Blog

Landlines Save Lives

By Vanessa Zoya

Some people believe that landlines will become obsolete and are no longer necessary in today’s world. Based on my personal experience, a landline saved my grandfather’s life.

My grandmother passed away several years ago, and my grandfather wanted to stay living in the house they spent their lives together in. He wanted to keep his independence, and we thought since we lived not too far away, he would be okay. However, he is also in chronic pain from his arthritis. One day, he fell, and was in a great deal of pain. Luckily, he was able to pull the cord from his landline and dial 911. Since he was in so much pain, he passed out before he could talk to the operator.

Because he had a landline phone, the 911 operator was able to dispatch help immediately, since his landline is tied to his address. They were able to get him to a hospital as soon as possible.

There are many benefits to keeping your landline phone, one of which is safety, like for my grandfather. If you live alone, and you need to call 911 on a cell phone, emergency dispatch is only able to determine a general area where you are located based on the cell towers nearby. This information is not specific enough to send help to your location.

Other benefits include reliability. You don’t have to worry about dead zones in your house. The sound is clearer, which is especially important if you are hearing impaired. Most home security systems also require a landline.

Having a landline provides peace of mind, especially for older family members living alone, plus, vintage telephones look pretty cool.