Home › Waltham 9-1-1 Emergency Telecommunication Center › FAQ › If the person who answers my 911 call already has my phone number and address on his computer screen, why am I still asked to provide that information? Isn't that a waste of valuable time?

If the person who answers my 911 call already has my phone number and address on his computer screen, why am I still asked to provide that information? Isn't that a waste of valuable time?

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A.  Nothing is more important than making sure that this information is correct

The telephone number and address of every call to 911 must be confirmed. Enhanced 911 is a wonderful tool, but life or death situations are much too important to rely on a computer database being 100% accurate. Your address and number will be confirmed every time you connect to a 911 center to make sure the information is correct. If it is not, Verizon will be notified to update or correct the discrepancy. Another reason is that you may be calling to report an emergency occurring at another location. A lot more time would be wasted by sending units to the wrong place. The few seconds it takes to get it right are well spent in obtaining this critical information.