns sending and receiving. TTYs can also be used over a computer software rather than an isolated machine. 

When traveling within our 911 service area to discuss 911 accessibilityEvo for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, community members claim TTY to be an outdated service that a rare few still rely on. When asked how they would reach 911, most claimed to use video-relay services. These services allow a person who is Deaf or hard of hearing to video conference with an interpreter who then makes a call on their behalf to their local law enforcement office. However, these calls rarely come through on the 911 line, as the interpreter first has to identify the location of the caller and contact the correct law enforcement agency through their seven or ten-digit line. 

Real-Time Text (RTT) has been identified by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as a replacement for TTY in all instances, including for emergency services. RTT can be activated on any cell phone and used to send messages over a phone call. NCT911 is in the process of launching an RTT pilot project, and the public can follow along and learn more on our resource page here.   

Text-to-911 is also becoming more common across the country and could be a viable way for the Deaf or hard of hearing communities to reach emergency services where it is available. 

911 telecommunicators are trained on utilizing TTY devices and communicating with the Deaf and hard of hearing communities, but as resources such as RTT and text-to-911 are introduced, that training will need to be modified. The industry continues to work on offering accessible, life-saving services as a right to all community members.      

Reflections on 2021

Reflections on 2021

December 21, 2021 by Christy Williams in /

I cannot believe another year has flown by!  Today I dedicated some time to reflection on 2021.  My reflections are not only about the many accomplishments at NCT9-1-1, but also a chance to remember some lessons learned and set some new goals for following our strategic plan in the coming year.  The word for the year has been “courage,” and we have needed that!  Courage is not the absence of fear but facing your fears and pressing onward.  It is exhibiting strength and perseverance in hard times.

Courage was exhibited throughout the year as our organization transitioned from working from home to a hybrid office environment.  I thought transitioning to home was tough, but there were far more people struggling with returning to the office and settling into a “new normal,” which includes time at home, in the office, training, presenting, and even travelling.  Our team demonstrated courage as they implemented our first cloud-based solution (dispatch mapping) virtually.  They overcame numerous obstacles and worked through interpersonal issues as we forged through isolation and a lack of face-to-face meetings.  Our team recognized that good mental health is vital to our telecommunicators and re-branded our training to be centered on the wellness of our people.  They are courageous enough to talk about the difficult subjects and are gathering resources to assist our telecommunicator family.  While not easy or fast, they hosted hybrid telecommunicator academies with necessary safety precautions and persevered through several interruptions.  The team worked for several months overcoming roadblocks from multiple avenues in order to become a FEMA-certified IPAWS Alerting Agency in order to inform the public of 9-1-1 service interruptions.  They conducted a 3D mapping pilot with a local university. While most people were still identifying the problems with federal Z-axis requirements and telecommunicators receiving unactionable data,, this team showed courage by identifying and testing potential solutions. Facing frustration after over two years of trying to implement Real Time Text (RTT) in the region, this team of technologists and operations experts worked with vendors and wireless providers to continue down the path, making many modifications along the way.  There were few people ahead of them on this journey, so the team had to walk into the unknown and step out of all comfort zones in order to send requests to each of the wireless carriers to implement the service.  We look forward to seeing this courage pay off with a successful implementation next year and sharing the lessons learned with ECCs around the country so they can implement RTT as well.

While these are courageous actions and impressive accomplishments, I would like to highlight who this team is instead of just focusing on what they have done.  NCT9-1-1 is made up of amazing people behind the scenes that have a passion for 9-1-1 and improving services for the people in our region.  They are compassionate, always checking on co-workers living alone and opening up their homes for peers affected by a crushing winter storm.  They responded to victims of Hurricane Ida by sending a TERT team and adopting some ECCs and sending care packages. The NCT9-1-1 staff worked with Tarrant County 9-1-1 to collect over 1600 items for those in need in our communities this holiday season and many of them volunteered at the local food bank.  They turned the National Early Adopter Summit into a virtual event with less than a month to plan and execute, which meant extra work and pulling together as a team.  This team lives a “family first” culture, and they support each other through hard times and struggles.  I am so proud of the members of our team and want everyone to know what wonderful people work day in and day out to support the 9-1-1 system in our region.  They are not only courageous but also have heart and consistently display good attitudes.  They are servant leaders!

