Industry Disagrees on Best 9-1-1 Indoor Location Data Delivery Option

by AllThingsECC.com | Jun 3, 2019 | Comm Center News

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Industry Disagrees on Best 9-1-1 Indoor Location Data Delivery Option

In March, the FCC sided with public safety and proposed a vertical (Z axis) location accuracy metric of ±3 meters relative to the handset for 80 percent of indoor wireless 9-1-1 calls. The new rules would help first responders more accurately locate people who make wireless 9-1-1 calls from multistory buildings, said the commission, which requested comment on the proposal.

The majority of those who submitted comments agreed that a location accuracy metric of ±3 meters relative to the handset for 80 percent of indoor wireless 9-1-1 calls is attainable, but the disagreement surrounds how to deliver that information to public-safety answering points (PSAP).

The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) comments suggested a dispatchable location including the room number, floor, street and city where a 9-1-1 call originated is the best option for location accuracy.

“The benefit of the dispatchable location is that it provides location information that would be easy for first responders to react to,” said Walt Magnussen, PhD, Texas A&M Internet2 Technology Evaluation Center (ITEC) director. “It would include the z-axis in the form of a floor level, which if accurate and coupled with a room number, would allow the first responder to quickly get to the scene. The problem with this format is that there are no standards in a dispatchable location for the floor number or level. In a multistory building such as a hotel that has a sublevel or basement, then a ground floor or lobby, then is the first floor the second floor, the second level or the fourth level? Then we add complications like the 80% of the buildings that do not have a 13th floor.”

In its comments, the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) requested a geodetic location, which is latitude, longitude and elevation. A geodetic location is based on the industry-approved Presence Information Data Format Location Object (PIDF-LO) standard defined in Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) RFC 4119, which was initially drafted in December of 2005 and has been updated three times since.

NENA made four points in its comments. Dispatchable location, as defined, is not the most accurate, useful or efficient means to locate an individual. Geodetic location information provides the best information for 9-1-1 to locate a caller. The location of a caller must be delivered to the 9-1-1 system as a standards-based, interoperable LO, carried over IP and expressed as a geodetic LO, which includes the FCC’s proposed z-axis measurement. CTIA’s most recent report calls into question the future viability of the National Emergency Address Database (NEAD), NENA said.

The May 20 deadline for comments followed a CTIA report that found only 38.7% of valid test calls conducted during recent dispatchable location testing for 9-1-1 calls produced a result that meets the requirements for actionable dispatchable location as defined by Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) standards.

For Eddie Reyes, director of the Office of Public Safety Communications in Prince William County, Virginia, knowing the door to knock down during an emergency is critical. “To me, the dispatchable location — the civic address generated through the NEAD — is what we’re looking for,” Reyes said.

In its comments, ATIS said that to ensure that PSAPs can convert location information to the format that best suits their needs, a baseline requirement would be to deliver the information as height above ellipsoid per World Geodetic System 1984 (WGS-84) datum. T-Mobile also advocated for the FCC to adopt WGS-84 as the reference system for altitude estimates instead of floor identifiers.

AT&T said carriers should be required to provide z-axis location information only as height above mean sea level (MSL) rather than height above ground level (AGL) or a specific floor level. MSL provides the most reliable method for measuring compliance as it does not vary by building characteristics or unique geography like AGL, AT&T said.

“Indeed, converting MSL data to AGL data requires familiarity with variations in terrain and specific structure characteristics,” the AT&T comments said. “First responders are more familiar with the terrain and structures in their jurisdictions and are in the best position to use the z-axis data to identify emergency caller location in a given structure. Thus, to minimize the risk of error, it is appropriate that carriers provide MSL data that first responders can use to precisely locate emergency callers.”

The Boulder Regional Emergency Telephone Service Authority (BRETSA) said it prefers vertical location information be presented as a height AGL and MSL, with accuracy and confidence data.

Location technology vendor NextNav said to ensure technical neutrality, the commission should refrain from adopting any measurement standard to report vertical location information. If a standard is adopted, however, it should be height above ellipsoid (HAE), which NextNav said is the most accurate and reliable means available and is also the standard used for the GPS. “Other options, such as height above MSL, height AGL or the floor number assigned by the building owner, would introduce additional variables in the calculation process, some of which would be impossible to achieve using existing technology and would inevitably reduce reliability and cause confusion for public safety,” the company said in its comments.

