Emergency call load management for call centers

An emergency call load-handling system, comprising;

• routing intelligence in a network for receiving and routing incoming calls;
• an interactive voice-response (IVR) selective routing unit connected to the routing intelligence;
• and
• one or more subscribing call centers connected by one or more telephony trunks to the routing intelligence;
• wherein selected calls having a destination point at the one or more call centers are diverted to the IVR unit for negotiation with a calling party by monitoring call loading at the subscribing call centers and initiating diversion based on pre-set load thresholds set for each of the one or more call centers, and diverted calls are prioritized by the IVR based on specific programmed rules and a password provided to the IVR by the calling party, and diverted calls determined to have high priority are forwarded to their intended destination points at the call centers, and diverted calls having low priority are not forwarded to their intended destination points at the call centers.

A method for handling an emergency call loading by network routing intelligence, comprising steps of:

• (a) programming routing criteria for individual subscribing call centers in an alternative interactive voice response (IVR) processor, adapted to route calls in an emergency;
• (b) screening calls for diversion from their intended destination points at the subscribing call centers by monitoring call loading for each of the subscribing call centers and initiating diversion based on pre-set load thresholds for each of the call centers, and diverting calls to the IVR when the load thresholds are met;
• and
• (c) providing a password to the IVR by a calling party;
• (d) prioritizing the diverted calls based on the provided password and programmed routing criteria;
• (e) forwarding high priority calls to their destination points at the subscribing call centers and calls having low priority are not forwarded to their intended destination points at the subscribing call centers.