During the COVID-19 pandemic companies of all sizes have been forced to deploy teleworker and remote worker options. Employee safety is a major concern for users of communications solutions. For teleworker and remote workers this means the telephony equipment they are using must be capable of dialing 9-1-1 without the need for additional digits. In cases where this is not possible, the safety of these employees and any members of a household that may use their telephony equipment in an emergency put your company at risk of violating federal law (Kari’s Law of 2017) and possibly state laws as well.

According to Larry Carlson, Altura Marketing Director, “In an emergency situation, getting first responders to the right place, with the right information is everyone’s key concern. Companies care about employee safety and with remote workers now becoming essential, there is an immediate need to ensure E911 compliance in case any member of a household uses a communication device provided by your company.”

Altura is addressing how remote workers impact E911 compliance with a review of Kari’s Law and the upcoming federal law called the Ray Baum Act. Additionally, state governments have enacted or will enact their own legislation that you may be required to comply with.

When asked what the consequences are for companies that are non-compliant, Kevin Kito, CEO of 911 Secure responded: “There are three reasons to implement an E911 solution. One is being compliant with the federal and state E911 laws. The second is the financial liability if something does happen and the phone system is not capable of providing Enhanced 911 information to the PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point); the lawsuit could be in the tens of millions of dollars. The final and arguably the most important is that you want to make sure that the employees and visitors from any work locations can dial 911 and get help as quickly as possible. This includes remote and work-from-home locations!”

“Kito continued, “I have been working in the 911 industry for 15 plus years and when I first started doing this having an E911 solution was a nice to have. Now with the advent of remote workers it is an absolute imperative.”

The SENTRY™ E911 Solution was designed to work with just about any type of phone system.  To learn more, please watch Altura’s E911 Compliance Webinar as we discuss Kari’s Law and The Ray Baum Act and how remote workers can impact compliance.