§ 39-21.1-5. Establishment of 911 service.
(a) The state shall establish a single, central statewide emergency 911 system equipped
with selective call routing, automatic number identification, and automatic location
identification. All telecommunication service providers who operate within this state
shall provide access to the E-911 uniform emergency telephone system with selective
call routing, automatic number identification, and automatic location identification
capabilities in accordance with this chapter, with the rules and regulations of the
Federal Communications Commission and of the Rhode Island public utilities commission,
and with such other rules and regulations promulgated by the 911 authority. Before
the public utilities commission shall grant any license, permit, power, or authority
to operate or shall approve any tariff, rate, or similar compensation measure to any
telephone common carrier or telecommunication services provider pursuant to this title,
it shall obtain a certificate of compliance from the 911 authority, certifying that
the telephone common carrier or telecommunication services provider that is seeking
such grant or approval is in compliance with the standards of quality of service,
performance of service, and technological compliance adopted by the 911 authority
pursuant to chapter 21 of this title. No license, permit, power, or authority to operate
shall be granted, or any tariff, rate, or similar compensation measure be approved,
until and unless the telephone common carrier or telecommunication service provider
is in full compliance with such standards.
(b) The digits "911� shall be the primary emergency telephone number within the state.
(c) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prohibit or discourage the municipalities
to maintain separate, secondary backup telephone numbers for emergency and nonemergency
telephone calls. Dissemination of the information contained in the database for any
other than emergency purpose is prohibited. The 911 emergency telephone number is
not intended as a total replacement for the telephone service of the public safety
agencies. The public safety answering point will not use the 911 system for administrative
purposes, for placing outgoing calls, or for receiving nonemergency calls.
(d) Any addition to the basic 911 system that may be required by any municipality may
be made at the municipality's expense, provided that the addition is approved by the
911 authority.
(e)(1) The 911 authority and the telephone common carrier contracting with the authority
shall not be liable for any inadequate database information submitted to the 911 authority
by the municipality, its agents, or servants.
(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of chapter 31 of title 9, the telephone common carrier, its agents, and employees are hereby indemnified and
held harmless by the 911 authority and the state for civil damages for any action
or omission in connection with the 911 or E-911 systems unless the action or omission
constitutes gross negligence or wanton and willful misconduct.
(f) Any expense incurred by a municipality shall not be deemed a state mandate pursuant
to § 45-13-9.
(g) The telephone common carrier shall not issue or permit the usage of any three-digit
(3) telephone number for emergency purposes other than the digits "911� as provided
in this chapter.
(h) The state of Rhode Island, the E-911 uniform emergency telephone system authority,
local public service answering points, E-911 service providers, including telephone
common carriers and telecommunication services providers and their respective employees,
directors, officers, representatives, or agents shall not be liable to any person
for civil damages resulting from or caused by any act or omission in the development,
design, installation, operation, maintenance, performance, or provision of E-911 service,
except to the extent due directly to its willful misconduct or gross negligence. Also,
no provider of E-911 service, including a telecommunication services provider, shall
be liable to any person who uses E-911 service, for the release of subscriber information,
including but not limited to, billing information required under this act, to any
public safety answering point or to the state of Rhode Island or the E-911 uniform
emergency telephone system.