Frequently Asked Questions "FAQ" for Next Generation 9-1-1

Next Generation 911 (NG911) significantly advances emergency response systems. Unlike traditional 911 services, which primarily rely on voice calls, NG911 embraces modern communication technologies to enhance the speed and efficiency of emergency responses. Here's how it stands out:

1. Multi-Modal Communication: NG911 allows the public to seek help through voice calls, text messages, photos, and videos. This multi-modal communication ensures that the emergency services get a clearer and real-time understanding of the situation on the ground.

2. Accurate Location Data: With NG911, the emergency services can pinpoint the caller's exact location using advanced location technologies. This accuracy ensures a quicker response, which can be life-saving in critical situations.

3. Internet Protocol (IP)-based Technology: Unlike the legacy systems that use copper wire technology, NG911 employs modern IP-based technology to transmit data. This shift allows faster, more reliable public and emergency responders communication.

4. Improved Infrastructure: Transitioning to NG911 requires an upgrade from outdated copper wire systems to robust fiber networks. Although this transition demands time and financial investment, it is a crucial step towards ensuring that Arizona's emergency response system is well-equipped to meet the evolving needs of the public and first responders.

In a nutshell, NG911 is not just about modernizing the 911 service; it's about creating a more responsive and reliable emergency communication system for the people of Arizona. Through these upgrades, we aim to foster a safer and more resilient community, ready to face any emergency with prompt and effective responses.

Imagine a hiker encounters a severe thunderstorm and is stranded on a trail near Payson. The hiker uses their smartphone to dial 911. With NG911, the moment the call is made, the ESInet springs into action.

1. Call Initiation: The hiker dials 911 on their smartphone. They can also send a text message to 911, explaining their situation and sharing their location.

2. Location Identification: NG911’s advanced location technologies quickly pinpoint the hiker’s precise location. This is crucial as every second counts in emergencies.

3. Call Routing: The ESInet smartly routes the call and the accompanying text message to the nearest emergency dispatch center in Payson, ensuring the right local help is alerted.

4. Information Sharing: The dispatch center receives the voice call, text message, and the hiker’s location. They can also receive photos or videos if the hiker can send them. This gives the first responders a better understanding of the emergency before they arrive.

5. Response Coordination: The dispatch center coordinates a quick and informed response with this information. They dispatch a local rescue team to the hiker’s location to assist.

6. Continuous Communication: Throughout the rescue, the dispatch center, rescue team, and the hiker can stay in communication, sharing vital information and updates through NG911’s multi-modal communication capabilities.

This scenario underscores the adaptability and efficiency of NG911, illustrating how it facilitates a faster and more informed emergency response, potentially saving lives and reducing the severity of incidents.

NG911 fills the voids that legacy analog systems could never support. NG911 is about location accuracy and getting to an incident or a caller quicker than ever before. NG911 supports the following:

• Geospatial routing: NG911 uses advanced technology to accurately route emergency calls to the nearest Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) based on the caller's location. This can help ensure that emergency calls are answered quickly and by the right people.
• Improved layers of redundancy: NG911 systems are designed to include multiple layers of redundancy, such as MPLS, broadband, and 5G LTE. This means that even if one type of connection goes down, there will be backup options to keep the system running.
• Policy routing: NG911 systems include policy routing capabilities that allow PSAPs to automatically failover to other locations in the event of a disaster recovery scenario. This helps to ensure that emergency calls can be answered even in extreme situations.
• Text, picture, and video: NG911 systems can accept various multimedia messages, including text, pictures, and video. This can provide more detailed information to the PSAP, which can help them respond more effectively.
• Interoperability: NG911 systems are built to be interoperable, meaning they can communicate and share information with other emergency services organizations. This can improve coordination and response times during emergencies.
• Real-time data and analytics: NG911 systems can provide real-time data and analytics on emergency calls, including caller location, emergency type, and response times. This can help emergency service organizations improve their response times and make more informed decisions.
• Advanced technologies: NG911 systems can include cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning, which can help emergency service organizations respond more effectively to different emergencies. This can help identify patterns, predict emergency calls, and provide quicker and more accurate responses.
• Improved accessibility: NG911 systems can include enhanced accessibility features, such as text-to-speech, speech-to-text, and translation services. This can help ensure that emergency services are accessible to all individuals, including those with hearing or speech impairments, limited English proficiency, or disabilities.
• Remote Call-taking: NG911 systems allow for remote call-taking, enabling public safety answering points (PSAPs) to receive and process calls from remote locations, such as home or virtual offices. This allows for better flexibility and continuity of service during a crisis or natural disaster.
• Cybersecurity measures: NG911 systems include advanced cybersecurity measures to protect against cyber-attacks and ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of emergency communications. These measures include encryption, firewalls, intrusion detection and prevention, and regular security assessments.
• Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) : NG911 systems include Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) which helps to distribute the incoming calls to the available PSAPs automatically, this feature is designed to improve the handling of high volume calls, and ensure the call is answered in a timely manne

An Emergency Service IP Network "ESInet" manages the delivery of location data, data security, and call and data routing to the appropriate 911 center and emergency services. When an ESInet efficiently communicates with local GIS data, it ensures that calls are reliably routed to the appropriate personnel.

Once located and received, a computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system prioritizes and records emergency calls, locates existing responders in the field, and dispatches the appropriate responders to an incident. The closest first responders are notified in near real-time with various data to provide detailed situational awareness of the incident. This data may include images and video from the scene, building plans, or other critical data to support the event. 