Speaking of good people . . .  I have been a champion for positive change in 9-1-1 utilizing new technology.  I still believe in the technology, but I am changing my focus to a people first approach.  I urge you to join with me in asking: “What do our people need to successfully implement Next Generation 9-1-1?”  I know the industry will need to enhance our training, modify our hiring and retention practices, provide more mental health resources, revise our Standard Operating Procedures, initiate more wellness programs, and educate the public.  However, I suspect there will be much more.  We need to hold focus groups and determine what the problems are with 9-1-1 from the viewpoint of the telecommunicator.  We need their input and suggestions.  We need to focus on the people first!

That brings me to the word for 2022. . . “connections.”  I challenge you all to make new connections, building relationships and a network.  I hope you will also deepen the connections you have today.  Reach out to someone and see how they are doing and if there is anything you can do to help.  Even if you cannot help them, you can listen to them and support them through difficult times. Appreciate others and recognize what they are doing for our industry or your organization.  Collaborate on projects that could be done jointly or brainstorm on common problems.   Share what you learn with others.  Pass on the information you have been privileged to receive.  Don’t make others re-create the wheel.  Let’s all work together to solve our 9-1-1 problems.  We are “9-1-1 Strong,” but we can be even stronger together.  Join me in saving lives and making a difference!  Happy New Year!

What To Do If You Have An Emergency on Christmas Day

What To Do If You Have An Emergency on Christmas Day

December 13, 2021 by Amelia Mueller in

Holidays, including Christmas, are almost always high traffic days for your local Emergency Communications Center (ECC). Something about gathering estranged family members together, driving in less-than-ideal conditions, and spending hours cooking extremely flammable holiday dinners makes this time of year very busy for public safety professionals. How do you stay on top of potential emergencies to avoid having to call 911 on a day that’s supposed to be filled with cheer? 

911 is for Emergencies Only  

Our first piece of advice is to remember that you should not be calling 911 unless you’re experiencing an emergency that requires a response from police, fire, or EMS professionals. Since most holidays are already busy for your local 911 telecommunicators, dialing 911 for anything other than one of those types of services is taking resources away from someone who might actually need them. Keep the lines clear for people in life-threatening situations, especially on high traffic days like Christmas.

Prepare for the Worst, Hope for the Best 

During the winter season, we North Texans deal with an unusual weather pattern. One day you’re in danger of heat stroke, and the next week you’re worried about icy roads. Stay prepared for any possible situation this winter by loading up on any necessary supplies. It is recommended by the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) that you keep at least two-week’s worth of food and water stockpiled in case of an emergency. Though we hope you don’t have to break into your stockpiled food during the holidays, it’s better to be safe than sorry. 

Driving in icy conditions can be dangerous, so it’s also recommended that you take precautions to avoid accidents by ensuring you have enough air in your tires and driving slowly. Keep emergency supplies in your vehicle such as a first aid kit, flares, blankets, and kitty litter or sand. 

If you’re cooking this year, maintain kitchen safety precautions. Don’t leave stovetops unattended and keep an eye on any children. And if you’re frying a turkey, be sure to do your research for a proper set up to avoid a burnt lawn or, worse, house! 

Don’t Hang Up 

If you do happen to experience an emergency on a holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas and need to dial 911, be sure to stay on the line until your call is answered. Though it is rare, during high traffic times you may have to wait to have your call answered, and some callers are tempted to hang up and redial. Don’t do this. This puts your call back at the end of line. Stay on the line until a 911 telecommunicator answers, and then listen carefully and answer all questions and instructions. Have your location information ready to relay as this is the best way to ensure a fast response time.   

The holidays are stressful, but don’t make them harder than they need to be by being unprepared. If you do need assistance from emergency services during a major holiday, stay calm, stay on the line, and answer all of the 911 telecommunicators questions for a fast response.