Every second counts in emergency response. And public expectations for emergency services have evolved dramatically.
- Today’s citizens expect emergency services to match their modern digital communication experiences, demanding faster response times and enhanced service capabilities.
- Accessibility requirements have become increasingly important, with a growing emphasis on serving all members of the community effectively, including those with disabilities and different communication needs.
At the same time, cybersecurity concerns have emerged as a crucial issue. Modern security protocols are essential to protecting critical emergency communication systems from evolving threats. Enhanced data protection measures, better system monitoring capabilities, and improved threat response mechanisms have become non-negotiable requirements for emergency communication infrastructure.
Yet many of America’s emergency call centers or public safety answering points (PSAPs) operate on infrastructure that predates the smartphone/internet/social media era.
While the average person today can instantly share their precise location, photos, and videos through social media, most 911 systems still rely on the same basic technology that powered emergency communications in the 20th century.
This technological gap isn’t just an inconvenience: it’s a critical public safety challenge that affects emergency response times and outcomes every day.
Answering with NG911
In response, PSAPs and their carriers have been transitioning from traditional hardware-based 911 systems to IP-based Next Generation 911 (NG911) networks. The development of NG911 began in the 2000s, but implementation across the U.S. and Canada has been gradual and continues today.
As the vast majority of 911 calls now originate from mobile devices, this transition enables 911 call center systems and handlers to take advantage of the valuable data provided by smartphones. These include the callers’ locations and other contextual information.
Location accuracy improvements offer one of the most significant advances in NG911. Location-based routing capabilities now enable device-based location identification rather than relying on cell tower triangulation. This enhancement leads to more precise emergency services deployment, reducing response times and enhancing situational awareness for first responders.
…most 911 systems still rely on the same basic technology that powered emergency communications in the 20th century.
Multimedia communication capabilities have transformed how PSAPs handle calls. NG911 systems support text messages, allowing for silent emergency communication when voice calls might be dangerous or impossible for citizens.
The ability to also share incident-related imagery through photos and videos provides enhanced situational awareness to emergency responders. These capabilities particularly improve 911 accessibility for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals, ensuring equal access to emergency services.
Enhanced interoperability between jurisdictions presents another crucial advancement. Seamless call transfers between PSAPs ensure that no emergency falls through the cracks of jurisdictional boundaries. Consistent data formatting across systems facilitates improved cross-jurisdiction coordination and better resource sharing among public safety agencies.
Automated information sharing provides numerous advantages for call handlers. Here’s how:
- Reduced manual data entry requirements allow operators to focus on the emergencies at hand rather than administrative tasks.
- Faster information processing and more accurate data collection enable improved decision-making support.
Improving Truly Mission-Critical Call Handling
Call handlers manage literal life or death situations on a near-daily basis, which can result in burnout and high turnover: in an industry that must prioritize clarity of mind and experiential knowledge among employees.
NG911-enabled improvements create a better work environment and enhance job satisfaction among PSAP personnel. This reduces the risk of burnout and loss of valuable human resources.
NG911 systems support text messages, allowing for silent emergency communication when voice calls might be dangerous or impossible…
For 911 call center management, enhanced data analytics and reporting capabilities enable more effective operations. Historic call volume analysis helps predict staffing needs, while performance metrics tracking enables continuous improvement. These tools allow for proactive operational adjustments rather than reactive responses to challenges.
Operational efficiency improvements extend throughout the call center. Streamlined call handling processes reduce response times, while better resource allocation ensures optimal use of available personnel. This reduces operational costs and enhances productivity across all aspects of emergency call center operations.
The transformation to NG911 is more than just a technical upgrade: it’s an evolutionary improvement in how emergency communications can protect citizens, communities, and businesses in the digital age.
Regulatory Urgency
Recent regulatory developments have accelerated the push toward modernization: and NG911. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC)’s unanimous vote in July 2024 established mandatory transition requirements and specific compliance timelines.
In March 2025, the FCC announced that full compliance with the NG911 Transition Order is now required. PSAPs can begin issuing formal NG911 transition requests to service providers.
For non-rural wireline, nationwide commercial mobile radio service (CMRS), text, and VoIP providers, the compliance deadline is set at six months, while rural providers and others have 12 months to comply, after receiving a valid request for NG911 enablement from a 911 authority.
Technology Challenges
These clear implementation guidelines provide a framework for the systematic modernization of emergency communication systems.
But the current state of 911 infrastructure remains deeply dependent on outdated technology. Many systems continue to rely on hardwired telephone networks first designed in the 1900s: which create severe limitations in the ability to transmit modern data to public safety organizations.
