UTHealth Houston’s Emergency Management Plan outlines security, fire, and medical emergency protocols, including when to call 911.
While calling for emergency services sounds straightforward, there are differences in how various phone systems work, impacting how dispatchers receive information on where you are.
This document details information that may be needed to help steer emergency responders to your location as efficiently and quickly as possible.
No matter what method or device you use to call 911 or UT Police at Houston, it is extremely important to convey:
1) You have an emergency situation. Be specific about the type of emergency and what the needs are. Below are examples of detailed language to consider:
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- “There is an individual experiencing a mental health crisis who needs emergency response to protect themselves or others from harm.”
- “There is an individual who is unable to follow my directions and answer my questions, is acting erratically, and is a danger to themselves or others.”
- “There is an individual who is in a medical crisis and not responsive.”
2) Which service(s) you are requesting (e.g., police, fire department, EMS).
3) The specific building name, its address, and the location within the building (e.g., room number and/or floor number) where the emergency is occurring. If you are not inside of a building, be as descriptive as possible to explain where emergency responders should meet you or other responding personnel.
When calling from a UTHealth Houston Avaya (VOIP) phone:
The emergency 911 call is routed to a national Emergency Routing Service Provider (ERSP) for location validation, and then routed to the geographically appropriate Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). The PSAP will triage the call and deploy emergency response resources as necessary. In Houston, the PSAP is often the Houston Emergency Center. If calling 911 from a UTHealth Houston location in the Texas Medical Center, the PSAP will roll the call to UT Police, under most circumstances.
When calling UT Police’s non-emergency line, 713-792-2890, the call is routed directly to UT Police headquarters on Knight Road. No location details are automatically passed along when calling the UT Police non-emergency line.
Calling 911 or 713-792-2890 from a UTHealth Houston Avaya (VoIP phone is strongly recommended because UT Police can see the specific building and office location based on the IP address of the Avaya (VoIP phone. The location information is passed on by the “IP Address to Building Address” database integrated into the UTHealth Houston VoIP phone system. Although UT Police can see your location, they will still ask you for the location of your emergency.
When calling from a personal cellphone:
911: The emergency call is routed to a national ERSP for location validation, and then routed to the geographically appropriate PSAP. The PSAP will contact and roll the call to UT Police under most circumstances.
713-792-2890: The non-emergency call is routed directly to UT Police headquarters on Knight Road. UT Police does not have the ability to identify your location if you call from a cellphone.
Calling 911 or 713-792-2890 from a cellphone is perfectly OK. However, you will be required to provide very detailed information about your location because a cellphone does not automatically transmit location data during the call. When possible, calling 911 or 713-792-2890 from a UTHealth Houston VoIP phone is strongly recommended.
When calling from UTHealth Houston Microsoft Teams Voice:
911: The emergency call is routed to a national ERSP for location validation, and then routed to the geographically appropriate PSAP. The PSAP will triage the call and deploy emergency response resources as necessary. The PSAP will contact and roll the call to UT Police under most circumstances.
UT Police will be able to see your specific building and office location based on the IP address of the Microsoft Teams Voice phone when it is physically connected to the UTHealth Houston network. The location information passed on by the IP Address to Building Address database is integrated into the UTHealth Houston Teams Voice phone system. Although UT Police can see your location, they will still ask you for the location of your emergency.
NOTE: Microsoft Teams Voice 911 calls made from mobile devices (e.g., wirelessly connected laptops, cellular devices) do not use the IP Address to Building Address database. The Microsoft Teams application will make a best effort to determine and send location details to the ESRP when you call 911. The ERSP will attempt to validate this information with you prior to routing the call to the PSAP.
713-792-2890: The non-emergency call is routed directly to UT Police headquarters on Knight Road. No location details are automatically passed along when calling UT Police directly.
Calling 911 or 713-792-2890 from a physically connected UTHealth Houston network Teams Voice phone is strongly recommended.
When calling from a UTHealth Houston Talkdesk:
911: The emergency call is routed to a national ERSP for location validation, and then routed to the geographically appropriate PSAP. The PSAP will triage the call and deploy emergency response resources as necessary. The PSAP will roll the call to UT Police under most circumstances.
UT Police will be able to see your specific building and office location, username, and callback number, based on the emergency settings you configured within the Talkdesk application. Although UT Police can see your location, they will still ask you for the location of your emergency.
713-792-2890: The non-emergency call is routed directly to UT Police headquarters on Knight Road. No location details are automatically passed along when calling UT Police directly.
