Now that's service!

Thanks for the information!

Thanks so very much for your information ... and a great product. It is good to know that they will try to call me first. I look forward to your final outcome on the list of phone numbers.

Also, I want to let you know that one of your employees - Sandy Gopie-Smith in Customer Service - has been a huge help to me buying supplimental parts. Great employees make a great company.

Ken K.

I don't mean this as a criticism, since I know that panicky feeling myself from having speed dialed 911 accidentally and wanting to just hide in the closet but...I believe the appropriate thing to do would have been to stay on the line until an operator answered, and then explained it was a mistake. Takes a matter of seconds to accomplish (hopefully without a scolding thrown in!) and lets the operator get to the next call quickly. Anyway, that's what I did and it was very quick and painless--but my stomach was churning for a half minute until someone answered!

I don't think it's quite as bad as before, but I've read that many brands of cell phones have a built in 911 speed dial (press and hold 9, I think, like on Moto phones?) which sometimes unknowingly gets activated in people's pockets and purses and such. Emergency operators, due to their protocols, would spend untold hours each year either futiley listening to calls where the cell phone owner didn't know that their phone had dialed 911, or trying to call back calls that had been disconnected when the owner suddenly realizes that they had speed dialed 911 and hangs up. In California, where most cellular 911 calls within the state first go through the California Highway Patrol operators, the time and associated costs to the CHP were pretty staggering. I think most phone manufacturers have tended to drop that built in 911 speed dial "feature" from their more recent phones.

Also a "feature" I guess, but I'm a teeny tiny bit annoyed that my Nokia cell phone can dial 911 even though the key lock is engaged. I guess it's only annoying because I once pulled my phone out of my pocket and saw "911" on the screen even though the lock had been engaged. What the...? Fortunately, the send button hadn't been pushed so I was still OK. I understand that it's a safety feature--so people unfamiliar with your phone can call 911--but still, it's not even mentioned in the manual for the phone. And the phone itself does tell the user how to unlock the keys--although little consolation in a panic situation or someone not familiar with English who can't dial 911 on your phone.

I've called 911 because I had no other number and have said "This not an emergency, transfer me to a non-emergency line". That way your call is clear of the incoming emergency trunk lines.

If anyone cares, most cell phones you cannot disconnect automatically from 911, you have to press a combination of keys to disconnect. On landline phones, the 911 operator "seizes the trunk", and you cannot be disconnected, unless the 911 operator releases the line. There may be similar technology on cell phones today, but onces the handset stops transmitting... well, you can't have a connection anymore!

Also, Phase 2 wireless is available in a large number of jurisdictions, and they may be able to locate your phone. Unless something is heard, I don't believe most are investigated due to the amount of false alarms and man power to search for a needle in a haystack.

Yeah, I'm guessing it was the hang-up that angered her. From my side it was just a fast reaction - without any thought. Kind of like dropping the match when you get burnt.

PDHardin,

Thank you for taking the time and effort to help resolve our questions and concerns. Your actions are sincerely appreciated.

Regards,
Comanche7

Dear KenK;
Thank you for the feedback on Sandy. I will pass your comments on to her and her manager. We don't always hear when things go well, so your comments will serve as great encouragement.
Best regards,
Paul

Sorry for being a Buttinski...

There is room on the registration form for several phone numbers. Yes, your contact information is required. You are encouraged to list "home", "work", "celular", "fax" or "other" telephone numbers for yourself. You are also REQUIRED to list an "Emergency Contact". This is described as being "somone other than the owner". There is an opportunity to list a "Primary" and an "Alterante" 24-hour Emergency Contact. There are up to four phone numbers that can be listed for each Emergency Contact. You can review the Official 406 MHz PLB Registration Form at http://www.acrelectronics.com/manuals/plbreg.pdf

The authourities, (the AFRCC in the USA), will initially contact your Primary Emergency Contact. In the event that no one answers any of your Primary Emergency Contact's numbers, they will try your Alternate's numbers. Then, finally, they will begin calling the Owner/Operator's telephone numbers.

They are not complete automatons etiher, if your address is in Scottsdale, AZ and the beacon location is inside of Scottsdale, AZ, they may call the Owner/Operator's numbers first...

Best regards,
Paul