Results - Topic: 9-1-1 Telephony Systems

9 1 1 Association Praises FCC Move on Robocalls

The National Emergency Number Association (NENA) has praised an FCC action aimed at decreasing the incidence of telemarketing "robocalls." ...The rulemaking, announced February 15th, would not allow PSAPs to stop informational, charity, or political calls, however. "This is a great first step, and we hope the FCC and Congress will follow it up with the changes needed to ensure that all telemarketing calls to PSAPs become a thing of the past..."

9-1-1 Industry Alliance is Now The Industry Council for Emergency Response Technologies

The trade association originally founded as the 9-1-1 Industry Alliance (9IA) has announced its expanded role and new organizational name. The 9-1-1 Industry Alliance is now the Industry Council for Emergency Response Technologies, iCERT.

911 Datamaster Celebrates 20th Anniversary

911 Datamaster, a leading developer of mission-critical data management software is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Founded in 1993 by Lyle Krehbiel, 911 Datamaster provides software technology for the accurate and instantaneous validation of routing data used to locate emergency callers.

911 Enable Completes Successful Interoperability Testing

911 Enable, a leading provider of E9-1-1 solutions for IP telephony, reports that its Emergency Routing Service (ERS) has successfully completed interoperability testing with Acme Packet's Net-Net session border controllers (SBCs). This testing provides organizations with confidence that their critical 9-1-1 data will reach the ERS, without compromising the safety and integrity of their network.

Bi-Partisan Amendment Promotes Next Generation 9-1-1

Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) around the country received encouraging news on December 1, as a bipartisan group of Representatives in the House passed an amendment aimed at improving the capabilities of the nation's 9-1-1 centers.

Cassidian Communications, Inc. and Emergency CallWorks Enter Into Patent License Agreement

Cassidian Communications, an EADS North America company, is pleased to announce that Emergency CallWorks, a public safety technology provider, has entered into a patent license agreement with Cassidian Communications for the use of Cassidian Communications' U.S. Patent No. 6,744,858, System and Method for Supporting Multiple Call Centers ('858 Patent).

Cassidian Installs First Geo-Diverse 9-1-1 Call Processing Solution in Virginia's Tidewater Region

Cassidian Communications, an EADS North America company, together with channel partner Verizon Business Solutions, has successfully upgraded the 9-1-1 call processing solution at the Newport News, Va., Police Department Communications Division. The upgraded Sentinel Patriot 9-1-1 call processing system is the first geo-diverse emergency call processing solution in the Tidewater Region.

Cassidian NG9-1-1 Solution Provides Relief When Storm Darkens Virginia Call Center

Cassidian Communications reports that its geo-diverse Sentinel Patriot call processing solution provided flawless service when the James City County Emergency Communications Center (VA) lost power in recent summer thunderstorm.

Cassidian Releases New Version Of Sentinel Patriot Emergency Call Processing Software

Emergency communications leader Cassidian Communications, an EADS North America company, has released the latest version of its next generation (NG) 9-1-1 call processing solution, Sentinel Patriot. The Sentinel Patriot 3.1 service pack (SP) 1 solution provides twelve significant enhancements that improve the flexibility, usability, configuration and security of the product and increase interoperability with third-party systems.

Cassidian Upgrades Cecil County, MD, with NG911 Call Handling Suite

Cassidian Communications, an EADS North America company, announced the successful 9-1-1 equipment upgrade at the Cecil County Department of Emergency Services Dispatch Center in Maryland, with the partnership of channel partner Verizon Business. The ten call taking positions at the 9-1-1 center are equipped with the VESTA CS call processing solution, the Aurora management information system (MIS) and the ORION Vela mapping solution.

Deployable Mobile 9-1-1 Emergency Communications Solution Succeeds in Bexar, Texas

To test its back-up capabilities in Bexar Metro 9-1-1 in Texas, Intrado deployed THOR to San Antonio for a multi-day, multi-agency, live field test.... THOR, a two-story, 40-ton, 80-foot-long vehicle with next-generation emergency communications technology, would operate as Bexar Metro’s live 9‑1‑1 communications and command center, providing a comprehensive replica of San Antonio’s police, fire, and EMS, and Bexar County Sheriff’s communications functionality.

Durham 9-1-1 Center Extends Texting Trial for Emergency Help

In order to continue to gauge the effectiveness of the new "text-to-9-1-1" technology, the Durham Emergency Communications Center and Verizon Wireless are extending the trial period beyond the January 31st deadline to now end on April 30, 2012.

