(Radio Iowa) – When someone in Iowa calls 9-1-1, the type of response they get depends on exactly where they are in the state — and that response can be widely varied. Rebecca Neusteter, principal investigator of the Transform 9-1-1 Initiative, says the emergency telephone system is not always reliable, prompting an urgent need for financial support of 9-1-1 in Iowa — and at the national level.

There’s a perception that 9-1-1 is a unified system, but in Iowa alone, there are 113 separate 9-1-1 call centers in the 99 counties.

As in many industries, there are shortages of qualified people to work this type of job and experienced dispatchers are in high demand. Neusteter says calling the emergency number shouldn’t be a roll of the dice.

Nationwide, at least 240-million calls are made to 9-1-1 each year, but she says 75-percent of the calls don’t relate to a crime in progress and often are not responded to by a properly-trained professional.