Dial 9 before 911? Texas grandfather seeks change after girl's despair during mother's death

This 2013 photo provided by the Hunt family shows Kari Hunt Dunn. Hunt’s 9-year-old daughter tried to call 911 from the hotel room where she could hear her mother dying but didn’t know to dial 9 first. Hunt's slaying in December, allegedly at the hands of her estranged husband, inspired her father, Hank Hunt, to launch a national push to require hotels and other businesses to do away with dialing 9 or anything else before calling 911. (AP Photo/Courtesy of the Hunt family) (The Associated Press)

This 2013 photo provided by the Hunt family shows Kari Hunt Dunn. Hunt’s 9-year-old daughter tried to call 911 from the hotel room where she could hear her mother dying but didn’t know to dial 9 first. Her slaying in December, allegedly at the hands of her estranged husband, inspired her father, Hank Hunt, to launch a national push to require hotels and other businesses to do away with dialing 9 or anything else before calling 911. (AP Photo/Courtesy of the Hunt family) (The Associated Press)

This 2009 photo provided by the Hunt family shows Kari Hunt Dunn. Hunt’s 9-year-old daughter tried to call 911 from the hotel room where she could hear her mother dying but didn’t know to dial 9 first. Hunt's slaying in December, allegedly at the hands of her estranged husband, inspired her father, Hank Hunt, to launch a national push to require hotels and other businesses to do away with dialing 9 or anything else before calling 911. (AP Photo/Courtesy of the Hunt family) (The Associated Press)

Hank Hunt tried to reassure his granddaughter after she tried to call 911 from a hotel during an attack that left her mother dead, but didn't know to dial 9 first.

Now, the Texas grandfather has launched a national push to require hotels and other businesses to do away with dialing anything before calling 911.

So far, an online petition for a federal law has gotten 390,000 signatures, and one 911 advocacy group says Hunt has hit on a perhaps under-documented issue.

Hunt says the petition has exceeded his wildest expectations.