RSS
Wireless Carriers Want Phased-In 3-Meter Z-Axis Accuracy, No Floor-Level Data

The concerns were part of reply comments filed in response to the FCC’s proposed March rules that side with public safety and would require 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 will help first responders more accurately locate people who make wireless 9-1-1 calls from multistory buildings.
AT&T argued against requiring floor-level data and agreed with Google that the FCC use a timetable for increasingly demanding Z-axis call coverage and/or geographic coverage requirements. “Given the variances in building structural characteristics and terrain, AT&T continues to believe that imposition of a floor level data requirement is infeasible at this time,” AT&T said.
In its earlier comments, AT&T supported establishing a 3-meter Z-axis location metric. However in its reply comments, the carrier said: “Proven solutions that meet this metric are not currently available, and thus the commission should consider a phased-in approach for implementation, which will allow market innovation to continue while also providing first responders with actionable information in the near term. … Device-based solutions show promise in advancing the evolution to dispatchable location. AT&T anticipates leveraging these technologies, but additional development is needed.”
T-Mobile USA’s reply comments said a phased-in approach based on PSAP readiness would allow carriers to focus their Z-axis development efforts in those areas where PSAPs are able to accept and use Z-axis information.
T-Mobile USA’s reply comments also agreed with Verizon’s comments on geographic areas. “Verizon suggests that the commission should focus its compliance benchmarks on those areas with the most critical need for Z-axis information with 9-1-1 calls — specifically, urban and dense urban morphologies,” T-Mobile said in its reply comments. “T-Mobile encourages the commission to explore this proposal …”
CTIA said in reply comments that “the commission should recognize that there was broad support for setting a ± 3-meter Z-axis metric as an important target, but the record demonstrates that validating whether this metric is achievable in the near-term requires further testing.” The group also said the FCC should require providers to deliver Z-axis vertical location data as an altitude level and not as floor level information at this time.
“Finally, contrary to the arguments made by the Boulder Emergency Telephone Service Authority (BRETSA), the Texas 9-1-1 Alliance, the Texas Commission on State Emergency Communications, the Municipal Emergency Communication Districts Association, and others, a more targeted metric than 3 meters is not feasible at this time,” CTIA said.
Alternatively, public-safety groups that included the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), National Association of State EMS Officials (NASEMSO) and the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) urged the FCC to adopt the 3-meter vertical metric and narrow the metric in five years.
“… The commission has no choice but to immediately adopt a 3-meter metric for vertical location accuracy and require wireless carriers to implement this requirement, or a dispatchable location solution, in the largest 25 cellular market areas (CMAs) by April 2021 and in the top 50 CMAs by April 2023,” the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) said in its comments.
NextNav and Polaris Wireless, two providers of location accuracy technology that participated in testing with CTIA, agreed a 3-meter Z-axis metric should be adopted right away.
In its reply comments, BRETSA, a 9-1-1 authority in Colorado, said the FCC should adopt a vertical location accuracy standard of 2 meters in urbanized markets and 3 meters in the rest of the country, which vertical location providers have demonstrated is achievable.
The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International did not file reply comments. However, in its May comments, APCO called on the FCC to refrain from adopting a Z-axis metric and mandate instead that wireless providers deploy dispatchable location solutions only. APCO said that if the FCC retains the Z-axis approach, any metric adopted should include floor-level information.
For its part, Precision Broadband agreed with APCO that the proposed Z-axis metric of 3 meters must include a floor number. The company said the definition of dispatchable location should be changed from the current National Emergency Address Database (NEAD) to encompass other location databases.
Charley Simon, founder of Precision Broadband, said the company has demonstrated connecting its technology through interfaces with a rural internet service provider (ISP). When a mobile phone is connected to a broadband network with the Precision Broadband technology at the time a 9-1-1 call is made, the PSAP system would receive a dispatchable location — civic address, floor and unit — just like with a landline telephone, as well as a Z-axis barometric pressure provided altitude from another source such as Polaris Wireless, and an assisted-global navigation satellite system (GNSS) location point from a wireless carrier’s network. The 9-1-1 telecommunicator would have access to all readings, and either the PSAP technology or the PSAP telecommunicator would determine the best starting point for location.
The National Emergency Number Association (NENA) walked back some points of its original comments, saying its concerns about the NEAD should not be interpreted as a call for abandoning the program. In addition, NENA said it didn’t mean to suggest that a first responder should not be dispatched to a dispatchable location if that is best for operational needs. The association stood by its assertion that mobile providers deliver a location object (LO), formatted to be compatible with prevailing standards, to public-safety answering points (PSAPs).
Comments on the NEAD from NCTA, the Internet and Television Association, said resources may be better spent on alternative solutions that better boost location accuracy for 9-1-1 callers than the NEAD. NCTA said its members have challenges in working with CTIA to engage in testing of the database.
NCTA members have significant concerns about the NEAD’s effectiveness generally compared with more recent promising technologies, the cable industry’s ability to populate the NEAD with meaningful data, and the potential unintended negative effects on NCTA members’ customers, the group said in its reply comments.
All the reply comments are available here.
Would you like to comment on this story? Find our comments system below.

