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Dialing 911

Applies to 1-Line CapTel 840 / 840PLUS / 800 and 1-Line CapTel 200 Calls Only

To reach help as quickly as possible in an emergency, all single line CapTel 840/840PLUS/800 or single line CapTel 200 calls placed to 911 will connect directly to Emergency 911 Services.

  • There are no delays in accessing emergency personnel, as your call is directly connected to a 911 call center.
  • Emergency 911 calls are not captioned in the same manner that regular CapTel calls are because the call is not routed through the CapTel Captioning Service.
  • Emergency 911 calls are treated as VCO calls* during which the 911 call-taker can hear everything you say, and then types their response that appears on the CapTel display screen.
  • You speak directly into the handset, as you would with any other CapTel call. The 911 call-taker will hear everything you say. You may not be able to hear the call-taker, but they can type instructions to you, which will appear on the CapTel display screen.
  • Emergency 911 Services will know the number you called from and be able to locate you and send appropriate help, based on the location from which your CapTel call is placed.

Remember that in a fire or gas leak, leave the premises immediately and call from a safe location. 

Please familiarize yourself with these instructions for interacting with 911. (Or, read Dialing 911 in an Emergency in your CapTel user manual.)

CapTel 2400i / 880i / 840i / 800i / 800 2-Line / 200 2-Line Users:
Calls to 911 are handled exactly the same as if you called from any other phone connected to your telephone service. Plus, you will get captions during the call.

Dialing an Emergency 911 Call Directly

  1. Pick up the CapTel handset. Dial 911 on the keypad.
  2. The light above the CAPTION button will go off, and the display will show *CAPTIONS ARE OFF* Dialing 911 Directly. Watch the display for instructions.
  3. When you hear the 911 call-taker or see that a connection has been established, talk into the CapTel handset as you normally would. Be sure to tell the 911 call-taker the nature of your emergency. If you cannot hear and need captions from 911, press the button next to the message If you need captions from 911 press here on the display screen. The CapTel will automatically send a text message to 911 telling them to type messages to you. Watch the status bar on the display screen to know when 911 has established captions.
  4. You can read 911’s typed messages on the CapTel display. Then respond by talking into the CapTel handset as you normally would.
  5. Watch the display screen for further instructions.

NOTE: The 911 call-taker will not be able to hear you when he/she is typing messages.

After you hang up, the CapTel will remain in VCO mode in case 911 calls you back. To turn off VCO mode, press the CAPTION button.

2-Line CapTel users should dial 911 directly, and they will be able to view captions of the call as they normally would.

Para marcar el 9-1-1 en una emergencia

Para obtener ayuda lo más rápido posible durante una emergencia, todas las llamadas de CapTel® que se hagan al 9-1-1 se conectan directamente a los Servicios de Emergencia del 9-1-1. Las llamadas al 9-1-1 NO pasan a través del Servicio de Subtitulaje, por lo que usted no recibe los subtítulos de la misma manera.

Marcar el 9-1-1:

  • Todas las llamadas hechas al 9-1-1 lo conectan directamente al personal de emergencia (las llamadas al 9-1-1 no pasan por el Servicio de Subtitulaje).
  • El operador(a) del 9-1-1 podrá escuchar todo lo que usted diga por el auricular de CapTel, pero es posible que usted no oiga al operador(a).
  • Si no puede oír al operador(a) del 9-1-1, siga las instrucciones mostradas en la pantalla de CapTel.
  • El operador(a) del 9-1-1 tecleará instrucciones directamente en su pantalla de CapTel. Observe la pantalla para recibir información del operador( a) del 9-1-1.
  • Hable al auricular del CapTel como normalmente lo haría. Asegúrese de decir el lugar donde se encuentra y la naturaleza de su emergencia. Observe la pantalla para recibir las instrucciones del operador(a) del 9-1-1. Por favor familiarícese con llamar al 9-1-1, como se describe en el Manual de Usuario de su CapTel.

Nota: El proceso de arriba NO aplica si se está usando CapTel en modo de 2-líneas. Vea el manual de usuario para detalles.

VCO stands for “Voice Carry Over”, a service common in relay in which callers speak for themselves and read typed responses.