Calling 911 from a cell phone can cause potentially dangerous delays and pose several challenges for emergency dispatchers and public safety responders.

Unlike landline calls, which give dispatchers your exact address and phone number, cell phones don’t provide a specific location, said Jennifer Disburg, operations manager at Metro Communications 911 dispatch center in Sioux Falls. Plus, cell phone service can be unreliable. Calls drop. Batteries die. Conversations break up.

Many cell phone users mistakenly assume GPS technology will quickly lead responders to their exact location. The dispatcher, however, must request the caller’s GPS coordinates from the wireless carrier that operates the tower.

“We receive latitude and longitude, but getting that information transferred over in the system and determining an approximate location can take a couple of minutes,” Disburg said. “Furthermore, it really only narrows it down to a certain number of meters.”
When emergency responders are only led to a general area, finding the caller can be complicated if they are in an apartment building, business complex or busy neighborhood, she said.

It's like playing "Marco Polo" in the pool where you’re blindfolded with just sound to guide you.

While dispatchers ask the caller for an address, some residents forget where they live in a time of crisis. Other times callers might not be able to speak if they’re having a stroke or are choking. If you lose your connection or drop your cell phone while fleeing from a dangerous situation, emergency personnel may not be able to find you. Non-English speakers might need to wait for a translator.

Calling from a landline clearly provides a huge advantage, but if you must call from a cell phone, first tell dispatchers your location. If you’re unsure of your exact address, at least say the town or neighborhood and glance around quickly to see if there’s a noticeable landmark. Also say your cell phone number so dispatchers can call you back if you get disconnected. Then quickly explain the nature of the emergency.

While this may not be as simple a just dialing 911 from a landline, it’s the reality of the current cell phone and 911 technologies.

Disburg said she regularly uses her cell phone to make personal and business calls, but she still has a landline in her home for security reasons.

“I refuse to get rid of my landline because I’ve seen the difference it makes when dialing 911,” she said.

Alliance Communications offers a variety of ways for you to reach us. Feel free to call, stop by, or send us an email if you have questions about services.

Office hours starting June 11:
 Garretson Headquarters
 612 Third St.
 Monday through Friday: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

 Baltic Satellite Office
 501 Second St.
 Monday through Friday: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

 Brandon Satellite Office
 Lewis/Sunshine Plaza
 Monday through Friday: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
 Saturday: 8 a.m. to noon.

Payment drop boxes also are available outside of each office.

After-Hours Trouble Calls: You can still receive help even when Alliance’s offices are closed because our phones are answered 24 hours a day. Follow the menu prompts and choose the appropriate option. See below for phone number information.

Phone numbers: Alliance Communications telephone customers simply need to dial 611 from a phone with Alliance local phone service. If you’re calling from a phone that doesn't have Alliance service, the list below provides phone number information for your community:

 Alcester: (605)934-9900
 Alvord: (800)701-4980
 Baltic: (605)529-5454
 Brandon: (605)582-6311
 Carthage: (605)772-4644
 Crooks: (605)529-5454
 Garretson: (605)594-3411
 Hills: (507)962-3271
 Howard: (605)772-4644
 Hudson: (605)984-2800
 Inwood: (800)701-4980
 Larchwood: (800)701-4980
 Lester: (507)962-3271
 Oldham: (605)482-9644
 Ramona: (605)482-9644
 Steen: (507)962-3271
 All other locations: (800)701-4980

E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Mail: Alliance Communications, P.O. Box 349, Garretson, SD 57030

Please don’t hesitate to contact us with your questions. We are happy to help.

Alliance Communications has a new board member as a result of the cooperative expansion that occurred on Jan. 1, 2012.

Randy Simons of rural Larchwood wanted to join Alliance’s board of directors because of his background and interest in communication technology.

Simons has worked in the communications industry in a variety of capacities. Before becoming the manager at Larchwood Lumber Company six years ago, he was a cable splicer and technician for Hickory Tech, a communications company in northwest Iowa. He also has worked with communications technology in other previous jobs.

"I believe I know a lot about the industry from the employee side and would like to know more on the administrative side," he said. "I also want to have a say in how our community is affected by it."

Simons graduated from West Lyon Community School and later earned a bachelor-of-arts degree in business and education from the University of Northern Iowa.

He currently lives in the home where he grew up, which is located on an acreage south of Larchwood. He and his wife, Laura, have six children: Alicia Schonhardt, Christina Johnson, Haley, Andrew, Stephanie, and Rachel. He enjoys carpentry, traveling and playing with his grandchildren. He is a member of the Larchwood Betterment Club, St. Mary’s Catholic Church, and the Knights of Columbus, and he has served on the city council.

