What are best practices for 911 route patterns?

[Randall White]

Hi All,

I currently have a 9.911 route pattern (with no filter) for emergency calls (the system is not live yet). What are some best practices for 911 route patterns?

1. Would I be better off using 9.@ w/ service ==911 filter?

2. I would like the users to be able to dial 911, as well as 9.911 in case of panic attack. Internal DNs are 5xxx to 7xxx, no 9xxx

3. I do not want users to have access to 411, or other x11 services.

Any ideas?

Thanks, Randy

[gshonting · Accepted solution]

Here is what I do-

For a single site-

9.911 RP and 911 RP in the partition. I NEVER use the 9.@ with filter method for defining RPs. I prefer defining my RPs explicitly, but that is another discussion. By using the partition, I gurantee every phone has access to 911, and having the 911 RP is a safety valve for people that may not be familiar with the system (dialing 9 first).

With remote sites-

This can get tricky. If the remote site has its own gateway, then I create a partition and CSS that has RPs for that site that point to the local gateway for all calls, including 911.

If the remote site uses a central gateway at the HQ, we have to be careful with 911, because if a remote site calls 911 and the operator sends the ambulance to the address of the HQ because that is what the caller ID says that wouldbe a HUGE liability. You can work with your telco to attach different addresses to different caller id numbers in the 911 database in this scenario but this has to be maintained and tested regularly.

My rule is this- no matter what, every remote site has at least one analog line in a voice gateway that is used for 911, that way we are guranteed that the address in the 911 database is correct and that we have the line available even if the wan is down and we are using SRST. 911 should definitely be tested to verify the addressing. I usually just call 911 and say "This is not an emergency, we are tetsing a new phone system, what address is displayed for this number?"

[electro22 · Accepted solution]

Hi Randy -

I do not use the @ wild card. All my patterns are put in exact. I have a route pattern for 9.911 nothing for 911 (it interferes with a 9.1xxxxxxxxxx route pattern). You can easily block any number by putting it into the prt and selecting 'block this pattern'

For 911 i create the route pattern in a separate PRT for each site that i have. The only site that has the 911 PRT in its CSS in the site in question.

Example: I have PRT_Store_1, PRT_Store_1_911. The CSS for Store 1 include the PRT_Store_1 and PRT_Store_1_911, this CSS is the only one that includes PRT_Store_1_911 and the route pattern for 9.911 exists in PRT_Store_1_911 which directs the call out the store's local gateway.

YOU MUST DO THIS TO ENSURE THAT THE 911 CALL GOES OUT THE CORRECT GATEWAY. Otherwise emergency services could respond to the wrong location.

-Jaret

[jasyoung · Accepted solution]

1. Would you be better off using 9.@ where SERVICE == 911?

They are more or less equivalent. You can do whichever you like. If you do not use the @ version, you should remember to set your route pattern urgent in case you introduce other patterns later that might interfere with it.

The important part is that if you have multiple locations, you need to have 911 patterns pointing to trunks and located with partions and CSSes such that 911 calls from various locations are absolutely certain to go out of a trunk in that same building (unless otherwise prearranged with your local E911 operator, and even then, you need to make sure it goes out somewhere that goes to the right PSAP). That is absolutely critical.

2. Would like to have "911" as well as "9911"

As above, add a "911" pattern going out of the appropriate trunk(s) for that location. Another post on this thread states that it may interfere with long-distance calls - this is not the case. No possible phone call in the North American Numbering Plan starts with "11".

3. You don't want access to other services

If you don't have a 9.@ pattern permitting services calls, there is already no way to reach them. If you do, you can insert a pattern "9.[2-8]11" configured for "urgent" and "block this pattern". This is a more specific pattern than the one in the NANP file that will drop all services calls except for 911.

[dgahm · Accepted solution]

We require our users to dial 9.911 because of the large number of misdialed calls to 911 that occur when allowing 911. With a 9 access code for outside calls it is too easy for a 9-1-area code to become 911xxx. For some reason fax calls seem to be especially prone to this type of fat fingering.

[Randall White]

Thanks All,

I think I'll stay with the 9.911 RP. This matches the current PBX configuration, which matches User expectations. Yes, I have multiple sites, each has a local T-1 gateway with the appropriate site_911_RG and CSS. I also have a "last chance" FXO line on each edge router w/ SRST. I will test the 911 calling with the local emergency services before going live.

Thanks Again, Randy

[jsailers]

Randy,

I know this post is a month old, but I thought it important to let you know somehting else I found. Most states that recognize the NENA recommendations require you to put dialing instructions near each phone for dialing 911. Especially since each user must dial a 9 before dialing 911. These dialing instructions need to be in hard-copy form like a sticker on the phone or an index card posted near each card, not an email or other electronic form. Just an FYI. I hope everything went well for you.

Jeff

[Randall White]

Thanks for the info Jeff. Now I know why it was posted next to the old PBX phones.

Randy