GPS Life or death disturbing events

[Vacs]

Several months ago I was witness to a frightening event. A young girl tried to commit suicide by taking a bottle of pills and driving off in her car to hide until the worst happened. I saw her friend spend almost an hour alternately calling the state police (NJ) and the local police (Roxbury, NJ) to coordinate a search for the young girl and to give the police suggestions as to where to look. Her friend also spoke to the young girl on her cell phone several times trying to get her to say where she was so help could be sent. The young girl was found in time to save her life and her friend is definitely a heroine for her actions that night.

This is what I don’t understand. Why when her friend told the police that the girl had a cell phone (mot. razr) and that they should call the cell phone company (Verizon) to find the girls location they would not or could not do it. What is the whole E911 thing for anyway, isn’t it supposed to be used for just such situations?