BRINGING 911 INTO THE DIGITAL AGE
T he creation of the universal emergency number in 1968 es- tablished a link between those in need and those who could provide assistance. Since that time, however, the way the public communicates has changed dramatically, and 911 systems nationwide have not kept up. Nearly 80% of American adults now use smartphones and mobile devices to manage many aspects of daily life. These devices have the ability to send and receive rich data such as text messages, photos and videos. But when citizens try to connect with 911 on a mobile device, most of those features are incompati- ble with current emergency com- munication systems, and critical information about an incident cannot be shared. While consumers have rich digital data at their fingertips, 911 telecommunicators are still limited to a largely voice-centric world. Transitioning to Next Generation 911 allows public safety answering points (PSAPs) to take advantage of digital technologies and harness breakthrough innovations. Commu- nities will be more resilient thanks to increased redundancy and call
of these networks will enhance the tools public safety has to improve emergency response. In the newNG911 landscape, the data provided to EMS from 911 commu- nication centers has the potential to move beyond the immediate needs of a specific incident. A future that connects
overload back-up, so no public request for assistance will go unanswered. Emergency telecommunicators will receive and share digital informa- tion from bystanders or sensors at the scene, including photos, texts, audio and video; information frommedical devices; and data from car sensors and building monitoring systems. The new
the data from 911, EMS, the hos- pital and other health services to a patient record would open a window to new opportunities for improved patient care. As an industry that values data and what we can learn from it, NG911 provides an opportunity that is not available to us now. The transition to NG911 is a defining moment for the nation’s emergency communications
EMS has an opportunity to embrace the transition to NG911 and recognize the value it will provide to public safety.
system and for public safety in general. As more detailed data about an inci- dent and a patient is sent to emergency responders, better, more coordinated care will be provided to the public. The NG911 initiative is the foundation for a transformation of emergency communi- cations; it should serve as a catalyst for all of us in public safety to work closer together and to strengthen relation- ships in our shared goal of protecting our communities. EMS has an opportunity to embrace the transition to NG911 and recognize the value it will provide to public safety. We can leverage new technologies to enhance communication and increase access to data in order to im- prove the care we deliver. This is better for the safety of our responders, for our profession, for our patients and for our communities. n
infrastructure can link the rich data coming from the public to dispatch- ers and then to responders in the field. This augments information shared over broadband networks such as FirstNet, a wireless network for public safety re- sponders that is being rolled out across the nation. FirstNet and NG911 are separate but related efforts—two parts of one whole: our nation’s public safety communications system. New technolo- gies being developed to take advantage
ADAPTING PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS TO MODERN TECHNOLOGIES
77%
Adapting the U.S. emergency communication system to be responsive to smartphones is a pressing safety issue, and migration to an IP-enabled system is essential to meet the public’s expectation of public safety systems. SOURCE: Pew Research Center, November 2016
ROUGHLY THREE-QUARTERS OF AMERICANS NOW OWN A SMARTPHONE
Dia Gainor Executive Director, National Association of State EMS Officials
NG911 1
Made with FlippingBook Learn more on our blog