Have you had to call 911, in an emergency, from a cell phone?

I had to call tonight for a resident in my building who I found collapsed. I was a little caught off guard by the fact that I was transferred TWICE before being connected to my local dispatch. I was initially connected to a dispatch about 30 minutes away who said they couldn't directly connect me to my local one. They sent it to the state dispatch who then connected to my local dispatch. I was on the phone for almost 5 minutes before speaking to my local dispatcher - that's a long time in an emergency!

Once the paramedics arrived and were working I asked the police officer about it and he recommended calling the police department directly if calling from a cell phone. I always call them directly for non emergencies but assumed 911 would be better in an emergency... I'm sure this is dependent on your area but it seemed so bizarre to me.

I've added the police numbers for the towns I spend the most time in to my phone now just in case.