VPN Remote Phones & 911

[joepapesh]

We are setting up remote users via VPN with 871 routers, and 7961 phones... We currently have it setup so that they can dial 9-911 (like our inside employees, we had to block 911 due to too many errant calls), but I am thinking about blocking 9-911 for all remote employees.

I am looking for some help from you guys on what you have done in your environments. I don't know if it would be worthwhile to have a remote user in Georgia call an Emergency Services Center in Michigan.

Thanks for the help,

--Joe

[c.yeo]

Joe,

One other thought...in our Healthcare facility, we REDIRECT 9-1-1 to an appropriate hunt group that calls the Nursing Supervisor. You may consider something like that...redirecting 9-1-1 to another number that is always 'manned' and able to handle the emergency (or dial problem ).

Charles

[benharned]

I am doing something similar, setting up our CA office with phones over VPN. All calls will route through our HQ and use the PRI here.

California has a law (surprise) that requires businesses to provide a phone that can call 911. For this I am keeping a POTS line for the fax, and will setup a "batphone" :) that employees can use if they have to call 911.

I'm now wondering if any municipalities have 7-digit numbers that access the 911 system? I thought if so I could create a route for these phones that if they dial 911, it would dial this 7-digit (10 w/ area code) and that would access the LA 911 system. (Although calling location info would not come through).

[joepapesh]

We have something similar at our HQ, because it is two different buildings directly connected. We have a POTS line in each location, and we route 911 calls out the appropriate POTS, so that location information is correct. Depending on what you are using at your CA office for VPN you could possibly add an FXO (or is it FXS... never can remember) port and utilize partitions to send the call from the Cisco Phone out that port. That way they don't have to remember that when needing to dial 911 they have to use the "batphone"

The problem with my scenario is we are talking about 1 remote user at their residence, and I can't decide whether to block 911, or just let it route to our local 911 center (even though it will be the wrong place). I like your idea of a full number for the 911 center... Although that may require lots of partitions etc...

[benharned]

We are going the "cheap" route and routing calls over VPN using ASA appliances so going the FXO (I think it is FXO) route is not an option.