E911 Featured Article

Experts to Discuss Virginia's New E911 Law, Compliance in Free Webinar

By Michael Dinan, TMCnet Editor

A panel of experts on Sept. 15 is participating in a free Webinar that will focus on what Virginia businesses, government agencies, education and nonprofit organizations need to know following enhanced 911 legislation that took effect in the state on July 1.

 

Sponsored by RedSky Technologies Inc., a Chicago-based provider of enhanced 911 solutions, the Webinar will feature Samuel Keys, Jr., public safety communications regional coordinator for the Virginia IT Agency’s public safety division.

 

In that role, he “provides leadership assistance and direction in support of the Commonwealth’s PSAP and 9-1-1 operations,” says Martha Sexauer, RedSky (News - Alert) marketing manager.

 

“Sam helped craft the new MLTS E911 legislation and has extensive experience with the issues surrounding E911 location information management through his 20 years’ experience with the Fairfax County Police, the FCC (News - Alert), the Washington Metropolitan Area Council of Governments and the Association of Public Communications Officers,” Sexauer added.

Register here for the event, scheduled for 10 a.m. Eastern on Tuesday, Sept. 15.

 

Specifically, the law calls for all PBXs or multi-line telephone systems installed after July 1 to provide automatic number and location information – known in the industry as “ANI” and “ALI” – to a local public safety answering point for all 911 calls, unless alternate methods have been approved.

 

With Massachusetts, whose new E911 legislation also took effect July 1 (see RedSky’s Webinar on that change here), Virginia becomes the 16^th U.S. state to adopt sweeping new laws that target the technology, which uses location-based services to pinpoint the whereabouts of distressed 911 callers.

 

The Old Dominion State’s E911 law ranks among the more comprehensive measures yet passed, as it targets both residential and business MLTS.

 

“Commencing July 1, 2009,” the law states, “the MLTS provider of any multiline telephony system shall maintain and operate the MLTS in such manner that a telephone call made by dialing the digits ‘9-1-1’ and , if applicable, any additional digit or digits that must be dialed in order to permit the user to access the public switched telephony network, from any telephone on the MLTS is routed to a PSAP.”

 

Joining Keys on the Webinar panel will be John P. Mitchell, RedSky’s regional sales director, who specializes in helping organizations and business partners make intelligent decisions about E911 location information solutions.

 

The Webinar will include a question-and-answer session with both Keys and Mitchell, and will focus, among other areas, on E911-related liability risks facing organizations.

 

The new law in Virginia yields new E911 rules for organizations operating a PBX (News - Alert), IP call server or Centrex phone system in the Old Dominion State, and the RedSky-sponsored Webinar will cover the range of solutions available to help comply with the new law, reduce liability risk and save lives.

 

Business professionals, especially those responsible for corporate risk management and workplace safety, are encouraged to attend.

 

Register now: http://www.redskye911.com/news_and_events/webinars/register/.

Michael Dinan is a contributing editor for TMCnet, covering news in the IP communications, call center and customer relationship management industries. To read more of Michael's articles, please visit his columnist page.

Edited by Michael Dinan

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