Cloud Voice - 911/VoIP Limitations & 911 Label Printing Instructions

911 Notification for Smithville Cloud Voice Users

Welcome to Smithville Cloud Voice Services! Due to the nature of VoIP service delivery, emergency calls to 911 are handled differently than a traditional phone service and Smithville wants you to be informed and prepared to handle these changes so that you and your team are protected during an emergency.

This document from the FCC, provides details around these changes and your responsibilities as a subscriber.

Each phone number on your new Cloud Voice account is tied to a service address. When a call to 911 is made, the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) is provided with the registered address information corresponding to your address of record on your Smithville account. Emergency services are dispatched to that address of record. It is very important that either Smithville, or you as the customer, keep your address records updated. If for some reason the PSAP operator is not able to capture or retain this information, the operator will request you to immediately verbally inform them of your emergency location.

Steps you can take to keep your 911 address up to date:

Location

• When you order your new Smithville Cloud Voice services, Smithville will obtain your exact address location(s), which goes into the database that the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) uses for a 911 dispatch call. Please make sure the address(es) you provide Smithville is correct.
• If you move your IP phone to a different address without notifying Smithville, the emergency services may dispatch to the wrong address. You are solely responsible for providing Smithville with correct information for your account, including updated address information, and notifying Smithville if it changes. Please call Smithville, 800-742-4084, and select technical support. Please note, it may take a few days for the address update to take effect.

Electrical Power and Your Network

• When you are using an IP phone or a desktop application, your service is dependent on the electrical power in your building. If there is a power outage and a battery backup power supply is not installed on your equipment, you may not be able to call 911. If there is an interruption in your power, your VoIP equipment may need to be reset.
• Smithville highly suggests that your company place a backup battery power supply on any equipment supporting your network or your phone service.
• 911 service will not function if your broadband connection is terminated or interrupted. In addition, if your network equipment is not working properly or there is network congestion, you may not be able to complete a call (including calls to 911).
• Smithville highly suggests keeping highly sensitive and necessary access lines on a traditional voice network. Elevators and security alarm lines should always have a backup power source. If the event you elect to move those types of phone lines to Smithville’s Cloud Voice service, you should ensure that those locations have another source of power to stay online in the event of a locational-based power outage. Smithville will not be providing that power backup service.
• It is not possible to text a 911 operator from Smithville VoIP service.
• Smithville has provided stickers to print explaining when VoIP 911 service may not be available. Please place these stickers at or near your VoIP devices.

Print Smithville Cloud Voice 911 phone stickers.

A sheet of 911 warning stickers is provided for print to attach to your IP phones. These stickers are available in 1 size, compatible with Avery labels 6572 (2” x 2 5/8”, 15 per sheet).

To use the templates

1. Purchase Avery ID label templates from an office supply store.
2. Select the Word document below.
3. Load the sticker sheet into your printer.
4. Open the 911 template and print directly onto the sticker sheet.

Please click below for sticker label sheet.

911 Sticker Sheet

Non-Fixed, also known as “Nomadic,” Location

• If your company has subscribers utilizing mobile, desktop applications or moving their IP Phones regularly, these subscribers are considered “nomadic”.
• Because the nomadic subscriber can work remotely from anywhere, they must review and follow Smithville’s directions on updating their emergency location via the User Commportal, as shown below.
• If the nomadic subscriber is unable to complete self-service updates in the User Commportal, they should immediately call 800-742-4084 and select technical support in order for Smithville to update the address for them. Please note, it may take a few days for the address update to take effect.

How to Update Your Emergency Location

If your subscribed number is considered nomadic, meaning your location can vary, is important to update your emergency location as your location changes.

• To update the emergency location yourself, please log into your User Commportal.
• Select “Set Emergency Location” located at the very bottom of the home screen in the Personal Details section.

• A new window will open up and allow you to update your emergency location address.

• In the event you cannot access your CommPortal or need assistance, please call 800-742-4084 and select tech support. Please note, it may take a few days for the address update to take effect.