CNCounty News

New report tracks cost, governance of counties’ 911

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NACo report examines counties' role in the operation of emergency call centers and the difficulties they face 

A new research report on emergency 911 released by the Counties Futures Lab examines the role counties play in the operation of public safety answer points (PSAPs), or emergency call centers, and the difficulties they are facing in light of decreasing 911 funding and advances in telecommunications technology.

The report includes an analysis of which level of government operates PSAPs within a state, how these PSAPs are funded and, if applicable, how funds collected by a state specifically for 911 flow to counties.

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Check out the full study here

Counties in the 48 states with county governments and the District of Columbia operate, manage and fund their own PSAPs, often mandated by the state. PSAPs, which are the centers that connect to callers when they dial 911, provide a vital link between the public and public safety officials during emergency situations. However, the cost of operating these call centers is high, costing 40 states and the District of Columbia $3.4 billion in 2015.

Funding for 911 comes from a variety of sources, including monthly fees that are set by the state and paid on consumers’ telephone bills. Yet this rate may vary by phone type within a state. As consumers shift their telecommunication preferences from wired to wireless phones, some states have seen a decrease in dedicated 911 funding as existing statutes have not been updated to account for these shifts. Subsequently, it is not uncommon for the revenue from 911 fees to fall short of the cost of running a PSAP. For example, in North Dakota., counties pay for a third of operations out of their general funds.

Most often, states collect 911 fees and remit the revenues to local governments. However, in 2015, $220.3 million in 911 fees was diverted by states throughout the country for purposes other than maintaining and upgrading PSAPs. As counties receive less in dedicated 911 revenues due to both states withholding funds and shifts in telecommunication preferences, they must turn to general fund money.

Concurrently, technological changes in the telecommunication industry have dramatically changed how consumers communicate. As such, PSAPs nationwide are adapting to Next Generation 911 (NG911), which allows for the use of text to 911 capabilities. NG911 also allows operators to identify where a caller is located and improve response times for first responders.

But upgrading PSAPs to NG911 is expensive. A number of states cite funding as a primary barrier to NG911 modernization. In New York alone, upgrades are estimated to cost $2.2 billion. In 2015, $165 million was spent on NG911 implementation.

Counties are major players in emergency management, operating and funding PSAPs across the country. But counties are facing a decline in dedicated revenues for 911 and the high cost of upgrading their systems to Next Generation 911. 

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