Federal regulations have passed that impact emergency 911 calling from businesses – Kari’s Law and Ray Baum’s Act. Both take effect February 16, 2020 and are intended to protect employees and visitors with improved access to emergency services.

• Kari’s Law applies to newly-installed multi-line telephone systems. The law requires that users be able to directly call emergency services by dialing 911 without having to dial a prefix to reach an outside line.
• Ray Baum’s Act requires that the FCC adopt regulations that would give 911 emergency operators a specific location for the calling party so that appropriate assistance can be dispatched to that location.

If you’re planning a new telephone system, you should be aware of these requirements and ensure that your providers’ offerings are in compliance.

FCC order and detailed rules here

Compliance Challenges

As you take steps to comply with the new 911 rules, you’ll want to keep in mind several factors – including the technology used in your IT environment, network topology and the geographic scope of your phone system deployment. Also, many states have adopted their own 911 regulations, which adds to the compliance confusion.

If these new 911 mandates present a challenge for your business, MABC offers e911 expertise and affordable cloud solutions from industry leaders like Red Sky and Intrado.

Keep up with 911 calling changes in your business. Contact MABC today at Portsmouth: (757) 673-2200, Richmond: (804) 273-6500 or click to email.