Next Generation 911

Currently, the 9-1-1 system relies upon secure, highly reliable, and enhanced voice telephone service. Consequently, the Scotts Bluff County Communications Center cannot receive emergency communications from increasingly common personal communication tools such as e-mails, text messaging, data, images, telematics or streaming video. However, changes to the nation’s 9-1-1 system are planned.

You can learn about future Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) applications, and the participation of the Scotts Bluff County Emergency Communications Center in the U.S. Department of Transportation NG 9-1-1 Proof of Concept Initiative.

USDOT Next Generation 9-1-1 Initiative Proof of Concept has started and three testing laboratories and five Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) will begin transmitting data as the Proof of Concept (POC) portion of the US DOT’s NG9-1-1 Initiative gets underway. The three participating laboratories are housed at Booz Allen Hamilton, Texas A&M University and Columbia University. The five PSAPs are:

  • City of Rochester – Emergency Communications Department, Rochester, NY
  • King County E-911 System, Seattle, WA
  • Metropolitan Emergency Services Board – Ramsey Co. Emergency Communications Center, St. Paul, MN
  • State of Montana – Public Safety Services Bureau, Helena, MT
  • State of Indiana – Office of State Treasurer, Indiana Wireless 911 Board

These PSAPs were selected from over 50 applicants, using objective criteria developed by the NG9-1-1 team.

The objective of the Proof of Concept is to test selected requirements including:

  • The ability of PSAPs to receive voice, video, text (IM, SMS) and data
  • Improving 9-1-1 access for deaf/hearing-impaired (e.g., Video Relay Services, text messaging)
  • Caller’s location identification for landline, wireless and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) 9-1-1 calls
  • Transmission of telematics data directly to the PSAP (Advanced Automatic Crash Notification) like crash location, speed, vehicular rollover, crash velocity
  • 9-1-1 Call routing and call transfer based on caller’s location
  • Internet Protocol (IP) networking and security

Following completion of the demonstration, data gathered during the POC will be analyzed and used to revise and complete the project’s preliminary system architecture and transition plan.

The US DOT NG9-1-1 Initiative is an R&D project funded by the Intelligent Transportation Joint Program Office. To see all the planning and reference documents published as part of the NG9-1-1 Initiative and for more information on the effort, go to https://www.its.dot.gov/research_archives/ng911/index.htm

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