E911: Raising Awareness for a Critical Component of Emergency Communications

Over the years, I've met with many safety officers and other managers who think a lot about emergency preparedness at our schools, corporations and government institutions. ... most of these organizations are not using all the tools available to provide the highest level of safety in the event of an emergency. While their intent is right, many safety officers are simply not aware of technology solutions that exist today for multi-line telephone systems that can ensure the right help gets to...

Emergency CallWorks NG9-1-1 Solution Goes Live at Southwest Oklahoma Regional PSAP

Emergency CallWorks Inc., a leading provider of NG9-1-1 and incident management software for the public safety industry, has completed the installation of its Next Generation E9-1-1 Call Taking solution at Southwest Oklahoma Regional 9-1-1. Spanning across six counties, the new Enhanced NG9-1-1 system will serve law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services and significantly improve emergency response.

FCC Report on 9-1-1 Calling From Persons with Disabilities

In May, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) commissioned a study in conjunction with the Emergency Access Advisory Committee (EAAC) to determine how callers with disabilities interacted with 9-1-1. The report is now available for download, as is an analysis of it from Rave Mobile Safety.

FCC Takes Action to Prevent Unwanted and Harassing Calls to Nation's 9-1-1 Centers

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has unanimously approved an order creating a do-not-call list for America's 9-1-1 centers. The action, approved on October 17th, prevents robocalls and unsolicited telemarketing from reaching 9-1-1 centers on administrative lines – a needless distraction that could prevent emergency calls from being answered in a timely manner.

FCC: "Big 4" Wireless Carriers Will Deploy Text-to-9-1-1 Capabilities on their Networks in 2014

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski has announced that the nation's four largest wireless carriers - AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile - have agreed to accelerate the availability of text-to-9-1-1, with major deployments expected in 2013 and a commitment to nationwide availability by May 15, 2014.

FCC: 70% of 9-1-1 calls now originate from mobile phones

On November 23rd, 2010 the FCC Chairman, Julius Genachowski called for a change in 9-1-1 call handling; noting that, "More than two-thirds - almost 70% - of 9-1-1 calls are now made from mobile phones." Examining the rate of household "wireless substitution," The Center for Disease Control and The National Center for Health Statistics released their own study: Wireless Substitution: Early Release of Estimates From the National Health Interview Survey, January - June 2010.

Florida Sheriff's Office Launches Text Messaging Service

The Marion County (FL) Sheriff's Office (MCSO) has launched a service that will enable citizens to text the agency for help in an emergency by texting their 9-1-1 center. The system, which was developed in house, enables urgent text messages to be received and handled by a system that is separate from the agency's 9-1-1 system. Messages are displayed on a dedicated screen.

From The Chair: 2B or Not 2B - That Is a Question?

When the great bard Shakespeare had Lord Polonius remark, "Though this be madness, yet there is method in 't," little did he know that he was describing the world of the modern PSAP. Now nearly 420 years later, From the Chair takes a whimsical and somewhat satirical look at the "madness" of how the public does and will communicate with the 9-1-1 center.

From the Chair: 9-1-1 Standards - Leveling the Playing Field

The ultimate evolution of the 9-1-1 system is the elimination of jurisdiction based PSAPs. In their place would be a virtual nationwide network of PSAPs. It would no longer matter which 9-1-1 center receives a call, or by what method. Every PSAP regardless of its physical location would have the ability to dispatch local resources anywhere in the country. Such a system will require significant advances in present technology. Under the umbrella of the NG9-1-1 initiative, there are...

From the Chair: Is 9-1-1 Really a System?

Do you know what 9-1-1 is? Do you know how it works? Do you know what it's for? In this article, Paul raises and discusses several thought-provoking questions about the 9-1-1 system's past, present, and future.

From the Chair: Our Hang Ups

In this installment, "Our Hang Ups," Paul discusses the nemesis of all dispatchers - the hang up and dropped call. He reminiscences a bit about the good old days when dispatching was little more than answering the phone and sending someone out. He then turns his attention to the brave new world where the onrush of new technologies is profoundly altering the operation of the PSAP, and creating ever-increasing challenges for the modern telecommunicator. To paraphrase the late American hero...

GeoComm Participates in NENA's Industry Collaboration Event 4

NENA held the Industry Collaboration Event #4 (ICE 4) in Irving, Texas at the AT&T Center for Learning the week of 11/14/11. The focus of the event was emergency call routing based on the LoST hierarchy. This is the core function required to assure reliable and predictable emergency call routing and location validation regardless of the media type or device being used to place a call

GeoComm Selected by Assn of Central Oklahoma Gvts to complete Feasibility Study for Regional 9-1-1 System

GeoComm has initiated a comprehensive study reviewing current 9-1-1 operations and systems to assess the feasibility for self-managing the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments (ACOG) Regional 9-1-1 System maintenance and network administration.

