Standards for Next Generation 911
Moving to a next generation 911 system in an efficient and cost-effective manner will require coordination of standards and technology. The use of common standards is necessary for 911 public safety answering points (PSAPs) to communicate and allows them to transfer and share data - even among geographically dispersed PSAPs and other emergency response agencies.
The structure that underlies IP-enabled 911 is based upon many different technical standards to make sure all parts of the 911 system work smoothly together. However, many standards that are critical to IP-enabled 911 are still in development, or need to be widely accepted before the system can be fully implemented. While public safety and industry standards organizations have achieved consensus on the overall architecture of an NG911 system, the lack of a full set of standards has caused lingering uncertainty among 911 decision-makers, as well as service and equipment providers, and may hinder progress toward IP-enabled 911.
“A National Plan for Migrating to IP-enabled 911 Systems” has identified several options to address barriers related to standards issues:
- Strive for IP-enabled 911 open standards and understand future technology trends to encourage system interoperability and emergency data sharing
- Establish routing and prioritization protocols and business rules
- Determine the responsible entity and mechanisms for location acquisition an determination
- Establish system access and security controls to protect and manage access to the IP-enabled 911 system of systems
- Develop a certification and authentication process to ensure service providers and 911 authorities meet security and system access requirements
More information:
2011 National 9-1-1 Progress Report [PDF]
NG911 What's Next Forum & Webinar
A National Plan for Migrating to IP-Enabled 911 Systems [PDF]