Emergency calling (E911)

When someone dials 911 from your Dial Raven service, emergency responders rely on the address on file to find them. Keeping that address correct is one of the most important things you can do.

How 911 works on an internet phone system

A traditional landline is tied to one address. Internet phones can move anywhere there’s internet. So Dial Raven keeps a registered emergency address for your numbers and locations, and sends it with 911 calls.

If a phone moves and the address isn’t updated, responders could be sent to the old location.

Each 911 call carries an emergency caller ID: a phone number on your account that has your address registered to it. That number can be set for the whole company, a location, a person, or a single phone. The most specific one wins, so a number set on a phone overrides the one set on its user.

• If the number has a registered address, the call goes straight to the local 911 center along with your address.
• If it doesn’t, the call goes to a national emergency center, where an operator has to ask where you are before sending it on. That costs precious time.

Emergency calling covers the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Toll-free numbers can’t carry a 911 address, so your emergency caller ID is always a regular local number.

Keep your address current

Contact Dial Raven support before or as soon as any of these happen:

• You move offices or add a new location.
• A desk phone moves to another building, floor, or suite.
• An employee starts working from home with a desk phone.
• Your address on file is missing a suite, floor, or room number.

Call (434) 697-2836 or email support@dialraven.com. Tell us the phone or extension and the full new address, including floor, suite, or room. Keep the extra detail short and clear, like “Suite 200” or “2nd floor,” because some 911 screens only show about 20 characters of it.

Moving numbers to Dial Raven from another carrier? Your old carrier’s 911 records don’t transfer. We register your address before the move finishes, so tell us the service address for every number you’re bringing over.

Heads up: Don’t wait. Until the address is updated, 911 calls from that phone may go to the wrong dispatch center or send responders to the wrong place.

If your portal shows emergency addresses

Most accounts show only an Emergency Caller ID field on a user’s Profile tab. It sets which of your phone numbers, and the address registered to it, goes with that person’s 911 calls. To change the address itself, contact support as described above.

Some accounts use location-based emergency addresses that Office Managers can manage. If you see Emergency Caller ID and Emergency Address fields on a user’s Profile tab or on a phone in their Phones tab:

1. Choose the Emergency Caller ID for that person or phone.
2. Pick an existing Emergency Address, or choose Add New Address, fill it in, and select Validate. Fix any part the system can’t match, then select Save.
3. Optionally add a location description, such as “Front Desk” or “Warehouse,” so responders know exactly where to go.

Many addresses at once? On the Inventory page, the Emergency Addresses tab has an Import option with a spreadsheet template. If an address won’t validate, for example new construction, contact support and we’ll register it by hand.

Laws your business should know

• Kari’s Law requires that anyone can dial 911 directly, without first dialing a prefix like 9, and that someone on-site can be notified when 911 is called.
• RAY BAUM’S Act requires 911 calls to include a “dispatchable location,” meaning enough detail, like floor or room, for responders to find the caller.

Dial Raven configures emergency calling with these in mind during setup. We can also set up 911 alerts for you:

• An email or text alert to one or more people, such as your office manager or security desk, whenever someone dials 911.
• A live bridge that calls a number you choose, such as a security desk, and joins it to the 911 call. It can be listen-only or two-way.
• A callback number shown to the 911 center, such as your front desk, if you’d rather they call there than the caller’s own line.

Talk to support to set these up or review your setup.

ConnectUC apps and working remotely

The ConnectUC apps can be used anywhere, so the address on file may not match where you are.

• ConnectUC mobile app: when you dial 911, the call goes out over your phone’s regular cellular service, so responders get your phone’s location from your mobile carrier.
• ConnectUC desktop and web app: the call uses the emergency address on file for you. In an emergency away from your registered location, call 911 from your cell phone instead.

Test without calling 911: dial 933

Never dial 911 just to test. Instead, dial 933 from any desk phone or ConnectUC app on your account. It’s a free automated test line, not an emergency call. It reads back:

1. The emergency caller ID the phone sends.
2. The address on file for that number, or “unknown” if there isn’t one.
3. Whether you’re set up for enhanced 911.

It then records a few words and plays them back to confirm two-way audio. If you hear the wrong number or address, or “unknown,” contact support right away.

Tip: Dial 933 after setting up a new phone, moving a phone, or changing anyone’s emergency caller ID.

If you ever do need a live 911 test, arrange it with support first and tell the dispatcher right away that it’s a test.

Common questions

Can I update my emergency address myself?

On most accounts, contact Dial Raven support and we’ll validate and save it for you. If your portal shows Emergency Address fields, Office Managers can update addresses directly (see above). Either way, dial 933 afterward to check.

Can we transfer a caller to 911?

Please don’t. If an outside caller tells you about an emergency, take down their location and call 911 yourself. A transferred call doesn’t carry the caller’s location, so responders could be sent to the wrong place.

What if 911 is dialed by accident?

Stay on the line and tell the dispatcher it was a mistake. Hanging up can cause responders to be sent.

Does 911 work if our internet or power is out?

No. Internet phones need power and an internet connection to call 911. Keep a cell phone handy as a backup.

Related articles

• First-day checklist for admins
• Set up a desk phone
• Contact Dial Raven support