The Alliance Communications Board of Directors is composed of eleven customers who live throughout Alliance’s service territory. The directors meet monthly to make business decisions about the cooperative.

This video makes a compelling case for why your home should have a landline, especially if you are elderly or have children.

When it comes to keeping your family stay safe during emergencies, you shouldn’t rely only on your cell phone. Is your cell phone always charged? Do you always know where your cell phone is? Did you know cell phones aren’t always traceable?

Landline phones work in power outages and never need to be charged, which is especially important during prolonged power outages. Additionally, calls from landlines are instantly traceable, meaning emergency personnel can locate someone who calls 911 for help even if he or she is unable to speak. Conversely, the exact location of a cell phone can’t always be tracked.

Landlines are literally lifesavers, and they only cost a few dollars every month.

High school seniors who live in a household served by Alliance Communications were eligible to apply for $1,000 scholarships.

“Alliance Communications is a local company, and we think it’s important to invest in our communities,” said General Manager Don Snyders. “This philosophy prompted us to start a scholarship program for the students in Alliance’s service area.”

A Mystery Under Investigation

When we think of the headaches modern technology can deliver us, rarely do we think of the telephone. Telephone calls have worked so reliably for so long that most of us probably don’t even think about a phone call as “technology.”

However, a mystery has arisen as some long-distance phone calls originating outside of Alliance’s network are not being completed or are experiencing a range of problems.

All Alliance customers to receive cooperative benefits in January 2012

Members of Alliance Communications Cooperative Inc. voted in April to expand the cooperative to all Alliance Communications customers. Currently, about 34 percent of Alliance’s customers are not members of the cooperative, but that will change on January 1, 2012, pursuant to state and federal approvals. As a result, those customers will receive the following benefits that current cooperative members are already receiving:

• Ownership: Alliance customers aren’t just customers; they’re owners. This means you are our priority, not private investors or shareholders. This philosophy makes it possible for us to invest millions in our new fiber-optic network while still returning money to you in your capital credits checks.
  
  
• Capital credits: Alliance’s rates are based on the cost of doing business. When revenues exceed costs, Alliance gives money back to you in your capital credits check. This check is yours to cash and spend as you wish. New cooperative members should begin receiving checks in a few years if the cooperative earns excess revenue.
  
  
• Voting rights: The customer really does have a voice at Alliance Communications. Our board members are elected by customers at the annual meeting. These board members are customers, just like you. They meet monthly to make business decisions about Alliance Communications. Customers equally share power and have voting rights.

By Vince Hanson
Alliance Communications Board Member

Earlier this year, representatives from Alliance Communications attended the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C., along with officials from across the nation. This annual gathering gives us an opportunity to discuss pertinent communications issues with congressional members and their staff.

We spend a lot of time warning people about online identity theft and credit card fraud.  Scammers can employ incredibly sophisticated techniques to obtain your personal information, but sometimes these scams can be perpetrated with nothing but a simple phone call.

It is a relatively common misconception that when you place a call on your wireless phone, the call travels through the air, riding the waves of spectrum until it arrives at the call’s destination.

The reality is far more complicated. Not only do wireless calls rely heavily on the wireline network, in many instances the only wireless portions of the call are from the cell phone to the nearest cell tower. You see, even wireless phones need a wireline network to complete a wireless call.

A new caller ID spoofing gives scam artists a new advantage.  The number on your caller ID says the person calling you lives in your area, but he could be halfway across the world.

Previously, you could easily identify a telemarketer or a scam artist simply by looking at the phone number on your caller ID. Those days have ended.

A new scam called caller ID spoofing manipulates the number appearing on your caller ID display. Scammers know you will hesitate to reveal personal information if an 800 number appears on your caller ID display.

With no current laws making caller ID spoofing illegal, there's no real way for local law enforcement to crack down. Follow these surefire ways to protect yourself from becoming a victim:

• Always be suspicious, especially when you're asked to provide personal information. Ask the caller for his name, telephone number and the organization he is representing and then hang up. Do not provide any information at this time. As soon as you ask for more details, the scammer usually hangs up because you can't call him back on a local number.
• Call the organization back using the customer assistance number listed in the phone book, your account statement or bill. Do NOT use the number given by the caller.
• Tell the customer service department about the call you received and the information you were asked to provide.
• If the call is legitimate, you will be transferred to the correct department.
• If the call is not legitimate, you will help alert the organization that fraudulent activity may be occurring.

According to the Federal Communications Commission, Congress is currently considering new laws that would make caller ID spoofing a crime and permit law enforcement authorities to take action against spoofers.