911 is one of the most recognized phone numbers in America. Yet many hotels and motels do not allow direct calling of 911 without the need to first obtain an outside line. Change may come through an initiative called Kari's Law, which is working its way through government and the hospitality industry.
The legislation is the result of an incident in December 2013 when Kari H. Dunn met her estranged husband at a Baytown, Texas, hotel so he could visit with their three young children. At some point, he forced Dunn into the bathroom and began stabbing her.
The couple's 9-year-old daughter heard her mother screaming and tried to dial 911 from the hotel bedroom phone. The child did not understand about dialing "#9" to obtain an outside line. After four tries to call 911, she ran into the hallway to find someone who finally did place the 911 call. It's widely believed that Dunn died from the attack because of the delay in response from emergency personnel brought on by the antiquated phone system.
The Kari's Law initiative began as a petition in Texas. Its Facebook page — Change It For Kari — has incorporated the logo of No 9 Needed for 911. During its first few months, the petition gained more than 443,000 signatures.
The bill is championed by Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) and when it was introduced the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) instructed the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AH&LA) to survey its members (representing over 4.9 million guest rooms) and report the findings.
AH&LA released the findings of the industry survey and the council's recommendations in March:
- Only 45 percent of AH&LA franchised member hotels and motels had direct 911 dialing capabilities.
- Only 35 percent of AH&LA independent member hotels and motels had direct 911 dialing.
AH&LA convened a high-level industry advisory board to address the problem. AH&LA subsequently released a comprehensive report in June that highlights the progress made in implementing direct 911 capabilities at some of its major hotel chains.
The FCC is also looking at this issue beyond the hospitality industry. Schools, office buildings and other establishments face similar risks.
FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai reports that newer multiline telephone systems (MLTS) are configurable for direct calling of 911. However, a major concern is that older systems do not have the functionality. Pai states that it's critical that MLTS vendors offer free software upgrades — and some are doing so.
Ultimately, Dunn's daughter and family are hoping that the hospitality industry will make all 911 calls direct so that other families will not have to experience losing a loved one or the guilt felt by a young girl who could not save her mother.
At this time, Kari's Law has not been voted into regulation.
