[asterisk-biz] Bypassing the PSAP for 911

[trixter aka Bret McDanel]

On Fri, 2006-02-24 at 00:06 -0700, Matt Larsen - Lists wrote:
> Has anyone on this list considered bypassing the PSAP system and putting 
> in an Internet-based replacement at the local communication center to 
> provide e911 information for VOIP callers?
> 
> For example....
> 
> I provide the internet connection for several of the communication 
> centers responsible for handling 911 calls in my area.  Why couldn't I 
> put in a box either right next to, or directly in front of their PSAP 
> connection that receives and reports the 911 information through the 
> Internet from my Asterisk box when someone dials 911?
> 
> I can't help but think that this would be a trivial piece of programming 
> to come up with.  Need to add database records for the customer address 
> on the Asterisk box, and some kind of dial plan that reported the 
> customer information to the remote end of the 911 system  when someone 
> dials.  PSAP T1s are just T1s, I'm guessing it would be fairly simple to 
> format the information coming from the remote 911 box to look like a 
> regular PSAP T1 as it goes into the Communication Center box.
> 
As I understand it the data sent over those T1s are specific to PSAP
applications, as such its not just a normal T1 stack that would work.
You could get the audio but to get the address information you need to
know the format  the data is in so it can be interpreted or in the case
of sending, properly generated.

> Is anyone doing this?  If not, why?
> 

There was a new voip e911 spec that was agreed upon late last year.  As
the spec was only recently agreed upon no one afaik has yet implemented
it, but that should start to happen sometime soon.  The PSAPs obviously
have to buy into this technology, and an FCC mandate would go a long way
towards this regard.  Another potential problem is how secure is the
internet?  Do you really want a publicly accessable server on the
internet that deals with this?

Not just for hostile actions from foreign entities, but potentially
domestic ones as well.  Everything from the kid who thinks it would be
funny to cause the cops to show up at someones house at 3am and order
everyone on the floor until they sort out what is going on to theives
trying to ensure that 911 cant be called when they do a robbery.

And if you dont believe kids are already getting SWAT or other similar
types of responses from police, you are mistaken, often by using what is
called a '911 backdoor' (in reality its the direct number to the PSAP)
no address info or ANI is normally sent, and they will give an address
scream and hangup.  The cops dont know what is going on so they show up
in force waking everyone up and forcing them on the floor at gunpoint
until they can determine what is actually going on.  Try going back to
sleep after that.

There are some serious issues that need to be resolved before this gets
implemented and I am not sure that the spec addresses any of these
issues as they are more implementation issues rather than 'protocol'
issues.

-- 
Trixter http://www.0xdecafbad.com     Bret McDanel
UK +44 870 340 4605   Germany +49 801 777 555 3402
US +1 360 207 0479 or +1 516 687 5200
FreeWorldDialup: 635378
http://www.sacaug.org/ Sacramento Asterisk Users Group
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