In recent years, the number of companies that have embraced fully remote or hybrid work models has grown significantly. Data from Gallup found that of remote-capable jobs, 53% of workers were hybrid while 27% were fully remote. The majority of respondents (64%) also said they would be extremely likely to look for jobs elsewhere if their employer did not allow hybrid or remote work.
While collaboration platforms have allowed for this transformation to fully take hold, there may be one important technology detail that gets overlooked: E911. Compliance is mandated by state and federal E911 regulations and is designed to ensure employees working offsite can safely reach 911 while on the job.
Under Kari’s Law and RAY BAUM’S rules set in place by the FCC, your enterprise is obligated to make sure 911 calls are routed to the correct public safety answering point (PSAP) with a precise dispatchable location. Also, notifications are required to be sent when calls occur. These rules apply whether an employee is working on or offsite. In addition to federal regulations, many states have extra E911 rules on top of those requirements.
So how can you protect remote and hybrid workers who might use soft client to dial 911? There are two components to consider when 911 is dialed remotely:
- Tracking the location of the caller’s device and obtaining the location details
- Routing the call the correct PSAP with location information in a dispatchable format
Tracking E911 Locations from Remote Devices
Enterprises can easily locate remote and mobile workers with Intrado’s Emergency Gateway – an E911 management solution which includes the Remote Location Manager application. Together, they allow offsite users to self-provision their locations from easy-to-use interface that automatically pops up on the employee’s screen when they connect to a new offsite location.
When logging in from a new location, the user is prompted enter their address details. If connecting from a previously entered location, Remote Location Manager remembers the location and the user avoids having to enter the details again.
Intrado also offers a cloud-based softphone tracking solution with Location Manager. Location Manager provides similar capabilities as Emergency Gateway + Remote Location Manager, prompting users to enter their location details when they connect to a new location’s network.
Routing 911 Call and Location Information to the Right PSAP
Employees will often use an out of area phone number when working remotely, which can pose a challenge when routing a 911 call to the correct PSAP. Intrado’s Emergency Routing Service, a cloud-based E911 routing solution, provides call routing capabilities for remote users and gets calls to the correct PSAP even when users have an out of area phone number.
When the 911 call is placed, Emergency Routing Service uses the location information self-provisioned by the remote user to identify the correct PSAP for call routing and delivers the call to the appropriate PSAP with location information included. Having this solution in place helps your enterprise keep everyone in its network safe and meets the FCC’s dispatchable location requirements, per Section 506 of RAY BAUM’S Act.
The aim of these requirements is to reduce emergency response times, giving first responders better location information so they can respond sooner.
Instead of receiving just the civic address of a building such as:
123 Main Street
A precise location is transmitted:
123 Main Street, 3rd Floor, Suite 3A
And when first responders spend less time searching for the emergency, it improves the likelihood of a positive outcome.
Be Prepared, Have a Plan
Organizations have a duty of care to keep their workforce safe. While E911 is sometimes viewed as just a matter of compliance, enterprises have a vested interest in promoting the health and wellbeing of its employees. Ensuring your remote workforce has access to a reliable, trusted 911 network should be one of the most important action items on your company’s continuity plan.
To learn more about E911 and your duty of care, you can read our exclusive new whitepaper featuring the latest research by Irwin Lazar of Metrigy. You'll get details on the state of E911 compliance and strategies to keep your workforce safe before, during and after an emergency. You can also learn more about securing your hybrid workplace in an expert round table from UC Today, featuring our own Jaz Lin, with both physical and cyber security strategies for keeping your enterprise safe.