RSS
Iowa County Contracts IXP for 9-1-1 Services for 5 Years

Utilizing IXP’s managed care solution is expected to bring cost savings and enhanced safety to Webster County. IXP’s management will also enable the county to transition to a medical dispatching system, which involves dispatchers gathering critical information for EMS personnel, along with providing medical direction to callers in some cases.
The center will be staffed by 12 supervisors, call-takers and dispatchers who are recruited from the local workforce. IXP said its managed services model achieves cost savings for municipalities by alleviating the burden on local governments due to long-term unfunded pensions and other benefits liabilities.
IXP manages emergency communications centers for Princeton, East Windsor, Lawrence Township and Hightstown in New Jersey; Johns Creek, Dunwoody, Sandy Springs and Brookhaven in Georgia; Danbury, Connecticut; and Boston’s Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority.
Would you like to comment on this story? Find our comments system below.

RSS
Oklahoma 9-1-1 Association Selects Consultant for NG 9-1-1 Implementation

MCP will work alongside 9-1-1 ACOG leadership and engaged local stakeholders to develop a strategic plan that is compatible with its public-safety answering point (PSAP) needs. With 21 PSAPs spread throughout the 9-1-1 ACOG region, MCP will work with 9-1-1 ACOG staff and PSAP stakeholders to facilitate the development of a set of requirements that best fit its unique technical and operational needs and then oversee a procurement and implementation.
“We are excited about our new partnership with MCP as we strive to effectively implement NG 9-1-1 and believe that MCP’s technical and professional guidance will help us sustain our leadership role in providing the most advanced 9-1-1 services in the state of Oklahoma,” said Mark W. Sweeney, ACOG executive director.
MCP will provide additional procurement support for 9-1-1 ACOG’s call-handling equipment (CHE) solution assessments, helping to develop the CHE technical and functional requirements that support the replacement of the current systems in a seamless transition.
Formed in 1988 to implement, administer and coordinate the operation of regional enhanced 9-1-1service, 9-1-1 ACOG provides its services to nearly 50 communities in central Oklahoma.
Would you like to comment on this story? Find our comments system below.

RSS
NENA Hires Heinze as 9-1-1, PSAP Operations Director

Heinze has spent the majority of her nearly three-decade career in 9-1-1 focused on public-safety answering point (PSAP) operational issues. In her new role, she will identify how the ongoing technological evolution will impact 9-1-1 and next-generation (NG 9-1-1) services and operations, as well as how new technologies and new leadership, workforce management and wellness best practices can enhance 9-1-1-center operations.
Additionally, she will design and implement projects related to current, emerging and prospective issues affecting 9-1-1 operations within the 9-1-1-authority and PSAP communities, including the development of standards and the management of the association’s dispatcher-focused programs.
“I couldn’t be more excited to join NENA during this time of transition for the 9-1-1 community,” said Heinze. “I’ve had the privilege of serving NENA in volunteer-leadership positions, and my experience has allowed me to become well versed in NENA’s standards development processes. I look forward to working alongside NENA staff, volunteers and members to provide 9-1-1 professionals with the tools they need to best serve the public.”
Would you like to comment on this story? Find our comments system below.

