CAN EMERGENCY RESPONDERS FIND A 911 CALLER IN YOUR ORGANIZATION?
E911 Legislation and Compliance
As of 2017, your company or institution can be legally liable for 911 calls that fail to provide the correct location of the caller. As of December 31, 2016, if your system does not meet these standards, you have a legal obligation to change your phone system immediately in order to avoid stiff fines and penalties ranging from $500.00 to $5,000.00 per offense.
What does E911 compliance require?
- Calling 911 cannot require an outside access key such as having to press * to dial out (common in hotels and offices).
- A call to 911 must relay the detailed, physical location of the phone down to the room number, floor, or office number. Police, fire fighters, and paramedics use this exact information so they are sent to the correct location, avoiding any delay reaching the emergency.
- If disconnected, emergency dispatchers must be able to call the phone back directly without getting an auto-attendant, answering service, call center, or remote switchboard.
- 911 calls connect to the agency within closest proximity to the caller — not the central phone system’s location (e.g., corporate headquarters).
These safeguards are already built into our VoIP phone systems, but if you are unsure if your phone system meets these specifications, give us a call and we’ll make sure that you are covered.
