In Colorado, local 9-1-1 Authorities Boards may set a local Emergency Telephone Charge that will be applied monthly to wireline, wireless, and Voice-over-Internet-Protocol service. The service provider collects these charges and is allowed to keep up to 2% for its administrative costs. The rest are remitted to the local 9-1-1 Authority Board, which can then spend the funds on a list of approved uses related to providing emergency telephone service and emergency notification service. Emergency telephone charges range between 70¢ and $4.00 per month. A current list of Colorado's local emergency telephone charges can be found here.
There is also a state 9-1-1 surcharge on all phone bills in Colorado. The service providers are allowed to keep up to 1%. The rest is remitted to the Public Utilities Commission, which may also keep a small portion to cover administrative costs. The rest is distributed to the local 9-1-1 Authorities across the state.
Consumers purchasing prepaid telephone service pay a flat rate per transaction. A percentage is retained by the retailer, and the rest is remitted to the Colorado Department of Revenue. DOR also keeps a small amount to cover administrative costs, and the rest is then distributed back to local 9-1-1 Authorities across the state.
Emergency telephone charges are set by local 9-1-1 Authorities in Colorado, with some oversight from the Colorado Public Utilities Commission. Those charges range from 70¢ to $4.00 per month, depending on where you live.
Colorado statute (C.R.S. 29-11-104) dictates what 9-1-1 funds can be spent on. The list includes:
Equipment for taking and routing 9-1-1 calls
Recurring service fees from the 9-1-1 system service provider
Emergency notification service
Radios and training
Certain personnel costs related to the operation of the 9-1-1 center
Anything "directly related to the continued operation of the emergency telephone service and the emergency notification service."
To make a test 9-1-1 call, you need to first contact the 9-1-1 center that serves your area. The non-emergency numbers for Colorado's 9-1-1 centers are available here. If you're unsure which 9-1-1 center serves your area, call the 911 Program at 303-894-2871, and we'll help you identify the 9-1-1 center for the location you want to test from.
When you call the 9-1-1 center, ask them if it would be okay to make a test 9-1-1 call. If they are particularly busy or are handling a major incident, they may ask you to call back at a later time.
When registering a Voice-over-Internet-Protocol phone or a smart phone that has voice-over-wifi capabilities, you will be asked to register your "911 address." This address may be rejected for a number of reasons, such as incorrect formatting of the address. Call your local 9-1-1 center on its non-emergency line to notify them of the issue.
All 9-1-1 call recordings are retained by the local 9-1-1 agency. To obtain a copy of a 9-1-1 call recording, you will need to contact the 9-1-1 call center that took the 9-1-1 call. Contact the call center by their non-emergency number to make your request. There may be a fee for requesting a copy of a 9-1-1 call.
Complaints about how a 9-1-1 call was handled should be directed to the management of the call center that took the 9-1-1 call. Call the non-emergency number for the call center in question and request to speak to the supervisor or manager. Be prepared to provide the phone number that originated the 9-1-1 call, the date and time of the call, and the location of the call.
Most local 9-1-1 Authority Boards in Colorado have regular meetings that are open to the public. Contact your local 9-1-1 Authority to inquire about when and where meetings are held.
Check the Colorado 9-1-1 Resource Center's Career Center for current job openings across the state.
The Federal Lifeline Program provides subsidies to eligible individuals to receive free or reduced-cost telecommunications service, including phone service for calling 9-1-1.