Operation and Limitations of Emergency Service
Date of Last Revision: May 31, 2022
This policy forms part of, and is governed by the Customer Agreement and/or the RingCentral Terms of Service, as applicable. Terms used herein but not otherwise defined shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Customer Agreement and/or the Terms of Service.
No one wants to need emergency services, but if an emergency arises, we want to help emergency responders find you. Emergency calling from your IP-telephony desk phone (“desk phone”) and softphone applications (“apps”) is different from emergency calling from traditional telephones. This policy describes how our emergency calling works and your responsibilities as a user.
If you are uncomfortable with any of the service limitations or your responsibilities described below, you should maintain an alternate means of calling emergency services.
If you are the Account Administrator, you must ensure that your users are aware of and understand this information.
Please note that emergency calling is not available from any endpoint that does not permit direct local dialing to other phone numbers within your country. Users of virtual extensions and lines without a direct call back number must have an alternative means to reach emergency services.
How Emergency Calling Works
1. You Identify the Location Where You Are Primarily Using Our Services
Immediately upon activation of your direct dial line (whether used with a desk phone, app, or both), you or your Account Administrator must accurately register the address of the physical location where you will use your line. You can do this from within the app, or your Account Administrator can use the Administrative Portal.
We rely on this address to route your call to the closest emergency responders.
If you move your desk phone or app to a different location, you are required to update your address immediately via Service Web, directly on your app (where available), or by calling support. You must update your physical address immediately to ensure that your emergency call is routed appropriately.
Emergency service response times may be delayed if you do not provide an accurate and current physical address. Your call cannot be routed to the closest emergency response center if we do not know your current location. Most emergency response centers cannot transfer your call to a center in a different region.
Address changes occur in real time for U.S. and Canadian users. Address changes usually take effect within 24 hours for non-U.S. and Canadian users. Please note that it may take up to ten (10) days for addresses to be updated in certain countries.
2. When You Call Emergency Services from Your Desk Phone or Computer-Based App
When you call emergency services from your desk phone or computer-based app, we route the call to local emergency responders. We provide the emergency response center with the location you provided and a number to call you back if the call is dropped. The emergency operator will not know your correct location if you did not update your address as required.
We cannot guarantee and do not control whether emergency response centers can see your location and call-back number. Due to service limitations at some emergency response centers, emergency operators may not have access to this information. Be prepared to provide the emergency operator with your telephone number and current location. If you are unable to speak, the emergency operator may not be able to send help and/or call you back should the call be disconnected.
In certain instances, your call cannot be routed directly to the local emergency response centers. Instead, it is sent to a national emergency contact center. Operators at these centers will ask for your current location so they may route your call to the correct local emergency response center.
Do not disconnect the call until told to do so by the operator. If the call is dropped, you should call back.
3. When You Call Emergency Services from Your Smartphone App
When you call emergency services from your smartphone app, we send the call to the smartphone’s native dialer. The smartphone app is not a replacement for wireless cellular service. You should call or text (where available) emergency services on your smartphone’s native dialer. If you dial or text the emergency services number while using the smartphone app, the app will close, the native dialer or SMS function will be launched, and the call or text will be handled by your wireless cellular service provider.
Android users who access the smartphone app from a “profile” on their device, must grant that “profile” access to the Android’s native dialer.
The smartphone app cannot place emergency calls over Wi-Fi access. Emergency dialing is not available on tablets or other mobile devices that do not have a native phone dialer and a wireless service plan.
4. Service Limitations
Certain events beyond our control may prevent you from reaching emergency services. These include
(i) If you have an Internet or power outage.
(ii) If your broadband, ISP, or IP telephony services are suspended or terminated.
(iii) If you are located in a country other than the one in which your digital line is provided. For example, if you have a US line and travel to the UK, you will not be able to reach the UK emergency services number.
(iv) If you are located in a country where RingCentral is not permitted or otherwise able to complete emergency calls.
(v) If there is network congestion that may delay or prevent completion of any call to emergency services.
Notification of Service Limitations
You are required by law to notify all persons who may place calls using our services or may be present at the physical location where our services may be used, of the limitations of reaching emergency services from your desk phone or app. You must affix any warning sticker provided in a readily visible place on each piece of equipment that might be used to access or use our services.
Disclaimer of Liability
Your use, and use by your employees, guests and other third parties, of our emergency calling services are subject to the limitations described herein. The availability of certain features, such as transmission of your location or a call back number, depends on whether local emergency response centers support those features and other factors outside of our control. We rely on qualified third parties to assist us in routing emergency service calls and text messages. We do not have control over local emergency response centers, emergency calling centers, emergency responders, or other third parties.
We disclaim all responsibility for the conduct of emergency response centers and all third parties involved in the provision of emergency response services. To the extent permitted by applicable law, you hereby release, discharge, and hold us harmless from and against any and all liability relating to or arising from any acts or omissions of such third parties or other third parties involved in the handling of or response to any emergency or emergency call.
You agree to indemnify and hold us and any of our third-party provider(s) harmless from any and all third-party claims, losses, damages, fines, or penalties arising out of: (i) you or your users’ provision of incorrect information, including incorrect addresses, or failure to update your or users’ locations (ii) your failure to properly notify any person who may place calls using the emergency calling services of the emergency calling limitations; (iii) the absence, failure, or outage of emergency service dialing using the Services for any reason; and (iv) the inability of any user to be able to dial emergency services or to access emergency service personnel for any reason.