Hack81.Workarounds for 911 Emergency Service

Hack 81. Workarounds for 911 Emergency Service

Skype doesn't provide emergency service calls. But there are some workarounds.

Works with: all versions of Skype.

Skype does not provide any access to emergency service. If you dial 911 (or the equivalent outside the U.S.) to call emergency service, you will not be connected. Period.

Skype itself is quite explicit on this issue, and therefore markets its services as an "enhancement" to regular telephone services. However, for those who switch to Skype completely, making it their sole (nonmobile) telephone service provider, some workarounds are available that can provide "911-like" service.

Perhaps it is worth repeating that the workarounds are only "911-like" and are in no way a direct substitute for real 911 service. You must weigh the pros and cons of fully switching over to Skype in light of the fact that Skype cannot provide 911 service. Switching to Skype as your sole telephone provider is a decision that you alone can make, and that you alone must live with and bear responsibility for.

10.4.1. 911You May Have It by Default

Most people get their broadband Internet service through one of two means: cable TV or telephone.

Cable TV uses the same physical cable through which you receive your TV channels, so it is independent of your telephone service. You can have cable Internet access without having a telephone, and vice versa.

Telephone can also provide broadband Internet access, usually at an additional cost to your regular telephone services. The most common technology for providing Internet access through your telephone line is Digital Subscriber Line (DSL). There are many flavors of DSLthe most common being Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL)most of which are bundled with and ride atop a regular telephone service. Most, but not all.

If you obtain your Internet connection through a flavor of DSL that rides atop a regular telephone service you already have real 911 service as part of your regular telephone service. Thus, if you have ADSL or another flavor of DSL that piggybacks on top of your regular telephone service, you will have 911 emergency service by default (see Figure 10-3).

Figure 10-3. Most DSL Internet broadband servicesADSL being the most commonpiggyback on top of a regular telephone line and service

Getting your broadband Internet connection through DSL with telephone services does not stop you from switching to Skype in large part to save money. Your local telephone company might not promote lower-cost service packages; indeed, it may not mention them at all! However, most telephone companies do offer "basic" or "emergency-only" service at much lower cost than their more visible offerings. In the case of "emergency-only" service, the cost may be as low as $10 to $15 per month. Depending on your local telephone company, this may be combined with DSL to reduce your regular telephone costs to the bare minimum, leaving Skype to become your principal low-cost telephone provider.

10.4.2. Set Up a "911-like" Service

If you obtain your Internet connection through some mechanism other than ADSLsay, cableyou can switch to Skype as your sole telephone service provider (see Figure 10-4).

Figure 10-4. Getting broadband Internet access through cable means you can make Skype your only telephone service provider (for this configuration, you don't really have to snip your telephone wire, just cancel service instead)

SkypeOut is a paid service that enables Skype users to call regular telephones. Most local police departments and fire services have telephone numbers separate from the 911 service. Moreover, these numbers are typically manned 24 hours a day. So, in an emergency, you can call your local police or fire service and your request for help will surely be heeded.

As a matter of convenience, you should add your local police station to your Contacts list and assign it a speed-dial number. Sadly, Skype does not support three-digit speed-dial numbersif it did, the most logical choice would be to assign 911so, the best you can do is to assign 91 to your local police department (see Figure 10-5). In addition, you may want to add a shortcut to your desktop (see "Add Fast-Dial Shortcuts to Your Menu or Desktop" [Hack #49]) for quickly dialing your local police department in an emergencywhen seconds might count!

Assigning the speed-dial number 91 to your local police department has an added advantage: if you use a USB handset or if you have connected Skype to the handsets throughout your home (see Chapter 3), you can simply dial 91# to phone your local police department. It's not quite "911," but it's close. As a courtesy to others who might visit your home, you may want to attach a label to all your handsets saying "In an emergency call: 91#" (see Figure 10-6).

Figure 10-5. Add your local police department to your Contacts list

Figure 10-6. Add a label such as this to your handsets, telling people how to call your local police in an emergency

10.4.3. Test Your Emergency Phone Number

This is where the 911-like service has a distinct advantage over the traditional 911 service. You can test it whenever you like.

Your 911 service may not work when you desperately need it. You'll probably never know until you really need it. Calling 911 occasionally to make sure it's working, if not against the law, is surely in bad form and might get you into trouble.

On the other hand, nothing is stopping you from dialing 91# from time to time and asking, for example, when the next policemen's ball or fundraiser is going to take place. At least you'll know it works!

10.4.4. Use a Mobile Phone As a Backup

All U.S. mobile phones support 911 service. So, if your home is in an area with good mobile phone reception, it's always worth keeping your mobile phone charged and ready should you need it in an emergency.

Indeed, you can even use an old mobile phone that is no longer supported by a paid calling plan from a mobile phone company. You can use any mobile phone to call 911 without paying anything at all. Mobile phones are regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and the FCC mandates that all mobile phones, regardless of the status of service (or even the lack of service), must be able to dial 911. Whether you have a telephone number or not or whether you have signed up for service or not, a mobile phone can connect to 911.

10.4.5. Location

One clear advantage of regular 911 emergency service is that when you place an emergency call from a regular phone, the dispatcher knows where you are located. This is not the case when you place any sort of emergency call using SkypeOut, as the nature of Skype's technology means that your location is unknown.

However, if you use a mobile phone to place a call to 911 emergency service, in many instances the dispatcher will know where you are (at least approximately), as many mobile phone networks have built-in location detection.