PSA: How Does Kari’s Law Affect Your School District

 

Transcript

Let’s talk about some complex state legislation that probably affects your school.  

The first is Kari’s Law.  

Your school’s campus is made up of multiple buildings, floors, classrooms, and offices, which are all connected by a multi-line telephone system.  

When someone wants to reach an outside line on one of these phones, they have to dial a prefix digit, like 9.  

Unfortunately, that also applies when dialing 9-1-1. 

Some students, staff members, or visitors may not know that an additional digit is needed to dial 9-1-1, which could delay a response during an emergency.  

So, Kari’s Law requires these phones to have direct dialing to 9-1-1. 

Kari’s Law also requires that 9-1-1 receives a dispatchable location, which just means that the 9-1-1 call taker knows the street address, floor level, or classroom or office number of the emergency. 

The other legislation is the Ray Baum’s Act. 

Ray Baum’s also requires you to have a designated person who is notified when a 9-1-1 call is made. This is usually a security guard or receptionist.  

All businesses in Texas must be compliant with Kari’s Law, or have a waiver on file, as of September 2016.  

So, what do you do now? 

Contact your multi-line telephone provider to find out your road to compliance. 

Also visit NCT911.org/karislaw to learn more about Kari’s Law and the Ray Baum’s Act so that you can keep your students safe.