Here are some technical articles that might teach you a bit about telephone technology as it relates to Emergencies.   If you have any information to add, please let me know.

Basic telephone wiring:

http://cgi.hellodirect.net/cgi-win/content-server.exe?targetid=137&source=default

Telephone technology links:

http://www.epanorama.net/telephone.html

http://www3.sympatico.ca/bparker/

http://www.wakeolda.com/telephone/wiring.htm

Cellular telephone basics:

http://www.ms.itb.ac.id/buku/umum/telephone%20system/Cellbasics.html

Here's a remote fiber to copper conversion.