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  1. Valley Electric/Valley Communications Provides Access to Emergency Calling Services (911)
    Valley Electric/Valley Communications furnishes access to emergency calling services, allowing most Valley Electric/Valley Communications Office users to access either basic 911 or Enhanced 911 (E911) service. Your access may differ depending on Your location or the device You are using, and emergency calling services work differently than You may have experienced using traditional wireline or wireless telephones.

    1. Note: It is strongly recommended that You have available an alternate means for placing emergency calls at all times. Valley Electric/Valley Communications Office users using IP Desk Phones or 911-Enabled Softphones can dial 911 directly from their IP Desk Phones or 911-Enabled Softphones.
    2. Note: Emergency calls cannot be placed using softphones that are not 911-enabled.Calls to 911 placed through the Valley Electric/Valley Communications Mobile Application on a smartphone are automatically routed to the native dialer on the smartphone.If Your wireless service is available, the call will be handled by Your wireless service provider. If Your wireless service is not available, the 911 call cannot be placed. The Valley Electric/Valley Communications Mobile Application cannot place emergency calls over Wi-Fi access. Emergency dialing is not available while using the Valley Electric/Valley Communications Mobile Application on tablets or other mobile devices without a native phone dialer and a wireless service plan.
  2. How it Works
    When a Valley Electric/Valley Communications Office user dials 911 on an IP Desk Phone or 911-Enabled Softphone, the Valley Electric/Valley Communications phone number and the Registered Address You have provided is directed to the local emergency center serving Your location. In some areas, emergency operators have access to this information; however, in areas where only basic 911 service is available, the emergency operator answering the call may not have access to Your Valley Electric/Valley Communications telephone number or Your Registered Address.
    You should always be prepared to provide the emergency operator with Your Valley Electric/Valley Communications telephone number and Registered Address in the event the call is dropped or disconnected. If You are unable to speak, the emergency operator may be unable to send help to Your location and/or call You back should the call be disconnected. Valley Electric/Valley Communications does not control the emergency operator’s ability to receive Your telephone number and Registered Address.Emergency dialing with Your Office Service does not work in the same way as emergency dialing over traditional phone service. In some cases, 911 calls dialed from Your Valley Electric/Valley Communications Office device cannot be directed to the local emergency response center, and are directed instead to a National Emergency Call Center (the “NECC”). Instances in which that may happen include (but are not limited to) problems validating a Registered Address, a Registered Address that is an international location, or a Registered Address located in an area that is not covered by the landline 911 network.911 calls that are directed to the NECC may not include Your Valley Electric/Valley Communications telephone number or Your registered address. Trained operators at the NECC will request Your name, location, and telephone number and attempt to reach emergency responders in Your geographical area. Until You give the operator Your phone number and location, the operator may not be able to call You back or dispatch emergency services to Your location if the call is dropped or disconnected.
  3. Service Limitations
    Valley Electric/Valley Communications 911 service will not function in the event of an Internet or power outage, if You do not have cellular service (on the Valley Electric/Valley Communications Mobile Application), or if Your broadband, ISP, or Valley Electric/Valley Communications Office service is terminated. The Valley Electric/Valley Communications Mobile Application cannot deliver emergency calls over Wi-Fi access. It is possible for network congestion to delay or prevent the completion of a 911 call. Valley Electric/Valley Communications 911 service may be unavailable if You are dialing from a Valley Electric/Valley Communications number that is not a Canadian or United States number.
  4. Registering Your Location
    You agree to register with Valley Electric/Valley Communications immediately upon activation of Your Account the address of the physical location where You will use the Valley Electric/Valley Communications Office Service, including individual IP Desk Phones and individual 911-Enabled Softphones. This is Your Registered Address. You agree to accurately register each individual line through the Account Admin Portal or the Customer Portal for the appropriate End User. Note: If You or Your End Users move a registered device, you agree to update immediately the Registered Address listing the new physical location of the device with Valley Electric/Valley Communications through the Admin Portal or in Your account settings.You hereby acknowledge that if You fail to update the Registered Address, any 911 calls made from the device may be directed to the wrong emergency response center and fail to transmit Your current location information to emergency responders, delaying Your emergency assistance.It may take up to several hours for the address update to take effect. Customers having more than one line or extension are solely responsible for ensuring that an accurate and Registered Address is maintained and kept updated for each IP Desk Phone and each 911-Enabled Softphone, and that their End Users are aware of the required process for changing the Registered Address.
  5. Text-to-911 Services
    In some areas, emergency operators have the ability to receive text messages sent to 911. In areas where the service is available, Your Office Service Permits Emergency SMS messages, also known as Text-to-911, only through the Valley Electric/Valley Communications Mobile Application. Texts to 911 by Valley Electric/Valley Communications Office users operating through the Valley Electric/Valley Communications Office Mobile Application are directed automatically to the native dialer on the mobile phone, allowing You to send the text via Your wireless service provider, if available. If wireless service is not available, the text cannot be sent. Text-to-911 functionality is not available on tablets or other mobile devices that do not have a native phone dialer and a subscription to wireless services.
  6. Notification of Employees, Guests, or Other Users
    You agree to notify any employees, guests, contractors, or persons who may place calls using the Office Services or who may be present at the physical location where the Office Services may be utilized, of the limitations of Valley Electric/Valley Communications 911 Service from Your Valley Electric/Valley Communications Office IP phone, other equipment, or the Valley Electric/Valley Communications Softphone. You agree to affix a Valley Electric/Valley Communications provided sticker warning that 911 services may be unavailable or limited, in a readily visible place on each item of equipment that might be used to use or access the Office Services. You and Your End Users should at all times have an alternative means to place 911 calls and/or send text messages to 911.
  7. Disclaimer of Liability for Emergency Response
    Note: You acknowledge and agree that Your use, and any use by Your employees and/or guests or third parties, of Valley Electric/Valley Communications 911 Services and Text-to-911 Services is subject to the limitations set forth herein. The availability of certain features, such as the transmission of a Registered Address or Your Valley Electric/Valley Communications telephone number, depends on the support of those features by local emergency response centers, and other factors outside of Valley Electric/Valley Communications control. Valley Electric/Valley Communications relies on third-party assistance in the routing of 911 calls and text messages to local emergency response centers and to the NECC.Valley Electric/Valley Communications does not have control over the NECC, local emergency response centers, emergency responders, or other third parties. Valley Electric/Valley Communications disclaims any and all responsibility for the conduct of the NECC, local emergency response centers, and all other third parties involved in providing emergency response services. In accordance, to the extent permitted by applicable Law, You hereby release, discharge, and hold harmless Valley Electric/Valley Communications from and against any and all liability arising from or relating to any acts or omissions of such third parties or other parties involved in the handling of or response to any 911 or emergency call.You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Valley Electric/Valley Communications, and any third-party provider(s) from any and all third-party claims, losses, damages, fines, or penalties arising from:Your provision to Valley Electric/Valley Communications of incorrect information, including physical addresses, or Your failure to keep current Your Registered Address;
    Your failure to adequately notify of the 911 limitations any person who may place calls using the Office Services; or the absence, failure, or outage of emergency service dialing using Office Services for any reason; and
    the inability of any user of Office Services to dial 911 or access emergency service personnel for any reason.