How do you call for help? To call for help dial 9-1-1 on any phone that is working, you will be connected to an emergency operator, called a dispatcher. The dispatcher immediately connects you to the person that can help. 9-1-1 emergency services should be use to report a crime in progress or a fire, or to request an ambulance. 9-1-1 should be used only when you have an emergency. Using 911 for non-emergency calls may delay the arrival of help for people caught in real emergencies.
What is an emergency? An emergency is when there is danger (like a fire) or when someone is badly hurt. Don't let the word scare you. You can be a big help when there is danger
or when someone is hurt – just dial 9-1-1 . If you have questions about what an emergency is, it is best to talk to your parents or another adult.
What is 911? Dialing 9-1-1 on your home phone is the fastest way you can get help for yourself or someone else. 9-1-1 was put into operation in 1968 as the number to call for emergency help anywhere in the United States to make getting emergency help faster and easier.
Before 9-1-1 was put into operation, in an emergency, people had to find the right phone number in the phone book or through an operator. If there was a fire, people phoned the fire department. If there was a crime, people called the police. If someone got hurt, an ambulance had to be called. Finding a number for any of these emergency services could be very confusing, especially if the person calling was in a hurry or in an unfamiliar area. But today, you only need to know one number for emergency help. You can reach the fire department, the police, or an ambulance by simply dialing 911. For more information about 9-1-1 visit http://kidshealth.org/kid/watch/er/911.html.
How does a cell phone work? A cell phone is a special type of phone that is not connected to your telephone in the house and works both inside and away from your house. For example, you can use a cell phone to make and receive calls in your car, at the park, at the mall, or even at the beach. A cell phone turns your voice into a special type of electricity and sends it over the air to a nearby cell tower; the tower sends your voice to the person you are calling. Cell phones work well when they are near cell towers, but not so well if they are too far away from a cell tower. Cell phones are important because they let us keep in touch with our families when we are away from the house, and can be used almost anywhere to make 9-1-1 calls in case of an emergency. Some cell phones have games you can play; some let you send email or send instant messages to your friends; and some let you take pictures and send them to people.
What is a cell phone tower? A cell phone tower acts like an antenna. It picks up the call from your cell phone and sends it to the person you are calling so that you can talk to them.
What year were cell phones invented? In 1973 Martin Cooper invented the first cell phone. It weighed two pounds! Because they were so big and expensive, at first cell phones were only used by the military and businesses. By 1983 they were smaller and much less expensive and used by more people in the general population.
What do the numbers in a phone
number do? The telephone number that you dial to call somebody is an address, similar to the street address of your home. In the United States, all phone numbers have a total of 10 digits. The numbering plan was developed by AT&T in 1947. It uses three blocks of numbers - two blocks of three digits and a single block of four digits. It is used for wireline and cell phones.
Area code
Prefix
Line number
301
555
0703
Area code – A different area
code is assigned to each specific geographic region in the United States, such as a city or a part of a state. In the example above, the geographic region “301” is part of Maryland. Area codes are assigned by the US Government. Prefix – The first 3 digits of what you think of as your phone number are called the prefix. This prefix originally referred to the specific telephone company switch that a phone line connected to. Each switch at a phone
company's central office had a special three-digit number. Line number – The last four digits of your phone number is called the line number. It is the number assigned to the phone line that runs into your home or a business. The line number is assigned to the phone line and not to the phone you are using. Because the phone number is not assigned to the phone, the phone can be changed and you can even add more phones to the same line.
How does a radio work? Radio signals are made up of two kinds of waves: “audio” (or sound) waves represent the sounds being sent to the audience and radio frequency waves travel with these sound waves to "carry" them to radios in homes and car, for example. All waves have three parts: a wavelength, an amplitude and a frequency. Each of these parts can be changed to carry information.
Do you know that after midnight, February 17, 2009, you will need a digital-to-analog converter box for any analog TVs (non digital) you have?
More info... Note: This feature is for educational purposes only. It does not necessarily reflect the views of the FCC. The results of the survey will not be used in any FCC proceeding without notice.
