First 911 System in Texas

First 911 System in Texas. . , In Feb. 1967, President Lyndon Johnson's commission on law enforcement and administration of justice recommended nationwide adoption of a consistent telephone number for police departments across the country. A few months later, Indiana Congressman J. Edward Roush expanded the idea with "a single, nationwide emergency telephone number" to decrease response times for local police, fire departments, and ambulance services. Working with the Federal Communications Commission, telecommunications provider AT and T announced in Jan. 1968 that "911" would be designated the universal emergency number across the U.S. The first calls made dialing the new number, made in Haleyville, Alabama, on Feb. 16 and Huntington, Indiana, on Mar. 1, received nationwide publicity., In Odessa, Mayor Jim Reese received a letter from the public wondering if such a system could be installed locally. Southwestern Bell began a study in Dec. 1968, and on Apr. 1, 1970, Odessa became the first city in Texas to implement the 911 system for emergencies. Incoming calls were received at the fire department and relayed to the appropriate location, including the police department, Ector County Sheriffs Office, Texas Department of Public Safety, and local ambulance services. The implementation of 911 service was slow but steady - about a quarter of the US could use the number by the late 1970s, and about half by the late 1980s. The Texas legislature created the commission on state emergency communications in 1985, and two years later passed House Bill 911, creating emergency communication districts throughout the State. Today 911 service is available across the U.S. and is an integral component of public safety and emergency response. More than 240 million calls are placed nationwide each year.