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RHenriksen wrote:

chasfm11 wrote:I'll ask her and respond with what she says. Previously, she has said that the ability to find an address is dependent on the provider. Some cell companies must have better setups than others. She has not specifically talked about VOIP but in general about non-land line phones.

You know, that reminds me - I've often wondered about the location tracking abilities as well. In my line of work (IT), we're cynical: we don't believe something works until it's been tested, and even then we don't trust that it will continue to work after that test unless there's some way to monitor its ongoing functionality.

Is there any way to do a 911 test call without getting charged with making crank calls, or whatever the misdemeanor is to place non-emergency calls to 911?
Thanks!

Yes, if being done to make sure the system is working. Your best bet is to first contact the local 911 dispatch center through the local police non-emergency number and ask to speak to the 911 supervisor. Advise them who you are with and what you are needing to verify and they will tell you how to proceed to test the location capabilities.

Another issue that can arise if you are a station off of a PBX. There can be problems with it not displaying the number you are actually calling from, but the main billing number for the system. It will show an address, but may not show the exact location you are calling from in the building or on campus. This can be a MAJOR safety concern for these types of systems.

Beiruty wrote:

Keith B wrote:This is a reason to still have a regular land-line phone and not rely on wireless or VoIP phones to call 911 when at your residence. The 911 info provides your address to the dispatcher immediately. In this case, had the 911 dispatcher had an address, they might have gotten officers there in time to find the husband and enough probable cause to enter the home and search.

Keith, your info is obsolete.
Voip have 911 capabilities like same as land line. My Vonage does.
Smartphones have GPS and parents, concerned others and 911 cavaliers can track your cell phone to within 3-5m. Anywhere on earth.

Not totally. Some VoIP systems do have 911 capabilities, some don't. And, the GPS on a cell phone is only as good as the phone and the received GPS signal or the cell tower triangulation capabilities. I have seen my location on my iPhone off as much as 1-2 miles if it does not have visibility of the GPS satellites and locked in by multiple towers. A wireline phone will be accurate 100% of the time unless there is an error in the PSAP database (which could happen with VoIP also.)

This is a reason to still have a regular land-line phone and not rely on wireless or VoIP phones to call 911 when at your residence. The 911 info provides your address to the dispatcher immediately. In this case, had the 911 dispatcher had an address, they might have gotten officers there in time to find the husband and enough probable cause to enter the home and search.