911 operators want list of cell phone numbers

Authorities who operate the 911 system in El Paso and Teller counties are trying to build a database of cell phone numbers so they can warn residents of emergencies in their neighborhoods.

They already conduct “reverse 911” calls to traditional land-line telephones, but they didn’t have a way to reach residents who use only cell phones.

A system installed this year allows officials to place early-warning notification calls to cell phones. Now, they just need the phone numbers, said Troy Pring, spokesman for the El Paso-Teller Enhanced 911 Authority, which manages the region’s emergency call system.

While Qwest automatically provides all land-line numbers to law enforcement, cell phone providers do not.

So far, 1,500 residents in both counties — with a combined population of about 600,000 — have registered their cell phones.

“We’ve got a long way to go,” Pring said.

The effort comes at a time when a growing number of people cancel their land lines in favor of wire- less phones.

During the first six months of 2006, one out of eight American homes did not have a land-line telephone but used a wireless phone at home, according to a 2006 study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2003, it was one in every 28 adults.

“That’s the trend,” said Kerry Doll, communications training specialist for the Colorado Springs Police Department.

The ability to contact people on wireless phones is one of a host of issues related to cell phones; another is the inability to pinpoint the location of a cell phone when it’s used to call for help. Although the local authority has the technology, Pring said the ability to determine the location depends on other factors, including the cell phone providers and the type of cell phone the user has.

“Cell phones are our biggest nightmare in the 911 world,” Pring said.

He hopes the database of cell phone numbers eventually can be used to identify callers when the phone is used to dial 911, but that capability doesn’t exit now.

Having a roster of cell phone numbers at least enables officials to inform people when something urgent is happening in their neighborhoods — whether or not they’re home.

Pring estimated that authorities place such “reverse 911” calls about twice a month. They try to use the system sparingly so that residents will treat calls seriously, he said.

Most recently, the system was used Thursday to call 485 phones in southwest Colorado Springs as the Colorado State Patrol was pursuing a suspect. Troopers were chasing a motorist when he abandoned his car and ran into the 300 block of West Cheyenne Boulevard.

The system also can be used to warn of a fast-moving wildfire.

To register, visit: www.elpasoteller911.org and click on “early warning notification,” then follow the instructions to register your cell phone. You will receive a follow-up call from the authority to verify the information you submitted. Cell phones with area codes other than 719 can’t be registered.

CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0285 or deedee.correll@gazette.com