What’s the difference between the systems? You have likely heard of FirstNet be- cause it was created with government oversight and was initially funded by Congress. It’s a dedicated public safety broadband network, built by AT&T, that allows for local, regional and
nels are overloaded. Explains Chief Jeff Johnson, CEO of the Western Fire Chiefs Association and former Vice Chair of the FirstNet Board of Direc- tors, “The FirstNet spectrum is so large that it can hold hundreds of simultane- ous communications without clogging a network.”
be sent to EMS responders, helping themmake more informed decisions. Dia Gainor, Executive Director of the National Association of State EMS Officials, considers NG911’s ability to handle rich data as vital for a faster response and to keep EMS responders
nationwide communication among responders. You may not have heard of NG911 because it’s being implemented independently by states, regional authori- ties, counties and munici- palities. NG911 technology is based on software sys- tems running on high-speed managed networks. This technology inter-connects PSAPs with systems that are able to deliver improved location accuracy, caller in- formation, and data related to a location, such as sen- sors or alarms. The NG911 infrastructure enhances dispatchers' ability to re- ceive 911 calls frommobile phones and devices, as well as receive text messages and faster, more accurate caller location information. Once NG911 is imple- mented, emergency service providers will reap more benefits from FirstNet. NG911 is the other half of the equation because it allows the public to send relevant data to call centers and enables EMS profes- sionals to have access to this data to make mission- critical decisions.
safer with improved situ- ational awareness. “Now all of that intelligence in a NG911 world will be avail- able to dispatch immedi- ately,” Gainor says. Matt Zavadsky, President- Elect of the National Associ- ation of Emergency Medical Technicians, acknowledges that some responders view NG911 benefits as futuristic. But he points out that the same responders question why 911 is unable to perform and pinpointing a location. Says Zavadsky, “They see the benefits of their smart device in a Lyft driver find- ing them at the airport or delivering a Domino’s pizza.” What is FirstNet andwhy dowe need bothNG911 and FirstNet? FirstNet is a wireless na- tionwide network that gives public safety officials a ded- icated network for commu- nicating with one another in the field, and allows them to receive important digital information from PSAPs. smartphone functions such as sharing a video Through the FirstNet network, emergency dispatchers can securely share critical information
How soon will NG911 be
upgraded inmy community? The progress for implementing NG911 varies nationwide. Some states have not yet begun planning, while others are in progress and some, like Massa- chusetts, Maine, Vermont and Indiana, have completed the initial transition to NG911. n
Together, NG911 and FirstNet are two parts of one emergency communica- tion system that moves public safety technology into the digital age. They complement each other and, when coordinated, will enable the exchange of rich data among the public, 911 and first responders.
about the scene of an incident, such as building layouts, potential injuries, photos, videos and real-time updates, including information provided by the public to PSAPs via NG911. FirstNet ensures that first responder teams can still communicate with each other when public communication chan-
NG911 3
Made with FlippingBook Learn more on our blog