What Kari's Law and the FCC's RAY BAUM'S Act rules require of a multiline phone system, how to classify each phone, and how to prove direct dialing, location delivery and on-site notification at your own buildings.
Written forIT leaders, school technology directors, facilities teams and managers of multiline phone systems
For a covered system, Kari’s Law concerns direct 911 dialing and on-site notification, and the RAY BAUM’S Act rules concern the location sent with the call. An emergency calling project has to prove three separate things: the caller reaches 911 with no access code, the 911 center receives a usable location, and the right people on site are notified.
This paper explains which systems and devices the federal rules cover, what each control should look like in a written requirement, and how to test and record the result for every phone and route. It also covers keeping locations current after a phone moves.
Key findings
Applicability and device category determine the federal requirement.
Direct dialing, notification and location delivery are separate controls.
An alert must reach someone likely to see or hear it, and must never delay the 911 call.
A moved device can invalidate a location record that was correct at installation.
Coordinate tests with the carrier and the local 911 authority.
Twenty minutes, and you will know.
You will get your size, your monthly rate, your license line, and a straight answer about your cutover.
