Calling 9-1-1 with Siri

If I try to call 9-1-1 using Siri, she says "Calling 9-1-1. I'm sorry, I can't call 9-1-1."

Is there really no way to call 9-1-1 from a hands-free position? This is such a strange issue; I can't imagine a single advantage to intentionally disabling this functionality.