Has anyone out there had to write up justification for diving into an E911 solution? We have multiple locations and several are large so we should be considering a solution (be it a specialized vendor or the local LEC) to aide us in sending out specific location information for anyone calling 911...if you have something to share that would help me get started, it would be appreciated!
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E911 Justification - Getting my Firm's Buy-In
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I am looking at replacing all of our telecom equipment in the next two years and I spec'd E911 management in the new system even though it's not law here yet - it's coming.
It was pretty easy for my to justify it because I have a combination of issues in my world - several locations where one PBX serves 2 or 3 adjacent buildings, a combination of copper and PRI phone lines' etc. We get fined on a regular basis because a 911 call goes out and there is a response but no one knows where it came from. When we first installed our PBX equipment we were told all the 911 calls were required to go out terrestrial phone lines so there could still be a response in the event of a PRI failure or whatever. When a call goes out a copper trunk the dispatch center gets the phone number and address of record. When this happens in one of our 3-building clusters the responders show up and get "beats me" in response to where the 911 call came from - ka-ching!
So I have been naughty and modifying the switch programming to go out the PRI circuits - then at least they get (supposedly) the specific extension number where the call was placed from. In most cases this works, but we have had these systems installed for 15 years, and I have done a major overlay and replacement of our numbering plan since then and not all of the extensions have valid CID information. So if the extension does not have valid CID information the dispatch center gets the generic SPID telephone number for the PRI circuit, they respond and get "beats me".
So there have been some ripples in the pond here about "fixing" our 911 problems, and I used that as a justification to include it in the new system proposals. The funny thing about that is I don't think a lot of the vendors have really rolled much of that out, and they were actually giving me the old "Why do you want to do that - it's not even required yet" excuse, but I insisted.
The two solutions proposed by the vendors I had lined up for new systems were AmCom at about $65,000, and RedSky at around $20,000. These will allow us to provide building, floor and room information to the dispatch center (assuming the database is kept up to date), and there is also the ability to alert our own in-house staff to the fact that a 911 call went out and the location. I convinced everyone it's best to get all the network problems cleared up before trying to slap new PBX hardware on it, so this probably won't happen till 2013 now, but I am quite looking forward to having that functionality when we roll it all out.
There is a website you can go to to look into the E911 laws and the progress and discussions among all the different states - you can look to see if yours is addressing it yet, or what phase they are in if they are.
It was pretty easy for my to justify it because I have a combination of issues in my world - several locations where one PBX serves 2 or 3 adjacent buildings, a combination of copper and PRI phone lines' etc. We get fined on a regular basis because a 911 call goes out and there is a response but no one knows where it came from. When we first installed our PBX equipment we were told all the 911 calls were required to go out terrestrial phone lines so there could still be a response in the event of a PRI failure or whatever. When a call goes out a copper trunk the dispatch center gets the phone number and address of record. When this happens in one of our 3-building clusters the responders show up and get "beats me" in response to where the 911 call came from - ka-ching!
So I have been naughty and modifying the switch programming to go out the PRI circuits - then at least they get (supposedly) the specific extension number where the call was placed from. In most cases this works, but we have had these systems installed for 15 years, and I have done a major overlay and replacement of our numbering plan since then and not all of the extensions have valid CID information. So if the extension does not have valid CID information the dispatch center gets the generic SPID telephone number for the PRI circuit, they respond and get "beats me".
So there have been some ripples in the pond here about "fixing" our 911 problems, and I used that as a justification to include it in the new system proposals. The funny thing about that is I don't think a lot of the vendors have really rolled much of that out, and they were actually giving me the old "Why do you want to do that - it's not even required yet" excuse, but I insisted.
The two solutions proposed by the vendors I had lined up for new systems were AmCom at about $65,000, and RedSky at around $20,000. These will allow us to provide building, floor and room information to the dispatch center (assuming the database is kept up to date), and there is also the ability to alert our own in-house staff to the fact that a 911 call went out and the location. I convinced everyone it's best to get all the network problems cleared up before trying to slap new PBX hardware on it, so this probably won't happen till 2013 now, but I am quite looking forward to having that functionality when we roll it all out.
There is a website you can go to to look into the E911 laws and the progress and discussions among all the different states - you can look to see if yours is addressing it yet, or what phase they are in if they are.
There was a thread on one of the other forums primarily about installing IP phones on a specific KSU, but which briefly went on a tangent relating to 9-1-1 issues.
Crazy thought - let's say you set up a remote help desk that rotates thru 3 or 4 techs at home. You have one IP phone that goes home at night with that day's on-call person. How the heck do you even know where that phone is at any point in time for e911 purposes?
Crazy thought - let's say you set up a remote help desk that rotates thru 3 or 4 techs at home. You have one IP phone that goes home at night with that day's on-call person. How the heck do you even know where that phone is at any point in time for e911 purposes?
It gets more interesting when you consider IP soft clients on laptops (like skype as well). How do they know where you are?
I will learn more as I work on this project in the next year or so, but those are questions in my mind now.
I have Lingo VOIP service at home and have my fixed E911 address registered to my home, but I can take the box with me if I go to a hotel and have my local number for people to call me. If I dial 911 they will show up at my house.
Exciting stuff this is probably gonna be as we move forward!
I will learn more as I work on this project in the next year or so, but those are questions in my mind now.
I have Lingo VOIP service at home and have my fixed E911 address registered to my home, but I can take the box with me if I go to a hotel and have my local number for people to call me. If I dial 911 they will show up at my house.
Exciting stuff this is probably gonna be as we move forward!
I think this is all a bit insane!
Where do they think they are going to get the money to upgrade the PSAPs? I think most jurisdictions have a 911 tax, but in California that got diverted to the general fund. So, guess what? No money for 911! It is left up to the community if they want an upgrade, but I don't think they are going to raise any tax in the current state of the US.
....JIM....
Where do they think they are going to get the money to upgrade the PSAPs? I think most jurisdictions have a 911 tax, but in California that got diverted to the general fund. So, guess what? No money for 911! It is left up to the community if they want an upgrade, but I don't think they are going to raise any tax in the current state of the US.
....JIM....
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