That's not good. I have never known anything like that with Vonage. I also have it configured to ring with other lines as backup so I never miss a call that I want to answer. I also have 2 Magic Jack lines with an app on my cell that shows who is/was calling.
I am, however, receiving harassing calls from Comcast sales department at least 5 times a week lately. I answer them just to give them hell and see how long this continues. I'm thinking of filing some sort of complaint if I knew who to contact.
Same with my calling my mom. Though I thought she said it shows as UNKNOWN. I don't know if this is all the time, or just when. I'm calling from a Verizon landline and she's a Verizon landline, so I dunno.
Call 911 and when they start asking questions explain you just had voip installed and see the info they have on the incoming call matches yours. It is a non-issue for them rather than chase info from state to state and cell calls that don't show location or go to the proper psap.
Next year, when I really need 911, who is to say that the databases/tables have not been changed?
Yeah, probably the same general functionality locally... but I would expect it to be more reliable if only because so many people would be using it locally and hopefully surfacing problems before I need to use it.
If it worked once, I'd have a lot more confidence that it would work when needed. Almost always the biggest problem is not that data in a database changes, it's that it's loaded with the wrong data to begin with.
I'm not so sure about the part about calling 911 just to test it out and the authorities will be OK with it. IDK what the policy is on that and it likely would vary from area to area. I guess even if they don't like it, the worst that would probably happen would be that you'd get a lecture on the phone.
This seems like a whole lot of worry for an extremely rare situation.
How often do you need to call 911?
Out of those rare 911 calls, how often are you in a situation where you are able to DIAL the call, but unable to SPEAK to tell them your address?
I agree the automated location data is a nice feature to have, but enhanced 911 services like this didn't even exist until the late 1970's. Heck, 911 didn't even exist until 1968:
formatting link
For that matter, most people didn't even have telephones until the early
1900's.
formatting link
Generations of people managed to get help when they needed it. Even if that meant sending the kids running to the next farm over the hill. Or calling the telephone operator and telling her you needed a doctor.
Of course, before 1900 or so, they would probably make the long trip out in a horse drawn wagon:
formatting link
Each improvement has reduced response times. In the right situations those few extra minutes can mean the difference between life and death. Of course, even today, if you live in a rural area you can still be looking at 15-30 minutes response times, if not longer.
If you have a health condition that may rely on medical help arriving if you are unable to speak, you should probably look into medical alert services. You simply push a button if you're having an emergency.
It's like bicycle helmet: you only need it once in your life.
Speaking is fine, but if you are in Pennsylvania and wind up speaking to somebody in Broken Pelvis, Montana because of a bad table entry somewhere it's not going to help.
All that being said, I have an extremely low opinion and low expectations of the local 911 - from experience. For my money, I'd rather call a cab.
But we're both older than dirt and if something happened with The Boss and she picked up the phone, dialed 911, and things went South because I moved us to VOIP... I'd probably have to blow my brains out...
Despite my earlier rambling, I do understand your concerns.
I just found the 911 history fascinating and got a little off track. :)
There's certainly no guarantee a standard land line is going to be any more reliable than a VOIP based line. It all comes back to what directory information 911 has on file, not what phone company you use.
At least with a VOIP phone you're probably at the location that is on record for the account. With a cell phone you could be anywhere, and probably not at the billing address. That is something that would concern me if I was trying to abandon a home phone.
We have had two instances to call 911 in the last 25+ years, both were for other people. In our rural area it took well over 30 minutes for the emergency crews to arrive. Depending on the emergency we could literally drive to the hospital faster than the ambulance could get here. :)
The problem with a cell phone possibly being anywhere is unique to the cell phone and has existed since cell phones first came out. 911 was never intended to be used with cell phones when it was implemented, but they've apparently done a pretty good job getting it straightened out. But the focus here was on replacing a *home* phone with VOIP or cell. If he's worried about making an emergency call from home, as you've said, why is it so hard to post the direct dial number to the local police in a known spot, like right next to the phone base or on the back of the phone? Virtually all cordless phones also have speed dial, the local police could be added to it.
My main use for 911 would be if I was traveling and came across an emergency situation. Then 911 would be very useful. For example, I used it once from my cell phone to report a drunk driver. At home, I have the direct dial # here for the local police. I'd just dial
911 first, because that might save a some number of seconds, but if it didn't work, I'd dial the direct number.
Worth noting, is that even a cell phone without a working phone number (you got a new phone, and the old one won't make calls any more) will make
911 calls if the phone is working, and you can get a tower signal. I tried it once with an old cell.
I explained to the 911 operator what I was doing. She asked what the emergency. None, I am.... she asked where I was, and I told her. Half hour later, the cops showed up to ask me the list of questions.
