E911 Requirements
Keeping customers and employees safe within business environments requires intentional planning. Those business environments include all employees, whether they are onsite, remote or working from home. Your company is responsible for compliance of federal and state laws. TEC has technology solutions to meet the emergency response requirements to allow direct 911 dialing, designate staff notification, and pinpoint locations for emergency situations. Most importantly, TEC has solutions that help you care for your employees and guests.
REGULATORY OBLIGATIONS AS OF FEBRUARY 16, 2020
To be compliant with Kari’s Law and the Ray Baum Act, enterprises with Multi-Line Telephone Services (MLTS) — office buildings, campuses and hotels — must have a default configuration that enables direct 9-1-1 dialing access with no prefixes. The regulations also apply to any MLTS system that is manufactured, imported, sold, leased, or installed after February 2020. Compliance for both laws is now being enforced. https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-358435A1.pdf
MLTS systems in office buildings, campuses, hotels, and similar environments must have direct dialing access to 911.
- In an emergency, do your employees or customers need to dial a prefix, like 9-9-1-1?
- Is a post-fix or trunk access code needed to reach 911?
If you answered, YES, to either question, then you do not offer direct 911 dialing access.
A designated position, like the front desk personnel or security officers, must be notified if 911 is called within your business.
- In your company, who receives the notification that 911 has been contacted?
- What is the delay between the 911 call and the notification to designated staff?
Every 911 call within an organization must provide the exact location of the 9-1-1 call (area/floor of building, room number, cubicle number, et al), regardless of the technology used to place that call. This requirement allows emergency responders and designated personnel to respond to the correct location and with appropriate security clearances. The tracking saves valuable time and removes obstacles to medical care. This law includes your employees who work onsite, remotely, and who are working from home.
- If an employee or guest dials 911 from their cell phone, will your designated personnel know where to guide the emergency responders?
- If a guest or employee calls 911 from a business phone, would your personnel know whether the distressed person is in the NW quadrant of the warehouse or the 4th floor conference room? Would they know whether the 911 call originated from the parking lot or Room 612?
- If your employee is visiting a customer, working remotely or working from home, would a 911 call send emergency personnel to their correct location?
E911 suicide requirements compliance as of July 16, 2020
In July 2020, the Federal Communications Commission required all telecommunication service providers to direct 9-8-8 calls to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. This transition will be fully operational by July 16, 2022. In the meantime:
Eighty-two (82) area codes have 9-8-8 as their local dialing exchange or central office code. Those area codes will have a new 10-digit dialing procedure. For example, callers in two Ohio area codes will need to change their dialing process – 440 (Greater Cleveland) and 513 (Cincinnati).
Beginning April 24, 2021: Callers should begin dialing 10 digits – area code + number – for all local calls. The call will still be completed should the caller forget.
Beginning October 24, 2021: Callers must dial the 10-digit number for all local calls. The calls may or may not be completed and a recording will inform the caller of the new dialing requirements.
Beginning July 16, 2022: All persons dialing 9-8-8 will be routed to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
For more information on E911 orcall us at 440.333.5903 or go to tec4it.com.
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