911 PSAP's

Posts: 188 · Posted: Mon May 23, 2005 8:07 pm Post subject:

Sorry everyone. I know that I had the story but the link to article has expired. I'll keep looking.

Let's not be hard on Dan for asking for a story as important as this to be validated.

I will keep looking to see if the story has been re-circulated somewhere. I saw the Law & Order that was referred to in the thread. I read the story about Voip 911 in NYC before that episode aired.

Posts: 188 · Posted: Mon May 23, 2005 8:43 pm Post subject:

Found it:

http://www.gothamist.com/archives/2005/04/21/dialing_911_on_an_internet_phone_is_calling_in_sick_in_nyc.php

I don't know where the author got this information from however.

Posts: 188 · Posted: Mon May 23, 2005 8:44 pm Post subject:

Here is an article that appears to be from a better source:

http://nypost.com/news/regionalnews/44827.htm

Posts: 2251 · Posted: Mon May 23, 2005 8:47 pm Post subject:

Thanks Mike!

Posts: 1424 · Posted: Mon May 23, 2005 8:53 pm Post subject:

miket603 wrote:

I saw the Law & Order that was referred to in the thread. I read the story about Voip 911 in NYC before that episode aired.

Law & Order stories are often "ripped from the headlines".

This is the closest I could come in my search;

Helpless in 911 Emergency wrote:

Local officials cite problems with the service.

In New York City, "There are problems from time to time and they do switch to administrative phones when they call 911 sometimes," said Det. Bernard Gifford, a police public information officer.

In nearby Nassau County, emergency calls via Voip are often directed to administrative lines. "They could be ringing in some time before they're actually answered," said Lt. Ed Truglio, police 911 coordinator. "If they required a callback, we wouldn't be able to locate them because we don't get any ID like we do on 911."

But there was no information about police instructing Voip providers not to deliver calls to the PSAP, which is, believe it or not, what this thread was originally about.

Posts: 1424 · Posted: Mon May 23, 2005 9:00 pm Post subject:

I was able to get to the article the first time, but the second time I tried to read it I was asked to register.

I didn't get a chance to read it carefully. Did it support danO's statement?

danO wrote:

some of the PSAP's are not accepting calls from Voip providers like Vonage. [snip]

The article had said that NY city was not accepting Voip 911 calls.

Or was it just a case of the wrong numbers being used? I wouldn't think that the PSAP would be the best place for officers to call in sick.

Posts: 188 · Posted: Mon May 23, 2005 9:00 pm Post subject:

Key Point from the NY Post Article:

"The telephone line the Internet phone services are hooked up to is in the office of an NYPD communications supervisor — and it's designated for employees to use to phone in sick."

It has received thousands of emergency calls in the past year, said Gino Menchini, commissioner of the city's Information Technology and Telecommunications Department.

"We've told them not to use that number, and they continue to use it without our permission," Menchini said.

In March, Menchini fired off a letter to Intrado Inc., the firm that gave the random NYPD number to Internet telephone companies, insisting that providers stop using it by May 1 and demanding that firms immediately inform customers that they don't provide real 911 service in New York City.

Posts: 1424 · Posted: Mon May 23, 2005 9:20 pm Post subject:

What possible reason could Intrado have for giving out the wrong phone number? Oh yeah, they are selling Voip 911 peering solutions. Wink

That means the previous statement is meant light heartedly for the emoticon impaired.

Quote:

“Intrado has always maintained that anyone should be able to use 9-1-1 in emergency situations, regardless of the communications technology or device used and we developed the first Voip 9-1-1 solutions in support of this belief,” said Stephen Meer, Intrado co-founder and chief technical officer. “Our Voip 9-1-1 Peering Service further ratifies our position by resolving important issues for 9-1-1 Service Providers and Voip Service Providers in providing improved access to the public.”

But on a more serious note, they have a video demo of a 911 checking system where you can call a number and see what address the 911 system has for your phone line. This will be really nice once Voip is integrated into E911. The video is big, but the expression on the actresses face when she finds out her information is wrong but that it will be corrected within a business day makes it worth the download.

Posts: 2251 · Posted: Mon May 23, 2005 9:30 pm Post subject:

scerruti wrote:

That means the previous statement is meant light heartedly for the emoticon impaired.

I might start hosting weekly classes on this. Smile

Quote:

they have a video demo...

With the new tools above, you can post the video for us to view or... how about a link to it...? Smile

Posts: 1424 · Posted: Mon May 23, 2005 9:49 pm Post subject:

Done with edit, see above.

Video in posts huh? Maybe it's time to hack together a few quick how-to videos?