By the time they start kindergarten, most children in North America know that they can call 911 in an emergency and someone will come to their aid. Even if they don't know their address, the dispatch system will detect where they are calling from, often even if they are calling from a cellphone. But in Alaska, that help may be harder to come by, if it is available at all.
A statewide push is underway to modernize what many are calling an archaic 911 system in the hopes it will soon be able to help save the lives of, and prevent catastrophe for, the many people who call from rural areas, where 911 services are limited.
Ironically, Nome, which is not connected to the road system, was said to have been one of the first communities in the United States to have a 911 system in place.