Specifications

Emergency 911 Operations
B – 4 ShoreTel, Inc.
Selecting a PS/ALI Service Provider
In addition to working with your local PSAP to provide accurate logistical information,
we also recommend subscribing to a PS/ALI (Private Switch/Automatic Location
Information) service provider.
A PS/ALI service provider maintains a database that stores specific address information
for each extension or DID on your system. Subscribing to PS/ALI services ensures that
accurate ANI (automatic number identification) information is passed to the PSAP in
the event of an emergency call, and prevents the ambulance from showing up at the
wrong building!
A subscription to a PS/ALI service provider is particularly recommended in situations
where a ShoreTel system is deployed in an environment where a single PRI is used to
serve multiple locations (for example, if a single PRI is used for several schools in the
same district). In such environments, it is possible for a user to make an emergency call
from one of the elementary schools and have the emergency crews dispatched to the
wrong location. This can happen if the local trunks are busy and the call gets routed
across an analog trunk and across the WAN to the first available PRI, which might be at
one of the other schools in the district. With no PS/ALI database to provide accurate
information about the origination of the call, the emergency services providers see the
call originating at the wrong location.While the correct phone number is sent to
emergency services, the association is with the PRI instead of the school where the call
originated.
This critical error can be prevented if a PS/ALI database is in place. Such a database
(maintained by a PS/ALI service provider) can identify the location associated with a
specific DID.
Note that this service is not available without an explicit request. ShoreTel does not
provide PS/ALI service but can provide referrals to companies that specialize in this
service. For questions about working with a PS/ALI service provider, or for a list of
companies that provide this service, please contact ShoreTel customer support at
1 [phone].