
Diagram 2 shows how the Rescue Phone would be used to counter these actions. If the perpetrator has called someone else or
he has taken the phone off the hook, his connection to the telephone company prevents you from calling him. If he has call
waiting you could ring through, but as with all custom services offered by the phone company, he controls who he talks to and when
he talks to them. If the perpetrator has call forwarding he can transfer his calls to any location in the world.
The weak link here is that without his connection to the telephone company the perpetrator can’t call anyone or receive normal
calls. He can’t get a dial tone to make an outside call. He can’t receive an incoming call. The person calling him will hear a normal
ringing tone when they call but the phone doesn’t ring at his location.
DON’T ASSUME THAT BECAUSE YOU HEAR A RINGING TONE WHEN YOU PLACE A CALL THAT THE PERSON ON THE
OTHER END IS HEARING THE BELL RING. Without his connection to the telephone company, the perpetrator loses all of his
custom features such as call waiting, call forwarding, three way calling and speed dialing.
Law enforcement officials in most jurisdictions have the authority to cut a telephone line used in a hostage and barricade incident.
Once this is done we must now replace the talk path and ringing current necessary for the telephone to operate. The methods
discussed here would also apply in cases where phone service has been disconnected by the telephone company for nonpayment.
As long as there is a telephone attached to the telephone line it can be used with the Rescue Phone.
Each telephone number, such as 555-1212, consists of a pair of wires running from the telephone company’s central office to the
subscribers end location. Each telephone pair goes to a specific location such as a house or business. Cutting that specific pair of
wires disconnects that telephone’s link to the telephone company. One side of the cut lines goes to the telephone company. This
is usually verified by a lineman’s test set. This is the orange test tool you see telephone company personnel carrying or using when
working on telephone lines. Your law enforcement technical support personnel will find dial tone on the telephone company side of
the cut. This side of the cut line is not generally needed at this time. It may be used as a command post line if necessary, but this
generally doesn’t work well. Every news reporter in town is looking through their crisscross and dialing the number to try to get an
interview with the person who is making headlines this day.
The important pair of wires is the one leading into the barricaded area. A test with the lineman’s set will show no dial tone on this
pair of wires. By attaching this pair of wires to the red and green terminals of the Rescue Phone you will have complete control
of the telephone line in the barricaded area. Every time the perpetrator picks up his telephone, the Rescue Phone will beep and
the OFF HOOK light will turn on. If the perpetrator hangs up and picks up his phone again the same thing will happen. The
negotiators can call the barricaded area in one of two ways. They may either push the CALL button and the Rescue Phone will
automatically ring the telephone for two seconds ON and four seconds IDLE. This is identical to the standard ringing cycle that
everyone has heard since the first time you heard a phone ring. The other method would be to press the CONSTANT RING button.
The CONSTANT RING button rings the telephone for as long as you press the button. Short or long bursts can be helpful to tactical
officers attempting to locate a particular telephone or area as you can custom tailor the ring to any pattern desired.
One note of caution. Never assume that a barricaded area has only one phone line. It is not unusual for private homes to have
more than one telephone line available to a perpetrator. Telephone company and law enforcement technical support personnel
should be consulted if there is any question.
When using the Rescue Phone in this scenario, the perpetrator may demand to speak to someone not on the scene. This is
referred to as third party negotiating. The decision to allow this is one made by commanders in control of the scene. The Rescue
Phone will perform this function using the CONFERENCE call feature and will be discussed later.
In the event that the perpetrator has taken the phone off the hook to prevent you from ringing his telephone, you may signal him by
using OFF HOOK TONE. There are two safety features built into OFF HOOK TONE. To activate the tone you must press TONE
AND CANCEL at the same time. Doing so will send a loud beeping tone to the perpetrators phone. It is suggested that you try this
tone for about three or four seconds then pause in case the perpetrator responds and picks up the telephone. If no response is
heard, try again. The perpetrator may hang up the phone to stop the beeping. If he does, the OFF HOOK light will go out and then
you may start ringing him again by using either CALL or CONSTANT RING. There is a second safety feature for the protection of
the negotiators. When OFF HOOK TONE is used, the negotiator’s earpiece is muted. The tone will pass through to the command
monitor and the tape recorder.
SCENARIO 2
SCENARIO 3
The Rescue Phone can be used with the throw phone and the 1000 foot wire spool to supply a telephone to an area that does not
normally have a telephone or where the existing phone has been damaged. The throw phone would also be useful in cases where
the barricaded area is a motor vehicle. Additional wire spools can be added or bulk four conductor wire can be used to extend the
distance between the Rescue Phone and the throw phone. All four wires must be connected in order to retain the monitor
feature.
The methods in scenario 3 can also be useful even if initial contact is made using scenario 1 or 2. Because of the monitor feature,
any method of getting the perpetrator to accept the throw phone would be helpful. Sometimes saying you’re not able to hear that
well or creating static on the line will help. If you are successful in getting the perpetrator to accept the throw phone, this can work
to your benefit as it is the best method for communications with a perpetrator available from a tactical standpoint.
Rescue Phone, Inc. warrants its products to be free of manufacturing defects for a period of five years from the date of delivery. This
warranty does not include damage from accident, misuse, improper operation, or unauthorized repairs or alterations. The RESCUE
PHONE is for use only by persons authorized by applicable local, state, and federal laws. Rescue Phone, Inc. is not responsible for
any civil or criminal claims arising from any intentional or accidental misuse. No license is granted by implication or otherwise.
Rescue Phone, Inc.Rescue Phone, Inc.
Rescue Phone, Inc.Rescue Phone, Inc.
Rescue Phone, Inc.
2145 Priest Bridge Drive, #15 Crofton, MD 21114 • 1-800-737-2832 410-451-7300 FAX 410-451-1452