These legacy systems, originally designed for landline communication, are largely incompatible with contemporary communication technologies and cannot effectively handle modern communication methods.
The disconnect between modern communication methods and legacy systems grows more pronounced each day. While most 911 systems still operate on infrastructure designed for landline phones, approximately 80% of emergency calls now originate from mobile devices, according to the National Emergency Number Association (NENA).
This technological gap means that most emergency communication centers cannot effectively utilize the valuable metadata generated by and found on smart devices. Critical information that could provide context, location accuracy, and additional situational awareness remains untapped.
The impact on public safety response times and effectiveness is significant. Legacy systems inherently limit information sharing formats and speed, creating delays in emergency responses as well as challenges when information must be transferred to other 911 jurisdictions. Especially those that have deployed more advanced, digitally based infrastructure.
Legacy systems also create problems for wireless calls, as location accuracy challenges with cell tower-based routing can lead to misrouted calls and delayed responses. The need for manual information gathering as a result of leveraging outdated systems further compounds these challenges, negatively affecting critical response times when every second counts.
The technological components of NG911 are sophisticated yet standardized to enable efficient information sharing and communication. Session-Initiated Protocol (SIP) formatting ensures consistent communication protocols, while i3 standards guarantee interoperability across systems. IP-based data transmission and advanced routing systems enable faster and more reliable emergency communication.
Ensuring NG911 Security
As with any other digitized network, bad actors will seek to take advantage of unprotected critical systems. PSAPs provide enticing targets for a vast range of criminals and their crimes including extortion (such as through ransomware) and terrorism.
When proper security measures are implemented, such as firewalls, encryption, and multifactor authentication, the biggest cybersecurity risk to NG911 networks and PSAPs is then their people, through vectors like social engineering.
In anticipation and response, it’s essential for PSAPS to train staff on identifying and avoiding common threats to reduce opportunities for breaches and avoid costly mistakes. They should also perform thorough background checks on prospective new hires and call handlers to remove the risk of employing people with criminal records or other factors that could be leveraged to gain unauthorized access to 911 systems.
Overcoming Institutional Resistance
But resistance to complex systems often stems from legitimate concerns: in the case of NG911, these concerns often come from 911 authorities and PSAP managers.
These professionals have worked hard to optimize public safety operations, despite their dependence on outdated systems. They are understandably wary of the unseen impacts new infrastructure might present.
Fear of increased complexity and system reliability worries can create hesitation. There are also training requirements and operational disruption concerns that must be carefully addressed in the implementation process.
Beyond regulatory compliance requirements, the public safety benefits and operational advantages make modernization essential.
Budget and resource allocation challenges present significant hurdles. Infrastructure investment requirements and ongoing maintenance costs must be balanced against available resources. As such, the need for federal funding support remains a crucial factor in successful implementation.
Network infrastructure considerations also require careful planning from both PSAPs and carriers, although carriers are ultimately responsible for network updates and operability assurance. Here’s where:
- IP network requirements must be met while maintaining robust security protocols, while redundancy needs and integration challenges must be addressed to ensure system reliability.
- Proper implementation also requires rigorous testing protocols and carefully planned cutover strategies.
- Backup procedures must be established to ensure continuous operation.
- Quality assurance (QA) measures need to be implemented to maintain service standards.
With these complex considerations, 911 authorities’ technology partner selection becomes crucial for successful implementation. Experience requirements, support capabilities, integration expertise, and compliance understanding must all factor into partner selection decisions.
Enabling The Future of Public Safety Requires Action Now
As illustrated, the future capabilities of NG911 systems are expansive.
AI integration potential promises more efficient call handling through automated call triage systems. Meanwhile, language translation services could eliminate communication barriers. At the same time, advanced analytics capabilities could further optimize emergency response operations.
Proactive adoption of NG911 has become imperative. Beyond regulatory compliance requirements, the public safety benefits and operational advantages make modernization essential.
The evolution of emergency communications technology has reached a pivotal moment. Emergency call centers can no longer afford to delay modernization, as the gap between public expectations and legacy system capabilities continues to widen.
While the transition to NG911 may seem daunting, the costs of maintaining outdated infrastructure — both in terms of operational inefficiency and public safety impact — far outweigh the challenges of modernization.
The time to act is now. The future of public safety depends on embracing these technological advancements, transforming emergency communications from a reactive system to a proactive, data-driven network that can truly protect and serve communities in the digital age.
