Posted on 11/24/2021 6:53:07 PM PST by algore
Public safety officials fear the nation's 911 centers will continue to languish in the analog era, after Democrats slashed proposed funding for a digital makeover in their social spending bill.
Why it matters: The potentially life-saving ability for people to send texts, pictures or videos to 911 centers, and for centers to seamlessly share data with each other, remains out of reach for many of the country’s 6,000 centers.
What's happening: The House Energy & Commerce Committee advanced a proposal that would have spent $10 billion on next-generation 911 centers in September, but that funding was reduced to $470 million for deployment in the final House version of the Build Back Better Act.
A cost report to Congress on next-generation 911 from 2018 estimated it would take about $12 billion to implement the networks nationwide, though advocates say $15 billion might be needed. "To say I'm disappointed is to put it mildly," Brian Fontes, CEO of NENA: The 911 Association, told Axios. "It's extraordinarily unfortunate."
How it works: Next-generation 911 would allow centers to accept multimedia from those in need and let centers share data among themselves easily to ensure the best response.
For example, a smartwatch wearer having a heart attack could send a 911 alert, said Capt. Mel Maier of the Oakland County, Michigan, Sheriff's Office, who chairs the Public Safety Next Generation 911 Coalition. “We’ve had people in the closet because they’re hiding from a domestic violence” incident text 911, Maier said. And because it’s not a community his 911 center serves, he said he’s had to relay caller information by phone to another emergency response center due to incompatible texting programs. Roughly 3,000 911 centers can receive text messages, according to an FCC report.
The intrigue: The proposed $10 billion in Build Back Better funding was cut as part of the negotiations with the Senate to bring down the total, sources told Axios.
The current system works, and has extremely high reliability.
yes 911 should be able to get Text Msgs, but that is an easy and not even costly to add.
( I remember Battlestar Galactica )
Of course we should also upgrade the 911 number to something easy like
0118 999 881 999 119 7253
if you don’t recognize the number you have missed out on one of the best comedy shows in the last 20 years
Let local governments pay for upgrades. Why would this be a National job?
I managed large call centers.
I’ve been in plenty of 911 centers. I wonder where they are going to find, hire, train, and retain all of the agents who will be able to interpret these videos and shared data.
There are barely enough staff now.
Oh well, those unhappy McDonald’s customers who can’t get their McNuggets when they want them, will have to be happy with the 911 system as it is.
Decimate?
Like now its 9.11?
I’m really tired of hearing how nothing is possible without government money.
Life apparently stands still unless government is involved. Who knew!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.