The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), National Association of EMS Officials (NASEMSO) and the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) submitted joint comments noting the FCC should direct wireless carriers to focus additional efforts on achieving compliance with the dispatchable location requirement and on developing the NEAD database further to ensure that a dispatchable location is achieved, with significant yield.

Magnussen said using the power of smartphones’ current and future location acquisition mechanisms to calculate the most accurate x, y and z location makes sense. “It is uncertain how either the device or a service provider supporting the device would use this information to generate the floor and room number for mobile callers,” he said. “Any such system would further tie us to static databases such as the current ALI (automatic location identification) databases, which is counter to all next-generation 9-1-1 (NG 9-1-1) initiatives.”

A link to all the comments is here. Reply comments are due June 18.

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Two California Agencies Contract Datamark for GIS Data for NG 9-1-1

by AllThingsECC.com | May 29, 2019 | Comm Center News

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Two California Agencies Contract Datamark for GIS Data for NG 9-1-1

San Mateo County commissioned Datamark to complete an estimated $400,000 data implementation project to ensure the accuracy and completeness of its address databases. The project, scheduled for completion in 2019, includes creating road centerlines, performing an address comparison evaluation, and aggregating geographic information system (GIS) data from existing sources into one database to meet the specific provisioning needs of the CAD system and NG9-1-1 requirements.

San Mateo County first engaged with Michael Baker International in 2017 on an enterprise technical architecture project to provide technical architecture recommendations. As part of that project, Datamark assessed the county’s public-safety communications department’s use of GIS data and process workflows. San Mateo County contracted Datamark in early 2018 to develop a quality assurance plan to implement the technical recommendations. The plan offered a road map of data sources, efforts and costs to address the dynamic goals of the project.

In addition, the Merced County (California) GIS Department awarded Datamark the nearly $109,000 contract to develop a master road and address database for use by public-safety agencies and enterprise planning committees. The project, which goes through December 2019, aims to increase both the completeness and accuracy of Merced County’s road and address database for address management and NG 9-1-1 GIS data preparation purposes.

Datamark will work with county professionals to assess and create the master road and address database from existing sources of address data. In addition to assisting the public-safety groups with the 9-1-1 and CAD systems, the newly created database advances Merced County’s readiness for the transition to NG 9-1-1. Enterprise planning groups will also leverage the complete and accurate address database to better serve roads, assessors, election and planning committees.

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Massachusetts Selects Consulting Firm for Final P25 Design

by AllThingsECC.com | May 28, 2019 | Comm Center News

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Massachusetts Selects Consulting Firm for Final P25 Design

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Interoperable Radio System (CoMIRS) serves as the statewide communications backbone and is used by municipal, regional and state public-safety entities for operable and interoperable communications and to dispatch emergency services in response to 9-1-1 calls.

CoMIRS provides operable and interoperable communications for 245 public-safety, transportation and environmental agencies throughout the Commonwealth. Of the nearly 30,000 radios active on the network, about 60 percent are used for daily mission-critical communications.

The project will build on CoMIRS’ initial P25 network design plans completed in 2017 by the commonwealth’s Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS). MCP will be responsible for confirming and revising the initial design plans, initiating site acquisition activities and developing a procurement plan for the network, which is intended to improve coverage, expand capacity, enhance 9-1-1 coordination and provide a sustainable funding model.

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Public-Safety Leaders Endorse New National Emergency Communications Plan

by AllThingsECC.com | May 28, 2019 | Comm Center News

Public-Safety Leaders Endorse New National Emergency Communications Plan

By Ken Bradley, CISA External Affairs

“There have been numerous advances in the world of communications and interoperability that have been created or advanced by SAFECOM,” said SAFECOM Chair Gerald Reardon. “The NECP has been, in my opinion, one of the most significant events, as it was responsible for several major changes across the country that are a direct result of its implementation. The NECP, coupled with the Public Safety Interoperable Communications (PSIC) grant program assisted in promoting permanent changes to the governance and the interoperability structure for the states and territories. The NECP was responsible for the SWIC (statewide interoperability coordinators) program, mandating official state governance, creation of the SEICs (statewide interoperable executive committees) tactical communications plans, as well as the validation and verification of the plans through required exercises.”

The NECP is in its third iteration — the first was in 2008, and the second was in 2014. The revised NECP includes a new emergency communications ecosystem graphic, which includes an expanded concept of the public-safety communications community to include supporting organizations, decision makers and citizens. Feedback was collected and incorporated into the revised NECP by members of public safety, including SAFECOM and NCSWIC, a public comment period, and stakeholder adjudication in early April. The plan is set to be publicly available later this year.

