VoIP phones complicate emergency response

Emergency 911 calls from conventional landlines are automatically routed to the appropriate call centre and provide communication officers with the caller's address, but with the proliferation of telecommunication technologies, calls also come in from a variety of other devices, including Voice over IP (VoIP) phones, cell phones, satellite phones, General Motors' OnStar service and SPOT satellite GPS messengers.

Telecommunication companies offering VoIP service operate their own 911 emergency response centre that cross references the caller's IP address with the street address on file, and then routes the call to the appropriate area. However, an incorrect street address and a premature hang-up by the caller can result in an ambulance being dispatched to the wrong address and even the wrong city.

This is exactly what happened last year when an individual in Calgary called 911 and promptly hung up. The billing address associated with the phone was correct, but the service address noted was the caller's previous residence in Mississauga.

A neighbour in Calgary finally called 911, but it was too late, and the 18-month toddler in distress died before paramedics arrived.

"Mississauga dispatched an ambulance and it took them forever to determine that they weren't living there," said Marc Picard, manager of the North Bay Central Ambulance Communication Centre (CCAC).  "That's why we tell people not to hang up."

Cell phones can also be a problem, but changes scheduled to be fully effective in February will provide precise GPS co-ordinates to 911 call centres. Until now, communication officers only received a callback number and the location of the nearest cellular tower.

There is no such thing as a 911 call from a satellite phone, so tourist outfitters and other users of these devices have to call a local emergency number.

The biggest headache for 911 call centres is the new SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger, a one-way emergency communication device that can send messages, but can't receive them. There are three buttons on the SPOT Messenger, said Picard. The first two send a text message and GPS co-ordinates to a predetermined cellphone or email address indicating that everything is OK or that the individual needs help. The third button sends a message indicating a need for immediate help to an international SPOT Messenger call centre, once again with GPS co-ordinates.

The problem is that users sometimes push the wrong button and there's no way to contact the individual to confirm whether or not there's an emergency.

"We have deployed some significant resources to areas for nothing," said Picard. "They're a wonderful tool, but they come with their frustrations as well."

Calls from the OnStar service operated by General Motors are much more reliable because the OnStar representative is usually able to communicate with the driver of the vehicle to confirm a medical emergency and provide the 911 communication centre with GPS co-ordinates.