Knowing what type of 911 service you have could save or waste time in a dire emergency. Making 911 calls are easy, but how are they handled with the phone service you have? Keep reading to find out services are preferred.
Making 911 Calls
Basic 911 Service
When you dial 911, your call goes to a call centre and only after you provide a name and location, will you be connected to an emergency response centre in that area. (wasting valuable time)
Enhanced 911 Service
Calls are connected to an emergency response centre and systematically provides phone and location details.
Conventional Wireline phones
Calls are made from fixed addresses and you would receive enhanced service unless basic service is only provided in your area.
Cellular phones
Cells are great to have for safety. We carry them around where ever we go, however they aren’t attached to a fixed address. This makes it more difficult to find an exact location.
Basic Wireless
911 service is available in areas that receive Basic 911 service. When a 911 call is made, the carrier connects the call to a 911 call centre that serves the area of the cell phone tower. (wasting valuable time)
Enhanced Wireless 911 Service
911 service is provided in areas that receive Enhanced 911 service so that a location will be identified. Also, that location can easily be found if the person does not know where they are or if they can’t speak. (carriers are required to have enhanced)
The VoIP services you have will determine what 911 service available for emergency calls using VoIP.
Fixed VoIP service
Calls can only be made from a fixed address and have Enhanced 911 service compared to that provided by conventional wireline service.
Nomadic VoIP service
Callers access Basic 911 telephone services using a high-speed Internet connection from any location. There is no fixed address to provide to 911 operators. (wasting valuable time)
If you have an emergency and have to make a 911 call, listen to what the operator says. This will determine if you have enhanced or basic 911 services. (Basic -911 Call Centre Enhanced- Police, Fire and Ambulance)
Do you have a landline, Cellular or VoIP? Are you saving money by using your cellular or VoIP phone instead? Would you rather save money ($15-$20 Basic landline) or be safe in an emergency. If you have a landline you will be safe at home.
If we have Basic 911 service and are paying our provider a fee to use 911 then shouldn’t we have access right to an emergency response centre. We should not be redirected by a call centre rep who is not trained for determining a REAL problem.
For more info check out the CRTC site.
Have you ever had an issue making 911 calls on one of these devices?
VOiP service is ALL done through a call centre not an Emergency Response Centre
So interesting. I had no idea. Great information to have in the back of your head. Thanks for the article.
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I have never thought of this before, but it is such important information to know! Usually when one calls 911, you expect service to be fast!
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I was told that if I got rid of my landline that we wouldn’t have proper 911 service, I got rid of it anyway. I’m happy that there is an Enhanced option.
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This is good to know. I didn’t know some of it. Thanks for sharing.
I’ve often wondered about the differences in making 911 calls from cells versus landlines. Very important information.
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I found this out from a friend who works at a 911 call centre and through the CRTC link otherwise I would have never known.
I am a diehard land line person. I would rather have a land line ran not. My in laws have had the same phone number for almost 50 years. Nothing new to remember.
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