[NEW] Making emergency 911 calls in Teams

Please Note: The MSU Denver phone system is currently transitioning from Skype for Business to Microsoft Teams. Some information in this article will only be relevant if your department has already been migrated to Teams telephony.

For more information, please visit the Skype to Teams Migration initiative webpage.

Overview

Microsoft Teams provides support for 911 emergency calling location information in the United States. With this support, Teams can provide the most precise location information possible to dispatch personnel when making emergency calls. However, it is generally recommended you use a mobile phone or available landline for making 911 calls.

The location information that is given to responders depends on your operating system and network connection. In some instances, users may need to manually enter, or modify, their location information.

How does Teams determine my location?

If you are on the Auraria Campus, your location information will be updated automatically, and reported to emergency responders based on your network’s connection point. However, location information may be less accurate or precise when connected to the wireless network compared to a wired connection. When on campus, your location information cannot be manually updated.

If you are off campus, Microsoft Teams will use your device's location if you have location services enabled. By default, your location services are enabled on Windows computers. However, if you are using macOS, your location services are turned off by default. You must enable location services to transmit location information to emergency responders. To ensure Auraria Campus police are able to promptly respond to emergency calls, ITS strongly encourages all users to enable location settings on their devices.

If you are off campus and your location information in Teams is incorrect, you can manually update it. If you use Teams off campus, it is important to verify your location information. If you have location services turned off, or do not manually enter your location, emergency responders will not receive any location information and your call will be routed to a national 911 service instead of local police.

If you are remotely connected to a computer on campus (i.e., through VPN), you cannot update its automatically assigned campus location. Therefore, if you need to call 911 while using Microsoft Teams through a remote connection, you should use a different phone service.

How do I set my location in Windows?

  1. Open the Calls menu in Teams.
  2. Check your location status in the lower-left corner of the Calls screen.
    • If you see your current location, no further action is needed.
    • If you see "Location not detected", or an address is listed but is not correct,
      1. Open the drop-down menu.
      2. Click Add.
      3. Enter the correct location.
      4. Click Verify.

How do I set my location in macOS?

You will need to enable location services on your device. Instructions will depend on your version of macOS.

If your Mac is running macOS Ventura or newer:

  1. ​​​​Click the Apple icon in the menu bar.
  2. Select System Settings.
  3. Select Privacy & Security.
  4. Select Location Services. 
  5. On the right side of the panel, make sure the “Location Services” toggle is on.
  6. Scroll through the list and switch the "Microsoft Teams" toggle on.
    • Note: Administrative access may be required to make these changes. 

If your Mac is running macOS Monterey or older:

  1. Click the Apple icon in the menu bar. 
  2. Select System Preferences.
  3. Select the Security & Privacy icon.
  4. Select the Privacy tab
  5. Select Location Services.
  6. Click the Lock icon to unlock the settings.
    • Note: Administrative access may be required to make these changes.  
  7. On the right side of the panel, make sure “Location Services” is checked.
  8. Scroll through the list and check the “Microsoft Teams” box. 
  9. Click the Lock icon again to lock the settings.

How do I verify my location is set up correctly?

  1. Restart Microsoft Teams.
  2. Open the Calls menu from the left side navigation.
  3. In the upper-right corner of the application window, click the ellipses (...) to the left of your profile icon.
  4. Click the Settings icon.
  5. Click Calls on the left.
  6. Locate the Emergency Location section. It should display your current location.
    1. If your location is correct, click Verify.
    2. If your location is not correct, enter the correct location, then click Verify.
Print Article