Emergency Calling Services Terms and Conditions
1. General Terms for Emergency Calling Services
1.1. Scope. Emergency calling services are available as part of Conversations and Talkdesk Phone™ only (“Emergency Calling Services”).
1.2. Limitations
Customer acknowledges and agrees that IP-based voice (VoIP) services, including Emergency Calling Services, differ from traditional telephone service. Customer expressly consents to the limitations of Emergency Calling Services and agrees to comply with the following:
1.2.1 Emergency Calling Services may not be available in the case of certain events, including but not limited to power failure, fraudulent use, equipment failure, service outage, or network or Internet congestion. Emergency Calling Services rely on the networks, products, services, and operations of third parties, including telecommunications carriers and Public Safety Answering Points (“PSAP”);
1.2.2 Emergency Calling Services are exclusively for Authorised Users’ emergencies and not for handling external emergency requests from inbound callers;
1.2.3 The emergency personnel receiving the call may not be able to automatically identify the phone number or the physical address from which the call originates. Authorized Users might need to tell the emergency personnel the nature of the emergency, give them the phone number, and describe the physical location. If the call is dropped for any reason, emergency personnel may not be able to call back or find the location.
1.2.4 The call may not reach the correct emergency service provider if the address or phone number configured and associated with the service does not match the Authorized User’s actual geographic location or if the address or phone number has changed. The emergency personnel may not be able to respond to the emergency, transfer the call to the geographically appropriate emergency center, or otherwise provide assistance.
1.3. Customer’s Obligations
1.3.1 Customer must ensure that:
The location and phone number selection configurations in Talkdesk’s platform are correct and updated immediately. Changes in the configuration of the location may take up to five (5) business days to be reflected in the records, depending on the country and the underlying carrier. During that time, calls may not reach any emergency service provider or the correct emergency services provider.
The Authorised Users maintain access at all times to alternative means of contacting traditional emergency services, are aware of the nature and limitations of Emergency Calling Services and direct inbound callers trying to reach emergency services to dial the emergency number directly.
1.3.2 Customers must provide Authorized Users with (i) stickers that can be affixed to each enabled device and explain the limitations of Emergency Calling Services; and (ii) notice by other conspicuous means that explains the limitations of Emergency Calling Services.
2. Specific Terms for Emergency Calling Services when the Customer’s account is hosted in US and Canada Region
2.1. Emergency calls from numbers provided by Talkdesk’s Affiliate
2.1.1. Emergency Calling Services provided by Talkdesk’s Affiliate
Talkdesk’ Affiliate provides Enhanced 911 (E911) Emergency Calling Service in the USA and Canada for Customer accounts hosted in the US and Canada regions. E911 enables calls to be routed to the appropriate PSAP and the caller’s location and phone number to be displayed for the call dispatcher.
2.1.1.1. Only the following dial-digit plans are acceptable for the completion of emergency calls:
through Conversations: 911, and +1911;
through TD Phone: 911, 1911, +911 and +1911.
2.1.1.2. The Customer’s account administrator must enable the Emergency calling Services. Customers must provide the main company address, callback number, name, and emails to receive call notifications with the address details every time an emergency call is placed. Authorized Users must be trained to configure and maintain their account with accurate and up-to-date location information, a valid callback number, and a correct address before starting to use Conversations and/or TD Phone applications. If the Customer fails to provide the required information, Talkdesk’s Affiliate may not be able to provide Emergency Calling Services, in whole or in part.
2.1.1.3. Calls made from a non-configured or improperly configured device, will be handled by the backbone provider 24/7 Emergency Call Center (ECC) instead of the correct PSAP and will be charged a per-call ECC charge, as per the rate-card, as updated from time to time. The Customer agrees to pay all ECC charges even if erroneous calls are placed by unknown persons accidentally or purposefully. The Parties acknowledge that this additional fee represents a good faith estimate of the additional cost, which will be incurred to provide the service and not a penalty. 2.1.1.4. Failure by the Customer to comply with this Section 2.1 shall be considered a material breach of the Agreement.
2.1.1.5. Calls to emergency services in countries other than the United States and Canada are not supported nor enabled by default. If this capability is needed, the Customer should contact their sales representative to discuss specific country requirements and check the best region to host the account.
