Safety and protection are on the forefront of everyone’s minds with everything that the past year has brought. Keeping employees safe became a major priority for most businesses as the pandemic meant sending everyone home to work remotely. While this move was met with many sighs of relief, did you know you could potentially be breaking a law and putting your customers employees in danger?
E911 laws are in place to protect the remote worker should an emergency arise. And if you aren’t encouraging your customers to update their employee’s information regularly, you could be negligently breaking these laws. Below you will find important laws and regulations that your business must have in place to stay compliant, and why they are important.
E911 Regulations Save Lives
E911, or Enhanced 911 regulations require that when a call is placed to 911, the number and location be transmitted to the emergency services. This is set in place so that if for whatever reason someone is capable of dialing 911, but not able to speak, they can still get the help they need.
In the telecom world, and more specifically, the VoIP area, this can pose challenging. As users have the capability of taking their phones with them or using their numbers on other devices it can make staying within these regulations difficult.
If you’re customers are allowing their employees to work remotely, then their information must be updated for emergency purposes so that a 911 call placed can lead the emergency services where they need to go. Updating your information keeps people safe, and keeps your business protected.
Kari’s Law
Another E911 related law to be aware of in the telecom industry is Kari’s law. This is still fairly new but can be very beneficial when trying to keep everyone safe. The two main points to focus on of said law are its direct dialing and notification requirements.
Direct Dialing
This portion of the law requires that all phones have a direct connection to emergency services when 911 is dialed. This means that buildings that require an extension to dial out cannot put that restriction on 911 calls. This is to help avoid any confusion in emergency settings and speeds up the calling process by avoiding the use of dial out digits.
Notification
The notification portion rules that if someone is calling 911 from a building that generally requires a dial out, someone on staff will need to be automatically notified. You can usually choose the person who receives this notification. A safe choice is usually security, a manager, or the front desk. The reason behind this notification is so that when emergency services arrive, there is someone to assist in getting help immediately to the call location, unencumbered by locked doors or difficult to navigate hallways.
RAY BAUM’S Act
RAY BAUM’S Act is an acronym, standing for Repack Airwaves Yielding Better Access for Users of Modern Services. This Act covers a lot of topics, but the telecom world’s main focus is section 506, which is for improving location accuracy in emergency situations.
Where this differs from other e911 rules is that instead of just a civic address, a “dispatchable location” is required. This means that in large buildings and campuses, you need to supply more information such as building numbers, floors, or even as far as cubicle number. This is all to speed up aid in emergency services to assure everyone gets the help that they need when minutes could make all the difference.
Axxess Helps Keep Your Customers Protected
At Axxess Networks, we are here to keep both you, and your customers protected. We are well versed in the laws and regulations that come into play in the telecommunications field and are here to help! We will gladly assist you in getting all your information updated and help you remain in compliance!
Wondering if your customers are protected? Haven’t updated your information in a while so aren’t sure if it’s up to date? Unsure if your customers fall under the reach of these regulations? We can help! Give us a call at 800.360.2000 or send us an email at info@axxessnetworks.com and we will gladly get you and your customers safe and protected!
