This topic explains how to use  (Dynamic Location Routing) DLR E911 emergency services for your existing domains that have not had these defined before, allowing you to specify locations for emergency responders. It is best practice to set at least a domain default emergency address for any existing domains. This article also explains how to define the callback number and endpoint billing address for emergency services by creating an Endpoint.

Provides an Endpoint ID (called back number), the unique identifier a carrier needs to route emergency calls. When user e911 addresses are added, the Endpoint ID is referenced in the Emergency Caller ID field.

Your Role is Important

Protecting the users is the first and foremost priority. The first step is ensuring that each address is registered with the correct 911 Caller ID. As providers, we are responsible for updating that information and expressing the importance of accurate 911 registrations and updates to the client.

Explain the 911 process to the client and their responsibilities so everyone involved has the quickest and most accurate emergency response system possible.

What is Changing

Improved emergency call handling and simplified data entry with enforced address entry and full address verification.

Dialling emergency services is extremely effective when the emergency responders can immediately identify the caller's location. If the caller is incapacitated, cannot speak, or is too panicked to describe where they are, the caller will heavily rely on the accuracy of location services. 

Today, phone system providers have two main E911 configurations: static E911 and DLR E911. The former provides a static caller location attached to Caller ID, and the latter provides a dynamic location attached to the caller. 

Static E911 

This is considered the legacy, or failover, E911 configuration. Each caller is given a Caller ID number. This number is then registered to a static location and stored in emergency service databases. The caller dials 911, and the emergency operators can pull the Caller ID's stored location. Notifications that a 911 call has been made can be sent to the local organization via an automated phone call, an email, or an SIP message on the screens of supported phones.

Dynamic Location Routing (DLR) E911

This is the latest recommendation, provided businesses also configure failover to Static E911 services. Each caller is given a granular location that can be defined by domain, site, or individual device and can even be as specific as "the last cubicle at the end of the hall." When an IP address change is detected in the Phone Portal or on UC Softphone, the user will be prompted to update their current location, which is one of the ways their location is kept updated. Unlike Static E911, DLR E911 location information must not be stored in emergency service databases. Instead, it's sent at the time of the call by using PIDF-LO (Presence Information Data Format Location Object). This is included within the SIP header, allowing for targeted location accuracy. Notifications that a 911 call has been made can still be sent to the local organization via an automated phone call, SIP Message or an email.

Retirement of Existing Practices

Previously, when setting up 911 services, each location required a 911 registration in Conduit. Each domain must have at least one 911 registration per location, and multiple registrations were made for multiple locations. This functionality is no longer required.

Define Emergency DLR E911 Addresses - Domain Level 

Overview

Emergency address locations can be set for individual users, domains, sites, and devices. When more than one address has been defined, precedence cascades down from domain > site > user > device. 

Note that Emergency Addresses work with Emergency Endpoints; you cannot give an Emergency Address without an Emergency Endpoint (a number) to call. 

Add DLR E911 to a New Domain

In the portal, navigate to Domains. Click Add Domain

The Add a Domain Modal opens. This article is focused on the DLR and E911, so we are focusing on the Emergency Tab depicted below.

Fill out the Emergency tab. Important notes to remember:

• Notice the "Number Not Registered" warning above. You must add a valid number; adding placeholder numbers will not work as the number has to be validated.
• The "Emergency Caller ID" can be edited later if needed.
• The "Address Name" and address will become the domain default and can be edited later. If a user does not define their emergency address, their user account will inherit first from their assigned site and, if none, from their domain.
• Click "Validate" to validate the emergency address. Validation is required before continuing.
• Then click the "Add" Button. 

After creating the new domain, the "Emergency" Tab will show Emergency Notifications when editing an existing domain.

Edit DLR E911 in an Existing Domain

Follow these steps to add or edit DLR E911 services to an existing domain:

1. Navigate to the Manager Portal and the domain where you want to add an emergency address. 

2. Edit that domain. To do this, find the "Edit Domain" button located in the upper right-hand corner of the page

3. Navigate to the "Emergency" tab in the Edit Domain modal. Since this domain was created before the introduction of the E911 feature, the address will need to be created. Select "Add a new address" from the "Emergency Address" field. 

4. The following screen will open to create the new emergency address. Enter the appropriate emergency address, filling the fields out in their entirety. Then click the "Validate" Button." This button will grey out until all fields have been completed. Validating will send the address to the third-party vendor to validate whether it is a properly formatted address. After validating, click the Save button to save the emergency address to this domain. This button is greyed out until the address has been validated.

