Did 911 at the Gaylord Texan Work?

An AUDIO VERSION is now available - See my YouTube video above.

This past June, NENA – (the National Emergency Number Association, The 9-1-1 Association?) held its 2023 annual conference, just outside of Dallas, in Grapevine, Texas, at the Gaylord Texan Resort, a beautiful, expansive Marriott conference and resort property. I was there for nine days – between the conference and NENA Board meetings, and ended up a bit tiring with daily temperatures topping 100° and long 14-hour days. Plus, I am horrible at keeping myself hydrated.

Waking up early on my fifth day is when it hit me. I woke up early - nauseous and very lightheaded. I opted to skip breakfast and stay in to rest. But taking a shower wasn’t making me feel any better, and, in many ways, I felt worse. It felt very similar to the AFib attacks I had last summer. Checking my pulse on my Apple Watch showed that I was in normal sinus rhythm but had a high pulse rate of 112, much higher than my usual 78 to 80. Taking all of this into consideration, in addition to my cardiac history of last summer, I decided it was time to make sure my 911 frequent flyer card was still active and test Marriott’s compliance from the hotel room phone while I was at it. I dialed 9-1-1 direct, but the phone was full of static, and I could not hear the person who answered, so I hung up and called 911 again from a second phone in the room while taking stock of my cell phone’s location in case I needed it.

?

SUCCESS! Kari's Law compliance!

This time, I heard two rings: "Grapevine 911 - Is your emergency police fire or medical?” I confirmed that I was at the Grapevine, Gaylord Texan, and gave them my room number. She went through her standard protocol questions like a pro, and I felt reassured that I had a seasoned professional on the other end of the line and that I was in good hands (Thank You, 911 – ONCE AGAIN!). She then advised me that Paramedics were en route and that she would notify the Gaylord security team; however, they probably were already on their way to my room, as they get on-site notification of 911 calls on the MLTS! YES! Kari's Law to the rescue once again.

ON-SITE NOTIFICATION and 911 MIS-DIAL

Not 15 seconds after hanging up with Grapevine 911, there was a knock on my door, and security entered along with an EMT from the Gaylord Staff. They advised me that they were responding to a 911 hang-up call. I immediately realized this was from the first call I placed where I couldn’t hear. What a great example of how critical on-site notification is for an MLTS 911 configuration. Had I not been able to complete my 911 call or had passed out before any location information could be conveyed, local, on-site security was already aware of the event and from which room, triggering their response.

The lack of on-site notification has always been a pet peeve of mine, mainly for this very reason. When it happens for real, it becomes painfully apparent how critical this functionality is. Plus, the feature is usually included in the core MLTS system; it simply needs to be turned on. It reminds me that in Kari Hunt's brutal murder, the coroner testified that Kari likely lived for 20 minutes. I think there would have been plenty of time to alert someone that those emergency calls were being attempted but failing, potentially saving Kari’s life since EMS was only minutes away from the scene when finally called.

A SIMPLE, WELL-DESIGNED SOLUTION

The technology I wrote about here is likely included in almost any current telephone system today. This simple and likely free solution has been augmented and improved by policy and procedure at the Hotel, Grapevine 911, and local emergency staff.

Kudos to Marriott. Not only did they fully comply with Kari's Law, but they also put a policy in place to deal with the event expeditiously and efficiently. They are massive if you’ve ever been to a Gaylord property. Once you walk through the front door, unless you’re doing something off-property, there’s no reason to step outside until you leave. It’s a large complex facility, full of walkways through the atrium in the middle, and I would challenge employees even precisely to understand where they are at any given time. Location is critical, and for calls originating from an MLTS, their local security team needs full situational awareness. The Marriott policies have been thought out well in advance and, more importantly, coordinated and vetted with local public safety officials.

Everyone followed the plan. I continue to trek forward, not only scolding those who ignore their responsibility for being compliant but for praising those who not just follow the bare minimum of regulatory requirements, but look at the situation, holistically and develop a plan that takes the spirit of the law and puts a solution in place. Thank you to Marriott Properties; they take BOTH Kari's Law AND RAY BAUM'S Act very seriously, making it part of their ‘Brand Standard’ and were one of the first major chains to do so over ten years ago.

Nothing can be done to bring back Kari Hunt. But the ongoing awareness mission of Kari’s Dad, Hank Hunt, and the Kari Hunt Foundation (https://KariHuntFoundation.org) continues to raise awareness and educate the general public to ensure the tragic events of December 1, 2013 never happen again.

A final thank you goes to NENA. As part of their facility event planning, they require that the venue is Kari's Law and RAY BAUM'S Act compliant for the safety of their team and members; all I can say to that . . . is THANK YOU!

?

Mark J. Fletcher, ENP

VP Public Safety Solutions

911inform, LLC