Re: 911:: thoughts on people testing 911

[Guest guest]

I think there is a couple of issues. The first is that hard line 911 lines

do not need to be tested. With that i will say that some companies can be very

slow getting the ani/ali iformation updated, which is a pain, however at

least you get the call and a could call-taker can extract the right info.

I am torn however on the VOIP lines. i think it is important to test them to

make sure they go to the right 911 center. In my short experience with them,

many went to the wrong counties due to program errors in the company

database. The one thing that worked well with the Local VOIP providers is they

would

have the customer call our non-emergency lines and advise they were doing a

test call. now that was only local and the natioanl carriers people just

called. But this one is a sitcky issue.

Thanks for letting me stay part of the group

Jeff - ex 14-42

Dutchess County 911 center

[Guest guest]

At 09:01 PM 2/20/2006 -0800, our frequent questioner, Mark Panitz, asked:

>just wondering what your thoughts on people testing

>911

DON'T DO IT. Trust me, the phone companies and wireless carriers have

ALREADY tested the *circuits* before they're even " cut over " for public

use. And they continue to test the circuits. The public user does NOT

need to " test " 9-1-1. And the same thing happens before Basic 9-1-1 is

changed over to Enhanced 9-1-1 - again, even in the wireless environment.

>(recently someone posted(on the net)that they tested

>e911 on their cellphone and stated Oh the operator

>wont get upset if you tell its just a test..

And that person has surmised this how??? Guessing? " Just a test "

shouldn't bother anybody? The nice 9-1-1 call-taker didn't sound annoyed

when dealing with that extraneous call?

A subscriber wonders if his/her individual information is shown on an

E9-1-1 screen? Well, just wonder. Yes, it's important - to the 9-1-1

call-taker - if there's an emergency, and in that case, regardless of any

display (wired or wireless), the call-taker needs to confirm the ANI

(automatic number identification) and ALI (automated location information)

by ASKING questions, not by depending on any screen display.

Let's look at it from an operational viewpoint - not the annoyance factor

of a call-taker answering yet another " subscriber test of 9-1-1 " - but the

possibility of tying up a 9-1-1 line for the few seconds it would take to

populate the ALI screen, then however long it would take to verbally

confirm the relevant information with the caller, PLUS look up the

geographical location if this is a cell phone and not a wired phone...

In Anyplace Town, there are X number of people available to answer 9-1-1

lines phone at any one time. There are X number of (and quite finite)

incoming " trunks " for 9-1-1. While you're testing to see if E9-1-1 works

on YOUR cell phone and getting into that conversation with the call-taker,

your child at a shopping mall is run over in the parking lot and your

spouse picks up his/her cell phone to call 9-1-1. There are already X

number of other emergencies being reported in the same city or county or

area: 2 vehicle accidents, 1 fall in a bathroom, several non-injury vehicle

collisions, a possible overdose... and your spouse's 9-1-1 call about your

child is now trying to get into the mix.

So don't make any frickin' test 9-1-1 calls!

One last thing: Telephone Operators DO NOT answer 9-1-1, wired or wireless.

Some agencies use personnel with job classification names that may include

the word " operator " (such as Communications Operator, or other such title)

but as a general rule, we don't like being called " operator. " You get one

of those folks when you press the zero button on your phone. Zer- " OH for

operator. "

--

Happy to be here, proud to serve.

Olmstead

Public Safety Dispatch Supervisor

~somewhere on the Central CA coast~

http://www.gryeyes.com

[not presumed to be a statement of my employing agency]

[Guest guest]

> just wondering what your thoughts on people testing

> 911

> (recently someone posted(on the net)that they tested

> e911 on their cellphone and stated Oh the operator

> wont get upset if you tell its just a test..

>

Since we answer cell 911 only, I always ask them if they do this with their

regular land line phone. They always say no, and I ask why not? Lots of

mumbling and harrumphing....is that a word?

Funny how they tap dance.

[Guest guest]

Loved your response, . My husband works (for 38 years) for the local

telephone company and when changes or improvements are made to the 911

systems, he calls the PD and the SO on a land line, identifiies himself and

lets them know that he will be testing the 911 lines. All the other

dispatchers knew my husband's voice as well as I did. When I started working

after high school in 1966, yep 40 years ago, I was a telephone operator, and

let me tell you, it was a whole different world. We were local then and

when someone called " information " and wanted the telephone number for " that

little drugstore down the street from the phone company " , we knew who they

were talking about. Now you get " directory assistance " that costs you an

arm and leg and they've never even been near your town or even your state.

Ahhhhh...deregulation. Don'tcha just love it?

Lyn

Re: 911:: thoughts on people testing 911

> DON'T DO IT. Trust me, the phone companies and wireless carriers have

> ALREADY tested the *circuits* before they're even " cut over " for public

> use. And they continue to test the circuits. >

> but as a general rule, we don't like being called " operator. " You get one

> of those folks when you press the zero button on your phone. Zer- " OH for

> operator. "

[Guest guest]

I don't get upset, I get annoyed, especially when it's another agency who

calls 911 on a cell phone (twice last night!) and says " transfer me back to my

department " .

Then there's the elevator man on the local college campus who monthly tests

the emergency phone in about a dozen elevators.. it rings in on our 911 lines

but he never calls the non emergency to alert us.

And then there's the cell companies testing their sites..

Sometimes I worry that I'll get too complacent answering 911's and be thrown

off my rhythm when that 1 out of 100 calls is a real emergency.

In a message dated 2/20/2006 10:02:47 PM Mountain Standard Time,

mrpanitz@... writes:

just wondering what your thoughts on people testing

911

(recently someone posted(on the net)that they tested

e911 on their cellphone and stated Oh the operator

wont get upset if you tell its just a test..

[Guest guest]

>just wondering what your thoughts on people testing

911<

As far as I can tell... It's completely unnecessary, and a waste.

Weintraut

--

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Checked by AVG Free Edition.

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[Guest guest]

I let them know that it works, and request that they

not test 911 settings. I also let them know that they

could be blocking an actual emergency call.

Jimmie

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

I tend to agree with Jeff on this issue with the VOIP. We are currently

receiving calls for all of the Charlotte, NC area that are on VOIP and we

have to transfer the calls to the correct PSAP. The only information on our

screens is the number (704)911-0141 (which we now recognize as a Vonage

caller). Some people are very distressed to learn that there is no

information, their call is being sent to the wrong PSAP, and the company

seems unable to correct their problem. We have done test calls in the wee

hours of the morning, but continue to get the calls.

Larew

nc911@...

North Mecklenburg Communications

www.nm911.org

www.nc911.com

I am torn however on the VOIP lines. i think it is important to test them

to

make sure they go to the right 911 center. In my short experience with

them,

many went to the wrong counties due to program errors in the company

database. The one thing that worked well with the Local VOIP providers is

they would

have the customer call our non-emergency lines and advise they were doing a

test call. now that was only local and the natioanl carriers people just

called. But this one is a sitcky issue.

Thanks for letting me stay part of the group

Jeff - ex 14-42

Dutchess County 911 center