this post was submitted on 28 Aug 2026
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Well, I don't think you need to make that first call from the same phone so it should be fine. How often have you had to test a 911 call with absolutely no other phones available that you can borrow for a moment?
First, it’s wrong to assume everyone has multiple phones. Those with multiple phones are also those who least need to test 911.
But if we can get past that, are you also assuming that the test phone has a phone number? Suppose you call the test center with a friend’s phone (always amusing when a policy imposes having friends, but anyway). The conversation would likely go like this:
me: I will make a test call from a different phone than the one I am calling from.
911 center: Okay, what is the phone number of the phone you are testing (so we know which inbound call to disregard)?
me: The test phone is not subscribed. There is no number.
911 center: Then we cannot do the test.
Or do you imagine the 911 center would say: just call us now and we will ignore whatever call we get?
Of course if a GSM phone has no chip, it also has no number assignment. If the test phone is a VOIP phone, the subscriber may not have a DID. There could be a phony internal number assignment in that case, but the customer does not necessarily know it.
The next problem is /which/ call center do you call when you are on a voip phone served in a different state than where the call is made from?
It's really not that complicated.
They will answer the 911 call, you say this is just a test to ensure the functionality, thank them and then hang up.
Worst case you get some person who complains about the test call, and you calmly explain that you called their non-emergency number beforehand to ensure that it would be OK, thank them, and then hang up.
As for your VOIP location Q: If it has a registered address in another location, you should call that location's local number. Normally you want the correct address registered though, but you could inform them of this directly, as they probably have a database with notes that pop-up based on the calling number.
That’s a dicey hack. Maybe you could get away with it but you should know that there are typically fines for placing illegit 911 calls because they get enough false calls to have in place a system that automatically charges whatever the fine is. Was $50 for the 1st offense decades ago IIRC.. likely higher now.
You're constructing an argument that's so specific, you're basically begging to be the victim.
If you a) have a device that can't make regular calls b) have no way to contact a non-emergency number through a different device to ask if it's okay to make a test call and c) absolutely need to test this right now, then you're about one in a million. Just make that call, answer the "what's your emergency?" question with "No emergency right now, I need to test that my device that can't make regular calls will work in a real emergency. Sorry, I couldn't reach your non-emergency number." and it will be fine.
It's only an illegit 911 call if you call them for fun or if you test so often it can no longer be considered necessary.
Citation needed that there will be no fine to pay. Why not do a bit of research before making such claims? Quick search for false 911 call should flood your search results with fines, like $316 in Los Angeles.
South Carolina: misdemeanor. The penalties can include up to six months in jail, a fine of up to $200, or both.
Citation needed.
When attackers notice their victim making a distress call, they obviously convince them to back off and say the call was an accident. Emergency dispatchers will send help anyway to ensure coersion is not the case.
Well, go ask the non-emergency line if it's okay. That's what is recommended. Looks like you have access to the internet. What keeps you from writing an email to your local police station and just asking what you should do? I can't know where you live. I can only tell you that in my 38 years of life, these things have been solved by actually talking to people or trying things. Certainly not by complaining on the internet to people who can't do anything about it and then not even suggesting a better solution.
Sorry, but you don't seem like you want a solution. You want something to complain about.
Some of us are activists. It is our duty expose incompetence. The question is, why would have it covered up?
Of course the reason I was looking into how to test 911 is because I actually fucking need to test it you asshole!
It is nobody's duty to expose anything for the sake of exposing it. It is our duty to expose things for the sake of solving them. If you have a better solution, we're ready to hear it.
I don't see anything being covered up. You have linked an official government website that tells you how to perform the test. Looks like you have found it. Doesn't seem like much of a secret. Where else should they put it?
Then do what they tell you to do: contact them beforehand (borrow a phone from a neighbor or send them an email) and ask if they have free capacity for a test call and what you should do if you don't know which 911 call center your VOIP setup will reach.
Reported.
Bullshit. Exposure is the 1st step.
Of course. But not necessarily directly. There are many ways to solve a problem. Spotlighting an embarrassment is a precursor. You can also travel to a call center and apply to work for them to improve their system. You do you.
It’s not my problem to solve. Do you also demand that testers fix the bugs they report?
You’re perversely out of step with how volunteer effort is managed. Volunteers choose for themselves how much effort they contribute. You are not their manager. It’s not for you to drive-by task people and bark out orders. When a bug is reported, it’s public for anyone to solve, if they want. It’s a community. Not a corporation.
You don’t know how threadcrap works. It’s designed to suppress the thesis by creating a distraction.
I think someone forgot to take their meds today