First 9-1-1 Call

The first 9-1-1 emergency services telephone call was made from the office of the mayor on February 16, 1968. Earlier in the year, AT&T, which had a near monopoly in the telephone industry at the time, had announced plans for launching the service from an Indiana exchange. The Alabama Telephone Company, an independent entity, resolved to beat the telecommunications giant to the mark and chose the Haleyville exchange for its successful effort. With much fanfare, Alabama House Speaker Rankin Fite placed the nation’s first 9-1-1 call to U.S. Congressman Tom Bevill, who answered in the Haleyville police station.

Haleyville, Alabama · United States