Don’t use Jabber for emergency (911) calls

A UB employee works on a desktop computer, wearing a headset.

Published December 20, 2021

By Kaylie Horowitz

UB employees use Jabber to bring the functionality of their UB phones to their computers. But in case of an emergency, Jabber should not  be used to make emergency (911) calls. Dial 911 from a desk phone or mobile device.

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Author

UBIT Communications Assistant Kaylie Horowitz.

Kaylie Horowitz (she/they, UB graduate student) is in the Master’s program for Theatre and Performance Studies. Upon completion of her thesis, she hopes to attend an MFA program in directing and pursue a career of working and teaching at a regional theater. Originally hailing from Florida, Kaylie enjoys playing video games, voice acting, and over-analyzing animated media.

Why not Jabber for 911 calls?

911 calls rely on location data to route the call and provide a rapid response. Jabber isn’t designed to track and provide precise details about your location, and therefore shouldn’t be used for emergency calls.  

Instead, consider using your desk phone or a mobile device with cellular data enabled. These devices provide more accurate information about your location to responders, which improves the chances of a speedy response.  

On-campus emergencies

For on-campus emergencies, UPD recommends calling 716-645-2222 for assistance. 

Pop up reminder

Beginning January 11, 2022, upon launching Jabber, customers will receive a pop-up message stating: 

IMPORTANT NOTICE - PLEASE READ
EMERGENCY CALLS - 911 NOTICE

USE OF JABBER  DURING AN EMERGENCY IS AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Jabber may not provide sufficient voice quality or location data for 911 emergency calls.

Calls may be misdirected to the wrong emergency response center, or the emergency response center may make errors when determining your location.

Questions about Jabber?

Are you a UB employee? Find out more about using Jabber at UB on the UBIT website.

For help using Cisco Jabber, contact your departmental IT support, or the UBIT Help Center (buffalo.edu/ubit/help) at 716-645-3542.