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An outdated system could send emergency personnel to the wrong location,...

911 Emergency Communications Director Juliette Gooding

Published 1st May 2007, 12:0am

Companies that use a certain type of telecommunications system are asked to ensure that the systems provide correct information to 911 Emergency Communications. An improper setup of this system, called private branch exchange (PBX), may pose a threat to the safety and well-being of a company's customers and staff, explained 911 Emergency Communications Director Juliette Gooding. "An outdated system could send emergency personnel to the wrong location," she noted, "which obviously would slow their response time substantially." PBX systems are typically used in companies that have more than one location. Banks, for example, tend to have main offices, as well as smaller branches. Or, they may operate on several floors in one building, Ms Gooding said. "Basically, if someone calls 911 from a branch, the address displayed to 911 could be that of the main office, instead of the branch," she explained. Hotels are also specifically encouraged to review their PBX systems, so that guests can call 911 directly from their rooms. The display should show 911 despatchers the actual room number, providing staff with the opportunity to offer advice to the guest until emergency responders arrive at the location. Ms Gooding would like all companies to look into PBX upgrades or options that would allow this feature. As a first step, business owners should speak with their telephone service or PBX providers, to ensure that their systems can be updated. For more information, contact either 911 Administrative Assistant Elorine Woods or Clerical Officer Denise Augustine on 949-9008; fax, 949-4386; or e-mail Elorine Woods or Denise Augustine.

Telephone System Linked to Death

"Local business growth, and the increasing number of visitors, have influenced 911 Communications' push towards reprogrammed private branch exchange (PBX) telephone systems," says 911 Emergency Communications Director Juliette Gooding. This topic has also received much public attention and comment in North America and around the world in the last few days. A Washington Post report dated Saturday, 29 April, reported that Kafee Billah, a sales representative at MedImmune Inc. in Gaithersburg, Maryland, was found dead at his desk 10 hours after calling a 911 despatcher complaining of chest pains. The paramedics were sent to the address that appeared on the 911 centre's caller identification system - the building next to the one where Billah's body was found.