To "Reverse 911" or not to "Reverse 911"?

It's not unusual to hear automated telephone notification systems generally referred to as "reverse 9-1-1". While not unusual, it's probably not a good idea to do so. REVERSE 911™ is a trademarked term, and the owners of the trademark don't like it when the name is used incorrectly.

I know first-hand. I competed against the original owners of the trademark, and had my hands slapped more than once for improper use of the term. Then, the company I worked for bought the company that owned the trademark. I could then start using the term (although I really never got accustomed to it, my hands still stinging).

Many 9-1-1 professionals don't like the term either. They prefer that 9-1-1 be used only when referring to emergency phone calls from the public (not to the public).

So, save yourself a hand-slapping. Find another term to use when referring to automated telephone notification systems in a general way. You won't find us using "reverse 9-1-1" generically in this blog. (Oops, kind of hard to avoid.)

All the best,

Rick