Numbering 101-Lesson #6

Does 911 service work in a power failure with VRS?

Dr. Z just returned from a trip to the Midwest where he spoke to audiences in 3 cities on numbering. The reaction has been very positive. One topic of several that came up was whether VRS service would work in the event of a power failure and how it impacts 911 service.

1-When there is a power failure, there is no power in the house–that means your VRS device, your TV, your cable or DSL modem and your router will not work.

2-If they all do not work, you will not have VRS service.

3-If you do not have VRS service, you will not have 911 service.

4-What should you do for 911 service in the event of a power failure? If you have a TTY with phone service, be sure the TTY has fresh batteries that will work when power goes down. Usually the phone lines continue to work when there is a power failure; BUT, if you have phone service provided by the cable company, this phone will not work as it depends on the cable modem which needs power to operate. You must have phone service from the local phone company in order for your traditional phone to work in case of a power failure. In rare cases, especially when wires are downed, both the phone service and the power goes down.

5-What is an alternative to call 911 if my power goes down and my phone doesn’t work? You can use your pager and use an IP relay service to call 911. Sometimes in cases where there is a bad storm, pagers sometimes won’t work if the tower goes down. This is a very rare occurrence.

Dr. Z is speaking from experience. He lives in a rural area in Vermont where there are power outages several times a year. He has a TTY with fresh batteries on hand and regular phone service (not cable phone service); also a pager.

Dr. Z is here to help you. We want you to communicate happily ever after!