You must configure Switchvox so that when a user dials 911, an email notification is sent, the correct outgoing caller ID is attached, and the call is routed to the correct provider.
Please consult with your legal advisor to be aware of the requirements for your organization.
Reference: Kari's Law: FCC FACT SHEET Implementing Kari’s Law and Section 506 of RAY BAUM’S Act Notice of Proposed Rulemaking - PS Docket No. 18-261.
Notification for Switchvox Cloud customers: For additional information on 911 specific to Switchvox Cloud, please view Section 9 of our Switchvox Cloud Terms of Service, available at https://www.sangoma.com/legal.
Switchvox Configuration: Tools > Alerts ManagerSwitchvox Configuration: Outgoing CallsSwitchvox Configuration: Phone Locations
Switchvox Configuration: Tools > Alerts Manager
If you are using a version of Switchvox
earlier than 7.3.1, the article
How do I send email notifications when someone Dials 911? provides instructions for creating those email notifications using an IVR. If you need to send an email notification when a user dials something
other than 911, follow the instructions in that article, but use the appropriate number.
Use Tools > Alerts Manager to set up email notifications each time someone dials 911.
Subscribe the appropriate email address(es) to the category Emergency Dialing, with alert-level INFO. (There are no warning- or error-level alerts for this category.) This category was first available in Switchvox 7.3.1.
The alert email includes the extension that dialed 911 (extension number, and first and last name), and the date and time they dialed. This email is sent when 911 is dialed from that Switchvox, and does not contain information about the success or failure of the call, the routing information (including whether the call was routed to a peered PBX), or the caller ID that was attached to the outgoing call.
Switchvox Configuration: Outgoing Calls
If you need to dial something
other than 911, follow the instructions here, but use the appropriate number.
Use the
Setup > Outgoing Calls tools to identify when someone dials 911 and route the call to the right provider (if you have more than one), and also attach the same caller ID that the provider identifies as your emergency number (your e911 DID).
In the Outgoing Call Rules Tab, ensure that you have a rule for dialing 911.
Name: 911Note: Number exactly matches 911.
- The pattern must match 911 exactly: The number dialed begins with 911, and the rest of the number is between 0 and 0 digits in length.
- Do not trim or prepend digits before connecting the call.
- The Primary (and Secondary, if you have multiple providers) call through provider must be correct, to place a call to emergency services.
- The rule must be final = YES.
- The rule must be set as Emergency Calling Rule = YES.
- This option was added in Switchvox 7.8, and enables any Outgoing Call Rule to be handled as an Emergency Call, generating a Emergency Dialing Notification, as described in the Alerts Manager section above.
The rule must be
allowed for any extension that might dial 911. To do this, you can a) go to each SIP extension and allow it to use the rule, b) put your extensions in a Group and allow the Group to use the rule, or c) use
Setup > Manage: Bulk Modify Extensions to allow specific extensions to use the rule.
Ordering the Outgoing Call RulesEnsure that the 911 rule is placed correctly, high in the list of outgoing call rules. Another call rule should not interfere with a user dialing 911 in an emergency.
Caller ID RulesThe default caller ID for outgoing calls is in your provider's
Caller ID Settings name and number fields (
Setup > VOIP Providers). If that is the same caller ID you should use to dial emergency services, then ensure that caller ID is correct.
If that is
not the same caller ID you should use to dial emergency services, then you need to use the
Caller ID Rules tab, to attach the correct caller ID when anyone dials 911:
- Click Create Single Rule.
- Name the rule, and provide a note to help you remember the purpose of this rule.
- Indicate the Extension or Group that can use this rule. It must be available to anyone who might dial 911.
- Select the rule 911 from is making an outgoing call through rule.
- Enter your emergency services name in change their caller id name to.
- Enter your emergency services number in caller id number to.
- Click Save.
Switchvox Configuration: Phone Locations
Phone Locations were added in Switchvox 7.8 to enable Hot Desking phones to place emergency calls while Logged Out. However, they can also be used to benefit emergency dialing management for all Sangoma D-Series phones, and the P310 & P315 models, even if the phone is not configured for Hot Desking.
When a phone is assigned to a Phone Location, that Location’s Outgoing Caller ID Number is used for all emergency calls placed from the phone. The phone no longer uses the extension’s outgoing caller ID rules when it is assigned to a Location. This enables deskphones that are assigned as an Additional Phone to present a caller ID number when placing an emergency call that is different from that of the user’s main phone assignment. Users who have multiple desk phones can have unique caller ID (e911) numbers for each, by using Phone Locations.
For more information on how to configure and work with Phone Locations, please refer to
Switchvox Phone Locations.
See also:
How do I avoid accidentally dialing 911?