As far as I know, the best they can do is triangulate your position from the closest cell towers. That probably works better in urban areas than it does in rural areas with fewer towers.
Although, many phones have GPS these days, so maybe they've got a way to access that data. I really don't know, I still use a dumb flip phone in an area that doesn't have a reliable cell signal anyway.
I think Peter was only interested in a VOIP line. I only brought up cell phones in relation to 911 because many folks (my sister-in-law for example) have dropped their landlines and only use their cell phone.
I think he's more concerned about emergency services being able to locate him if he or his wife are unable to provide that information when they call 911.
There are many reasons this might happen, such as young child calling 911 for mommy who doesn't know his address yet. Or a visitor calling when they discover the homeowner in distress. Or an elderly person who may have dimentia or otherwise not be thinking clearly. Heck, many people may not be thinking clearly enough to remember their address in an emergency.
These are certainly all valid reasons, it's just not something I worry about much. The benefits of a VOIP line far outweigh the need for the location service for that once in a lifetime emergency. Of course, I'll probably kick myself someday when that emergency happens and they respond to the neighbors house. :)
There is a Google page that shows where your cell phone has been in the past. The resolution is not great. When I zoom in to my street, it has my phone in my neighbors house, never in my house. I'm in the suburbs.
That happened to me. The first (of two) times I had to call 911, it was for a relative who had a stroke. After the ambulance left, I went home (walked half a block) and drove to the hospital. It was about 10 minutes more before the ambulance got there.
Depending on the size of the PD they may not have anyone in the office or desk at the time of call. Calls will go to voicemail or tree where you will have to connect to 911 anywqay. Some PD's also do not routinely respond to medical calls. It's your money demand the best!
I was comparing VOIP against POTS... With Plain Old Telephone Service, I would expect any 911 calls to be routed to the appropriate call center whereas with VOIP, there have to be lookup tables involved where my particular location might not be used that often and, therefore, be in error and not be corrected as promptly.
Multiple problems - and I could rant for at least two pages single-spaced.
Here are a few:
1) Caller: "I am losing consciousness, my eyes are swollen shut, my fingers are like sausages, and I am starting to have breathing problems." 911Opr: "What is your location?" Caller: "123 Xyz Street, Malvern PA 19301" 911Opr: "What township is that in?" Caller: "I do not know an I am losing consciousness"
(somebody else took over at that point....I was going into something called anaphylactic shock.
Geeze Louise!.... The post office can find this place, I could find this place, and those guys can't find it without knowing the township?
Afterwards three different docs involved in the process took the time to tell me that I almost died and that, by my blood pressure, I *should* have died.... time, of course, being of the absolute essence in treating anaphylactic shock. One of them said "You want to get that IV saline flowing ASAP - two or three of them if you can, and sit on the bags if you can."
2) Caller: "My father thinks he is having a heart attack" 911Opr: "What is your location?? Caller: "123 Xyz Street, Apartment 345 Malvern PA" 911Opr: "What is his name?" Caller: "John Smith" 911Opr: "What is his social security number" Caller: "123-456-7890" 911Opr: "What is his date of birth?" Caller: "November 15, 1911" 911Opr: "How old is he?" Caller: (to self: What the f*ck is this an arithmetic test? Did you graduate from grade school? The man is having a heart attack for chrissake!!!!!" (to 911Opr: "83") (and so-on.... The only permissible response once the location was established would be "We have somebody on the way, please stay on the line so we can collect more information and coordinate with you when they get there"..
3) Caller: "I just had an encounter with four halfwits in a blue Chevy Nova license plate Pennsylvania 123-456. The one in the front passenger seat has a large-caliber revolver - loaded. After speaking with the driver it became obvious to me that they have committed some sort of illegal act - probably a robbery. They are headed west on route 30 through Paoli and somebody can flag them down if they do it now." 911Opr: "What is your name?...." "What is your address?" (and on-and-on-and-on....)
Needless to say, nothing got done... and, without spending a lot of time telling the story, it was crystal clear that these 4 had been up to *something*, and the guy loading (re-loading?) the revolver with a couple of half-moon clips tended to confirm that...
Again, the permissible response from 911 would have been "We're on it. Please stay on the line to further assist us."
I've been through a few more similar ones... but you get the drift of where I am coming from....
I have no clue where the PSAP is. We live in Paoli, PA about 23 miles West of Philadelphia.
I would think that even in those areas there is also a direct dial regular # for emergency services besides 911. A call to the local police dept for the actual location would determine what the actual situation is. We can't theorize solutions for every possible case and no need to, what matte rs is what's going on at the OP's location.
It would seem to me there has to be a lookup table in either case. The POTS phone system doesn't magically know your location either. Routing a call is one thing. Having the street address for it is another.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.