The concept of a single emergency number originated in Europe and Great Britain. In 1937, England initiated a single emergency number, which could be accessed from anywhere in the country, known as "9-9-9". Belgium initiated a nationwide single emergency number in 1964 using the digits "9-0-0". Denmark uses "0-0-0" and Sweden uses "9-0-0-0-0".

In the United States, interest in the idea of a single, universal, emergency number accelerated in 1967, and the President's Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice supported the concept. In November 1967 the U.S. Senate, with the House of Representatives concurring, issued a resolution which stated:

"Resolved…That it is the sense of the Congress that the United States should have one uniform nationwide fire reporting telephone number and one uniform nationwide police reporting telephone number."
 
The first implementation of 911 was in Haleyville Al. in January 1968. The town had a population of about 4,500 then, and was serviced by the Alabama Phone Company.