FCC Moves to Stop Robocalls to 911 Call Centers
Public safety answering points (PSAPs) are getting their own Do Not Call list, as the FCC voted unanimously Wednesday to prohibit autodialing to 911 call centers. The move was directed by Congress in the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012. The new rules will impose penalties of up to $100,000 per unwanted call, and up to $1 million for disclosing the numbers contained in the registry. Chairman Julius Genachowski said he expects the order will save lives. “Getting a busy signal when calling 911 is simply unacceptable, and some telemarketers make that happen,” he said. “In emergency situations, minutes -- even seconds -- matter."
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The commission drew from its experience running the consumer-oriented Do Not Call Registry, and the rules for telemarketers will be similar, minimizing compliance burdens for those who are subject to both requirements, said Kris Monteith, acting chief of the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau. The registry is not yet operational, and there is no effective date for compliance, as the bureau is still exploring the “most efficient way” of operating the registry, she said.
By some estimates, PSAPs across the country receive “hundreds or even thousands of unwanted robocalls” each day, an FCC spokesman said. This can tie up phone lines and make it difficult for the public to access 911, said Kristi Lemoine of the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau. The item will give PSAPs “substantial discretion” to decide which numbers to include on the registry, and it will also prevent unwanted text messages, she said. The bureau will release a public notice describing how PSAP numbers can be added to the directory, she said.
When unwanted calls flood lines used for emergency calls, “they are no longer just annoying; they can become life-threatening,” said Commissioner Robert McDowell. This rule will “hopefully and literally save lives,” he said. Said Commissioner Ajit Pai: “'Call Me Maybe’ may work for a catchy summer song, but for a PSAP it just doesn’t cut it.” Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., said he was “pleased” the FCC acted to protect PSAPs. “Our first responders should be responding to emergencies, not telemarketers,” said Markey, who was the House author of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, which established the first National Do Not Call Registry.