E911 is designed to connect businesses and employees to local emergency services. No matter the city or region, this crucial safety solution is a must for all companies. With the digital age in full swing, emergency response teams are now reaping the benefits of technology, including GPS, VoIP, mobile, and UC platforms.
With E911, emergency services can pinpoint distress calls coming from large office buildings with true accuracy. This is important for several reasons, including:
- Employees can use this service to call for help from any mobile device.
- Emergency responders receive enhanced location information, including which department, room, or floor the emergency is happening in.
- Response time to emergencies has improved with E911 coverage, and some states have even mandated these services for businesses.
Why Businesses Should Use E911
There are several benefits of using e911 for businesses. For one, companies can ensure timely emergency services for their employees and staff. There are, however, crucial differences between using regular 911 and E911 emergency services. These include but are not limited to:
- First responders are able to take action quicker due to enhanced location information.
- EMS, fire, and police can easily be dispatched to large buildings with several floors and multiple departments – GPS helps them pinpoint all distress call and signals.
- Employees or anyone needing assistance can use a range of devices – nearly all are compatible with E911.
Understanding State E911 Legislation
Before implementing E911, it is important to understand state regulations and legislation. As of June 2016, 18 states have mandated E911 services for businesses. However, it is up to organizations to incorporate these services into their existing phone systems and infrastructure. While E911 is compatible with a myriad of communications platforms, it is always best to check if these services correlate with existing systems and hardware/software components.
While laws governing these services vary state-to-state, there is one constant rule: Buildings with multiple floors must be broken up into different emergency response locations. Individual businesses must program this information into their phone and UC systems.
E911 is perfect for businesses, since the service can easily be integrated into UC, VoIP, and cloud-based communications systems.