Improving 911’s Ability to Find Wireless Callers
Washington, DC – America’s 911 community is taking another step toward better wireless-device location capability by releasing guidance on how 9-1-1 call centers should handle location data from multiple sources.
The Recommended Best Practices for Supplemental 9-1-1 Location Data are being released today by NENA: The 9-1-1 Association, after months of collaboration with the National Association of State 911 Administrators (NASNA), the Industry Council for Emergency Response Technologies (iCERT), and the National 9-1-1 Program Office.
Designed for use by both Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) and supplemental location data providers such as mobile applications, third-party location providers, telematics, and others, the guidance will help 9-1-1 systems to safely and efficiently incorporate data that’s in addition to what is required from telecom service providers.
“As 9-1-1 callers increasingly rely on wireless smartphones, and as our devices provide more and more ways to identify our location accurately and automatically, NENA is advancing innovative solutions to address this challenge,” said NENA CEO Brian Fontes. “This guidance will enhance our nation’s emergency response system and ensure that our hard-working 9-1-1 professionals are better equipped to locate 9-1-1 callers in their time of need.”
The guidance document is the culmination of a year-long effort among NENA, NASNA, iCERT and continues the organizations’ rich tradition of bridging the knowledge gap between 9-1-1 and innovation leaders in the tech and telecom industries. NENA looks forward to further collaboration with these and other stakeholders, including updates to this guidance, as the 9-1-1 technology ecosystem evolves and America’s PSAPs adapt to meeting the needs of callers on all devices.
About NENA: The 9-1-1 Association:
The National Emergency Number Association (NENA) improves 9-1-1 through research, standards development, training, education, outreach, and advocacy. Our vision is a public made safer and more secure through universally-available state-of-the-art 9-1-1 systems and better-trained 9-1-1 professionals. Learn more at nena.org.
