ACTION NEEDED:

Urge your Members of Congress to support legislation to provide funding for the deployment of Next Generation 9-1-1 and for other purposes. Introduced by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) in the previous Congress, the legislation would provide for the establishment of Next Generation 9-1-1 and would vastly improve interoperability with regards to all emergency communication systems. The bill would also establish a Next Generation 9-1-1 cybersecurity center to coordinate with state, local and regional governments to detect and prevent cybersecurity intrusions related to Next Generation 9-1-1.

BACKGROUND:

Upgrades to our nation's emergency communications systems are urgently needed to move our 9-1-1 call centers and data center technology into the digital age. Most of the nation's 9-1-1 systems were originally created using analog technology, and a modernization effort is needed to both recognize and improve the work of our emergency personnel in providing critical services to our communities.

The transformation of our nation's emergency communications systems to a digital or Internet Protocol (IP)-based 9-1-1 system, commonly referred to as Next Generation 9-1-1, will improve emergency services delivery in several ways. For example, the implementation of Next Generation 9-1-1 will enhance emergency number services to create a faster, more resilient system that allows voice, photos, videos and text messages to flow seamlessly from the public to the 9-1-1 network.

Implementation of Next Generation 9-1-1 legislation would ensure the following principles are met:

• Ensure interoperability, reliability, resiliency and the use of commonly accepted standards

• Incorporate cybersecurity tools, including intrusion detection and prevention measures

• Enable emergency communications centers to process, analyze, and store multimedia, data, and other information

KEY TALKING POINTS:

• The time is now to upgrade our nation's emergency communications systems and empower both state and local governments with the tools to update our emergency response networks and improve services to communities.

• Interoperability is the key to the future of our telecommunications and technology infrastructure, and Next Generation 9-1-1 is our first step in ensuring the nation's emergency communications system does not fall behind.