Public Emergency Call Service (999/112 Calls) paras 5.4 to 5.9
Public Emergency Call Service (999/112 Calls)
5.4 Certain CSPs have obligations under the Communications Act 2003[65] in respect of emergency calls made to 999 and 112 emergency numbers. They must ensure that any service user can access the emergency authorities by using the emergency numbers and, to the extent technically feasible, make caller location information available to the emergency authorities for all 999/112 calls.
- [65] General Conditions of Entitlement set by Ofcom under section 45
5.5 Caller location information, which provides the geographic position of the equipment being used by the person making the emergency call, facilitates a fast response in emergency situations where the caller is unable to give their position (for example because the caller does not know, is panicking or is incapacitated).
5.6 Handling of an emergency call involves four phases:
- connection of the caller to the Emergency Operator using the 999/112 number;
- selection by the Emergency Operator of the required Emergency
Authority Control Room (Police, Fire, Ambulance or Coastguard)(‘the
emergency service’);
- connection of the caller to the Emergency Authority Control Room;
- listening by the Emergency Operator to ensure the caller is connected to the correct emergency service and to provide further assistance to the caller or the emergency service when required.[66]
- [66] This can also include silent emergency calls where the call is connected but the caller, for whatever reason, is unable to speak to the emergency operator or the emergency service.
5.7 Best practice dictates that the emergency operator will disclose location information to the emergency service during the initial call hand-over. In many cases this will be done automatically by the call handling system.
5.8 In automated cases, data relating to the emergency call is automatically displayed at the relevant emergency service, the instant a call is routed from the Emergency Operator. This data is available to the emergency service throughout the duration of the emergency call, but disappears once the call has ended unless retained by the emergency service.
5.9 The Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 (‘the Privacy Regulations’)[67] allows telephone users the choice whether or not their telephone number is displayed or can be accessed by the recipient of a call they make. However when an emergency call using 999 or 112 is made, the option to withhold the number making the call is not available. Instead the calling line identity and location data (fixed or mobile) are automatically disclosed to the emergency services in order to facilitate a rapid response to the emergency call.
- [67] SI 2003/2426. Regulation 10 concerns prevention of calling line identification in relation to outgoing calls. http://www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/si/si2003/20032426.htm