FCC Wireless Bureau Chief Thomas Sugrue asked AT&T Wireless, Veri...

when preprogrammed 911 buttons on wireless phones were pressed accidentally and emergency dispatcher was dialed automatically. “Although preprogrammed 911 keys were initially considered to be a useful public safety feature for wireless phones, the number of unintentional calls and the burden they place on PSAP [public safety answering point] officials suggests that more harm than good has been brought about by this feature,” Sugrue wrote. National Emergency Numbering Assn. (NENA) has estimated that significant percentage of wireless 911 calls are unintentional. Problem, Sugrue wrote, is that typical PSAP practice is to remain on line to try to ascertain whether call is intentional. If E911 Phase 2 location capability is in place, dispatcher also may have to send emergency services to caller’s location if it can’t be determined over phone whether call was inadvertent. NENA sent letter to several wireless carriers in Dec. asking for information on what each had done or was willing to do to control problem and outlined several solutions for carriers and PSAPs to address together. “We support NENA’s efforts to address the unintentional calls problem and would urge that all wireless carriers, to the extent they have not done so already, take steps to eliminate the problem,” Sugrue wrote. He told each carrier that it hadn’t responded to NENA or provided information on what steps were needed to tackle problem. Sugrue asked for replies within 15 days of company’s receiving letter on information including: (1) Whether carrier had “communicated to its handset manufacturers its desire that mobile phones not be preprogrammed to dial 911 by pushing a single button on the keypad.” (2) Whether it had instructed its employees to deactivate auto-dial 911 feature if it came preprogrammed on certain phones. (3) Whether it provided subscribers with information on problem of unintentional 911 calls for existing and new handsets. (4) Whether it itemized 911 calls on customers’ bills to highlight problem. NENA raised such issues as possible solutions in its Dec. 12 letter to carriers.