Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Wireless E911 status unknown due to lack of data

From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2004 14:37:59 -0400

Wireless E911 status unknown due to lack of data
By Heather Forsgren Weaver
April 28 13:18:00, 2004

WASHINGTON—The state of wireless enhanced 911 deployment is difficult to
determine because different entities use different standards, said the
NGA Center for Best Practices in a paper presented Wednesday to the
FCC’s Third Wireless E911 Coordination Initiative.

“The lack of standardization in assessing progress makes it difficult to
accurately evaluate where states are in implementation. The Department
of Transportation and the National Emergency Number Association have a
national database that receives information filed by the wireless
carriers on a quarterly basis. However, the total number of
public-safety answering points that need to be upgraded is unknown,”
reads the paper.

Since E911 deployment is essentially a local activity, the Federal
Communications Commission has been trying to work with the National
Governors Association to get the governors involved.

The NGA paper represents suggestions for governors on how they can move
forward with wireless E911 implementation, but it acknowledges that one
of the biggest problems is getting a handle on the problem.

“The Transportation Department database does not differentiate between
PSAPs that will require equipment upgrades and those that will not,”
said NGA. “It would be difficult to aggregate this state-by-state data
and have a true reflection of the current status of implementation.
Without this critical assessment, it is [hard] for decision makers to
determine where resources should be allocated.”

NGA suggests that governors appoint a statewide coordinator and gives
various examples of those that have worked, but warns that the
coordinator must have sufficient authority over implementation and
budget issues to be effective.
“A state E911 coordinator with little or no authority is not effective.
Some states that have statewide coordination have found that if
leadership and oversight are lacking, the effort is unsuccessful. This
lack of coordination creates other challenges as well, including
less-effective use of funding resources and a less-organized approach to
providing technical support to PSAPs,” said NGA.

http://rcrnews.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?newsId=17895

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