E911

Differences Between Traditional 9-1-1 Emergency Service & VoIP 9-1-1 Service

Here’s what you need to keep in mind:

• With traditional phone services, your 9-1-1 call is sent directly to the nearest emergency response center.
• With VoIP service for business, your 9-1-1 call is forwarded to a third-party service provider that will automatically or manually route your call to the emergency response centre.
• This third-party service provider is different from the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) that would answer a traditional 9-1-1 call, which has automatically generated your address information, and consequently, you may be required to provide your name, address, and telephone number to the call center.

Remember to provide your location

Because you can move your VoIP phone between locations and because, for technical reasons, the emergency operator may not have your name, location or contact information available,, you must immediately inform the emergency operator of your location and contact particulars any time you call 9-1-1. Do not risk sending police or ambulance services to the wrong location. You should provide the emergency operator with;

• Your name
• Your location
• Your contact information

Be prepared during any service interruption

VoIP Service depends not only on your continued subscription (and payment) for the service, but also on Internet connectivity and power to function. In the event of power, network, or Internet outages (including congestion), or if your service is disconnected or suspended due to non-payment, you may experience a failure, disruption or delay in your 9-1-1 service.

We recommend that you keep an alternative phone service (such as a cellular telephone) handy to increase the reliability of your access to emergency services during any service interruption.

Do your best to speak clearly when talking with 9-1-1 operators.