PLEASE BE AWARE OF THE UPCOMING CHANGE TO OUR PHONE SYSTEM
Senate Bill 788, known as “Kari’s Law” was recently signed by Governor Greg Abbott requiring Texas businesses with multi-line phones to be able to directly dial 911 and not need an extra number to get an outside line.
In 2013, Kari’s daughter Brianna tried to save her mom from her estranged husband, who stabbed her to death inside a Marshall hotel room. Brianna tried dialing 911 several times, but since she did not know to get an outside line and to dial 9 first and her desperate call for help didn’t get answered.
Texas businesses have until September 1, 2017 to update their phone systems, but we will be making the change effective September 1, 2016.
We made the change to our system about 4 years ago to include the extra “9” when dialing 911 because of the frequent mistake calls.
If you dial 911 by mistake, do not hang up on the dispatcher.
Just inform them you dialed by mistake.
A hang-up on a 911 line requires the police to be dispatched.