9-1-1 Education Month in April serves as an important time
for 9-1-1 public educators to remind communities of what is considered an
emergency as well as how and when to call for help. The second full week in April also serves as National
Public Safety Telecommunicators Week (April 12-18, 2020). This week recognizes
the incredibly hard and dedicated work telecommunicators and dispatchers do
every single day to serve and assist the public in emergency situations.
Telecommunicators, also known as call-takers or
dispatchers, are individuals who work for 9-1-1 and answer incoming emergency
calls and/or texts and, then in turn, ensure the caller gets the appropriate
emergency response needed. Telecommunicators answer many tough 9-1-1 calls throughout
their career and we should all tip our hats to them and recognize them for
their commitment to public safety.
In 2008, the House of Representatives passed a resolution
to increase national awareness about the importance and appropriate use of
9-1-1 and created a month dedicated solely to 9-1-1 education. There have been
many changes recently to laws or technology that affect 9-1-1 and it’s
important you stay informed on these important topics.
Below are some great topics to share information on during
the month of April:
Call
if You Can, Text if You Can’t
Throughout the year, more and more regions across the
United States have been or are now providing text to 9-1-1 services. This
service is really vital to the deaf and hard of hearing community, or to
someone in an emergency situation that would be compromised if they were to
speak out loud. While text to 9-1-1 is available in many areas, it is not
available in all areas. Keep in mind that if you do text to 9-1-1 and it is NOT
available in your area, you will receive a bounce back message instructing you
to please call 9-1-1 for help.
Know
Your Location
Many people have smart phones these days. And on these
smart phones we have maps that show us where we are, so it doesn’t seem
far-fetched to think that if we have GPS in our phone, then 9-1-1 should be able
to find us when we call. This is actually not
the case. When you call 9-1-1 from a cell phone/smart phone, dispatchers are
only able to see approximately where you are and not specifically where you are
located. Remember to always be aware and know your location. Look for mile
markers, landmarks, cross streets and addresses on buildings. 9-1-1 is
currently updating the technology and infrastructure that will change this all
over the country called Next Generation 9-1-1.
Federal
Kari’s Law
A new law that business service users and the public should
be aware of is the federal Kari’s Law. This law has to do with providing direct
access to 9-1-1 from a multi-user telephone line (MLTS). On February 16, 2018,
Congress enacted the federal Kari’s Law Act of 2017 (Federal Kari’s Law)
requiring direct dialing 9-1-1 access and notification with respect to any new
MLTS. The law only applies to MLTS that are manufactured, imported, offered for
first sale or lease, first sold or leased, or installed after February 16,
2020. With this law in place, if you ever need to call 9-1-1 from an MLTS
phone, you don’t have to worry about dialing an additional digit to get an
outside line first. Simply dial 9-1-1 for help. For more information on this
law visit https://www.fcc.gov/mlts-911-requirements. You
can also find information here regarding the Ray BAUM Act that has to do
with dispatchable location.
Remember to take some time at home and discuss how and when
to call 9-1-1 with your children or grandchildren. View the Cell Phone Sally: Getting Help is Easy video
here!
Below find the Proclamation from Texas Governor Greg Abbott recognizing 9-1-1 Telecommunicators!
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