TRANSFORMING LAW ENFORCEMENT WITH NEXT GENERATION 911
I n 1968, the creation of 911 as the universal emergency number estab- lished a link between first respond- ers and those in need. However, since the 1960s, the way the public commu- nicates has changed dramatically, and the nation’s 911 system has failed to keep up. More than 80% of Americans now use smartphones and mobile de- vices to send and receive rich data such as text messages, photos and videos. Today, when the public attempts to “call” 911 on a mobile device, many modern features cannot be used with the legacy emergency communication infrastructure. Because of this, critical information about the emergency often cannot be shared. While the public has rich digital data at their fingertips, 911 telecommunicators are still limited to a largely voice-centric world. To revolutionize emergency communi- cations, the 911 system urgently needs to upgrade to Next Generation 911 (NG911). NG911 allows public safety answering points (PSAPs) to take advantage of digital technologies and harness breakthrough innovations. With NG911’s ability to transfer calls and data among PSAPs, communities will be more resilient thanks to in- creased redundancy and call overload
share digital information from by- standers or sensors at the scene. This includes photos, texts, audio and video; information frommedical devices; data from car sensors and building monitor- ing systems; and surveillance footage. Sharing dispatchable location infor- mation is a key improvement, which will provide better situational aware- ness and help law enforcement find vic- tims and arrest suspects more quickly. These forms of information may also be used later as evidence in the pros- ecution of suspected criminals, and shared with other law enforcement backup—so every emergency call is received and answered. With NG911 capabilities, emergency telecommunicators will obtain and Sharing dispatchable location information is a key improvement, which will provide better situ- ational awareness and help law enforcement find victims and arrest suspects more quickly.
organizations and appropriate agencies.
The NG911 infrastructure can link the rich data coming from the public to 911 telecommunicators, and then to officers in the field. This data sharing is enabled by both NG911 and broadband networks such as FirstNet, a wireless network for public safety responders that is being rolled out across the na- tion. FirstNet and NG911 are separate but related efforts—two equal and es- sential parts of one whole: our nation’s public safety communications system. New applications will take advantage of these networks and become additional tools for law enforcement to improve emergency response. With NG911, the data provided to law enforcement from 911 centers has the potential to move beyond the immedi- ate needs of a specific incident. As more detailed information about an incident is sent to emergency responders, more effective, efficient protection will be provided to the public. The underlying infrastructure also allows true interop- erability among emergency responders and other public-serving agencies, to reach those in need. Law enforcement leaders should embrace the transition to NG911 and recognize its importance to public safety. We must take advantage of new technologies to enhance communica- tion and increase access to data in order to improve the protection we deliver to our communities. n
SMARTPHONES IN ACTIVE USE * More than 285 million Amer- icans now use smartphones to send and receive rich data such as text messages, photos and videos.
Reported smartphone use grew 5.7x from 2009
285M
273M
262M
228M
208M
175M
152M
112M
Eddie L. Reyes Director of Public Safety Communications Prince WilliamCounty, VA IACP Communications & Tech- nology Committee Chairman
78M
50M
* fromCTIA 2019 Annual Survey
2009
2018
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