The Emergency Context Resolution with Internet Technologies Working Group of the IETF has released three RFC documents pertaining to emergency calls in IP networks.

RFC 5012 – REQUIREMENTS FOR EMERGENCY CONTEXT RESOLUTION WITH INTERNET TECHNOLOGIES

ABSTRACT

This document defines terminology and enumerates requirements for the context resolution of emergency calls placed by the public using VoIP and general Internet multimedia systems, where Internet protocols are used end to end.

RFC 5031 – A URN FOR EMERGENCY AND OTHER WELL-KNOWN SERVICES

ABSTRACT

The content of many communication services depends on the context, such as the user’s location. This document describes a ‘service’ URN that allows well-known context-dependent services that can be resolved in a distributed manner to be identified. Examples include emergency services, directory assistance, and call-before-you-dig hot lines.

RFC 5069 – SECURITY THREATS AND REQUIREMENTS FOR EMERGENCY CALL MARKING AND MAPPING

ABSTRACT

This document reviews the security threats associated with the marking of signalling messages to indicate that they are related to an emergency, and with the process of mapping locations to URIs that point to PSAPs. This mapping occurs as part of the process of routing emergency calls through the IP network.

Based on the identified threats, this document establishes a set of security requirements for the mapping protocol and for the handling of emergency-marked calls.