[Asterisk-Users] 911/Emergency calls + Caller ID

[Tilghman Lesher]

On Monday 23 June 2003 21:38, Jon Pounder wrote:
> >Also, it isn't very easy to 'test' either, as the staff at the 911
> > call centre won't appreciate your testing, and at least in
> > Australia, it is some sort of criminal<?>/illegal offence to call
> > emergency for non-emergency situations.
>
> I had much the same thoughts. Currently my 911 code is just commented
> out for that very reason - I don't want to get in trouble for
> accidentally making 911 calls to test it. Should I rely on that code
> untested for when it is really needed most ? What are other people
> doing ?

The emergency services don't actually mind that you test the service.
However, they usually have several stipulations:

1) When you make the call, you MUST STAY ON THE LINE.  You must tell
them that it is a test.  If you hangup prior to reaching an operator,
they are obligated to send out at least a police car to check out the
location.  This is what they REALLY don't like.

2)  They also request that you make the test call during off-peak hours.
Note that off-peak hours are different for cities, towns, and rural
areas.  The best thing to do is check with your local police department,
which usually can find out from the dispatcher, if they don't already
know.  It's also worth keeping an eye on the news; an off-peak hour can
easily become a peak hour with a natural disaster, train wreck, or other
such trouble.  What they're attempting to avoid here is a non-critical
test interfering with their response to real emergencies.

-Tilghman