Book excerpt: The story of 911 is complicated. Over 240 million calls are made to the 911 system every year. The Romans organized fire watches and had published laws. The famous Magna Carta was the foundation of our modern democratic freedom. Folks who were used to being self-sufficient learned to take advantage to developing technology to call for assistance when they saw a fire, needed law enforcement or required emergency medical help. Phone calls are received by local police departments and handled by Public Safety Telecommunicators, or Dispatchers. How did the 911 system begin? How are the 911 Dispatchers selected and trained? How do they handle everyday calls verses disasters or major incidents? This is the first book to address the story of our Nation's Public Safety Dispatchers.