As of October 28, 2003, Brevard County, FL 911 system is fully Phase I compiliant. All cellular calls now pass cellular phone numbers to the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). AT&T and Verizon are now Phase II compliant, and provide location information to the PSAP. Most 911 centers in the U.S. should be able to receive Phase I. The Phase II, location information, is the problem.

As for using cell phones in an emergency. No system on earth is ever designed to handle everything at once. Telephone switching networks, the internet, cell phones, trunked radio systems, water systems, sewer systems, roads, bridges, subways and buses are never designed to run at full capacity.

Most follow a formula to determine average volume, and the system is designed at that level of volume, plus some overflow. This overflow is simply to allow time for implementing other options. If you go over that, you're probably going to break the system.

As for ham radio, it has it's advantages and disadvantages. In my opinion, using it for personal communications in an emergency probably won't work, especially if you need information passed rapidly. Telling your wife, children or significant other where you are at is probably going to be classified as "Health and Welfare", and isn't going to get passed quickly.