E-911 Groups Urge Congress to Fund Wireless E-911
E-911 supporters urged Congress Wed. to approve funding for wireless E-911 technology that would make it possible for Americans to connect to safety services anywhere in the country. Only part of the wireless E-911 network is built, and many states need federal and state grants to upgrade equipment and technology to route calls from public safety access points (PSAPs) to the proper emergency personnel, said Greg Rohde, exec. dir.-E-911 Institute.
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As wireless phones become more widespread, Rohde said, people use them for emergencies. But many don’t realize they won’t always be connected to local safety services. The FCC estimates that 1/3 of 911 calls are made from wireless phones; in some communities it’s as high as half. But E- 911, which allows the call-taker to identify the caller’s location, name and address, is available for wireless phones in only about half of the nation, accounting for about 76.6% of the population, according to the National Emergency Number Assn.
“One priority nationwide should be a 911 system that works,” said Rohde. Sen. Burns (R-Mont.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, promised to work hard to secure a commitment from the committee for a $21 million outlay for the E-911 grant program. “We're going to try,” he told us: “I don’t have a crystal ball.”
E-911 supporters are hoping to get $42 million. The other $21 million would come from the Senate Transportation Subcommittee. That’s because the E-911 grant program would be jointly managed by Commerce’s NTIA and Dept. of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The Senate takes up its measure today (Thurs.) but details of line-by-line items won’t be known for several days. And the Senate bill (HR-5672) must be worked out in conference with the House appropriations measure.
“We've just been taking baby steps with this. It really does question our priorities,” said Sen. Clinton (D-N.Y.). Other funding does exist -- but it’s frozen until 2009. That funding includes $43 million to come from spectrum auctions authorized in the deficit reduction bill that Congress passed in Feb. (CD Feb 2 p1). “This needs to be the year when we put all this together,” Clinton said: “We have to have this system.”
Sen. Nelson (D-Fla.) also urged action on funding the E- 911 program. A child from his state died last year because the phone used to call 911 couldn’t route to local emergency services. Nelson is active on E-911 issues. He recently sponsored 3 amendments in the Senate telecom bill (HR-5252). One would allow money used to upgrade 911 call centers to be used for Internet-based networks as well. Another ensures that E-911 communications get priority service on broadband providers’ networks. The other amendment requires the federal govt. to issue a status report on the status of a federal 911 office that oversees E-911 grants.
States with the least-developed E-911 technologies include Okla., Utah and O., according to NENA. The data are based on how many people have Phase II wireless E-911 services, which allow call takers to receive both callers’ wireless phone numbers and their location information. Calls can be routed to PSAPs based on cell site/sector information or caller location information.