RSS
Wright Named Executive Director of NG911 Institute

Wright, a partner at Keller and Heckman, will continue serving clients for the Washington, D.C.-based law firm. Wright regularly counsels corporate clients on matters before the FCC and state public utilities commissions, including compliance with rules related to 9-1-1 reliability and call handling, telecommunications service provider regulations, state tariff requirements, customer proprietary network information (CPNI), the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA), private wireless licensing, and other related obligations. Wright also represents trade associations and corporate clients on policy matters before the FCC and has advocated policy positions on the 9-1-1 reliability rules, network outage reporting requirements, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), Connect America Fund (CAF) and other rulemaking proceedings.
Slattery, also an attorney in the telecommunications practice at Keller and Heckman, counsels corporate clients and trade associations on matters before the FCC and state public utilities commissions, including compliance with 9-1-1 rules and telecommunications service provider regulations.
As Executive Director of the NG911 Institute, Wright will work closely with the Institute’s board to continue promoting public awareness of next-generation 9-1-1 (NG 9-1-1) and emergency communications issues. He will support the organization by providing outreach, education and support to the Congressional Caucus on NG 9-1-1 and emergency communications issues.
“The N-911 Institute Board is pleased to have Mr. Wright join the Institute as its new executive director,” said Joseph Marx, chairman of the board. “Wesley’s vast experience and enthusiasm will be a great benefit to the Institute and the public-safety community.”
The NG911 Institute supports the mission of the Congressional NG 9-1-1 Caucus to promote public awareness of NG 9-1-1 and emergency communications issues and serves the caucus as a clearinghouse of information on NG 9-1-1 and emergency communications issues.
Former executive director Patrick Halley was named senior vice president, advocacy and regulatory affairs for USTelecom in January.
Would you like to comment on this story? Find our comments system below.

RSS
Michigan County Signs $47M P25 Contract with Statewide System Interface

The project will replace more than 3,500 portable radios and about 2,000 radios in emergency vehicles with Motorola Solutions two-way radios. The radios are equipped with Wi-Fi and support wireless programming. The contract includes replacing 76 radio consoles at the 20 Oakland County 9-1-1 public-safety answering points (PSAPs) with new Motorola Solutions dispatch consoles. These consoles will be integrated with the existing CallWorks 9-1-1 call-taking platform.
Implementing the network will take up to three years. During the next six months, the entities will design the 31-site simulcast system to submit to MPSCS for review. The system will be built with multiple layers of redundancy to withstand large-scale emergencies such as tornadoes or floods. The design includes 31 sites, 12 700/800 MHz channels, and P25 Phases 1 and 2 compliance.
Oakland County’s Courts and Law Enforcement Management Information System (CLEMIS), which uses computer technology for criminal justice and public-safety applications, will use the company’s radio management system to maintain and update the fleet of radios through a central database. The new network will also provide Oakland County’s public-safety departments countywide paging of firefighters with new 700/800 MHz pagers.
“This new partnership with Motorola Solutions will launch Oakland County into a whole new level of emergency communications,” said Sheriff Michael J. Bouchard. “Technology is constantly changing, and this investment will give our first responders the tools they need to serve our residents. Once again, Oakland County will set a standard for other counties to follow and emulate.”
Oakland County’s contract with Motorola Solutions requires 1% grade of service which means 99 out of 100 times the two-way radio system will be fully available to a first responder. Also, the contract requires the new radio system to cover 97 percent of the county outdoors and 95 percent of the county in buildings.
Would you like to comment on this story? Find our comments system below.

RSS
Missouri County Deploys Avtec Consoles with NEXEDGE Radio System

The new communications system includes 10 Avtec dispatch console positions and two additional console positions that are configured for operation as a backup dispatch center or for mobile operation. The system also includes radio interfaces including a direct IP integration to the county’s JVCKENWOOD NEXEDGE multisite trunked radio system and interfaces to about 20 other radio systems via Avtec radio gateways. An application programming interface (API) integrates with the county’s CAD system to provide dispatchers with the information needed to quickly and reliably make decisions.
Jasper County Emergency Services Executive Director April Ford said dispatchers have been using the same radio consoles to coordinate with first responders for 12 years.
“Our old system was antiquated and lacked the ability to easily adapt as our business practices changed,” said Ford. “Migrating from a hardware-based system to a software-based console solution provides us with communications that are crystal clear, which helps improve officer safety and reduce response times.”
Would you like to comment on this story? Find our comments system below.

