&gt; That used to be a problem, but by now cell phones are just as useful in emergency scenarios.<p>It is much less of a problem then it used to be, but cell phones haven&#x27;t reached 100% parity with landlines.<p>Consider:<p>1. Cell phones require reception. At my house, cell reception is universally awful for all providers. I may not be able to even make a call to 911 on a cell phone and, if I do, I am not sure I can trust the reliability of e911. Work arounds include in-home Wi-Fi and femtocells, but...<p>2. Cell phones require power. In a prolonged power outage (or in the case of my daughter, even a five minute one), I can&#x27;t gaurantee there will even be a working cell phone on the premises. Wi-Fi won&#x27;t work, and the femtocell won&#x27;t work, either.<p>3. Cell phones get misplaced. In an emergency will I even remember where in the house I set it down?<p>That&#x27;s not to say that cell phones don&#x27;t also offer many advantages in an emergency. They do. Cell phones are usually available and usually close to a person. They can be turned on and hidden but still allow 911 operators to hear what is going on. There is usually about one cell phone per person, etc., etc.<p>But, at my house at least, I can&#x27;t completely forgo a landline (although I have at other locations in the past).