Kari’s Law went into effect Monday, and you may have heard some mention about in in the past few days leading up to its enactment. In case you’re still not quite sure what it is, here is what you need to know about it.
Kari’s Law is a federal law requiring businesses such as hotels, college campuses and large companies to allow 911 calls without requiring people to dial 9 to reach an outside line.
In addition to saving a step in an emergency, this is also particularly helpful for younger generations who may not be aware that they have to dial 9 first.
Kari’s Law is named after Kari Hunt, who was tragically murdered in her hotel room in 2013 after multiple failed attempts by her young daughter to dial 911 because she did not know she needed to dial an extra 9 to dial out.
Medical examiners agree that had her daughter been able to reach emergency services, Kari would have survived the attack.
The law is designed to ensure that anyone, anywhere can reach emergency services by dialing only 911 and that critical location data is provided with that call.