Geographic Technologies Group to aid Dothan with E9-1-1 & MSAG update

Geographic Technologies Group (GTG) has been awarded a contract to improve the street centerline layer for Dothan, Alabama. The centerline layer will be used in conjunction with their E9-1-1 and will be utilized to update their master street address guide (MSAG).

Georgia PSAP Launches Smart911 SMS

Information is knowledge and knowledge can save lives in an emergency. The City of Sandy Springs will be the first city in Georgia to use a new 9-1-1 system that will provide first responders vital information instantly. They will also be the first city in the United States to allow 9-1-1 operators to be able to initiate texting with emergency callers.

ICE-5: Advocates Collaborate to Enable Better Access to 9-1-1

The 5th Industry Collaboration Event, or "ICE 5," resulted in heightened awareness of the requirements necessary for access to 9-1-1 by all persons in the Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) environment. NG9-1-1, which will soon replace today's voice-centric 9-1-1 system, is designed to support text messaging and multimedia communications; these widely-used communications methods are especially critical for improving interactions between those with hearing- and speech-related disabilities and...

Ill's Will County 9-1-1 Backhauls Crucial Dispatch Information with Exalt

Will County 9-1-1 in Illinois has deployed Exalt microwave backhaul systems to connect its new Public Safety Answering Point/dispatch center in Bolingbrook, Illinois with a regional switching center approximately 13 miles away. Bolingbrook PSAP dispatches emergency police and fire calls supporting the community’s 73,000 residents.

In The Beginning

In the beginning, there were no dispatchers or phones and 9-1-1 was just a fantasy in some poor cop's mind. How the heck did the public get help? How did Marshal Dillon know Miss Kitty was in trouble? Screaming loudly might help.

Information Overload and the 9-1-1 Dispatcher

February, 2008 marked the 40th anniversary of the initiation of 9-1-1 service in the United States. In the four decades since that first call was made in Halleyville, Alabama much has changed.

Integra Telecom Selects Bandwidth's inetwork Division to Address 9-1-1 Requirements for Nationwide VoIP Rollout

inetwork, a division of Bandwidth and the leading choice for innovative and scalable voice, 9-1-1, and SMS solutions, has announced Integra Telecom has selected the company to support its 9-1-1 requirements for hundreds of thousands of phone records as the company executes on its nationwide rollout of IP services. Integra is one of the largest facilities-based providers of communication and networking services, connecting businesses of all sizes with carrier grade networking, communications...

Intrado Debuts Emergency Assist for U.S. Wireless Marketplace

Intrado Inc., a subsidiary of West Corporation and a leading provider of 9-1-1 technology solutions, recently debuted its Emergency Assist solution in the United States. This new service enables a wireless carrier to quickly locate a mobile device even when it is not in use by the subscriber.

Intrado Teams with Miami-Dade PD to Upgrade one of the Nation's Busiest 9-1-1 Centers

Intrado Inc., a leading provider of 9---- technology solutions, has teamed with the Miami-Dade Police Department to begin the transition of one of the largest emergency communications centers in the United States to the next-generation of 9-1-1.

LEAPS.TV offers video showcasing Nashville ECC's Smart911 system

Nashville Emergency Communications Center enhances the call taking process with citizen medical, personal and operational data while reducing call times. Learn how the Nashville ECC does it with their Smart911 program. A tuition-free, 45 minute program is available online now.

Maricopa Region 9-1-1 (AZ) Chooses Intrado to Upgrade PSAPs

Intrado Inc., a subsidiary of West Corporation and a leading provider of 9-1-1 technology solutions, has announced the upgrade of call-handling equipment for 41 emergency call taking positions in four separate public safety answering points for Maricopa Region 9-1-1 in Arizona.

Minneapolis 9-1-1 & Hennepin EMS Using FirstWatch Real-Time Situational Awareness

To ensure that police and emergency medical services in Minneapolis and Hennepin County arrive on scene as quickly as possible, the Minneapolis Emergency Communication Center and the Hennepin EMS Emergency Communication Center have deployed a new system that monitors every 9-1-1 call in real-time.

Morgan County 9-1-1 Dispatchers Get New PlantCML Call Processing System

The Morgan County (AL) Emergency Management Communication District (MCEMCD) 9-1-1 upgraded their existing 9-1-1 equipment with the next generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) Sentinel Patriot call processing solution from emergency communications leader PlantCML, an EADS North America company, through Allcomm Wireless.