RSS
Shelby County Implements In-Building 9-1-1 Location Technology

Shelby County buildings are multifloor, multidepartmental offices with key-lock, proximity or biometric access. In many instances, first responders would face an emergency call from a building with eight to 12 floors of 9,000-20,000 square feet each, and multiple rooms, small offices and cubicle areas. They would be forced to navigate this maze with no information as to floor plan, office numbers, service closets and hazardous areas, among other obstacles and route challenges.
Avaya introduced 911 Secure to the county as a proof-of-concept exercise, initially targeting three floors of the main administration building. Avaya IX Workplace with 911 Secure’s SENTRY uses new integration capabilities with the RapidSOS Clearinghouse. Through RapidSOS, first responders can access a building address, the specific endpoint location from which a call was placed, and other critical details such as the square footage of the property, detailed floor plans and which entrance is best to use — all within seconds.
“During the preliminary testing phase, we were immediately impressed with the system’s ability to recognize when an endpoint was relocated from one subnet to another; it was virtually instantaneous, and we could immediately see that one of our issues — endpoint portability — would be resolved,” said Jeff Yallope, manager customer support and telecommunications, Shelby County. “The 911 Secure capability to clearly identify locations by subnet is having a significant and beneficial impact on our network design standards. We now insist on using best practices for all ongoing network moves, adds and changes and are working retroactively to remedy some areas in preparation for a 911 Secure implementation.”
Shelby County plans to expand a complete rollout of 911 Secure’s SENTRY solution to cover the entire main administration building and the remaining seven or eight multilevel county buildings in the downtown Memphis area in the near future.
Would you like to comment on this story? Find our comments system below.

RSS
Florida County Selects Datamark for GIS Prep for NG 9-1-1 Transition

“As a small rural county, we don’t have the time or staff for labor-intensive processes like driving the entire county to tag addresses that were missing for whatever reason in our dataset,” said Clint Erickson, Washington County Board of County Commissioners, E9-1-1 mapping and addressing and E9-1-1 coordinator. “We needed a public-safety and GIS expert to come in and quickly help us meet the fairly strict GIS data standards for NG 9-1-1. From applying for a state grant to training the staff, Datamark provided Washington County with alternative and cost-effective methods to collect and validate missing address data and get it into a software solution that benefits the entire county.”
With a total population of 24,880, Washington County faces limited manpower and financial resources. In the early stages of the relationship, Datamark assisted Washington County in its state of Florida grant application process, helping the county successfully secure funding for the GIS and NG 9-1-1 project. The project is being implemented and includes three elements phased over six months.
Datamark’s staff will also provide on-site and/or virtual training for Washington County, allowing users to acquire critical knowledge to support. The county will also have access to ongoing technical support.
Would you like to comment on this story? Find our comments system below.

RSS
NENA Announces New Enhanced PSAP Registry with Mapping

The NENA EPRC, made possible through a sponsorship from Uber, will replace and improve on NENA’s PSAP Registry, which is a basic database of the contact information for every 9-1-1 center in the nation.
“NENA is excited to expand and improve upon its current PSAP registry, and we’re pleased to partner with GeoComm and Uber in this effort,” said Brian Fontes, CEO of NENA. “This improved database will help dispatchers serve the public better by providing fast, convenient, reliable access to important 9-1-1 information.”
More than 20 years ago, NENA built the original PSAP Registry to ensure that PSAPs and commercial call centers can deliver requests for service to the proper 9-1-1 center in cases when a 9-1-1 call does not arrive at the appropriate PSAP, such as when an out-of-state family member dials 9-1-1 on behalf of a relative. In cases like these, the PSAP registry provides the priority answer ten-digit phone number of the agency that needs to be notified. However, the legacy PSAP registry uses a text search based on various data items, such as community name, and does not support modern mapping or context awareness.
In addition to fulfilling its purpose of providing a single authoritative registry of PSAP contact information, the new EPRC is also an interactive mapping and search tool with expanded data such as backup phone numbers, PSAP capability information, PSAP service areas and more. Using a mapping interface, users can search for PSAP information using a landmark, community name or address, or simply by clicking on the map viewer. Additionally, the platform provides a robust application programming interface (API) to make EPRC data available to approved third-party public-safety applications.
Like the legacy PSAP registry, the EPRC is free to access for verified government public-safety personnel. Other parties, such as public-safety application providers, can access the EPRC with special approval for valid public-safety purposes.
“At Uber, we believe technology can make travel safer than ever before,” said Mike Sullivan, Uber head of global law enforcement operations. “That is why we have been working with 9-1-1 centers across the country to make Uber trip data available to dispatchers electronically and support the modernization of the PSAP directory. We are proud to partner with NENA on this effort because we know in an emergency, when every second counts, accurate location information is crucial.”
The EPRC will be available to PSAPs nationwide in summer 2019.
Would you like to comment on this story? Find our comments system below.

