Updated

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.