2.1.2. Emergency Calling Services through a third-party number-based emergency service provider
Where, at the Customer's request, Talkdesk has configured Customer’s account to deliver emergency calls to a third-party emergency service provider with which the Customer has contracted directly, and that provider identifies the calling party by the telephone number rather than by a location record maintained in the Talkdesk Services (a "Third-Party Number-Based Emergency Service Provider"), this Section 2.1.2 specifically applies and prevails over any conflicting provision of these Terms and Conditions.
2.1.2.1. The emergency settings available in the Talkdesk Services consist solely of a telephone number and any other information presented for dispatch or included in any notification are determined by the records and configuration of the Third-Party Number-Based Emergency Service Provider, not by the Talkdesk Services. The telephone number configured in the emergency settings of Talkdesk Service is independent of the number selected by an Authorized User as the outbound line for ordinary calls, and configuring or changing one does not configure or change the other.
2.1.2.2. The Customer must contract directly with the Third-Party Number-Based Emergency Service Provider, submit a support ticket to Talkdesk requesting that the Third-Party Number-Based Emergency Service Provider be set as the emergency service provider for the account and provide to Talkdesk with any information Talkdesk may request for that purpose. Configuration is performed manually by Talkdesk and is not available by self-service. 2.1.2.3. Customer must ensure that the telephone number and the corresponding address mapping are reviewed and updated immediately whenever the Authorized User's physical location changes, including on relocation, remote or hybrid working, or reassignment of a number to a different Authorized User. Authorized Users must be trained on the requirements of this Section 2.1.2 and on the limitations of the emergency calling services explained in these Terms and Conditions.
2.1.2.4. Customer acknowledges and agrees that if the telephone number configured in an Authorized User's emergency settings is not compliant with the terms of this Section 2.1.2, then the emergency call may fail or be handled by a relay or emergency call centre instead of a PSAP, emergency personnel may be dispatched to an incorrect address, and any notification generated by the Third-Party Number-Based Emergency Service Provider may identify an incorrect location or an incorrect Authorized User.
2.1.2.5. Changes to telephone number registrations and address mappings take effect only when processed by the Third-Party Number-Based Emergency Service Provider and the time required is determined by that provider and not by Talkdesk or its Affiliate.
2.1.2.6. Talkdesk and its Affiliate support only the transmission of the configured telephone number to the Third-Party Number-Based Emergency Service Provider and are in no case responsible for the Emergency Calling Services.
2.1.2.7. Before relying on the Emergency Calling Services, and following any change to an Authorized User's telephone number, location, or address mapping, Customer must conduct testing procedures in accordance with the Third-Party Number-Based Emergency Service Provider's procedures.
2.1.2.8. Emergency call notifications are generated and delivered by the Third-Party Number-Based Emergency Service Provider and not by Talkdesk’s Affiliate. Customer must configure emergency notifications directly with its Third-Party Number-Based Emergency Service Provider, including the recipients and the identifying information to be included, and must verify their operation. Talkdesk and its Affiliates have no visibility of, and accept no responsibility for, the content, recipients, generation, or delivery of such notifications.
2.1.2.9. Customers with audit obligations should retain the records of the Third-Party Number-Based Emergency Service Provider in accordance with applicable law. Failure by the Customer to correct telephone numbers or address mappings, resulting in repeated failed or misrouted emergency calls, shall be considered a material breach of the Agreement.
2.2. BYOC Customers in US and Canada Region
2.2.1 Customer using a BYOC number and Talkdesk emergency calling services
When a Customer is using a Bring Your Own Carrier (BYOC) number and Talkdesk’s Affiliate emergency calling services, the calls placed to the emergency services will not be routed to the Customer's carrier. Instead, the Customer agrees to use the E911 service provided by Talkdesk’s Affiliate to deliver the calls to the respective emergency service in the US or Canada based on the previously provided location.
