An unusual emergency telephone call came in to the Calhoun County communications center in Rockwell City late Monday night. When a dispatcher answered the 9-1-1 phone, he got a busy signal, so following procedure, he returned the call. A surprised woman answered and said her cellular phone has been sitting on the charger all evening — in Yuba City, California, north of Sacramento. No one is sure how the call was routed to north central Iowa, but Calhoun County authorities say it represents a problem that is common; when 9-1-1 calls come in from cell phones, dispatchers never know where the call is coming from or even if it is in their jurisdiction. As winter weather approaches dispatchers are encouraging cell phone users, especially drivers, to know where they are so help can be sent quickly in a real emergency.
