Next Generation 911 Project Moves Forward
Tuesday, April 13, 2010 | 03:47am
NASHVILLE - The Tennessee General Assembly’s Fiscal Review Committee today approved an amendment to a state contract that will allow a planned digital upgrade of 911 service to move forward. The approval comes on the heels of the Tennessee Emergency Communications Board’s (TECB) adoption of a plan to distribute $25 million to local governments to purchase equipment for the upgrade, known as NG 911.
“The contract amendment to the NET TN project will facilitate the building of a statewide digital 911 infrastructure,” said Lynn Questell, executive director of the Tennessee Emergency Communications Board. “This will allow us to move ahead with our plans to convert 911 in Tennessee to a digital system.”
The NET TN project offers a unique opportunity for 911 to route calls over an existing, robust, secure, private IP infrastructure that is already connected to many 911 call centers through the TBI’s NCIC program, significantly reducing costs and providing statewide uniformity for 911 call-routing. “This is a big project that will have significant benefits for Tennesseans,” Questell said. “This contract amendment will enable us to build critical digital infrastructure in an efficient, cost-effective manner. “We need NG 911 to handle emerging technologies like Internet phone service (VoIP) and the many capabilities of today’s cell phones.”
The TECB expects to begin deployment of NG 911 in 2011. “Once the NG 911 project is complete, Tennesseans will have access to the best technology available to coordinate emergency responses,” said Randy Porter, chairman of the Emergency Communications Board.
The TECB was created by the General Assembly in 1998 to assist ECDs’ boards of directors in the areas of management, operations and accountability, with the goal of establishing reliable emergency communications for all citizens of the state. It’s a successful formula; in 2005, Tennessee became the third state in the nation to become Phase II-ready, meaning a 911 operator can obtain a wireless caller’s number and location information. In 2005, Tennessee received an award from the Congressional E911 Institute for having the nation’s best state system.
The TECB is administratively attached to the Department of Commerce and Insurance, which works to protect consumers while ensuring fair competition for industries and professionals who do business in Tennessee. www.tn.gov/commerce/