E911 and emergency calling
The part of VoIP most providers treat as an afterthought, and the part we take most seriously.
Why VoIP changes emergency calling
A traditional phone line is tied to a physical address, so a 911 call arrives at the dispatcher with a location already attached. A VoIP call is not inherently tied to anywhere. The location that reaches the dispatcher is the one that was registered in advance, which means the accuracy of that record is the whole ballgame.
This is a solvable problem. It is also one that gets skipped during quick deployments, and the failure only surfaces at the worst possible moment.
Kari's Law
Kari's Law requires that multi-line telephone systems allow a person to dial 911 directly, without needing to dial a prefix such as 9 first. It also requires that the system send a notification to a central point on site — a front desk, a security station, or a designated email or screen — when someone dials 911, so that whoever is at the door knows to expect responders and can direct them.
The law applies to systems manufactured, imported, sold, leased, or installed after February 16, 2020.
RAY BAUM'S Act and dispatchable location
RAY BAUM'S Act addresses the location itself. It requires that a dispatchable location be conveyed with 911 calls — not just a street address, but sufficient information to find the caller, which for larger sites can include building, floor, or suite. Compliance deadlines applied on a staged schedule depending on whether the phone is fixed or non-fixed.
In practice, this is what makes a difference between responders arriving at a campus and responders arriving at the right door.
Remote workers are the hard part
When an employee takes a softphone home, their registered location does not follow them automatically. If nothing is updated, a 911 call from their living room can route to the dispatch center covering your office, potentially in a different jurisdiction entirely.
We register and maintain locations for remote and travelling users as part of deployment, and we make sure your team understands their responsibility to keep those records current when they move.
NETLinc E911 disclosure. Interconnected VoIP service depends on your internet connection and electrical power. During an internet outage, a power failure, or a broadband or service suspension, 911 calling may be unavailable. 911 calls route based on the registered address associated with your service. If you move a device to a different location without updating the registered address, emergency services may be dispatched to the wrong place. NETLinc provides warning labels for equipment and obtains acknowledgment from each subscriber. If you have any question about whether your service is registered correctly, contact us at (678) 606-9438.
What we do for every deployment
- Register a validated address for every location and device
- Configure direct 911 dialing with no prefix
- Set up on-site notification so someone is alerted when 911 is dialed
- Handle dispatchable location detail for multi-floor and multi-suite sites
- Register locations for remote and hybrid users
- Provide required subscriber disclosure and equipment labels
Questions worth asking any provider
- What address will reach dispatch if I dial 911 right now?
- Who gets notified on site when someone dials 911?
- What happens when a remote employee dials 911?
- How do I update a location when we move a desk or open a site?
Ask us what happens when someone at your office dials 911.
If your current provider cannot answer that clearly, it's worth a conversation.