Is Your Phone System In Compliance With Kari’s Law And Ray Baum’s Act, Ours Is!
By Bruce G. Kreeger, President / CTO
Kari’s Law and Ray Baum’s Act require all multi-line phone systems in the U.S. (like those found in hotels and offices) to enable direct dial to 9-1-1, direct routing to a 911 center, and on-site notification of a 9-1-1 call that includes a detailed “dispatchable location” to decrease response time. Signed in 2018, the laws go into effect starting on February 16, 2020.
Kari’s Law amends the original Telecommunications Act of 1934 as well as its overhaul in 1996. The bill has transformed emergency communications by mandating that public safety be built into every aspect of a telephone system. Kari’s Law makes it so that every person can easily call for help and be easily located by emergency services.
What Is Kari’s Law?
What Are The Requirements?
Kari’s Law is named after Kari Hunt, who was tragically murdered in her hotel room in 2013 after multiple failed attempts by her daughter to dial 9-1-1. Medical examiners agree that had her daughter been able to reach emergency services, Kari would have survived the attack. The law is designed to ensure that anyone, anywhere can reach emergency services and that critical location data is provided with that call.
Kari’s Law and Ray Baum’s Act require multi-line telephone systems to provide:
- Direct dial to 9-1-1 with no prefixes
- Direct routing to 9-1-1
- On-site notification of a 9-1-1 call being made, with a “dispatchable location” conveyed (for example, which floor of an office building a worker is on or which classroom a student is calling from)
In addition to facing potentially devastating civil liabilities should a tragedy occur, businesses that fail to comply with the law risk fines and may be subject to additional penalties for each day they remain non-compliant. With Kari’s Law now included within the amended Communications Act, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has the power to enforce the rules, assign judgments, and collect penalties.
You can learn more about what prompted Kari’s law here: https://www.fcc.gov/news-events/podcast/personal-story-behind-karis-law
3CX Version 16 Update 5 Alpha is designed as a direct response to the upcoming emergency service rules in the US and the EU. The changes ensure emergency response centers automatically receive critical information for calls made to emergency numbers. To assist you on the way to full compliance, SP 5 introduces new Emergency Number options.
Clarity Technologies Group, LLC is a proud to be one of 3CX’ longest continually serving partners in North America. As a 3CX Titanium Partner we specialize in Cloud (hosted) and on-site 3CX PBX. Call Clarity at 800-354-4160 today for more information on how to learn more about our 3CX services.