911 Welfare Checks

911 calls originate from all kinds of systems. Lea County Communication Authority supports all forms of 911 calls; including Landlines (home or business), 911 calls originating from wireless devices (active or deactivated cellphones as long as they are still able to take a charge), and even VOIP calls originating from the Internet. LCCA often receives calls from people who call 911 but hangs up before speaking to a Dispatcher. This can be because of a miss-dial or even people that are abusing the use of 911. Please remember, abuse of 911 is a High Court Misdemeanor that carries a $1000 fine and possible jail time. It is LCCA's policy to conduct welfare checks and call the number back and try to make contact. This is done for a number of public safety reasons and it is extremely important that if you do mistakenly call 911 you stay on the line and talk with a Dispatcher before hanging up. Remember, 911 Dispatchers do not know what is happening on the other end of the line and have to assume it is an emergency unless the caller confirms otherwise. To ensure the safety of the citizens of Lea County, if no contact is made when a Dispatcher calls back LCCA will often send a law enforcement officer to make sure the caller is not in a dangerous situation where they cannot communicate or are unable to speak. These 911 welfare checks are an important part of the center's commitment to the Public Safety of the citizens of Lea County.