LegiStorm

Summary:

In 2018, Congress and 911 advocates celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first 911 call. Over the past 50 years, states and localities have adopted 911 as the number to call during emergencies, established 911 centers (also known as Public Safety Answering Points or PSAPs) to receive and manage 911 calls, managed and funded their local PSAPs, and educated the public on 911 use. Today, 911 services are available in most jurisdictions in the United States, people know 911 is the number to call in emergencies, and 911 systems have helped to save lives. However, there are challenges. In some areas of the nation, people do not have access to traditional 911 services. In other areas, PSAPs use different technologies and cannot interconnect. Additionally, PSAPs are at various stages of upgrade; as a result, 911 services may vary from one jurisdiction to the next. For example, some PSAPs can receive text messages, while others cannot. The variation in service may confuse callers who expect 911 services to be consistent across jurisdictions, and may delay the response. Further, most PSAPs rely on legacy telephone technologies, adopted decades ago to receive voice calls from landline phones, and the home address associated with the phone number. With 80% of 911 calls now coming from mobile devices (e.g., cell phones), 911 systems have had to be adjusted to accommodate wireless calls and their location information. Telecommunication providers that serve 911 centers have had to configure their systems to route wireless 911 calls to the appropriate PSAP and to transmit the caller’s number and location information which, for mobile callers, is a complex task. Similarly, PSAPs have had to adjust their systems to accept 911 calls and location information for wireless callers. While PSAPs can now accept calls from wireless devices, and some location information for wireless callers, most cannot accommodate text messages, photos, or videos—communications that are commonly used by consumers today. Since 2008, Congress has urged the adoption of Internet Protocol (IP) based systems to improve 911 services. IP-based systems can: accept data communications (e.g., text, photos, videos) to allow those in danger to text 911 when they cannot call; leverage computer-based geolocation applications to accurately locate callers; enable interconnections between PSAPs, allowing PSAPs to re-route calls during emergencies, building redundancies into the nation’s 911 system; and interconnect with other public safety systems to enable information-sharing during response. Some states have begun implementing next generation of 911 (NG911) technologies (e.g., installing a basic IP network or Emergency Services Internet Protocol Network (ESInet)); however, funding has been a challenge, and progress has been relatively slow. There is general consensus that upgrades to 911 systems are needed, and that adoption of NG911 technologies will improve 911 services. However, the implementation is expected to be costly and complex. Both private telecommunication networks and 911 systems will need to be upgraded to achieve the full benefits of NG911 technologies. Further, adoption of NG911 will change the way PSAPs operate and interoperate. PSAPs will be able to accept different types of data, and will need to establish policies and procedures for handling this new information. NG911 will also enable PSAPs to interconnect to form regional 911 systems, and for regional systems to connect to form a single nationwide 911 network. The formation of a single nationwide network may drive the need for new policies related to the governance, funding, interoperability, and security of the nation’s 911 centers. An issue for Congress is determining the appropriate level of federal involvement in the implementation and oversight of a nationwide NG911 system that will support the deployment, while still respecting state and local authorities over 911 services.