From Call to Assistance, How 911 Dispatch System Works

In the United States, you can summon emergency help from police, firefighters or an ambulance by dialing 911. The first such call was made in 1968 in Haleyville, Alabama. In 1999 Congress directed officials to make 911 the universal emergency number for the United States. Since then, emergency operators have answered more than 240 million calls a year. Lesia Bakalets spent a day with 911 dispatchers to learn about the job's rewards and stresses. Anna Rice narrates her story.