Guys.
Cellular signal has nothing to do with calling 911.
Any phone with power can dial 911.
https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/911-wireless-services
Correct.
Contract=agreement.
No agreement=no "service".
"Service"=wireless company providing service in exchange for a fee.
Ala
No contract"=no "service".
Now
If the cell towers were down (weren't)?
Different story.
Certain orginizations take in old phones as donations
They give them out to people who need access to 911 but can't have a phone for various reasons
Provided a wireless tower is in range and active
A wireless phone would still have access to that tower to dial 911 even though the phone doesn't have active service with a wireless service provider.
It is mandated in the 911 guidelines published by the FCC.
"The FCC's basic 911 rules require wireless service providers to transmit all 911 calls to a PSAP, regardless of whether the caller subscribes to the provider's service or not."
Additionally
They were likely trying to pull GPS data.
This is also regulated.
Few exceptions and those exceptions are public record.