The first 911 call was made in Haleyville, Alabama, in 1968. The last half century has seen a communications revolution, yet most emergency communications centers (ECCs) still use operating protocols consistent with that first 911 call. There is an urgent need for ECCs to upgrade their technology and protocols to take advantage of new forms of communication. Internet-based forms of communication can provide more and better information in real time that can be shared across all emergency services. These changes will bring significant challenges, but also tremendous opportunities. Next Generation 911 (NG911) is an opportunity to better manage first responder resources by taking advantage of the information collected in the ECC and driving least cost response solutions, freeing up resources in the field to address highest risk safety concerns.

The transition to NG911 involves technology upgrades, regulatory and funding challenges, and changes to standard operating procedures. ECCs will have to bring multiple agencies and stakeholders into alignment before they can move forward together. This executive primer lays out the key areas to bring to the table.

NG911 Overview

NG911 is an IP-based system designed to provide a secure and interoperable communications infrastructure. In simple terms, the shift to NG911 is the transition from copper wire phone lines to a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) system. This means the information that flows through the internet can now flow to 911 call takers. This will include real-time text messages, images, video, and voice calls from the ever-increasing number of devices connected to the internet.

Once implemented, NG911 will receive data from a variety of public and private networks. The enhanced abilities of the system will provide ECCs with more accurate location information and ancillary data. In turn, the communications officers will have better situational awareness that they will be able to relay to first responders. This will mitigate risks for first responders.

Callers will be able to send live video to ECCs to show what they are witnessing or experiencing. In fact, there is already an example from a domestic violence victim who called 911 via Skype from the closet where she was hiding. The woman’s facial injuries were visually evident to the call taker and her location was pinpointed by GPS. This information was critical for first responders responding to the call. Another possibility might be a desperate victim of human trafficking using a connection through a device like a smart speaker to quietly call for help. Both of these examples demonstrate some of the inherent capabilities of electronics that are at our fingertips. Smartphones can provide multiple types of data—voice, text, pictures, video, and GPS coordinates, to name a few. Even with Enhanced 911 in place, much of these data are not being utilized or captured for responders. For example, location accuracy remains a challenge. NG911 resolves this issue.

Scope of the Problem

Many ECCs still operate on copper wire systems; technology that is over 50 years old. When 911 was introduced in North America, the caller’s location was taken from the address tied to the phone number used to make the call. NG911 will operate on high-speed, dedicated IP networks that will provide ECCs with more accurate location information and data not currently being captured.

The need to move to NG911 has become more urgent as homeowners get rid of their landline phones and use only their mobile phones. In the past 15 years, the number of people with landline home phones in the United States has decreased from 92 percent to 41 percent. During the same time, the percentage of people owning only a cellphone has risen from 5 percent to 54 percent. Similarly, in Canada, landline use has decreased substantially, while approximately 60–70 percent of 911 calls originate from a wireless device. VoIP systems have grown at an exponential rate globally since 2012, reaching approximately 180 million subscribers worldwide. To fulfill their mission, ECCs need to keep up with current communication trends.

Considerations

The following are nine key areas to consider in NG911 implementation.

1. Get the Right People for the Job

The implementation will begin as an information technology project, and it will require a skilled project manager to lead the transition. A project of this scope is too large not to have a project manager, technical leads, and other pivotal roles in place. Chose an engaged executive sponsor who is capable of bringing together both internal and external stakeholders in a structured governance forum.

2. Engage Stakeholders

A working group with key stakeholders should be created early in the planning process. Consideration should be given to all emergency services at all levels of government as their participation will be critical to the success of this project. Consideration should also be given to the following resources:

• Public safety and emergency management agencies
• Emergency services industry
• Local, provincial/state, and federal departments including critical infrastructure, transportation, finance, national security, justice, and federal communication regulatory bodies
• National organizations with active interests in 911
• Information technology research community
• Cybersecurity experts
• Privacy impact assessors and experts
• Standards community
• Security alarm notification system providers
• Telematics, including advanced automatic collision notification (auto industry)
• Computer-aided dispatch, telecommunications, and location service providers
• Hazmat security alerts to or from commercial motor carriers or rail carriers
• Integration of intelligent transportation systems with public safety communications systems
• State and local geographic information system (GIS) coordinators
• Schools, hospitals, and community groups in the jurisdiction

3. Secure Sustainable Long-Term Funding

There is no getting around this truth: The shift to NG911 will be an expensive undertaking. While all of the variables are not yet known, it is important to call attention to this issue and manage the expectations of key stakeholders so that they are not surprised with new budget requests. Investments in technological advancements and the operating costs associated with them need to be considered in the pre-planning process. At the same time, like most truly transformative technology projects, long-term return on investment (ROI) is greatest when business process reengineering accompanies the new functions. Receiving videos, images, texts, maps, building floor plans, and Internet of Things sensor information all have the potential to radically improve a broader set of services for a community. Adopting a “whole of local government” approach in the planning stage will not only improve the ROI but also broaden the base of support for sustainment and future improvement funding.

4. Establish an Interoperability Group

NG911 rich content and data will have their greatest value when the interface can pull from and share to other government systems. This means that systems that were formerly developed and maintained in organizational stovepipes will have interdependencies going forward that should be appreciated and influence future investment decisions. This will include  state and local GIS coordinators, city and county planners, fire, police, EMS, public health, judicial, and numerous other stakeholders with their own information system plans. Periodically meeting to align program efforts will save time and money in the long run. It will also help to address the cyber challenges with shared risk from the interconnected systems.

