Re: Overheard on the scanner

Tim McDaniel <tmcd@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> In article <K053tF.6wz@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>,
> Dorothy J Heydt <djheydt@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>>Around here the 911 system will note the caller's phone number
>>and, if possible, find out the location from that.  Still, if he
>>has Caller ID Blocked (as so many in California do) or is on his
>>cell phone, that's not gonna help.
> 
> I think that you are in error in the US.  I know that Caller ID
> Blocking is not obeyed by toll-free calls (1-8NN), and I believe that
> 911 is handled the same way in general.
> <http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/wireless911srvc.html>
is a page
> on the incoming FCC requirements for location transmission for mobile
> phones.

The "caller ID" shown by caller ID phones uses a different mechanism
and a different information source than that accessible to emergency
services, toll-free providers and some others. They have access to the
unblockable (phreakers excepted) calling party number information used
for things like long distance billing. The biggest problem for the 911
system is inaccurate or incomplete data in the database that maps phone
numbers to addresses.

	Robert
-- 
Robert K. Shull                           Email: rkshull at rosettacon dot
com