9-1-1 Emergency is any event that requires an immediate response by police, fire, or emergency medical services. If the call does not meet these criteria, it is not a legitimate 9-1-1 call. 

The 9-1-1 concept was originally developed to provide the citizen with one, simple, easy-to-remember number for summoning help in an emergency situation. The first 9-1-1 system, now referred to as Basic 9-1-1, directed all 9-1-1 calls received by a telephone company office to a single PUBLIC SAFETY ANSWERING POINT (PSAP), regardless of public safety jurisdictions. The personnel receiving the call had to determine proper jurisdiction, locate the corresponding telephone numbers, and forward the calls to the responsible agency. 

Advances in computer and telephone technology have combined to create an improved version of the Basic

9-1-1 system. This ENHANCED 9-1-1 system actually accelerates the speed of processing a call by eliminating the need for personnel to determine jurisdiction and locate the corresponding telephone numbers. A feature known as Selective Routing.