Doug Faunt N6TQS +1-510-655-8604 wrote:
I'd heard some places did refer to 911 as "nine-eleven" when the
number first came into use, until they started getting complaints from
people who couldn't find the "eleven" button on their 'phone. Since
then, it's been very explicitly "nine-one-one". We here is the US got
911 as a single emergency number in the late 60's, early 70's.

Full history of 911 and 999 emergency phone service is on webpage
http://www.911dispatch.com/911_file/history/911history.html
--
Bruce Fletcher
Stronsay, Orkney
www.stronsay.co.uk/claremont