DE Toolkit E911 Reference
Knowledge Base

E911 Reference

E911 Reference

E911 is a legal requirement, not a nice-to-have. This document covers everything you need to configure, test, and verify E911 on every migration.

What E911 is and why it’s non-negotiable

Enhanced 911 routes emergency calls to the correct PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point — the 911 call center) and automatically provides the caller’s location. On a traditional landline, location comes from the physical address of the phone line. On UCaaS, location must be configured by the DE per user and per device.

The risk: If E911 is misconfigured and a user dials 911, emergency responders may go to the wrong building. This is a life-safety issue. In some jurisdictions, failure to correctly configure E911 is a regulatory violation.

How E911 works on UCaaS

Every UCaaS platform routes 911 calls through a separate 911 network (typically Bandwidth, Intrado, or RapidSOS). These networks maintain a database of numbers/extensions mapped to physical addresses. When 911 is dialed, the platform sends the caller’s registered ERL (Emergency Response Location) to the PSAP.

The customer cannot control this database directly. You configure the ERL in the platform admin console, and the platform propagates it to the 911 network. Propagation typically takes 24–72 hours.

Platform-specific E911 configuration

RingCentral

Admin Console → Phone System → Emergency Calling Settings
→ Locations (Emergency Response Locations — ERLs)
→ Create ERL for each physical site
→ Assign all users at that site to the correct ERL
→ For remote/WFH users: they must set their own ERL via the desktop/mobile app
     Settings → Emergency Address → Update

RingCentral uses Bandwidth’s 911 network. Propagation: typically 24 hours for new addresses.

8x8

Admin Console → Emergency Services → Locations
→ Add location for each site (physical address)
→ Assign users to their location
→ For remote users: 8x8 Work app → Settings → Emergency Address

8x8 uses Intrado’s 911 network. Propagation: up to 72 hours for new locations.

Net2Phone

Admin Console → Emergency Services → E911 Addresses
→ Add address per site
→ Assign users

Net2Phone propagation timeline: verify with Net2Phone support — typically 24–48 hours.

Webex Calling (CBTS)

Control Hub → Calling → Emergency Services → Emergency Call Notification
→ Locations already created at provisioning → assign ERLs to users
→ For remote users: Webex app → Settings → Update emergency address

AireSpring / XTIUM

E911 is configured during provisioning as part of the address record for each site. Contact your account manager to verify the process — it varies more than the self-service platforms above.

The 933 test

933 is the FCC-designated test number for E911. Dialing 933 connects to a recorded response that reads back the registered emergency address for that phone number. It does NOT dispatch emergency services.

How to run the 933 test

  1. From a desk phone or softphone at each site, dial 933
  2. Listen to the recorded response — it reads back: “Your emergency address is: [ADDRESS]”
  3. Verify the address matches the correct site address
  4. Document the result in your cutover checklist

933 limitations

  • Not all carriers support 933. If the test doesn’t connect, the carrier may not have 933 enabled. Use the platform’s E911 verification dashboard instead.
  • 933 reflects the carrier’s 911 database. There can be a lag between when you update the ERL in the platform and when the 933 test reflects the change. Allow 24–48 hours after making an ERL change before re-testing.
  • Mobile softphone 933: The 933 test on a mobile softphone will reflect whatever ERL is registered for that user. If the user updated their home address in the app, the 933 test will show their home address.

Multi-site E911 requirements

For multi-site deployments, every site needs a separate ERL. All users and devices at that site must be assigned to the correct ERL.

Common multi-site mistake: All users assigned to the main site ERL. Users at branch offices are accidentally registered to the main headquarters address. If a branch office employee dials 911, responders go to headquarters.

How to verify:

  1. At each branch site, dial 933 from a phone physically located at that site
  2. Confirm the address that reads back is the correct branch address — not headquarters
  3. Document each site individually

WFH and remote user E911

This is the hardest E911 problem in modern UCaaS. A user who works from home, dials 911 from their softphone, and has their ERL registered to the main office will send emergency services to the wrong address.

Options

Option 1: User self-update (supported by all platforms) Users update their emergency address in the softphone app whenever they work from a non-office location. This is a training problem, not a technical one — it only works if users actually do it.

Option 2: Dynamic E911 service (recommended for larger deployments) Services like RedSky, Intrado Nomadic, or Bandwidth’s Notification Manager detect where the device is and update the ERL dynamically using network detection (based on SSID, subnet, or location services). Requires an add-on service and additional configuration.

Option 3: Policy-based restriction Restrict UCaaS to office-only use (e.g., block softphone access from non-corporate networks). Impractical for most SMBs but technically the cleanest solution from a compliance perspective.

Recommended approach for SMB customers:

  • Enable user self-update (always)
  • Train all users during go-live on how to update their emergency address
  • Add a note to the Day 7 check-in to confirm WFH users have updated their addresses
  • Document the policy in the customer’s IT policy documentation

E911 for contact centers

Contact center agents who handle calls from multiple locations (WFH agents, remote agents) create additional E911 complexity. Each agent must have an accurate ERL. If you’re deploying a contact center with remote agents, flag this explicitly and document the E911 management process.

E911 notification

Some UCaaS platforms support E911 notification: when any user on the platform dials 911, a designated administrator receives a notification (email, SMS, or Slack). This allows IT to coordinate with first responders and direct them to the correct location.

Configure this if the customer requests it:

  • RingCentral: Admin → Emergency Calling Settings → Emergency Call Notifications
  • 8x8: Admin → Emergency Services → Notification Email
  • Webex: Control Hub → Emergency Services → Emergency Call Notification

E911 documentation at migration closeout

After every migration, document in Supabase:

  • Number of sites
  • Number of ERLs configured
  • Date of 933 test at each site
  • Result of 933 test at each site
  • WFH E911 policy confirmed with customer: [ ] Yes [ ] N/A (office-only)

This documentation is your protection if a compliance issue arises later.