When calling 911 from your mobile phone, there are some general guidelines you should follow to help emergency services:

• During an emergency, always provide your complete wireless phone number including area code.
• Give your location and the location of the emergency.
• Stay on the line with the operator. Remember, you aren't billed airtime for 911 calls. If disconnected, leave your phone on for call-backs.
• Don't program 911 on your phone. This will reduce the chance of making accidental calls to 911.

911 improvements

In certain areas - most of Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec - 911 services have been upgraded to help operators locate the emergency.

Enhanced 911, or E911, is a service that displays your mobile phone number to emergency operators as well as the location of the cellular site carrying your call.

As local phone companies upgrade their 911 switches, the E911 service area will expand. To accommodate the costs associated with this upgrade, the standard 911 service charge for clients in E911 areas increased to 75 cents per month effective July 2006.