[asterisk-biz] VoIP 9-1-1 failure - don't let it happen to you

[Trevor Peirce]

Drew Gibson wrote:
> We have a clash between the POTS model where the address for the phone 
> number is inseparable from the 911 address (and your bellco took care 
> of the details) and the VoIP model where there is little or no 
> physical connection between the two and there is now some 
> responsibility on the part of the customer to keep this up to date.
>
> How do the current 911 service offerings address this?

VoIP 911 "9-1-1 Do you need Police, Fire, or Ambulance?"
Caller "Ambulance"
VoIP 911 "Is your current address 555 Your Street in Big Town, Ontario?"
Caller "No - it's 444 New Street in Other Town, Alberta"
VoIP 911"Okay, please hold while I connect you"
(because it's a new address the dispatch has to lookup where to transfer 
the call to)
VoIP 911 "I'm connecting the call, please stay on the line caller."
Ringing
Local 911 "9-1-1 Do you need Police, Fire, or Ambulance?"
VoIP 911 "Ambulance"
Local 911 "Okay, what is the emergency?"
VoIP 911 "I have a Voice over IP caller on the line from 444 New Street 
in Other Town, Alberta.  Is this your area?"
Local 911 "Yes it is."
VoIP 911 "Their call back number is 403-555-1234.  Go ahead caller"

Caller and local dispatch communicate, and local dispatch usually 
remains on the line until paramedics arrive giving any advise they can 
and obtaining status updates on the situation for the paramedics as they 
are on route.

The VoIP 911 dispatcher remains on the line to ensure the call completes 
properly and is connected to the correct local dispatch centre.

The only time the registered address is used on it's own without 
confirmation from the caller is when the caller hangs up, cannot speak, 
or can't remember their address.  In this case the local Police are 
dispatched and it becomes their problem to follow up and determine if 
there is an emergency or not.

 From what I've read in the news it seems in this particular case when 
the customer dialed 9-1-1 it rang five times with no answer.  Someone 
(customer service, perhaps?) called them back and asked if they were 
okay.  The person who called back promised to have an ambulance 
dispatched.  I haven't seen any details beyond this other than the CRTC 
said they were looking for a recording of the 9-1-1 call to confirm that 
current regulations were followed.

Source 1: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2008/05/01/voip-folo.html
Source 2: http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2008/05/02/crtc-voip.html