Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 560 CMR - STATE 911 DEPARTMENT › Title 560 CMR 5.00 - Establishing Certification Requirements For Enhanced 911 Telecommunicators, Governing Emergency Medical Dispatch, And Establishing 911 Call Handling Procedures › Section 5.10 - Call Handling Procedures

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
The following call handling procedures shall apply to all 911 calls in the Commonwealth.
(1)
Call Answering
. When answering a 911 call that is delivered on a 911 line, the enhanced 911 telecommunicator shall answer the call with the following or a similar greeting: "911, this line is recorded, Where is Your Emergency?" The enhanced 911 telecommunicator shall not identify the PSAP as a particular agency.
When answering a call that is delivered on the two-way emergency line or the one-way inter-PSAP line, the enhanced 911 telecommunicator shall answer the call by identifying the PSAP by name.
The enhanced 911 telecommunicator shall verify with each 911 caller the ALI data and shall determine the exact location to which the caller needs emergency personnel dispatched. The need for assistance may not necessarily be at the location of the 911 caller.
(2)
Call Transfer
. Each primary PSAP, regional PSAP, RECC, and wireless state police PSAP shall be permitted to transfer 911 calls to a secondary PSAP, limited secondary PSAP, regional secondary PSAP, ringing PSAP, public safety department, or private safety department.
No caller shall be procedurally required to speak with more than three enhanced 911 telecommunicators. The three enhanced 911 telecommunicators may consist of an enhanced 911 telecommunicator at a wireless state police PSAP, an enhanced 911 telecommunicator at a primary PSAP, regional PSAP, or RECC, and an enhanced 911 telecommunicator at a secondary PSAP, limited secondary PSAP, regional secondary PSAP, ringing PSAP, public safety department or private safety department. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a 911 call is inadvertently transferred or misrouted to the wrong agency, the receiving agency shall gather the necessary information and transfer the call or relay the information to the proper agency.
In all instances, the transferring enhanced 911 telecommunicator shall advise the caller to stay on the line and not hang up while the call is being transferred. In all instances the transferring enhanced 911 telecommunicator shall verify the location of the emergency prior to transferring the call and shall stayon the line until the receiving enhanced 911 telecommunicator acknowledges receipt of the call to verify that the transfer was successful.
A PSAP, RECC, public safety department, or private safety department that receives a request for emergency service outside of its jurisdiction shall immediately forward the request to the appropriate PSAP or public safety department responsible for the geographical area.
(3)
Special Circumstances
.
(a)
TTY Calls
. Primary and regional PSAPs, RECCs, wireless state police PSAPs, and secondary PSAPs shall establish procedures to handle 911 calls from deaf and hard of hearing individuals via TTY or any other feature that is part of the enhanced 911 equipment that allows calls from individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing and individuals who have a speech disability. All PSAPs with the capability of receiving a TTY call or other modes of communication from individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing and individuals who have a speech disability shall test the TTY feature or other mode of communication, as technology allows, of the enhanced 911 equipment on a regular basis and shall comply with the ADA.
(b) A PSAP that receives TTY test calls from the Department or its designee shall investigate all failures internally and shall provide user refresher training for failed calls that are a result of user error by the enhanced 911 telecommunicator. All TTY equipment problems shall be immediately reported to the enhanced 911 service provider. The Department may request from a PSAP that experiences continued high failure rates a report that explains the corrective measures that are being taken to address such failures.
1.
Silent Calls
. Upon receiving a silent call, the enhanced 911 telecommunicator shall first confirm that the call is not coming from a TTY device. The enhanced 911 telecommunicator shall advise the caller to stay on the line and not hang up. The enhanced 911 telecommunicator shall then test the call to determine whether the call is a TTY call. If it is determined that the call is a TTY call, the enhanced 911 telecommunicator shall follow established TTY call handling procedures. If it is determined that the call is not a TTY call, the enhanced 911 telecommunicator shall use the ALI information to dispatch the appropriate emergency personnel in accordance with local procedures. The enhanced 911 telecommunicator shall then use the silent call procedure to attempt to communicate with the caller. All silent calls placed to 911 from a wireline require emergency response, unless the location information is not sufficient to allow for location of the caller. All other silent calls require emergency response in accordance with local procedures, unless the location information is not sufficient to allow for location of the caller.
2.
Abandoned Calls and Hangup Calls
. Upon receiving an abandoned call or a hangup call, the enhanced 911 telecommunicator shall make a return call to the caller using the ANI associated with the call. If the caller does not answer, if a messaging system is received, if there is a busy signal, or if the caller answers and gives a vague or confusing response, the enhanced 911 telecommunicator shall follow local procedures and dispatch emergency personnel, unless the location information is not sufficient to allow for location of the caller.
3.
Operator Assisted Emergency Calls
. All communication service providers shall transfer operator dialed emergency calls to the 911 trunks in the correct primary or regional PSAP territory. The ANI shall display a code identifying an operator assisted call to the PSAP. The operator shall also announce to the PSAP an operator assisted call and provide the ANI.
4.
No ALI Record Found Assistance
. The enhanced 911 service provider shall provide a manual or electronic ALI record look up service that can be accessed by PSAP personnel seven days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for use when a 911 call is received with no ALI record found. The PSAP shall maintain documentation of reports to the enhanced 911 service provider of no ALI record found.