Landlines better than cell phones for 911.

• Position: YOUR LIFE - Brief article

Cell phones account for nearly 70% of all 911 calls in the U.S but, depending on where you live, as many as 95% of cell phones are not able to share accurately their location with 911 dispatchers, meaning that, for instance, if a pool accident occurs, first responders may not reach you in time--and with the CDC reporting an average of 350 child deaths in swimming pools each year (and another 5,900 emergency room visits), time is of the essence.

According to Ooma--a provider of home Internet phone service--which gathered data on cell phone-to-911 calls, the chance of emergency dispatchers being able to determine your location based on your cell phone's GPS data ranges from as low as 10% to as high as 95% throughout the country. For instance, dispatchers are unable to track 42% of 911 cell phone calls in Colorado, while in...