Emergency Services
Background
In 2007 the TCF was asked by the Minister to consider developing a code of practice for emergency services (VOIP and analogue) in order to support the following five areas:
- Consistent availability of services
- Uniformity in access numbering and dialling
- Caller Line Identification – Number and Location
- Service quality and reliability levels
- Call routing protocols
Emergency Calling Code
A TCF working party was established and has now developed an industry code outlining standards for calls to emergency services at agreed handover points to assist in providing the general public with the reassurance of a responsible industry approach to emergency services. The Emergency Calling Code:
- Is a voluntary TCF Code (a Service Provider can still offer 111 calling without joining);
- Specifies minimum call quality standards;
- Contains requirements for the provision of customer information to Emergency Service Providers that seek to standardise current practice;
- Includes consumer information requirements relating to availability and performance of the service, and minimising non-genuine calls;
- Recognises current emergency calling systems and practices, and create a process for future engagement between the industry, the initial call answering point provider and the providers of emergency services for meeting the medium and longer term objectives of the Emergency Call Service system;
- Proposes a standard that can be met by any technology – incl. wireless and satellite (although the service will need to be “engineered”).
The Emergency Calling Code was endorsed by the TCF Board on 6th November 2009.
Working Party Members
The working party members are:
- Telecom
- TelstraClear
- Vodafone
- WorldxChange
Project Scope
The role of the working party is set out in the Emergency Services project scope.