National 9-1-1 Assessment Guidelines Released for Public Comment

The 9-1-1 Resource Center, sponsored by the United States Department of Transportation, National 9-1-1 Program has a project underway to develop consensus-based universal guidelines to serve as the basis for a 9-1-1 statewide program assessment process. The National 9-1-1 Assessment Guidelines are now available for public comment on the 9-1-1 Resource Center. Comments received will be considered prior to the release of the final guidelines.

New Web & Mobile Phone Application Alerts 9-1-1 with Live Stream Video

Next-Generation 9-1-1 Is Finally Poised to Take Off

More than a decade ago, the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) recognized the need for changes to the nation's 911 systems. The old systems had their jobs for decades, but in a world of wireless calling and voice over Internet protocol (VoIP), the country needed more accommodating technology. Enter the concept of next-generation 911 (NG911), a system that would run on a secure Internet protocol-based network and allow texting, data transfer and more.

NG-911 Inc. to Coordinate Southern Illinois' Next Generation 9-1-1 Project

The counties of Southern Illinois have selected NG-911, Inc. of Williamsburg, Iowa, as the integrator for the Next Generation 9-1-1 project. The Next Generation 9-1-1 project has been a long time coming as about 25% of homes no longer have landlines, they only have cell phones.

Pasco County, Fla., Upgrades to Next Generation-Ready 9-1-1 Call Processing Solution from PlantCML

The Pasco County, Fla., Emergency Communications/9-1-1 Center recently upgraded its emergency call centers to the next generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) call processing solution, Sentinel Patriot, and management information system (MIS) solution, Aurora, from emergency communications leader PlantCML, an EADS North America company, through communications system provider, AK Associates.

PlantCML changes name to Cassidian Communications, Inc.

Plant Equipment Inc., dba PlantCML, an industry leader in mission critical communications, has announced its official name change to Cassidian Communications, Inc.,an EADS North America company. As the largest and most trusted source of mission critical communications in North America, Cassidian Communications is leading the way in standards-based 9-1-1 call center applications, notification solutions and services and P25 land mobile radio networks. Over the last several years, the company...

Plaquemines Parish (LA) first to select Intrado Great Migration for move to NextGen 9-1-1

Intrado Inc., a subsidiary of West Corporation and a leading provider of 9-1-1 solutions for public safety, has announced the launch of its Great Migration offer. The offer, created to help public safety answering points (PSAPs) safely migrate to NextGen 9-1-1, is a fully managed package of Advanced 9-1-1 (A9-1-1) solutions that requires no capital outlay and comes with the Intrado i3 Guarantee to ensure ongoing compliance with evolving standards.

PowerPhone Issued Patent for Improving Emergency Response

PowerPhone, Inc., a leading provider of emergency communications training and technology solutions, has been awarded by the US Patent and Trademark Office patent number 7,978,826, entitled "Response Advisor for a Call Handling System." The embodiment of the patent, PowerPhone's Total Response Computer Aided Call Handling (CACH) software, is an application which provides a series of scripts for use by 9-1-1 dispatchers to standardize the emergency call intake process and compile, into one...

PowerPhone Wins 2011 Gold CQIA Innovation Prize

PowerPhone, Inc., a leading provider of 9-1-1 call handling systems, has been awarded a "gold" Connecticut Quality Improvement Award (CQIA) Innovation Prize for their flagship Total Response system, which combines 9-1-1 dispatcher training, tools and accreditation.

Q&A: 9-1-1 Industry Alliance Faces 9-1-1 Overload Challenges & More

With 25 years of professional background in public safety and professional services, 9-1-1 Industry Alliance (9IA) executive director George S. Rice, Jr. is now helping to tackle a major issue impacting public safety, the 9-1-1 overload issue. 9-1-1 Magazine's Randall Larson spoke with Rice on why he is dedicated to public safety and how the alliance is working to ensure that no 9-1-1 call goes unanswered.

Smart911 Improves Safety for Nearly 4 Million Citizens throughout United States

Rave Mobile Safety, a leading provider of software safety solutions, today announced that Smart911 is now available to nearly 4 million users, across multiple municipalities and states through their Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs). In its first year of availability, Smart911 has been deployed in over a dozen states and is making communities safer. Smart911 allows citizens to enter personal information online, which is then automatically available to a 9-1-1 call taker, in the event...