CISA is required to update the NECP periodically and the nationwide baseline assessment every five years. The newest update incorporates feedback and data from the 2018 SAFECOM nationwide survey and addresses the benefits and challenges of integrating new technologies into legacy systems, such as expanded capabilities as a result of broadband and next-generation 9-1-1 (NG 9-1-1), as well as cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities.

“NCSWIC drives innovation by unifying efforts for all 56 statewide interoperability coordinators in a singular organization,” said Joe Galvin, NCSWIC chair and Illinois SWIC. “Through NCSWIC leadership, structure and collaboration the nation strengthens its coordinated interoperability effort through the individualized yet connected statewide interoperability coordinators all unified under a common set of goals aligned with the NECP. The NECP is a whole community culmination from NCSWIC and SAFECOM members representing all states, public-safety groups, associations and interested parties to advance and improve public-safety communications for our nation’s first responders.”  

The plan was endorsed during a joint meeting of the NCSWIC and SAFECOM in Pittsburgh April 23 – 25. During the meeting, Ron Hewitt, assistant director for emergency communications, briefed the group on the depth of CISA’s expanded services to assist public safety with cyber and critical infrastructure in addition to emergency communications.

“As our public safety and SWIC stakeholders respond to increasingly complex hazards, including cybersecurity threats, every minute matters to save lives and protect property,” Hewitt said. “CISA is committed to continue delivering products and services that respond to the rapidly changing technology landscape including LMR; broadband; 9-1-1/NG 9-1-1; and alerts, warnings and notifications.”

CISA was joined by federal partners from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), National 911 Program and the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet), as well as local academic partners from Carnegie Mellon University and University of Pittsburgh. The three-day event covered interactive panels; working sessions; and committee, working group and executive committee meetings. The agendas covered topics such as NG 9-1-1, broadband, cybersecurity, drones, encryption and smart cities.

Dusty Rhoads, CISA, opened up a cybersecurity session by discussing the importance of cybersecurity in the public-safety community and the inclusion of cybersecurity initiatives in the NECP. Michael Ogata, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Public Safety Communications Research Program, discussed how to leverage the NIST Cybersecurity Framework for improving critical infrastructure and cybersecurity. The goal of the framework is to provide a common language for cybersecurity policies and initiatives and guidance on how an organization can create their own cybersecurity initiatives. 

Mark Hogan, director of asset management, city of Tulsa, Oklahoma; Richard Jackson, information security manager, asset management, city of Tulsa; and Capt. George Perera, Miami-Dade (Florida) Police Department, provided real-world examples of cybersecurity attacks on local systems and their large-scale effects on surrounding organizations and response. Speakers emphasized using the NIST Cybersecurity Framework as a first step and tool when developing cybersecurity policies and plans.

Chief Jonathan Lewin, Chicago Police Department; Rob Dew, CISA; and John Contestabile, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory proposed engaging members of the two groups to establish a working group to further develop and implement an interoperability framework that addresses the need for users to access standardized, interoperable and consumable information at the scene. Lewin provided examples of data and information technology the city of Chicago has integrated to assist law enforcement in responding to incidents. Lewin’s examples showed a need for public safety to address this issue. 

Several SWICs provided updates on the NCSWIC State Interoperability Markers Program. The 25 interoperability markers, aligned to the SAFECOM Interoperability Continuum, are designed to collect key data about a state’s interoperability capabilities, in an effort to enable states to use data to drive strategic planning and funding and technical assistance requests. Thirteen states and the District of Columbia attended workshops in February and March to provide feedback and further refine the markers. All 14 workshop states/territories have now completed a pilot process to develop their baseline data collection, and their input is being aggregated and analyzed. CISA will begin collecting marker data from all states and territories during a set of regional meetings scheduled to begin this summer. It is anticipated that all marker data will be collected, aggregated and reported back to states by the end of the year.

“The public-safety strategic collaboration meeting with SAFECOM and NCSWIC was an invaluable opportunity for us to convene public-safety response and officials from across the nation to share best practices and resources around current technologies, discuss approaches for managing emerging technologies, and evaluate continued progress toward the seamless flow of voice, video and data communications,” said Chris Lombard, SAFECOM vice chair with Seattle Fire. “By working collaboratively to drive critical emergency communications interoperability goals, while addressing risks to implementation, the SAFECOM, NCSWIC and CISA partnership has the potential to vastly improve emergency responder capabilities both now and in the future.”

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