sundance-communications.com/forum Forums General General Telephone & Systems Information Kari's Law (of unintended consequences)

In the past couple of months we have had a few issues pop up in relation to Kari's Law and compliance. They seem to center around courtesy phones and patient phones. The most glaring problem is in an institution that caters the mentally challenged. The patients are allowed to have private(ish) phone conversations. However since all phones have to be able to dial 911 without an access code some patients have decided that it would be great to have local emergency services show up. After X number of false alarms the institution gets fined for each offence. We are currently working to present them with a couple of different options, but it is interesting that these situations do arise where Kari's law is actually causing issues.

I would think that exceptions should be made in cases like that. What options are you thinking of presenting them with?

-Hal

The two options are a keypadless phone (my favorite) and a switch to kill dialtone to the phone (salesman favorite).

How could either dial 911

How about rotary phones. They cant dial 911.

Doesn't either go against E911 requirements? If you are going to do that why allow the phones to dial 911 directly to begin with? Have 911 go to an attendant who can determine if the call is legitimate. Not legal but neither is what you propose to do and it's certainly better than not being able to use the phone in an emergency.

-Hal

In my I'm not a lawyer, reading of the law. If a phone has the ability to dial, it should be able to dial 911. If you pickup a phone and there is no dial tone it would be almost the same as not having a phone at all. The same would go for a phone with no dial pad you wouldn't assume that it would be able to dial 911.

Our first option that we presented to them that they immediately discounted was to have the phones set to off hook dial an attendant station where the call could be dealt with no matter what it was.

If the client doen't want to accept that option, then in my view, the onus is on them and let them get the fines...

very true. they have lawyers they are consulting with, and it isn't a new phone system install.

Compliance date (MLTS direct dialing and notification) and Exemption for Legacy MLTS: Kari’s Law and the Commission’s rules are forward-looking and do not apply with respect to any MLTS that is manufactured, imported, offered for first sale or lease, first sold or leased, or installed on or before February 16, 2020. (See 47 CFR § 9.17(b).)