Sen. Charles Schumer called on cellphone carriers to address the problem of so-called "dead zones" on Long Island, citing a potential safety issue.

Schumer was at the entrance to Whitney Pond Park in Manhasset Thursday, where he unveiled a map of more than 200 locations in both counties that have been reported as having poor cellphone quality and reliability.

"God forbid someone needs to call 911 for an emergency and can't get through," says Schumer.

As News 12 Long Island has reported, multiple communities across Long Island have rejected proposed cellphone towers, which the carriers say would improve signals. Schumer insists that cellphone companies can fix the problem by "going from 3G to 4G, increasing the intensity, updating the software."

Schumer says he can't force private companies to address the service issue, but he hopes that by publishing the dead zone list, he will put pressure on the carriers to do so.

Several cellphone providers did not return a call to comment on this story.