HBF/911 Services and Northern911 are partnering to provide a unique VoIP E9-1-1 service to the public safety community, at no charge. Called "PSAP Safety Net", this solution will provide a toll free number that the public safety answering points can utilize to transfer a misrouted VoIP emergency call directly to Northern911's Emergency Response Center, where their trained call takers will determine the proper routing and transfer the call to the correct PSAP for the caller's stated location. "PSAP Safety Net" provides a solution to a major VoIP 9-1-1 issue currently plaguing PSAPs. "The PSAP Safety Net" provides a safeguard against potential issues associated with a nomadic VoIP user (one who doesn't always have a "fixed" address associated with their VoIP phone).

Because nomadic users typically travel and thus can plug into any high speed internet connection and use their phone, there can be situations where the caller has not updated their location information. This results in an emergency call going to the wrong PSAP based on the caller's last registered location, which could be in a different city or state. To complicate matters, 9-1-1 emergency dispatchers don't always have the ability to transfer an emergency call from one PSAP to another. PSAP Safety Net allows the PSAP to transfer the 9-1-1 call at no charge, to Northern911's Emergency Response Center where it is transferred to the correct PSAP for the subscriber's current location.

HBF will conduct a two-month trial with Northern911 on the feasibility of handling misrouted VoIP 9-1-1 calls from any VoIP service provider. Upon successful completion of the trial, all U.S. PSAPs will be able to utilize one number, regardless of the underlying service provider or VoIP Positioning Center, for any misrouted VoIP call that needs to be routed outside of their jurisdiction.

"We believe that the PSAP Safety Net is a great service that will advance the success and safety of VoIP. The PSAPs serve as the backbone of our country's 9-1-1 service and deserve assistance with these problematic calls," states Jim Shepard, Executive Vice President, HBF.