Internet phone company investigates failed 911 dispatch

[cablewithaview]

The internet phone company that dispatched an ambulance to the wrong address after a 911 call from a frantic Calgary family is reviewing its tapes, but said subscribers are responsible for keeping their emergency information updated.

"In terms of communication, clearly something happened," Alison George, spokeswoman for Comwave, told CBC News Thursday.

Eighteen-month-old Elijah Luck died Tuesday night after his family called 911 for help. Because they use an internet provider for their phone service, the call was answered by a centre in Ontario, and not the emergency dispatch centre in Calgary.

"He started becoming purple and blue in his face and his body was getting limp, so immediately I called 911," Elijah's aunt Sylvia Luck recalled Thursday. "When I called 911, it had gone to five rings but nobody answered the phone."

George said an operator at Comwave's contracted call centre in Concord, Ont., called back to ask if they needed help. Luck said she pleaded for an ambulance and gave their Calgary address, under the impression that help was on the way.

Instead, the call centre dispatched an ambulance to the Lucks' former home in Mississauga, the last address on file with the company.

"At this point, they felt they had sent it to the correct location. At this point, the call was considered completed, from what I understand," said George.

"Either they didn't get the entire address or part of the address was given and the call was disconnected or hung up."

Luck said after waiting for about half an hour, she ran next door to call 911 on a neighbour's land line. An ambulance arrived less than six minutes later.

Elijah Luck, who was born premature with fluid in his lungs and a weakened heart, was not breathing when paramedics arrived. He died later at the Alberta Children's Hospital.

His family wonders if the delay reduced Elijah's chances of surviving and are speaking out to warn others who use the Voice over Internet Protocol telephone technology, known as VoIP.

"Our hearts go out to people to be aware of what had happened and how we lost this life, so we want them to know, you know, check before you take any connection," said Elijah's aunt.
Call centres, not emergency dispatch, answer VoIP calls

The Luck family began using Comwave's internet phone service about three years ago, after they moved from Mississauga, Ont., to Calgary. VoIP allows phone calls to be made over a broadband internet connection instead of a costlier analog phone line.

In 911 situations, there is no way to track a call made over broadband because there is no physical address that can be linked to the digital signal, as there is with a land line.

"We don't have the immediate ability to geographically locate people using services other than your standard telephone," Curtis Brochu, manager of Calgary's public safety communications, said Thursday.

911 calls made from traditional phones go directly to a local emergency dispatch centre, while ones made over VoIP rely on third-party call centres.

In 2005, Comwave made it mandatory for its users to fill out an online form that acknowledged they understood the 911 protocol over VoIP, as well as provide emergency information, before their services could be activated, said George.

It's up to subscribers to ensure the company has up-to-date contact information, she said.

"People have been using voice over IP now for many years and the basic 911 system that is in place that's part of the regulations has been working very, very well," said John Lange, president of the Canadian Association of VoIP Providers.

"In this particular instance, it seems that perhaps there was something that just didn't go quite right. It may or may not turn out to be anything to do with the way 911 was implemented in that particular company."

Elijah's six-year-old sister, Pearl, has been wondering when her little brother will be coming back from the hospital, said Sylvia Luck.

"Because every time he was in the hospital, he always came back so she still has the hope that he'll come back. But her dad explained to her that he would not be back with us."


Internet phone company investigates failed 911 dispatch


Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family.

[cablewithaview]

Emergency service operators are issuing cautionary warnings about the use of voice-over-Internet-protocol (VoIP) phone service following the death of a Calgary toddler.

An eighteen-month-old child died after his family called 911 over a VoIP phone and the ambulance was dispatched to their former home in Ontario instead of their current home in Calgary.

Edmonton's emergency services, for example, is advising to know the limitations of accessing 9-1-1 in an emergency.

VoIP, which uses broadband internet connections instead of the traditional telephone network, has been increasing in popularity since its inception several years ago. However, the nomadic and non-native categories present a number of challenges for Emergency Communications Centres receiving 9-1-1 calls, the agency describes.

Fixed VoIP systems, like Shaw digital phone, provide full Enhanced 9-1-1, Edmonton's emergency services departmnet stated in a release.

Nomadic VoIP systems, from providers such as Vonage and Comwave, are not Enhanced 9-1-1 and do not meet the definition of Basic 9-1-1. Non-native VoIP systems have a number based in a different municipality and are also not Enhanced 9-1-1 systems.

Emergency calls dialed using nomadic and non-native systems have to be answered by a third-party operator service so they can then be transferred to an Emergency Communications Centre.

"The traditional 9-1-1 system, based on the use of landlines, is equipped with what is known as Enhanced 9-1-1. That system ensures that an emergency call will go to the Emergency Communications Centre in the city where the individual is located," said Devon Card, Branch Manager of Operational Services for the City of Edmonton. "At the same time, it also provides automatic address and telephone number information to make certain help will find the caller, even if they unable to speak."

Other possible 9-1-1 limitations when using nomadic or non-native categories of
VoIP include:

• A potential delay in response due to the wrong Emergency Communications Centre receiving the 9-1-1 call or call being transfer to a non-emergency line.
• If a caller is unable to speak, or if the call is disconnected, the operator may not have automatic location information to give to emergency communications specialists.

• VoIP customers may not be able to access 9-1-1 during a power failure or if there is a disruption to the internet connection.

"Consumers should be asking questions about how you can access 9-1-1 in an emergency before deciding whether or not to purchase a VoIP service," Card added. "You don't want to find out about those limitations during an emergency. Consumers need to be asking questions so they have a full understand of their service."

Emergency responders also advise that those with a nomadic or non-native VoIP service use a cell phone in emergency situations.


mediacastermagazine.com - Mediacaster - 5/8/2008