Basic 911

Basic 911 is the standard emergency telephone service that most people are familiar with. When a person dials 911 from a landline or mobile phone, the call is routed to the nearest Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP).  A PSAP is a call center staffed by trained professionals who are responsible for answering 911 calls and dispatching emergency services as needed.
One of the key features of basic 911 is that it allows emergency services to identify the location of the caller. When a person dials 911 from a landline phone, the address associated with that phone number is automatically transmitted to the PSAP.
Another important aspect of basic 911 is the ability to identify the caller's phone number. This is known as Caller ID and is used by emergency services to contact the caller in case the call is disconnected or additional information is needed.
All of this works fine if the enterprise has only one office (one address). In the case an enterprise does have multiple offices and not everyone has a Direct Inward Dialing (DID) number, the basic 911 address identification will not work if the person calling has a health issue that prevents him or her to speak (or there is a case of mass shooting where again your are not able to speak).

Enhanced 911

Enhanced 911 (E911) is an upgraded version of the basic 911 service. It includes additional features that are designed to provide more accurate and detailed information to emergency services.
One of the key features of E911 is the ability to pin point the exact location of a phone caller. This is achieved using a concept called the Emergency Response Location (ERL) and it is used to determine which emergency services should be dispatched to the scene. You can see the ERL as the address of the building including the floor where the caller is located, in case the enterprise has a full building at the same address.
The ERL information is then automatically transmitted to the PSAP (Public Service Answering Point), allowing emergency services to respond more quickly and accurately.
Another important feature of E911 is the ability to provide emergency services with more detailed information about the situation. This includes data such as the type of emergency, the number of people involved, and any other relevant information. This information is transmitted to the PSAP via a technology called Automatic Location Identification (ALI) that contains the mapping of emergency numbers DID per each address(ERL), including CallerID name and number. The Emergency DID number is also known as ELIN - Emergency Location Identification Number. ELINs directly align with ERLs.

Differences between Basic 911 and Enhanced 911

There are several key differences between basic 911 and enhanced 911 services. The most significant differences relate to the level of detail provided by the location information and the additional data transmitted to the PSAP.
With basic 911, the location information is based on the Emergency Response Location (ERL) associated with the caller's phone number. This information is often accurate for landline phones but can be less reliable for mobile phones. In contrast, E911 uses ERL to pin point the exact location of the caller, providing more accurate information to emergency services.
Also, a call-back initiated by the PSAP (emergency services) might not work with the basic 911 service. That’s why it is important to train the users to never hang up a 911 call, simply say politely that it was a mistaken call, this way the PSAP will not send the ambulance, fire and police services to your address, unnecessarily.

Risks with basic 911 for a company with multiple offices and no dedicated DIDs per Employee

With basic 911, emergency calls are routed to the PSAP based on the physical address associated with the phone number being used to make the call. In an enterprise where not everyone has a Direct Inward Dialing (DID) number, calls made to 911 from phones without a DID will be routed to the PSAP based on the physical address associated with the enterprise's main phone line.
In order to ensure that emergency services can respond quickly and effectively in the event of an emergency, it is important for enterprises to provide clear instructions to employees on how to dial 911 and to inform them of the physical address associated with the enterprise's main phone line. This includes updating the physical address information as needed if the enterprise moves to a new location or makes changes to their phone system.
While basic 911 may be suitable for some enterprises, those with complex locations or larger campuses may benefit from the more advanced technology offered by E911. With E911, emergency calls are automatically routed to the nearest PSAP based on the location of the caller's phone, which is determined by the ERL information. This can help to ensure that emergency services are directed to the correct location, even if the caller is unable to provide an accurate address or location.
Overall, it is important for enterprises to consider their specific needs and requirements when selecting a 911 service. By understanding the differences between basic 911 and E911, and by implementing appropriate emergency response procedures and training for employees, enterprises can help to ensure the safety and security of their employees and customers in the event of an emergency.

When a company uses SIP trunking for their phone system, the routing of 911 calls can become more complex, especially if the company has multiple physical locations but only one SIP trunking connection to the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network).
With basic 911, emergency calls are routed to the PSAP based on the physical address associated with the main phone number of the company that made the call. In the case of a company using SIP trunking, this can pose a challenge if there are multiple physical locations associated with the same phone number.

For more details on migrating to your legacy PBX to SIP trunking, please see the following article: Migrating to SIP 

In order to ensure that emergency services are able to respond effectively, it is important for companies using SIP trunking to provide accurate physical address information for each of their locations to the PSTN provider. This information can then be associated with the phone number being used to make the call, allowing emergency services to be directed to the correct location. An additional DID
In addition to providing accurate physical address information, companies using SIP trunking may also need to implement additional measures to ensure that emergency calls are properly routed. This can include configuring their phone system to automatically provide location information to emergency services when a 911 call is made, or implementing an emergency response plan that includes instructions for employees on how to report their location to emergency services in the event of an emergency.
Some SIP trunking providers also offer E911 services, which can help to simplify the routing of emergency calls for companies with multiple physical locations. With E911, emergency calls are automatically routed to the nearest PSAP based on the location of the caller's phone, which is determined by GPS or other location technologies. In Canada, the best provider of E911 services using SIP trunking is Bell Canada, due to their excellent coverage of the Canada territory following Bell MTS and Bell Aliant acquisitions in order to cover Manitoba and the Atlantic provinces. Their SIP solution is directly routing the call to the right PSAP emergency services exchange.
Overall, companies using SIP trunking for their phone system should work closely with their PSTN provider and/or SIP trunking provider to ensure that they are able to provide accurate location information for each of their physical locations, and to implement appropriate emergency response procedures and training for employees. This can help to ensure that emergency services are able to respond quickly and effectively in the event of an emergency, regardless of the complexity of the company's phone system or physical locations.
Some telephony providers ( VoIP type) choose to route the call to a 911 call center that will the coordinates of the caller before routing the call to the right PSAP, based of the communicated address. Be warry of this kind of solutions, here you have some of the points you need to test before accepting the service:

• Like any call center, there is a possibility there is a waiting time before an agent answers. Each second minute of waiting can jeopardise the life of the caller.
• Please verify the call center is certified and respects the laws of each and every province that hosts your offices. In Quebec, the 911 call center should respect the law Loi sur la sécurité civile du Québec:  https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/fr/showdoc/cs/S-2.3
• Please verify and test that the call center agents answer by default in the right language ( example, for calls originated from Quebec addresses, the call should be answered in French).

Conclusion

911 services are an essential part of emergency response in North America. While basic 911 provides important location and caller information to emergency services, enhanced 911 offers more advanced technology to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of emergency response.

• The ability to transmit location information and additional data to the PSAP can be the difference between life and death in emergency situations. Therefore, it is crucial for individuals to understand the differences between basic 911 and enhanced 911 services and how they can benefit from the advanced technology provided by E911.
• 911 services play a vital role in saving lives and preventing injuries. Basic 911 and enhanced 911 offer different levels of technology and data transmission, but both are crucial for providing emergency services with the information they need to respond effectively. It is important for individuals to be aware of these differences and to use the appropriate service based on their location and situation.