911 calls from discarded phones concern state officials

NASHVILLE (AP) - Tennessee is trying to curb tens of thousand of bogus 911 calls coming from cell phones.

A news release from the Tennessee Emergency Communications Board says the problem is Federal Communications Commission rules. They require 911 calls from phones that otherwise have no service be connected to the nearest emergency dispatcher.

Tennessee 911 call centers reported receiving more than 10,000 calls from these phones in a three month period and fewer than 200 were legitimate emergency calls.

The majority appear to have been made by children who may have been given discarded phones as toys.

Tennessee emergency officials have joined emergency officials nationwide to ask the FCC to examine the rule. They sent a petition to the agency last week.