Because Compliance Is More Than a Technology Problem
If your organization operates a multi-line telephone system, whether it is a traditional PBX, a cloud UCaaS platform like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or RingCentral, or anything in between, you are subject to federal 911 regulations under Kari’s Law and RAY BAUM’S Act.
Those regulations require direct 911 dialing without a prefix, accurate dispatchable location data, and real-time notification to on-site personnel when a 911 call is made.
Most organizations assume that if their phone system vendor has checked those boxes, they are compliant. In practice, compliance is far more fragile than that. Technology configurations drift. Employees move. Networks change. And when an emergency happens, the gap between what your system was configured to do and what it actually does in that moment can have serious consequences.
911ComplyPoint® exists to close that gap.
The Regulatory Reality
Kari’s Law and RAY BAUM’S Act are federal mandates enforced by the FCC. They apply to any organization using an MLTS, regardless of size, industry, or whether your phone system lives on-premise or in the cloud. Compliance is not optional, and the responsibility for ensuring that your system sends accurate data and operates correctly sits with your organization, not your carrier or your vendor.
The regulations require:
Direct 911 Dialing
Users must be able to reach 911 without dialing a prefix or access code. No “dial 9 first.”
Dispatchable Location
When a 911 call is made, your system must transmit accurate location data, including street address, floor, and room or other identifying information, to the PSAP so that first responders can find the caller.
Centralized Notification
Your system must notify a central on-site location, such as a front desk, security desk, or operations center, in real time when a 911 call is placed from your premises.
The Liability Reality
When 911 systems fail, organizations face serious legal and financial exposure. Two cases illustrate what is at stake.
In the case that gave Kari’s Law its name, a Texas jury awarded $41 million to the family of Kari Hunt, whose young daughter was unable to reach 911 from a hotel phone because the system required dialing an extra digit for an outside line. The tragedy occurred before Kari’s Law was enacted, and it is exactly the scenario the law was written to prevent.
In 2022, the family of TJ Mister, a six-year-old boy who drowned at a summer camp, sued for $40 million and settled for $8 million with St. Louis County. A pool maintenance worker had called 911 from an office phone, but the improperly configured phone system routed the call to a Colorado dispatch center, where it went to voicemail before being rerouted. The delay in emergency response contributed to the tragedy, a direct consequence of a non-compliant MLTS configuration.
These are not isolated incidents. Most 911-related lawsuits settle out of court under confidentiality agreements. The cases that become public record represent a fraction of the actual liability exposure organizations face when emergency communication systems fail.
Why Vendor-Independent Certification Matters
911ComplyPoint® has an interest in telling you the truth.
As a vendor-independent program, 911ComplyPoint® has no equipment to sell, no software license to push, and no manufacturer relationship that influences our findings. Our audit evaluates your entire 911 call management environment, including technology, policies, procedures, and people, against the actual requirements of your specific PSAP and regulatory environment. We work with any platform, any carrier, and any facility configuration.
That independence is why PSAPs and emergency communication centers have recommended the 911ComplyPoint® audit process to their constituents. It is also why our findings produce location data accuracy that produce better information for PSAPs than 90% of MLTS systems.
Why Technology Alone Isn’t Enough
Even a correctly configured system can fall out of compliance quickly. Consider what happens in a typical year at most organizations:
A significant share of employees are relocated through office redesigns. Network and telecom equipment is replaced or upgraded. New UCaaS features are deployed. Hybrid and remote workers connect from locations that were never registered in the system. Wi-Fi access points create signal overlaps that produce inaccurate floor or zone data. PSAP systems truncate location fields that exceeded character limits no one knew existed.
Each of these events is an opportunity for your 911 compliance posture to degrade, silently, without any system alert or warning. 911ComplyPoint® establishes the ongoing processes and policies that keep your organization compliant as your environment evolves.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our phone system is in the cloud. Does this still apply to us?
Yes. Cloud-based UCaaS platforms including Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and RingCentral are classified as MLTS under FCC regulations. The same Kari’s Law and RAY BAUM’S Act requirements apply regardless of whether your system is on-premise or cloud-hosted.
Can’t employees just use their cell phones to call 911?
About 85% of 911 calls already originate from cell phones, but that does not eliminate your organization’s liability. You cannot legally advise employees against using an MLTS extension for 911 calling, and there are scenarios where the MLTS endpoint is the only available option. Your obligation to maintain a compliant system remains.
Aren’t 911 calls the emergency communication center’s responsibility?
911 call management is now a shared responsibility. Kari’s Law and RAY BAUM’S Act clearly place the obligation for accurate data and compliant system operation on the organization using the MLTS, not on the PSAP. The PSAP receives your call. What your system sends them, and whether they can find the caller, is your responsibility.
Does 911ComplyPoint certification eliminate all risk?
Certification is a strong indicator of your organization’s commitment to safety and compliance, and the audit documentation demonstrates good faith efforts to meet regulatory requirements. It does not eliminate all risk. What it does is establish the policies, procedures, and controls that significantly reduce the likelihood of a compliance failure and demonstrate that your organization took its obligations seriously.
Is 911ComplyPoint® a one-size-fits-all solution?
No. Every engagement is specific to your organization’s locations, technology, and processes. That is what makes it a certification rather than a checklist.
Ready to Find Out More?
Every engagement begins with a conversation. Contact us to discuss your organization’s current 911 compliance posture and whether a targeted module or the full 911ComplyPoint® Audit and Certification is the right starting point.