2.2.2. Customer using a BYOC number and a Third-Party Number-Based Emergency Service Provider,
When a BYOC number is configured in the emergency settings of any Authorized User, the Customer acknowledges and agrees that that number must be registered with the Third-Party Number-Based Emergency Service Provider and mapped to the Authorized User's actual current physical location in accordance with Section 2.1.2 and:
where an Authorized User places an emergency call, the call is delivered to the Third-Party Number-Based Emergency Service Provider and is not routed to the Customer's carrier, regardless of whether the Authorized User has selected a BYOC number or a number provided by Talkdesk’s Affiliate as the outbound line for the call. No emergency calling solution agreed between the Customer and its carrier applies to such calls, and the Customer must not rely on its carrier's emergency calling solution in respect of them;
The consequences described in Section 2.1.2 apply where a BYOC number is not so registered or is incorrectly mapped.
3. Terms for Emergency Calling Services when the Customer’s account is not hosted in US and Canada Regions
3.1. Emergency calls from numbers provided by Talkdesk or its Affiliates
3.1.1. Customers must request the Emergency Calling Services to be enabled by submitting a support ticket, providing the list of phone numbers, the respective emergency addresses to be configured, and any other information that might be requested.
3.1.2. If Customer fails to provide the required information, Talkdesk or its Affiliates may not be able to provide the Emergency Calling Services.
3.2. BYOC Customers
3.2.1. When a Customer is using BYOC numbers, it is the Customer’s responsibility to agree with their carriers on their own emergency calling solution. Talkdesk or its Affiliates in all cases only support the routing to the Customer’s carrier of calls placed to emergency telephone numbers, subject to the Authorized User placing the call from a telephone number associated with a BYOC trunk and starting with the country code of the Authorised User’s address provided by the Customer to its carrier.
3.2.2. BYOC Customers are responsible for:
properly setting up emergency services with their carrier;
maintaining and updating the address details of the Authorised User with their carrier; and
configuring the appropriate settings in the Talkdesk Services (if applicable).
Talkdesk and its Affiliate are in no case responsible for the Emergency Calling Services once they are routed to BYOC trunks.
4. Emergency Call Status Behavior
4.1. Customer acknowledges the following:
In every case described above in Sections 1 to 3, placing a call to 911 automatically sets the Authorised User's status in the Talkdesk platform to offline;
the previous status is not restored when the call ends, the Authorised User has to affirmatively set themselves back to Available.
4.2. While offline, the inbound call from the PSAP is not delivered to the Authorised User's device, but instead immediately to the Authorised User's voicemail. The dispatcher may leave a message and the Authorised User receives a notification on their workspace, as well as over email where configured accordingly. Talkdesk strongly recommends that Customers review the callback number configured for each Authorised User and direct emergency callbacks to a monitored and reachable number (such as an account-level company callback number, a dedicated security line, or another agent’s phone number).
When Emergency calls are placed through a Third-Party Number-Based Emergency Service Provider, Talkdesk strongly recommends that Customers configure, in the emergency settings of each Authorized User, a telephone number that is mapped with the Third-Party Number-Based Emergency Service Provider to that Authorized User's actual current location and that Customers separately configure with their provider emergency callbacks to a monitored and reachable number.
When not performed independently by the Authorised User, the recovery path to Available status currently can be prompted by:
Voicemail notification: The Authorised User receives a notification on their Talkdesk workspace when a voicemail message from someone trying to contact them is left. In addition, notification of voicemails over email can be set by the Customer (Please refer to “Enabling Desktop Notifications” and “Email Notification for Voicemails” articles on Talkdesk website);
Notification to designated personnel: In alignment with CRTC emergency notification principles, when emergency calling services are provided, the provider of such services should send an email notification to Customer for every 911 call placed. Such email shall reach configured addresses or mailing lists and identify the Authorised User's display name, callback number, and emergency address. This notification is the most reliable indicator available to a supervisor that a specific Authorised User has placed an emergency call and is therefore likely to be Offline; and
Real-time status visibility: The Authorised User's status change is visible to supervisors in real-time.
5. Indemnification obligations
To the maximum extent permitted by law, Customer agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Talkdesk and its Affiliates, subsidiaries, employees, shareholders, agents, vendors, and representatives from any and all claims, liabilities and damages that may arise from Customer and Authorised Users’ failure to comply with these Emergency Calling Services Terms and Conditions and from the use of a Third-Party Number-Based Emergency Service Provider and/or carrier.