Crisis Alert for internal calls

[retireme]

I have a unique situation where our internal police force has requested all emergency calls stay internal. In other words all 911 calls are redirected to the on Campus Police not to the 911 Emergency Call Center. That was easy. They now want me to activate Crisis Alert for their phones but I don't see how I can do that if I need the ARS table and that assumes an ARS access code that precedes the number dialed. My question is, can I set up Crisis Alert for an inside line - say extension 1234, or can it only be done for an externally called emergency number? If so, how?

 

[smokinjoe2938]

I believe you can not disallow any 911 calls but that is in the USA as it is against the law!

 

[kyle555]

A proper E911 solution might be in order for you.

Here's what you could and absolutely shouldn't do:

Route 911 to a route pattern as a alrt type of call. Use a specific route pattern that deletes those digits and inserts a DID that goes to security. 2nd choice in that route is normal police

Congratulate yourself, you'll have probably created all sorts of liability for yourself and likely broken a few laws while you're at it .

Seriously, get lots of sign off on that and request legal advice.

Also, read this. Very insightful.

http://www.avaya.com/blogs/archives/2011/07/blocking-access-to-9-1-1-what-does-the-law-say.html

 

[retireme]

Thanks all, and yes I totally agree about the 911 issue. This edit comes down from the Senior VP who coincidentally is also in charge of Campus Police. I resolved the request, but not the larger problem, by putting 911 in a hunt group and directing the calls to a remote number in our DID sequence that rings on a phone in the Campus Police office. Then I added the number to the ARS table and set the type to alrt. That should work. I want to be on campus in the Chief's office when it's tested so that won't be until next week.

I'm in Massachusetts and that is unfortunately not in the table of states the prohibit the blocking of 911 calls. The argument used here is that it's a large campus and Campus Police need to know of any emergency so they can direct all emergency personal to the proper location. That's a very thin argument but now that I have discovered Crisis Alert I have a bit more weight on my side if I can demonstrate that any call to 911 also can alert, with caller ID, up to 10 campus phones. Since all classroom and meeting space phones are ID'd with their location their argument looses most of it's credibility. The other argument was that most non-employees wouldn't know enough to put an "8" in front of the 911 for an outside line but I can also fix that with the ARS.

 

[kyle555]

My personal opinions on the matter are to the effect of "We'd like to intercept things we would like to keep quiet ourselves and decide/convince callers they don't need the police" - but that could also be because I've watched too much SVU.

In any event, just because it isn't illegal doesn't make it a liability issue if ever challenged, and this would be one of those things where I make my case and document my marching orders and objections.
Good luck!