Today's 911 systems are built, operated and maintained locally, usually by counties, but sometimes by municipalities and states. Only recently has there been any federal involvement in 911 matters, and there has never been any interconnection among 911 systems to allow transferring of calls, etc.
Most within the 911 community have realized that today's 911 systems need a gigantic advance in order to continue efficiently handling today's level of traffic, and to handle tomorrow's new requirements: handling video, photos and text, and the ability to transfer 911 calls among comm centers. This project of improvement has become known as Next Generation 9-1-1, or NG911. The concept involves many layers and topics:
Several major groups are working on NG911--the National Emergency Number Association (NENA), Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO), the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), and the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). In addition, many other stakeholders have entered the planning process, in connection with an an originally unrelated plan to bring high-speed Internet service to every part of the United States. The National Broadband Plan is being spearheaded by the FCC, and has brought the attention of many groups and companies, since it promises billions in funding that otherwise would not be available. In turn, those groups and companies have brought an enormous amount of political lobbying and funding to the broadband planning process, which clouds many of the technical issues. NENA - Their Web site has a short explanation of their work, and a blueprint (pdf) for future action.. The group has a Next Generation Partner Program to gather expertise and experience from both private and commercial sources. In June 2009 NNEA released a draft standard for "other data" that will be used in a NG911 network. They also held an Industry Collaboration Event (ICE) in Nov. 2009, intended to bring NG9-1-1 participants and their network elements together for testing [Web page]. Lastly, they have posted an updated chart (Excel, xls) of NG9-1-1 implementation in the U.S. APCO - In July 2007 the group signed a joint agreement on NexGen 911migration and transition planning. They groups agreed to solicit input and share output with each other. APCO has an official NexGen 911 initiative, dubbed Project 41. DOT - They have an aggressive $11 million program to study NexGen 911, as part of their responsibility to improve public safety communications, in turn as part of an effort to improve highway safety and to reduce deaths and injuries. They have taken a wide-ranging, multi-disciplinary view, gathering input and assistance from as many stakeholders as possible. Check their Web site for more information. In Oct. 2009 the DOT published their final product, a Procurement Took Kit (pdf) that includes self-assessment, planning, procurement and post-implementation evaluation. IETF - This group is responsible for the way the Internet is engineered, so their efforts are "out there." Their working group Emergency Context Resolution with Internet Technologies (ECRIT) is handling the issue of NexGen 911 and expects to have a full report finished by the end of 2007. Check their official Web site, and the group chair's Web site for more info. Other resources:
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[source: U.S. Department of Transportation, July 2007]
Download a high-resolution (png, 5.1 Mb) copy of this diagram.
[source: U.S. Department of Transportation, July 2007]
[source: U.S. Department of Transportation, July 2007]
[source: U.S. Department of Transportation, July 2007]
[source: U.S. Department of Transportation, July 2007]
