A tragic occurrence led to Kari’s Law that aims to allow direct dialing of emergency services. We’ll share the story behind Kari’s Law, the RAY BAUM’S Act, and what to do to make sure your business is compliant.
In February of 2018, Kari’s Law was signed into federal law. Kari Hunt Dunn was killed as her 9 year old daughter tried to reach 911. The daughter wasn’t aware that she needed to dial 9 at the hotel they were at before being able to make an outbound call. Kari’s daughter was never able to connect to emergency services.
Kari’s Law requires direct dialing of 911 to be enabled in multiple line telephone systems that are most often found at hotels, hospitals, and office buildings.
This law requires that all callers need to be able to dial emergency services without dialing another number to reach an outside line. This means that all phone configurations must be updated accordingly. In addition to this requirement, there are other regulations that need to be addressed under Section 506 of the RAY BAUM’S Act.
The RAY BAUM’S Act is fully capitalized because it stands for Repack Airwave Yielding Better Access for Users of Modern Services.
This act was signed in 2018. Ray Baum was a Commissioner and Chairman for the Oregon Public Utilities Commission and was a chair and served on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners. Ray also worked closely with the Federal Communications Commission on telecommunication issues.
When someone calls 911 from their home, the 911 operator is typically able to see the home address.
But when it comes to multi-level or multi-building locations, the information of the dialer’s exact location isn’t shared. Sure, the caller can identify their exact location within the building but if the person is choking or otherwise unable to speak, this becomes a problem. Section 506 directed the FCC to conclude a proceeding that would improve the dispatchable location information provided to dispatchers. This information includes street address, but also includes building number, floor, room number, etc. depending on the type of building the call is coming from. This will require businesses to update employee telephone information with the additional needed pieces listed above. This act also requires designated personnel such as front desk employees or security personnel to be notified if an emergency call has been made.
Both Kari’s Law and the RAY BAUM’S Act impact E911 regulations and these can directly impact a business’ compliance.
Preparing to and staying compliant with regulations is no easy task. Don’t go it alone, Verify! has all of the updated information needed to stay compliant and we’ll help you manage the complexities of E911. We continue to work with our clients to not only make sure they’re compliant with these regulations, but to make sure the necessary information for employee safety is correct and remains correct throughout time. Verify! is committed to helping businesses in the telecom, internet, and wireless realms. Don’t wait, give us a call today to avoid thousands of dollars in fines and keep your business safe.