RSS
3 Companies Integrate 9-1-1 Technologies for Better MLTS Location Data

Avaya IX Workplace unified communications solutions for the enterprise can now deliver emergency data to public-safety agencies through an integration with 911 Secure SENTRY and RapidSOS.
In a multiline telephone system (MLTS) environment, SENTRY already provides location for IP devices as well as on-site notification for Kari’s Law compliance. Using multimedia content available when a 9-1-1 call event occurs, in-office security has the situational awareness they need to manage the incident. Now that identical information can be directly sent to 9-1-1 and first responders as well. This enables dispatchers and first responders in the field to more accurately locate a caller’s precise location and gain access to critical situational awareness when calls are made from an Avaya communications system.
The integration with RapidSOS provides precise, real-time location, floor plans and other critical information that could save lives.
“In situations where every second counts, seamless communications and sharing of high-fidelity data can make the difference between life and death,” said Mark Fletcher, Avaya chief architect of worldwide public safety solutions. “Everyone across the continuum of public safety needs real-time access to information and to each other to make certain each individual in distress receives optimal care. As the company that provides innovative ways for people to work and communicate from anywhere on any device, we are excited to partner with an innovator in emergency technology like RapidSOS to deliver a solution with advanced emergency calling capabilities to help ensure user safety wherever and however they are connected.”
Avaya IX Workplace with 911 Secure SENTRY uses new emergency data capabilities made available by the RapidSOS Clearinghouse, in use by more than 3,000 public-safety agencies nationwide. This new solution is the first to connect user-specific location information from a commercial network with 9-1-1 through the RapidSOS platform.
The RapidSOS Clearinghouse is a secure source of emergency data for public-safety agencies, which can retrieve data in an emergency through RapidSOS Portal or integrations with existing 9-1-1 center software systems. This allows them to add sophisticated information in real-time that the existing 9-1-1 infrastructure is not capable of providing.
Would you like to comment on this story? Find our comments system below.

RSS
Polaris Wireless Partners with Mark43 for 3D Location Integrated into CAD

This level of granularity in location tracking delivers enhanced situational awareness and improved operational efficiency, which in turn helps save lives and additional costs. Mark43 CAD powers field response with a mobile unit view optimized for laptop or tablet use in vehicle. Mark43 works with police and fire departments to make sure web-connected units stay mobile in the cloud.
“Our 3D location is enabling new use cases in public-safety applications with our partnership and integration into Mark43 CAD systems,” said Amir Sattar, senior vice president of operations for Polaris Wireless. “Dispatching police and firefighters to the precise location, including the correct floor number, represents a major advancement for public safety and a significant benefit for the communities they serve.”
By operating independently, or over the top, of wireless carrier networks, the platform enables applications to locate any device on any network, an important consideration when police and fire departments operate devices across several networks, a Polaris statement said.
Would you like to comment on this story? Find our comments system below.

RSS
GeoComm Selected for North Carolina NG 9-1-1 GIS Data Project

As part of the project, GeoComm will complete a statewide GIS educational campaign aimed at helping the local agencies understand the goals of the statewide NG 9-1-1 project, the processes that will be completed throughout the project, and the overall importance of the GIS data assessment phase.
In addition, GeoComm will complete a GIS data assessment of each individual county’s GIS data to determine its readiness for an NG 9-1-1 system. All participating North Carolina counties will be onboarded to GeoComm GIS Data Hub NG 9-1-1 GIS data validation and aggregation of the data into a statewide dataset. Quality control check processing will also be completed providing data quality reports to each of the participating counties.
Would you like to comment on this story? Find our comments system below.

RSS
Carbyne Partners with SOMA Global on Cloud-Based Dispatch Software

The integrated solution allows a public-safety answering point (PSAP) to be established anywhere where there is a secure, high-speed internet connection. Public locations such as libraries, municipal buildings or schools can become fully functioning PSAPs in seconds. Call-takers and dispatchers can log in to the platform to be back online.
The SOMA Global partnership with Carbyne expands upon Carbyne’s strategy of partnering with cloud-based technology companies. Carbyne’s next-generation 9-1-1 (NG 9-1-1) platform is powered by Cisco technology, making it powerful and adaptable for advanced partner capabilities.
The partnership also opens a great deal of opportunity for improved public-safety response. The cloud-native approach taken by the two companies drives enhanced resiliency through an array of diverse routing paths, easier integration with advanced applications, and a cost-effective approach to call-handling and dispatch due to the elimination of on-premise servers.
“There is a great deal of untapped potential in public safety at this time,” said Peter Quintas, CEO and co-founder of SOMA Global. “The technologies being used in most emergency communications centers are 20-plus years old, the enterprise space and the federal government have moved on to more efficient, more flexible and more effective technologies, it is time for public safety to take a huge leap forward. Working together with Carbyne, we see enormous opportunity to provide best-of-breed solutions for public safety.”
Would you like to comment on this story? Find our comments system below.