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Setting Up e911 Emergency Address for Spruce Phone Numbers

Updated

IN THIS ARTICLE

Introduction to e911 Registration

e911 is a system that automatically sends your registered emergency address to the 911 dispatcher when you call 911 from your Spruce number. This ensures that a dispatchable, physical location is sent to emergency services. 

Every Spruce phone number must be registered with a single physical address, and only one address can be added per phone number. Administrators will see a banner at the top of their Spruce app until e911 registration has been completed for all numbers. It is your responsibility to keep your e911 address information accurate and up to date. 

 

Configuring e911 on Spruce

e911 registration can be completed from a desktop computer or in the Spruce mobile app, but only administrators or phone number owners can manage e911 registration. Administrators will get an email notification when the e911 on any phone number is changed, but will not get an email notification when the address is initially set.

To view the current address for each phone number, or to complete or update e911 registration, navigate to Settings > Phone & SMS > e911 Registration. Click Register or Edit to open the e911 address editor. 


Tips for entering your e911 Address

  • Use abbreviations in your address where possible, such as "St" for "Street" or "Ave" for "Avenue." (Ex. 521 Main St) Do NOT use punctuation with any abbreviation. 
  • Do not use symbols like “&, @ #,” etc. in your Business Name or the Address Fields. It is OK to use these symbols in the secondary address field (such as a unit or office number).
  • Only 32 characters are allowed for your Business Name. 
  • Enter a standard 5-digit ZIP code. 
  • Do not add extra spaces before or after any of the required address or name fields. 
  • PO Boxes should NEVER be used for E911 addresses, as they are not physical, dispatchable locations.

If all phone numbers at your organization are located at the same address, you can check the box to apply the address entered to all phone numbers in your organization. This will not change addresses anywhere else in Spruce, including your account billing address.

 

Note: As part of the process, the address that you enter must be verified by our system. This confirms that the address matches a physical, dispatchable location for emergency services. You must accept the Suggested Address in order to proceed. 

 

Test your e911 Registration by calling 933

After you have completed e911 registration for a phone number, we strongly recommend that you test the registration by using the phone number to dial "933" (a non-emergency number). The 933 service will verify your registered e911 address and callback number, and will also confirm that your location will be accurately transmitted in an emergency. Dialing 933 does NOT call 911. 

Important Considerations for Emergency Calling

Please be aware that there are certain limitations to using Spruce for emergency calling. Spruce recommends having a backup method to dial 911, such as your mobile phone.

Outages of your electricity and problems with your connection, network congestion, or a suspension of your account due to billing issues or any other reason may result in the inability to use your Spruce number for 911 emergency calls.

For more information, please review our customer notice of 911 and e911 service limitations on Spruce here. 

911 Callbacks

When a 911 call is placed from your Spruce number, the PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point) receives the outgoing phone number (your Spruce number) in addition to the address configured in e911 registration. The Spruce number that you used to call 911 is what the PSAP will use to call back if the call is disconnected or if they need further information. If you place 911 calls frequently from your organization and expect callbacks, please see the FAQ section on frequent 911 calling below.

E911 FAQs

How do I complete e911 registration for my entire organization? 

    • Only administrators and phone number owners can complete e911 registration. e911 Registration is marked as complete when every phone number in the organization has a saved e911 address. 
    • e911 registration can be completed from a desktop computer or in the Spruce mobile apps.

What if my organization anticipates placing frequent 911 calls? 

    • If your organization places frequent 911 calls and expects to receive callbacks from the PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point), it may be helpful to have a dedicated Spruce phone number to dial 911 from. If you need to call 911, you can make sure you call out from that line, or contact Spruce Support to make sure that dedicated number is a line on your VoIP devices. In Spruce, you can configure that number to ring the correct teammates or phones so that callbacks get to the right place. 

What if my organization has multiple locations and shares a single phone number? 

    • Each phone number on Spruce can only be registered to one dispatchable address for e911 services. Registering a single phone number to only one address when your organization has multiple locations can lead to significant delays and misdirection of emergency services if a 911 call is placed from a Spruce number at an unregistered location. If your organization has multiple locations but one phone number, you may want to provision or port in an additional phone number so that each number will be registered with the correct address.

My e911 Registration has failed, what do I do next? 

    • Please contact Spruce Support if your e911 Registration has failed. You can reach out to support within the Spruce app or email Spruce Support at support@sprucehealth.com.

What is the difference between business/phone registration and e911 registration?

    • Business (Phone Registration) is required by the major telecom carriers (Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T) in an effort to combat spam and abuse. These major telecom carriers have implemented policies requiring businesses to be registered and verified in order to transmit text messages and calls over their networks. By registering your phone number with the telecom industry's registries, your phone number's reputation score will improve and reduce the likelihood of blocked calls or SMS text messages. Learn more 
    • e911 registration ensures that a dispatchable, physical address is sent to emergency services when you dial 911 from your Spruce numbers. 

What if one of my VoIP phones or phone numbers is used by an international teammate?

  • e911 service is currently only available in the United States. International teammates should be informed that they should rely on local emergency contact numbers and procedures in their specific country, and that they should have alternate means of taking these measures outside of using their Spruce number. Even if one of your Spruce numbers is only used by an international teammate, each phone number must be registered to a US address.



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