Headlines You May Have Missed...
Headlines You May Have Missed... by Bill MacKay
Some headlines in recent weeks caught my attention. The information provides guidance on where emergency services are heading and hold the promise of what will be. Much of this information has been widely reported on, but it is not mainstream news.
Earliest state plans for FirstNet could be ready in latter half of 2015, FirstNet official says
FirstNet or the First Responder Network Authority was created with the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 to establish a US nationwide, interoperable public safety broadband network dedicated to first responders.
From FirstNet’s FAQ’s, “FirstNet is an independent authority within the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration. FirstNet is governed by a 15member Board consisting of the Attorney General of the United States, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and 12 members appointed by the Secretary of Commerce. The FirstNet Board is composed of representatives from public safety; local, state and federal government; and the wireless industry.”
Make no mistake, FirstNet is a huge undertaking. It requires cooperation at every level of government, standards to be determined, coverage for rural areas to be addressed, infrastructure that supports 100% reliability and much more. And of course, who pays for what...
A number of states have started to make some significant headway and are providing a leadership role for other states to follow. Others are behind.
A report was published June 2014 on NASCIO (see https://www.nascio.org/publications/) following a survey of its members representing Chief Information Officers of the States. The question was asked, “is your state actively conducting FirstNet outreach and education activities at this time?” Of those responding, 22.7 % said no, and an additional 2.3% were not sure.
With the intent of providing a network that can be leveraged by first responders, more will need to be done to get FirstNet landed. Earliest estimates for FirstNet readiness suggest late 2015.
Woman in Minneapolis calls 911, reaches NY operator
This type of story is bound to get attention, but there is also something that perhaps gets overlooked and that was the response of the 911 call taker when the second call was placed. Recognizing that something was wrong, the second call taker in New York contacted Minneapolis emergency so that a response was made possible. It also underscores the importance of staying with the call when 911 has been contacted.
Jurisdictions show 'steady increase' in text-to-911 service adoptions
At least 102 public-safety answering points (PSAPs) in 17 states were accepting text messages as of the end of June, an official from the Federal Communications Commission said during a recent National 911 Program webinar.
This underscores some of the issues that currently facing Text to 911. There are over 6,000 PSAPs in the US, but to date only 102 have the ability to handle Text to 911. There is a perception that this service is readily available everywhere in the US, but that is far from the case.
Mark Fletcher has been tracking the Text to 911 deployment status and has been updating a map of the United States that shows where coverage for text to 911 currently exists. When you look at the actual coverage area, very little of the US has this service. Coverage may also vary by carrier (see https://www.slideshare.net/MarkFletcherEnp/apn-text-to9110630).
It should be noted that in Canada it is text with 911, not text to 911. This difference is not widely understood and requires that a user be registered for the T 911 service (see https://textwith911.ca/).
A general rule to apply is that if possible, use a phone; if not, then use text. The message may bounce back advising the caller that text service is not available.