The 911 emergency number in the United States officially started with the first call made on February 16, 1968, in Haleyville, Alabama.

The very first 911 call

On February 16, 1968, the first 911 call in the U.S. was placed in Haleyville, Alabama, using a system set up by the Alabama Telephone Company. Alabama Speaker of the House Rankin Fite made that historic call, which was answered by U.S. Representative Tom Bevill, who was at the local police station.

This call proved that a single, easy-to-remember number could connect people quickly to police, fire, and medical help, replacing the old system where each town had its own different emergency numbers.

How 911 was chosen

The idea for a national emergency number came from a 1967 recommendation by the President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice, which called for a single number to report emergencies. AT&T and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) worked together to pick a number that was short, easy to dial on rotary phones, and not already used as an area code or office code.

They chose 911 because it was simple, memorable, and available nationwide; Congress then reserved it for emergency use only.

Rollout across the U.S.

After that first call in 1968, 911 service slowly spread across the country. By the early 1970s, cities like Columbia, Missouri, and Alameda County, California, began setting up their own 911 systems, including early versions of Enhanced 911 that could identify a caller’s location.

By 1976, more than a quarter of the U.S. population had access to 911, and the system became the standard way to reach emergency services nationwide.

911 in other countries

The U.S. 911 system was inspired by the UK’s 999 emergency number, which had been in use since 1937. In Canada, 911 service was adopted in 1972, with the first call made after a 1974 rollout in London, Ontario.

Today, 911 is used in the U.S., Canada, and several other countries and territories in the Americas, but many other nations still use different emergency numbers (like 112 in the EU or 000 in Australia).

Quick Scoop
911 as the U.S. emergency number started with the first call on February 16, 1968 , in Haleyville, Alabama.