Preparing your Business for Kari’s Law – What you need to know
On February 16, 2020, new regulations, Keri’s Law and Sect 506 of Ray Baum’s Act, take effect nationally and your business’s compliance is mandatory. Meaning, if your enterprise business is found non-compliant there could be numerous negative implications. We’ve compiled information to help you and your business move toward compliance to prepare your business for Keri’s Law.
The Backstory – Kari Hunt Dunn
It’s no easy task. A task even more difficult for schools and teachers with limited resources. Whenever we can step up and leverage our
Kari’s Law, like many laws, was born in response to tragedy. In 2013, Kari Hunt and her 9-year-old daughter were in a hotel room when they were confronted by Kari’s estranged husband. Throughout the attack, Kari’s young daughter attempted not once, but multiple times to reach out via the 9-1-1 protocol, as all children are instructed to do to get help in an emergency.
Unfortunately, she hadn’t been taught to “dial-out” of the hotel’s
MLTS (multi line telephone system) by dialing 9 first. Kari was murdered that night despite her
daughter’s best efforts.
Kari’s father, Hank Hunt, has tirelessly worked since that
night to ensure this type of tragedy never happens again. Collaborating with Congress, emergency
officials and business alike, Kari’s Law Act of 2017 in coordination with Ray Baum’s Act (described below) will be enforced beginning on Feb 16, 2020.
What is Section 506 of Ray Baum’s Act?
Kari’s Law has been packaged with
Section 506 of Ray Baum’s Act, which requires establishments and businesses
like yours to provide accurate location information or the “dispatchable
location” of the emergency call origination. Enhanced requirements may require that you
also dispatch the number the call is being placed from, as well as more
specific information to include the floor and office number.
As a business owner, this ensures the safety and security of
your guest and employees in that as a 9-1-1 Emergency call is placed, the MLTS directs
the first responders to the exact location of the incident based on the IP of
the VoIP phone and additionally requires that your security office or Head of
IT is also alerted.
As an educator, this means that emergency services are directed to the exact classroom or office of an incident or medical emergency saving the first responders valuable minutes and eliminating confusion. Additionally, in some cases units like the Cloud Communications Solutions capture chat and communications records for post-incident review.
What types of businesses are affected by Kari’s Law and Sect 506 of Ray Baum’s Act?
Essentially, any business with more than one phone, more
than one office, any more than a handful of employees are affected by the changes. Any enterprise environment in
the United States (hotels, hospitals, office campuses, schools and government and municipal offices) will be required to participate.
In some cases, the integration of these services can also be
a part of your emergency incident plans.