5. Develop a Strong Cybersecurity NG911 Program

ECCs are attractive critical infrastructure targets. Several ECC jurisdictions have been the victims of debilitating cyber-attacks in the last three years. Moving to an internet protocol–based program and not addressing cyber threats is irresponsible. The cybersecurity program should be established upon (or upgraded to) best practice standards outlined by the National Institute of Standards and Technology  Cybersecurity Risk Management Framework and tailored through Federal Communications Commission and Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials working groups (or equivalent standards outside the United States). This effort should include a risk register used to identify risks to the successful implementation and planning of NG911. Additionally, it should also identify post-implementation risks. Specifically, cyber risks must be considered as NG911 will always be a high value, critical infrastructure target. NG911 introduces multiple new attack vectors and allows for attacks to quickly escalate or proliferate across multiple systems due to its increased capacity for interoperability and interconnectedness. The risk will never remain static as new criminal attack groups and attack techniques evolve continuously. Part of the cybersecurity program will need to include continuous monitoring, threat notification, and vulnerability remediation. Finally, plan for the day that the system will be successfully attacked and be ready to respond and recover. Conducting cyber response drills, at least annually, will help dramatically reduce the impact of a cyber-attack.

6. Plan for Procurement

Any large-scale project needs to go through procurement, and this will be a key area for success. The key will be obtaining services with professionals who have expertise in NG911, both technically and with the operational impacts. Consider the following:

• Get to market sooner rather than later. Alternatively, partner with services that have a procurement piggy-back clause. If other agencies have gone to market before and not included a piggy-back clause in their contract, then consider asking them for their request for proposal and garner input on what they would have changed if they had to do it again. There will be a shortage of expertise in this area, so the sooner you secure your vendor(s), the better.
• Consider using innovative procurement strategies such as challenge-based requirements that are financed based on successful outcomes rather than hyper-specific technical requirements to pre-scoped solutions. This model has been used successfully on large-scale projects in Europe.
• Plan for the “recompete” from the beginning of the project. One of the benefits of the shift to IP-based systems is that it should improve the competitive landscape for procurements. Agencies will lose out on this downward price pressure if their contract arrangements place too much of their intellectual property and control into the hands of the service providers and vendors. Work to maintain a competitive pool interested in the agency’s NG911 projects and cultivate the ability to switch providers at the end of contract terms by insisting on adherence to open standards, multiple awards where possible, and teaming with other government services.
• NG911 data have value, both internally and externally. Make sure the data strategy not only addresses privacy, evidentiary, security, and other internal concerns, but that also recognized the value in the collected data sets. As machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies come to public safety, a strong, established data foundation will be essential.

7. Consider Member Wellness

The nature of work for communication officers will change radically and involve receiving video calls and viewing videos and photographs from traumatic events. The best-in-class wellness programs include the following elements:

• Proactive measures such as resilience and stress training, as well as reactive measures.
• Mandatory visits with psychologists with expertise in these areas.
• Comprehensive benefits for members, including counselling for those who are not comfortable disclosing to a psychologist from their service.
• A critical incident team for work with members who have been through a significant traumatic event.
• Physical comfort such as the set up in the ECC and an opportunity to recover in a rest room.

8. Map Out New Standard Operating Procedures

Standard operating procedures (SOPs) will have to change significantly with the shift to NG911. These need to be mapped out collaboratively with other emergency services and agencies who share information when calls for service come in. This is an area to involve frontline members, including communications officers, to determine best practices. Leveraging lessons learned from agencies who have some or all of the NG911 components in place will be critical.

This will also inform resourcing needs. For example, agencies that have used texting for the deaf and hard of hearing community have logged call times that are 12–17 times longer than a voice call. While  average call duration increases for texts, some ECCs have had success in designating communication officers to be the primary station for text calls, allowing some degree of simultaneous call handling that recognizes the “bursty” nature of the text medium. As an ECC moves to receive multiple data sets, new resources will be needed. The time to hire and train personnel can take more than a year, so the sooner SOPs and key metrics are considered, the sooner future state resourcing can be determined.

SOP changes should also be considered downstream of the ECC. The value of the rich content received from NG911 is increased when the information can be appropriately shared with other responders. This could mean that NG911 data handling SOPs will be needed for fire, police,  and EMS.

9. Conduct Education and Outreach

The transition to NG911 will be a shift for both the community and first responders. A well-educated and informed public, including government and service members, will ensure a smooth transition and successful deployment of NG911.

With the introduction of NG911, community members will need to adapt to a new way to share data with ECCs. There are a series of implications that will need to be addressed through education and outreach.

• The public needs to be made aware of how they can contact 911 and what information they will need to provide to ensure an optimal response from emergency services to their emergency.
• The time to process an NG911 call can be much longer, and this may have life-altering effects. Public awareness campaigns will be critical. Internationally, many agencies have leveraged the slogan, “Call if you can. Text if you can’t” and “Text if you have to, call if you can.”
• With the collection of information through numerous sensors, members of the public may be concerned about their privacy and be reluctant to call 911. Both the public and elected officials need to be confident that their private information will be secure. Consider publishing information guidelines to ensure transparency and accountability.
• Education and outreach should be used to successfully accomplish other considerations such as securing sustainable long-term funding. When community members recognize improved risk reduction and response outcomes from NG911, they will be more likely to support funding initiatives. Having a strategic communications plan that “tells the story” on a regular basis can be an invaluable component of the overall program.

NG911 is an exciting advancement in the public safety communications realm. As this technology continues to develop, groups such as the Public Safety Next Generation 9-1-1 Coalition are seeing creative ways to fund the technology on a wider scale. The technology takes a full-scale approach to address the various modes of communication that callers will use during their time of need. NG911 will benefit those in all areas, from the most populous cities to the most rural communities, offering real-time data from an ever-increasing world of smart devices. d

Please cite as

Keith Kelley, “Next Generation 911 (NG911) Primer,” Police Chief Online, June 15, 2022.