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more on Cellphone 911 calls failed in big storm: Prudence
From: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Thu, 22 Dec 2005 18:43:08 -0500
Begin forwarded message: From: Bob Frankston <Bob2-19-0501 () bobf frankston com> Date: December 22, 2005 6:19:07 PM EST To: dave () farber net, ip () v2 listbox com Subject: RE: [IP] Cellphone 911 calls failed in big storm: Prudence When are we going to allow a marketplace-based solution? E911 has to be mandated in the bucket-brigade telecom system where nothing works unless everyone does things just right.In an end-to-end system these systems become far easier to build. Perhaps rules for providing location information from DHCP servers are needed but
otherwise it's a system that can be implemented out elements. I'm not saying it's trivial but it doesn't have to be limited by a rigid definition. A simple example -- if I am reporting an accident when will I be able tosend an image or video from my camera-phone. With an E2E system that can be implemented incrementally. With the current system will it ever be doable?
Can I use voice-grams or text if there is a connectivity problem or is it
all or none? Can I use alternative connectivity? Marketplaces aren't magic -- in some you have to mandate an arbitrary solution and in others guidelines can work very well and then you solve problems as they arise rather than having to anticipate all possible scenarios.. -----Original Message----- From: David Farber [mailto:dave () farber net] Sent: Thursday, December 22, 2005 17:40 To: ip () v2 listbox com Subject: [IP] Cellphone 911 calls failed in big storm: Prudence Begin forwarded message: From: Jim Warren <jwarren () well com> Date: December 22, 2005 5:09:54 PM EST To: dave () farber net Cc: Liz Ditz <ponytrax () batnet com> Subject: Re: [IP] Cellphone 911 calls failed in big storm: Prudence
Begin forwarded message: From: Liz Ditz <ponytrax () batnet com> Subject: Re: [IP] Cellphone 911 calls failed in big storm: Prudence Dave, E911 is all well and good, but a prudent person has a backup plan. I live and travel about in Silicon Valley, which has a patchwork of emergency responders. ...
It may be even worse, when calling 911 on a cell-phone! Unless they (the infamous "they") have changed it since the last time I checked (in the San Francisco Bay Area), 911 calls on cell-phones are ALL connected to the California Highway Patrol's emergency operators. Even the MANY 911 cell-calls that have NOTHING to do with a highway -- or even street-way -- emergency. And they've been notoriously delay-prone, at least in the past (donno 'bout now). (They also have to deal with the other kinds of "emergency" calls: I'm lost. Can you help me? I'm at Polk and Market. What's the best way to get to the Cow Palace? Is the traffic very heavy on 101 in Menlo Park? I'm on the Golden Gate Bridge, but don't have the $5 toll-fee. What do I do? I heard there was a wreck on 280 near 92? Did it involve a LeBaron? Etc etc etc.) Once they finally get to your 911 cell-call, if it does NOT concern a vehicular or traffic emergency, CHP-911 then has to transfer you to a local-jurisdiction 911 operator -- and may or may not transfer it to the right one for your needs. Geee ... and the 911-call concept seemed like such a good idea. (Back in the days of landline phones wired into fixed locations.) --jim [No doubt this will be yet another excuse why the government "needs" to be able to track the location of every cell-phone, all the time it's turned-on. ;-) ] ------------------------------------- You are subscribed as BobIP () Bobf Frankston com To manage your subscription, go to http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ipArchives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting- people/
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