Under Minnesota law, the owner/operator of a multi-line telephone system, including private branch exchange (PBX) systems, providing service in Minnesota is required to meet three general requirements:
- The telephone system provides accurate location information for the extension being used to call 9-1-1.
- The telephone number that is sent to 9-1-1 is a valid call back number for the location where the 9-1-1 caller is located, enabling the 9-1-1 telecommunicator to call the victim back in case more information is needed.
- The employees that are using the telephone system have been trained in how to dial 9-1-1 on the system. (e.g. must dial 9 to get an outside line – then dial 9-1-1)
On February 16, 2018, the President signed Kari’s Law Act of 2017, which became Public Law (PL) 115-127. This law requires multi-line telephone systems to have a configuration permitting users to directly dial 9-1-1 without having to dial any other digits. This law applies to multi-line telephone systems “manufactured, imported, offered for first sale or lease, first sold or leased, or installed after the date that is 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.”
If you are responsible for the management of a multi-line telephone system and have questions about how it works with 9-1-1, please contact the MESB’s Director of 9-1-1 Services at (651) 643-8377.