Contacting Emergency Services 101: Understanding Kari’s Law in Texas

Contacting emergency services, whatever the situation or scenario, should be a quick, easy and seamless process on the phone, requiring only the common-knowledge three-digit number of 9-1-1. Unfortunately, on multi-line telephone systems (MLTS), this wasn’t always the case, and historically, a user may have had to first dial an initial number, digit, prefix or other access number in front of 9-1-1 to be connected with emergency services. When emergencies happen, time is of the essence. Permian Basin Regional Planning Commission (PBRPC) is committed to educating everyone on Kari’s Law to ensure there is no confusion around or delay in getting connected to emergency services.

What is Kari’s Law?

Kari’s Law eliminated any extra steps or buttons to be pressed on the phone aside from 9-1-1 to contact emergency services. Texas MLTS that provide outbound dialing are required to adhere to the law, signed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in May of 2015. The following March, the Commission on State Emergency Communications Rule 251.16, providing direct access to 9-1-1 services, went into effect.

Kari’s Law was the culmination of efforts to prevent another tragedy akin to what befell Kari Hunt in 2013, when she was attacked and killed by her estranged husband in a Marshall, Texas, hotel room. Kari’s nine-year-old daughter tried four times to call 9-1-1 but was unsuccessful. Why did her calls fail to get through? That was because the motel required guests to dial an additional “9” before making any outside calls. Kari’s daughter was oblivious to this.

And so Hank Hunt, Kari’s father, began a multi-year quest to ensure safe and easy access to emergency services statewide, something that could have saved the life of his daughter.

Requesting a Waiver for Non-compliant MLTS

Ultimately, not all MLTSs, particularly older landlines, can be reprogrammed into compliance with Kari’s Law. In recognition of that hurdle, owners of phone systems that cannot be reprogrammed or replaced to meet the direct emergency service requirements are eligible for a one-year waiver, via submission of a timely affidavit. The waiver can be filled out electronically, is good for one year (Sept. 1 through Aug. 31) and is due by Sept. 1 of each year.

If approved, its requirements are as follows for non-compliant MLTSs:

• An instructional sticker must be placed immediately adjacent to, and optionally on, the handset informing a user how to access 9-1-1 services. 
• The instructional sticker must be written in both English and Spanish, and printed in at least 16-point boldface type, in a contrasting font that is easily readable.
• Kari’s Law also stipulates that a MLTS be programmed to send notification of any 9-1-1 call to a central location on-site at the facility where the call was made.

Understanding Kari’s Law

In the event of emergencies, when police, paramedics or other services need to be quickly contacted, the process should be as simple as possible. That’s the essence of Kari’s Law, which seeks to provide the most direct contact for Texans to various emergency services. To learn more about Kari’s Law, contact Permian Basin Regional Planning Commission.