In essence, NGCS is the engine under the hood of NG911, driving a more sophisticated, responsive, and adaptable emergency service network. It brings about a transformative upgrade over the previous systems, making emergency services more reliable and effective, no matter the scale or nature of the crisis at hand.

Absolutely, Eric. Next Generation Core Services (NGCS) are crucial components that power the functionality of NG911. They represent a major leap from the capabilities of legacy 911 systems, enabling a more dynamic, efficient, and adaptable emergency response framework. Here’s a simplified breakdown:

1. Geospatial Call Routing: Unlike legacy systems which route calls based on fixed zones, NGCS uses real-time location data to route emergency calls to the nearest and most relevant response units. This geospatial routing is much quicker and more accurate, ensuring help arrives as fast as possible.

2. Policy Routing Function: This feature allows for the customization of call-routing based on specific local policies or priorities. For instance, during a wildfire, policy routing could prioritize calls from affected areas to ensure swift response.

3. Last Resort Routing: In case the primary routing methods fail, the Last Resort Routing ensures that the call still reaches a dispatch center. It's a backup to ensure every call for help is answered, even under challenging circumstances.

4. AI/ML (Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning): NGCS can leverage AI and ML technologies to analyze data and improve system performance over time. For instance, predicting call volumes to better allocate resources or identifying trends in emergency situations.

5. Interstate/Intrastate Interconnectivity: NGCS fosters better communication and coordination among emergency services across town, county, and state lines. This is crucial during large-scale emergencies that require a coordinated response across different regions.

6. Enhanced Data Management: NGCS allows for better management and sharing of critical data among emergency response entities. Unlike legacy systems, data can be shared seamlessly, ensuring all parties have the necessary information to respond effectively.

Call Handling as a Service (CHaaS) is a model for providing 9-1-1 services that rely on cloud-based technology and infrastructure rather than on-premise hardware and software. In a CHaaS model, 9-1-1 calls are routed to a cloud-based call center, which is answered and processed by trained 9-1-1 operators. CHaaS is often seen as an alternative to traditional on-premise infrastructure, which can be more expensive and complex to maintain.

One advantage of CHaaS is that it can be more scalable and flexible than on-premise infrastructure. Because the call center is cloud-based, it can be easily expanded or contracted to meet changing demand and can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection. CHaaS can also be more reliable and secure than on-premise systems, as it is typically supported by multiple redundant servers and is managed by experienced professionals. ChaaS can often be implemented more quickly and with fewer upfront costs than on-premise systems, making it an attractive option for organizations looking to modernize their 9-1-1 services.

The National Emergency Number Association (NENA) sets the standards that encompass the entire framework for the NG911 umbrella. These standards include GIS and attribute data and the network and system components that make up NG911.

Geographic Information System (GIS) technology is essential in Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) because it helps to accurately locate and route emergency calls to the appropriate public safety answering point (PSAP). A traditional 9-1-1 system uses Automatic Location Information (ALI) and the Master Street Address Guide (MSAG).

ALI is a database that contains information about the location of every telephone number in a given area. When a 9-1-1 call is made, the ALI database determines the caller's location so the call can be routed to the appropriate PSAP.

The MSAG database contains information about a given area's street addresses and geographic boundaries. It is used to determine a particular PSAP's jurisdiction and ensure that 9-1-1 calls are routed to the correct PSAP.

In NG9-1-1, GIS technology is used to supplement and enhance the capabilities of ALI and MSAG. GIS can provide more detailed and accurate location information, including the caller's precise latitude and longitude and information about the surrounding environment.

GIS can also enhance the routing of 9-1-1 calls in NG9-1-1 systems. By integrating GIS data with routing protocols, NG9-1-1 systems can more accurately route calls to the appropriate PSAP based on the caller's location and the surrounding environment.

Overall, the integration of GIS technology in NG9-1-1 systems helps to improve the accuracy and efficiency of the 9-1-1 system, ensuring that emergency calls are routed to the correct PSAP as quickly as possible.

NG9-1-1, Next Generation 9-1-1, refers to a modernized, internet-based version of the 9-1-1 system. It is designed to be more flexible, efficient, and reliable than traditional 9-1-1 systems. It can support a wide range of advanced features such as text, photo, and video messaging and location tracking.

To ensure the reliability of the NG9-1-1 system, it is often designed with multiple levels of redundancy, which means that it has multiple backup systems in place in case one or more of the primary systems fail. The three main redundancy levels for NG9-1-1 are:

• MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching): This networking technology is used to transmit data across a network of interconnected devices. MPLS is often used as a primary means of transmitting 9-1-1 calls in NG9-1-1 systems, as it is fast and reliable. Broadband: This refers to high-speed internet connectivity that is provided through a variety of technologies such as cable, DSL, or fiber.
• Broadband can be a secondary means of transmitting 9-1-1 calls in NG9-1-1 systems in case the primary MPLS connection fails.
• 5G LTE (Long-Term Evolution) through FirstNet: This wireless networking technology provides fast, high-capacity connectivity. FirstNet is a dedicated communications network for first responders and public safety agencies. It can be a tertiary means of transmitting 9-1-1 calls in NG9-1-1 systems if the primary MPLS and secondary broadband connections fail.

Using multiple redundancy levels, NG9-1-1 systems can ensure that 9-1-1 calls can always get through, even if one or more of the primary systems fail. This helps to ensure that the 9-1-1 system is always available and reliable, which is critical in emergencies.