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Author Topic: anyone know of a phone that will ONLY dial 911? Paul Goulet Master Film Handler Posts: 347 From: Rhode Island Registered: Jan 2000 posted 07-13-2005 12:49 PM                        Without going into details, I need to buy a phone (2 actualy) that will only dial 911..Anyone know where I can find one (Or 2 actually)?  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-13-2005 01:00 PM                        We need more information. Do you want the _phone_ to place the call, or do you just want to be able to install something like a no-dial phone and have it connect to 911 when the receiver is lifted? If the latter, you can order from the phone company (or configure on a PBX) a "ring down circuit" to the 911 number. This is more reliable and less subject to tampering than an autodialer phone. Alternatively, you can get a hotline dialer to attach to the phone which will automatically dial a pre-programmed number when the receiver is lifted. Note that, in the US, even disconnected phone lines have the ability to dial 911; thus, another option would be to have a phone line installed, then disconnect service and leave a phone attached to it. I believe that the same applies to cellular telephones without service contracts. I don't know if this applies in areas without 911 service, however. [ 07-13-2005, 01:36 PM: Message edited by: Adam Martin ]  |  IP: Logged Paul Goulet Master Film Handler Posts: 347 From: Rhode Island Registered: Jan 2000 posted 07-13-2005 01:33 PM                        O.K. fine, I'll go into details... At our family owned Assisted Living Facility the State Of R.I. Department of Health is requiring all Assisted Living Facilities in the state to have a phone on all floors that can dial 911. We have three floors at our facility, there is a phone on the first floor, but not the second or third floor. I feel that if I provide a phone on the 2nd and 3rd floor, the phone bill will go through the roof with calls being made from it by the residents or staff. I called Verizon and they said that they can provide a phone line that could provide local area phone service, but they cannot provide a line that could only be used for 911.  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-13-2005 01:54 PM                        Most likely, Verizon was either clueless or lying and they can provide a ring down circuit for 911 calls only. Failing that, and assuming that you don't have a PBX and want this to work directly on a POTS line, order two red no-dial phones (you might be able to find another vendor with better pricing; I just posted a link to the first place that Google found) and a hotline dialer. Don't get long-distance service on the line and don't allow incoming calls (or, at least, disconnect the ringers in the phones); this will prevent someone from taking an incoming call, waiting for the caller to hang up (which would return a dial tone), and then placing an outgoing call using a separate tone dialer or by using the switchhook. If you only want the line to be able to dial 911, you should be able to disconnect the service after it is installed and have 911 still work, though you will want to verify this ahead of time with the state or city department of public utilities. Don't mention this to Verizon, as they probably won't appreciate the idea.  |  IP: Logged David Stambaugh Film God Posts: 4021 From: Eugene, Oregon Registered: Jan 2002 posted 07-13-2005 02:35 PM                        Just my opinion, but disconnecting the service in hopes that 911 will still continue to work indefinitely sounds like a lawsuit in the making if something goes wrong. For liability purposes, you need a "certified" 911-only phone.  |  IP: Logged Phil Hill I love my cootie bug Posts: 7595 From: Hollywood, CA USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 07-13-2005 04:23 PM                  Install outgoing only pay phones. By law, pay phones have to be able to dial out 911 without any coins. Plus it would be a source of income if they are used for personal reasons.  |  IP: Logged Daryl C. W. O'Shea Film God Posts: 3977 From: Midland Ontario Canada (where Panavision & IMAX lenses come from) Registered: Jun 2002 posted 07-13-2005 07:28 PM                        quote: Phil Hill By law, pay phones have to be able to dial out 911 without any coins. Unfortunately physics doesn't always agree. You wouldn't believe how many line cards I've had replaced after them being hit by lightning and requiring coins before putting through any x11 calls.  |  IP: Logged Jeremy Jorgenson Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1002 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: Feb 2005 posted 07-13-2005 07:31 PM                        The requirement is that every floor have a phone that can dial 911... Can it be a cellular phone? Any old cell phone can still dial 911, even if there is no other service plan. But, I'm doubting that that would be very smart, as it would be too easy to get "misplaced". I think Phil's pay phone suggestion, if it is feasible at your facility, sounds like a good one.  |  IP: Logged Thomas Dieter Expert Film Handler Posts: 234 From: Yakima, WA Registered: Jun 2004 posted 07-13-2005 07:34 PM                     I know that police departments take unwanted cell phones for that very reason for battered women. If you check in when the local PD, they might beable to help you. Cell Phones do not require a service to dial 911.  |  IP: Logged Phil Hill I love my cootie bug Posts: 7595 From: Hollywood, CA USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 07-13-2005 08:07 PM                  Oh blow it out your ass, Daryl! (Glad to see both you and Thomass are back posting!)  |  IP: Logged Mark Ogden Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 943 From: Little Falls, N.J. Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-13-2005 09:48 PM                     These work for you?  |  IP: Logged Paul Goulet Master Film Handler Posts: 347 From: Rhode Island Registered: Jan 2000 posted 07-14-2005 12:38 PM                        Install outgoing only pay phones. If only it was that easy, according to the state, pay phones and/or cell phones cannot be used.  |  IP: Logged Ken Layton Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1452 From: Olympia, Wash. USA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 07-14-2005 05:58 PM                     Check with payphone.com and phonecoinc.com for "line restrictors" devices. These can mount inside ordinary phones and only allow 911 or any other owner programmed number(s) to be dialed.  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-14-2005 08:31 PM                        How do those "line restricters" work? Are they effective against the use of handheld tone dialers or tapping the switchhook to simulate rotary dialing?  |  IP: Logged Paul Goulet Master Film Handler Posts: 347 From: Rhode Island Registered: Jan 2000 posted 07-22-2005 07:02 PM                        Thanks for all the info Scott. I think I am going to order the one that automatically dials 911 when the receiver is picked up. We have a centrex system, so to dial out we have to dial 9 before the #..I just hope those devices can be used on the that system..  |  IP: Logged

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