atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums TDM Business Telephone Systems Inter-Tel Telephones & Systems Triggered rerouting to a different Call Routing Table

We had a fire alarm in our facility today. It turned out to be a false alarm, but it did bring up some conversation regarding the phone system. Our call center was evacuated. This left new callers waiting in queue. Ideally, it would be best to reroute calls to a message informing the caller of no service. "Thank you for calling. Our call center is temporarily closed, blah blah blah". This can be done through a STAR or by using Night Mode (which we don't use any more). But, I'm not going to burn up in a fire so a few people aren't left on hold.

Is there a way of connecting an outside triggering device to an Axxess system that will automatically place the system in night mode or change the call routing?

Have your calls programmed to ring a phantom on ring in. This phantom has an immediate fwd path to wherever it should actually ring into. Create a CRA with the closed greeting/CRA. Setup a DID that rings to DISA. When you need to activate the closed greeting, dial the DISA DID, and simply use 359 (remote station programming) to manually forward the phantom to the closed CRA.

An interesting idea, but it doesn't meet the "automatic" needs. Also, that would mean having to remember or look up the process for making the change. All of this while the building is being evacuated. What are the odds that you would remember a procedure that may not be used for years at a time? Our Safety Coordinator has already refused any activity that would require manual, and therefore, time consuming activities when we should be exiting the building.

I can't believe that I would be the first person to ask a question of this nature. Fire and security systems offer many contact closure options for use by other devices. Has no PBX designer considered this possibility?