TCS & University of Maryland Collaborate on Innovative NG9-1-1 Apps

TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. (TCS), a leader in highly reliable and secure mobile communication technology, and the Maryland Information and Network Dynamics (MIND) Lab at the University of Maryland, have announced a joint effort to harness technology innovation and academic expertise to build new public safety applications. The two organizations will work together to explore Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) NENA (National Emergency Number Association) i3-compliant technologies for...

TeleCommunication Systems Extends Industry-Leading 9-1-1 Support to Next Generation VoLTE Networks

TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. (TCS), a leader in highly reliable and secure mobile communication technology, has announced the availability of TCS VoLTE (Voice over LTE) 9-1-1, enabling carriers to reliably deliver emergency voice communication services as they transition to new 4G/LTE networks.

TeleCommunication Systems Selected by State of Tennessee for NG9-1-1 Services

TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. (TCS), a leader in highly reliable and secure mobile communication technology, has been awarded a contract by the state of Tennessee to provide Next Generation 9-1-1 management and integration services. TCS is the first company in the nation to build a NG9-1-1 solution using a state's existing Internet Protocol network and to implement a flexible architecture that allows seamless interoperability with other vendors' products and services.

Telephone Swatting: A New Look at an Old Problem

In early February, national media provided extensive coverage of the so-called "swatting" of 9-1-1 calls. This was triggered, in part, by a Department of Justice press release concerning the guilty plea entered by an eighteen year old Boston man on a string of related charges.

Text-to-9-1-1: Operational Considerations after Vermont Trial

Beginning last April, the state of Vermont conducted a six-month trial to test the potential of 9-1-1 text messaging services... With the trial period having culminated on October 15th, 9-1-1 Magazine recently spoke with David Tucker about his views of the viability of test-to-9-1-1 services following the completion of the state's trial program.

The Emergency Call Tracking System: Making 9-1-1 Inroads in California

Over the last 15 years, 9-1-1 reporting systems have been evolving and dramatic improvements have been made with the advancement of technology. Direct Technology, a leading custom software development firm, has witnessed and contributed to this progression. The Roseville, California based group has developed a deep understanding of how to deploy and manage an extremely successful and dependable 9-1-1 reporting system.

The Facts About 1-1-2 vs. 9-1-1

You may have seen recent posts on social media sites urging people in the U.S. to dial 1-1-2 rather than 9-1-1 in certain emergencies. This is bad advice. The posts claim that 1-1-2 is especially effective if you are being pulled over in your car and want to ensure that you are dealing with the police. It also claims that by dialing 1-1-2, your call will be answered faster and may go directly to the police. Here are the facts:

The Underlying Problem With 9-1-1: Rescuers Can't Help Citizens If They Can't Locate Them

Most 9-1-1 map data is flawed across the country. It’s inaccurate and outdated - missing new streets, closed roads and sometimes whole new developments. It frustrates first responders who have to double-back on roads searching for an address that’s out of numerical order. It can be life-threatening to citizens who need assistance, yet their location cannot be identified quickly or with spot-on precision.

Today is the 44th Anniversary of 9-1-1

On February 16, 1968, the first 9-1-1 call is placed by Alabama Speaker of the House Rankin Fite from Haleyville City Hall to U.S. Rep. Tom Bevill at the city's police station. Bevill reportedly answered the phone, "Hello." The Alabama Telephone Company had beaten AT&T's implementation by 35 days. Twelve days later, on February 22, 1968, Nome, Alaska implements 9-1-1 service.

Today is the 44th Anniversary of 9-1-1 in the USA

The first 9-1-1 emergency telephone system in the USA went into service on this date in 1968 - in Haleyville, Alabama.

Vendor's Corner: NENA i3: Something Less Than the Holy Grail of NG9-1-1

The National Emergency Number Association (NENA) has put considerable effort into creating a theoretical framework for an NG9-1-1 system they call i3. NENA's i3 document outlines their idea of a completed, fully integrated IP-based network of networks shared by all emergency agencies. This work has been monumental and is viewed by many industry stakeholders as the comprehensive definition of next-generation 9-1-1. The document offers many good ideas; however, we need to be clear about what i3...

Verizon & Intrado Join Forces to Deploy NG 9-1-1 Nationwide

In a collaborative effort to provide a richer set of information - including voice, data and video - to the front lines, Verizon and Intrado are teaming to advance the state of 9-1-1 emergency services in the U.S. Under a strategic business agreement, the two companies later this year will roll out advanced capabilities that will be available to 9-1-1 centers nationwide to enable them to keep pace with today's rapidly changing telecommunications systems and the way people expect to...