Attention PSAPs: Test NG911 Readiness & Get Resources

Learn how a digital self-assessment tool being designed for PSAPs will assist with NG911 readiness and get best practices tips and resources for achieving interoperability.

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Last month the National 911 Program, a program housed within the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Emergency Medical Services, hosted a webinar about progress of next generation 911 readiness – including the NG911 Readiness Checklist developed by the Task Force on Optimal Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) Architecture (TFOPA) currently being digitized by a joint working group of SAFECOM, a communications program of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the National Council of Statewide Interoperability Coordinators (NCSWIC).

SAFECOM is focused on improving interoperability and enhancing emergency responders abilities to communicate through different communication systems.

The user-friendly NG911 Readiness Scorecard tool is being designed for PSAPs to self-assess their NG911 readiness. The Joint SAFECOM/NCSWIC NG911 Working Group (working group) is also completing a position paper with transition steps, terminology and standards for PSAPs, and has updated its NG911 cyber risks primer (review and download, below) with more detailed information, common terminology for the 911 community and educational references, according to Gerald Jaskulski, DHS Office of Emergency Communications (OEC) and federal lead for the working group.

Andrea Fox is Editor of Gov1.com and Senior Editor at Lexipol. She is based in Massachusetts.