From the linked FAQ:
How can I make a test 9-1-1 call? To make a test 9-1-1 call, you need to first contact the 9-1-1 center that serves your area. The non-emergency numbers for Colorado’s 9-1-1 centers are available here(opens in new window). If you’re unsure which 9-1-1 center serves your area, call the 911 Program at 303-894-2871, and we’ll help you identify the 9-1-1 center for the location you want to test from.
When you call the 9-1-1 center, ask them if it would be okay to make a test 9-1-1 call. If they are particularly busy or are handling a major incident, they may ask you to call back at a later time.
When your phone cannot make normal calls for whatever reason¹, you obviously want to know if 911 calls will at least work. And the idiots design a test procedure that requires normal phone calls to work.
① Typical reasons why you may be unable to make normal calls:
- You have a GSM phone with no GSM chip, or unsubscribed chip.
- You are on a prepaid plan and have no credit.
So indeed the telecom industry has a glaring competency problem.
I’m confused what you think a better alternative would be? If there was a test number, what if that worked, but you couldn’t call the real 911? There’s no way around it: to be absolutely sure your phone can contact 911, you have to… dial 911. They simply recommend you give them a heads-up on the non-emergency line to make sure they’re not too busy at the moment.
I’m confused what you think a better alternative would be? If there was a test number, what if that worked, but you couldn’t call the real 911?
A test number would suffice in some situations. When an incompetent VOIP provider takes an action to block calls “for security purposes”, they cannot legally block /all/ calls. 911 calls must be permitted. And 911 test calls would obviously require the same status. I do not trust their competency. But if their call blocking allows a 911 test number through, it proves that their blockade is not a simple crude block on /everything/.
A test number would not be the only solution. With some services you can set the CID to whatever you want. So in principle a CID of 555-1212 could have special meaning to 911 receiptionists. So a tester would set the CID info to that number before calling 911.
911 is not always instantly answered by humans. When answered by a machine, there could be a cancel code. E.g. dial “119” after connecting to cancel it.
There’s no way around it: to be absolutely sure your phone can contact 911, you have to… dial 911.
Sure, if you need that extra level of certainty. In the typical cases that I mentioned (no GSM subscription), a test number would be sufficient. It would show that the dialed number reaches a switch that treats it.
You’ve complicated this. They say to contact them on non-emergent line to make sure it’s a good time for a test. What problem do you think you’re solving?
Sorry maybe I don’t understand… but why do you want to make a 911 test call? Why do you want to call the emergency line if there is no emergency?
I sympathize somewhat, but there many documented ways to test the functionality of a phone and its ability to make calls that would validate its ability to call 911 without actually calling it.
Gotta reference? Or can you elaborate? At the moment, I have a VOIP phone I need to test (as normal calls are blocked).
To be clear, it’s more about testing the phone network and services, not the hardware or software you use to dial numbers. I know my device on my side of the transaction functions fine.
Within the US, you should be able to make a 911 call with a phone that has no service as long as it’s able to connect to the cell tower at all.
I don’t really have any recommendations on how to test this, though. If you have a phone with service, or a phone that once had service but doesn’t anymore, then those would be the devices I’d recommend reaching for in an emergency.
