Important 9-1-1 Emergency Information
We want to make sure that you are aware of important differences in the way 9-1-1 service operates with VoIP phone services when compared with traditional telephone service. Here’s what you need to keep in mind:
Differences between traditional E911 Service versus 9-1-1 Service for bluArc’s Teleworker, openConnect and mobileConnect Phone Services
bluArc’s trueConnect VoIP service supports E911 capability just as your home phone does. When you dial 9-1-1 while using bluArc’s trueConnect Phone Services your call routes directly to the appropriate Public Services Answering Point (PSAP) and your address information is automatically presented to the operator. bluArc can do this because when you are directly connected to the bluArc network, we know exactly where your phones are located. When you use bluArc’s Teleworker, openConnect, or mobileConnect Phone Services, you do not have a direct connection to the bluArc network. You are connecting through the Internet, and as such, your 9-1-1 service works in a manner similar to other Internet VoIP service providers. When you dial 9-1-1 from a bluArc Teleworker, openConnect, or mobileConnect Phone Service your call is routed to a third-party answering service. One of the first things the answering service will do is confirm your location based on information on file. If you are not at the location on file the answering service will ask for your current location along with other information such as the nature of the emergency.
Remember to verify your location
Because you can move your Teleworker, openConnect or mobileConnect Phone Service between locations and because, for technical reasons, the emergency operator may not have your name, location or contact information available, you must immediately inform the emergency operator of your location and contact particulars any time you call 9-1-1. Do not risk sending police or ambulance services to the wrong location!
Be prepared during any service interruption
Teleworker, openConnect, and mobileConnect Phone Service depends not only on your continued subscription (and payment) for the service, but also on Internet connectivity and power to function. In the event of power, network, or Internet outages (including congestion), or if your service is disconnected or suspended due to non-payment, you may experience a failure, disruption or delay in your 9-1-1 service. We recommend that you keep an alternative phone service handy to increase the reliability of your access to emergency services during any service interruption.
Do not disconnect
Until you are told to do so by an emergency dispatcher, do not disconnect your 9-1-1 call. If you are inadvertently disconnected, call back immediately.
Keep your service address up to date
bluArc Communications Inc. will attempt to provide the emergency operator with your service address, so please ensure that your information on file with us is always accurate and updated. If you do not do this (for example, if you are unable to speak during a 9-1-1 call), the emergency operator may assume that you are calling from the last registered address.
Inform other users
You must notify members of your household and other potential users of your Teleworker, openConnect or mobileConnect Phone Service of the nature and limitations of 9-1-1 emergency calls. To make this easier, attach the included stickers in a visible location on your telephone sets (for example on the right hand corner below the keypad).
Limitations of Liability
The following are Import limitations regarding placing 9-1-1 Calls from your bluArc mobileConnect Client. PLEASE READ CAREFULLY.
- When you dial 9-1-1 from the wireless phone’s native dialer of your Wireless Device, your call will route in the traditional manner to the proper Public Safety Answering Point (“PSAP”) based on the location you are calling from.
- When you dial 9-1-1 while using the bluArc mobileConnect Client (by CounterPath) on your Smartphone, the mobileConnect Client on ‘best efforts’ basis, and depending on the mobile operating systems, will attempt to pass the number to the wireless phone’s native dialer using a pass-through methodology. If successful; for Android Smartphones – the number will be pre-populated for the user to hit send/call; for iOS Smartphones – the call will immediately be dialed. Please note that there is no reliable way for 3rd-party clients to determine if the cellular call was successful via the wireless phone’s native dialer or not, the call attempt is simply passed to the wireless phone’s native dialer regardless of cellular signal strength or availability.
- If the wireless phone’s native dialer on the Smartphone is unavailable, or is not present on the device you are using (such as iPod Touch, iPads and Android Tablets); and you have Wi-Fi connectivity, you can connect to emergency services by dialing 9-9-1-1. Dialing 9-9-1-1 using the bluArc mobileConnect Client will route your call through the bluArc system to a specialized emergency call centre that handles emergency calls. Because you can move your bluArc mobileConnect Client to different locations, and because, for technical reasons, the 9-1-1 operator may not have your name, location or contact information available, any time you dial 9-9-1-1 using the bluArc mobileConnect Client, you must immediately inform the emergency operator of your location (or the location of the emergency, if different). The emergency operator will then connect you to the proper PSAP. It is important that you do not hang up unless directly told to do so, and if disconnected, you must immediately dial 9-9-1-1 again. You should also be prepared to provide your call-back number to the emergency operator.
- If you are using the bluArc mobileConnect Client on your Smartphone and you need to dial emergency services, bluArc recommends that you close the mobileConnect Client and place the 9-1- 1 call from your wireless phone’s native dialer (e.g., your wireless phone) rather than through the bluArc mobileConnect Client, so that your call will route in the traditional manner to the proper PSAP based on the location you are calling from. If you do use the bluArc mobileConnect Client to dial emergency services by dialing 9- 9-1-1, and you move out of Wi-Fi or mobile network range, or have no Wi-Fi or mobile network connection, your emergency call to will not be successful, will drop, or will terminate and the specialized emergency call centre and/or PSAP will not have any method of re-connecting with you. In this event, your emergency call will not be re-connected, even if your Wi-Fi or mobile network connection is subsequently restored, or you move back into Wi-Fi or mobile network range. As such, if you need to dial 9-1-1 from your smartphone while using the bluArc mobileConnect Client, you should close the bluArc mobileConnect Client and use your wireless phone’s native dialer to dial 9-1-1.
- Neither bluArc nor any of its affiliates will be liable for any costs or damages arising either directly or indirectly from the use of a mobile client, mobile application service for Emergency Calls.
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