E911

Two federal rules apply to multi-line telephone systems such as a PBX, cloud phone system or UCaaS platform. Kari's Law requires that anyone can dial 911 directly, with no prefix such as dialing 9 for an outside line, and that the system notifies a central point (a front desk or security) when a 911 call is placed. RAY BAUM's Act requires a dispatchable location, meaning the street address plus information such as floor, suite or room, to be sent with the call.

For a growing business the hard part is keeping locations current: a phone moved to another suite, a softphone on a laptop at home, a new branch. Interconnected VoIP providers also have their own 911 obligations, including obtaining a registered location from each customer. Getting this wrong is both a safety issue and a compliance one.

Ask a provider how each phone and app reports its location, how a remote worker updates theirs, where the on-site notification goes, how the system is tested, and who is responsible for keeping the database accurate when phones move. Make the 911 test part of every installation and office move.