National EMS Week: States with the biggest 911 demand revealed
National EMS Week: 911 calls across the U.S. New Jersey has the biggest increase in 911 calls, at 11.13%. Massachusetts saw the second-largest increase, at 9.39%. Seven states saw an increase, and 38 states saw a decrease in 911 calls.
A new study has revealed the states with the highest increase in 911 calls.
The research, conducted by Las Vegas personal injury lawyers H&P Law (link: https://courtroomproven.com/), analyzed 911 call data from 911.gov.
The number of 911 calls per state for 2019 through 2022 was used to calculate the percentage change. The data was ranked, and the state with the biggest increase was determined.
Of all the states examined, seven saw an increase in 911 calls, while 38 states saw a decrease in calls.
The top ten states with an increase in 911 calls
| Rank | State | Total calls (2019) | Total calls (2020) | Total calls (2021) | Total calls (2022) | 2021 to 2022 % change |
| 1 | New Jersey | 9,250,000 | 9,500,000 | 8,961,206 | 9,958,837 | 11.13% |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 3,478,087 | 3,217,315 | 3,241,132 | 3,545,631 | 9.39% |
| 3 | Iowa | 1,231,283 | 1,182,348 | 1,192,075 | 1,291,967 | 8.38% |
| 4 | Virginia | 3,894,189 | 4,044,011 | 4,206,870 | 4,360,070 | 3.64% |
| 5 | Illinois | 9,218,510 | 8,728,427 | 8,304,001 | 8,580,454 | 3.33% |
| 6 | Connecticut | 1,994,161 | 1,921,838 | 2,012,310 | 2,030,454 | 0.90% |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | 8,460,189 | 8,144,551 | 8,375,657 | 8,431,911 | 0.67% |
| 8 | Vermont | 209,606 | 209,990 | 236,948 | 234,530 | -1.02% |
| 9 | Washington | 5,317,793 | 5,057,065 | 5,461,365 | 5,391,482 | -1.28% |
| 10 | Colorado | 7,639,401 | 7,918,493 | 3,351,479 | 3,297,794 | -1.60% |
New Jersey saw the biggest increase in 911 calls, with an 11.13% change. In 2021, New Jersey recorded a total of 8,961,206 911 calls, and in 2022, 9,958,837 calls were recorded. The state also saw a growth in calls between 2019 and 2020, with 9,250,000 and 9,500,000 calls, respectively, followed by a drop in 2021.
Of all the states that experienced an increase in the number of 911 calls, New Jersey recorded the highest number of total calls in 2021 and 2022.
Massachusetts recorded the second-largest increase in 911 calls, with a change of 9.39%. In this state, 911 calls grew from 3,241,132 in 2021 to 3,545,631 in 2022. Massachusetts also saw a drop in calls from 2019 (3,478,087) and 2020 (3,217,315).
In third place is Iowa, which recorded a change of 8.38% due to growth of 1,192,075 calls in 2021 and 1,291,967 calls in 2022. In 2019, there were 1,231,283 calls, falling to 1,182,348 911 calls in 2020.
Ranking fourth is Virginia. In 2021, there were 4,206,870 calls, and in 2022, there were 4,360,070 calls, representing a change of 3.64%. 911 calls in this state also grew between 2019 and 2020, with 3,894,189 and 4,044,011 calls respectively.
Following closely is Illinois, which saw a change of 3.33%. Illinois recorded 8,580,454 911 calls in 2022, compared to 8,304,001 calls in 2021, which accounts for the change. The number of 911 calls in Illinois in 2019 was higher (9,218,510). They then dropped to 8,728,427 in 2020. The number of calls continued to fall in 2021 before growing again in 2022.
Next up in the list of states that saw an increase in 911 calls is Connecticut, which recorded a change of 0.90%. In 2021 and 2022, there were 2,012,310 and 2,030,454 911 calls, respectively. The state saw a dip in the number of 911 calls between 2019 and 2020, recording 1,994,161 and 1,921,838 calls in those years.
Finally, Pennsylvania saw a slight increase in 911 calls, recording a change of 0.67%. In 2021, 8,375,657 911 calls were recorded, and 8,431,911 in 2022. In 2019, there were 8,460,189 calls, dropping to 8,144,551 in 2020.
The state that saw the biggest decrease in 911 calls is Michigan, which recorded a change of -59.02%. In 2021, there were 14,773,607 calls, which fell to 6,054,377 in 2022.
Matthew Pfau, partner at H&P Law (link: https://courtroomproven.com/), commented on the findings,
“The increase in 911 calls in states like New Jersey and Massachusetts underscores the growing demand for emergency services in certain regions.
“These findings emphasize the need for state and local governments to continuously assess and adapt their emergency response systems to meet the rising demand.
“As some states experience notable increases in 911 calls, it’s essential that resources are allocated effectively to ensure that emergency services remain responsive and capable of handling the higher volume of calls.”