The "Address Name" and address will become the domain default and can be edited later. If a user does not define their emergency address, their user account will inherit first from their assigned site and, if none, from their domain.

What About Existing Users?

In this domain, the Portal will now display the domain's new address as the default address for any users who do not already have an emergency address selected.

Here is an example where the user is inheriting their emergency address from their domain:

When this user logs into the Portal, a popup prompts them to either set a unique emergency location or confirm that the domain default is appropriate. 

Add an Emergency Endpoint

New endpoints are added to the portal through the Emergency Endpoint section in Inventory. The billing address is verified, and both the endpoint ID (which will be the Caller ID) and the billing address are sent to the configured third-party carrier.

Open the Manager Portal.
Navigate to Inventory > Emergency Endpoints

Click the Add Endpoint button. This will bring up the Add endpoint screen:

Complete the Add Endpoint screen:

1. Add the Callback Number. This will act as the Endpoint ID and must be the emergency Caller ID for the users/devices using this endpoint. Enter a new address for billing purposes, or select an existing one.
   If entering a new address, click the "Validate" Button. The address must be validated before saving.
2. Set the Emergency Caller ID for All Users to a Newly Created Endpoint
   Once you've created an Endpoint, you must apply the Emergency Caller ID to all users so the system can use this unique identifier to send SIP Invites to the proper endpoint. This can be done by hand (see section below), but the best practice is to use the provided tool to set the newly created endpoint to all users simultaneously.
3. If entering a new address, click the "Validate" Button. The address must be validated before saving.

To set the Emergency Caller ID to all users in a domain:

Navigate to  Inventory > Emergency Endpoints and find the endpoint you want to apply to the domain's users.

If you are logged in as an Office Manager, all the users in the domain will be updated. If you are logged in as a Site Manager, all the users of the Site you manage will be updated.

Click the "Apply Endpoint" button to the right of the selected Endpoint.

After confirmation, this modifies all users in that domain, setting their emergency Caller ID to the user at that endpoint.

Set the Emergency Caller ID for Individual Users or Devices 

This provides a way for clients who do not wish to apply the Emergency Caller ID to a domain or site-wide level to optionally update the Emergency Caller ID for individual users or devices.

Navigate to either a user's profile or a specific device, and under the Emergency Caller ID dropdown, select the callback number created in the previous step. Here is an example of setting in a user's profile page:

Click the "Save" Button. 
 

Site Address - Emergency Addresses

If a site is at a different geographical location, create a similar emergency address for each site.

Navigate to the Manager Portal > Users > Sites > edit a site. Click to add a new address if needed. 

User Location Within Domain Address

If a user does not define their emergency address, their user account will first inherit from their assigned site and, if none, from their domain. 

We highly recommend that all users configure a specific location description. If there are no location descriptions and 200 people are in the building, emergency services may struggle to locate the individual promptly. 

Navigate to the Portal and edit the user's profile. The "Emergency Address" should ideally be the site or domain default. Click on "add location description". 

Use the "Emergency Address" name as the "Address Name." Then, type in a specific location for this user, such as a floor or room number. 

After saving, the system will save the location description under the list of domain addresses.  

Unique User Address

The final option is to add a unique emergency address per user (if needed). For this configuration, it is important to add a location description. 

If users share a common address, it is best to add it at the domain level and follow the above steps to edit the location description.

If users are at unique addresses, then this would be the proper method:

• In a user's profile, edit the "Emergency Caller ID" by selecting to add a new address.
• Please complete the information. The "validate" button will not be clickable until the address is complete. 
   

CRTC Rules and Requirements

The CRTC in Telecom Decision CRTC 2005-21 has indicated, "The Commission directs Canadian carriers, offering fixed (i.e., non-nomadic) local VoIP service, where the end-user is assigned an NPA-NXX native to any of the local exchanges within the region covered by the customer's serving Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), to provide 9-1-1 service.

Identifying the difference between internet-based communication with 911 and calling 911 on a landline is important. 911 is directed to a well-known national 911 service center. Then, based on the registered address or spoken instructions from the caller, a local PSAP is connected, and the 911 call is connected to local first responders. This does add a little time to each call as the hand-off occurs.
 

Read more about the CRTC guidelines.

Summary

The recommendation is to create a domain emergency address first. If needed, a unique site or user address can also be created. Don't forget to add a location description for every user. Emergency services are most effective when pinpointing your location within a shared building.