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Next Generation 9-1-1 Initiative; Request for Information

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

NEXT GENERATION 9-1-1 INITIATIVE; REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

AGENCIES: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT).

ACTION: Notice; request for information.

SUMMARY: The USDOT is seeking comments from all sources (public, private, governmental, academic, professional, public interest groups, and other interested parties) on the Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) Initiative. The NG9-1-1 Initiative is being established as a major new component of the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Program.

9-1-1 is an essential part of USDOT’s safety and mobility missions. However, based on decades old technology, the Nation’s 9-1-1 system cannot now handle the text, data, images, and video that are increasingly common in personal communications and critical to future transportation safety and mobility advances. The intent of the NG9-1-1 Initiative is to establish the foundation for public emergency services in a wireless mobile society and ultimately enable enhanced 9-1-1 (E9-1-1) with most types of communication devices.

To accomplish this, the USDOT intends to work closely with public and private 9-1-1 stakeholders during the next three years to produce a national framework and deployment plan for an NG9-1-1 System. The purpose of this document is to solicit comments on the approach, to obtain expressions of interest in participating as partners, and to request responses to specific questions provided in this document. This is neither a request for proposals nor an invitation for bids.

DATES: It is requested that comments on this announcement be submitted by May 1, 2005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For FHWA: Linda Dodge, ITS Joint Program Office, (202)366-8034, linda.dodge@dot.gov; For NHTSA: Laurie Flaherty, EMS Division, (202) 366-2705, laurie.flaherty@dot.gov. All are located at the United States Department of Transportation; 400 Seventh Street, SW; Washington, DC 20590. Office hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Electronic Access and Filing Addresses

Electronically submitted responses are encouraged and may be sent to the following email address: NG911@dot.gov. Responses to this announcement may also be mailed directly to the Federal Highway Administration, Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office (HOIT), 1200 New Jersey Ave, SE. Washington, DC 20590.

Your comments on these important issues are greatly appreciated, but the USDOT will not be able to acknowledge responses. You may submit comments and data by May 1, 2005.

Background

The Department has a long history in 9-1-1, recommending a universal emergency number in 1969 and providing model legislation to help States build their 9-1-1 systems in the late 1970’s. During the past decade, the ITS Program has funded motor vehicle crash notification research involving 9-1-1 call centers. Presently, the Enhance 9-1-1 Act of 2004 (E9-1-1 Act) directs USDOT and the Department of Commerce to establish a joint program to assist in the implementation and operation of Phase II E9-1-1 services. This RFI only addresses the NG9-1-1 Initiative funded by the ITS Program. Public comment related to the E9-1-1 Act will be solicited separately.

Through the Secretarial Wireless E 9-1-1 Initiative, USDOT is working with the end-users as well as technical and policy stakeholders in the 9-1-1 community to speed the deployment of location-capable cellular service within today’s 9-1-1 system. A Steering Council, composed of leading 9-1-1 stakeholders, has produced a six-point action plan and detailed implementation guidelines for Wireless E9—1-1. This Initiative sponsored a roundtable forum in September 2002 to address potential technology solutions to 9-1-1 challenges and the implications of emerging technologies and services on the future delivery of emergency response. A key conclusion of that roundtable, supported by an FCC assessment, is that the 9-1-1 system must ultimately incorporate emerging commercial, Internet/multimedia-capable technologies.

USDOT is aware of on-going efforts within the 9-1-1 community to address issues underlying future technologies for 9-1-1, including access by “non-traditional” services such as telematics, and to develop standards, including access by “non-traditional” services such as telematics, voice-over-IP, and personal safety devices. The intent of this NG 9-1-1 program is to integrate, consolidate, and build upon the work already done by other entities.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has tasked its Seventh Network Reliability and Interoperability Council (NRIC VII) with, among other things, “recommending specific architecture properties that emergency communications networks are to provide by the year 2010.” NRIC VII, a designated federal advisory committee, has been specifically asked to address the “future dependence of emergency communications networks on IP networks, and in particular, whether IP technologies should be used to get information to and from the PSAPs as communications networks continue to evolve.” USDOT expects to leverage the work of NRIC, the Secretarial Wireless E9-1-1 Initiative, and other stakeholder activities in this new initiative.

ITS America, as a Federal Advisory Committee to the US DOT, produced “Recommendations for ITS Technology in Emergency Medical Services,” with detailed strategies for how best to develop and deploy ITS technologies in order to provide the broadest public safety benefits. ITS America’s Public Safety Advisory Group has also provided opportunities for stakeholders of disparate groups to interact. The ComCARE Alliance has information technology and communications initiatives and demonstrations underway to improve emergency preparedness and response. Access to the 9-1-1 system and end-to-end emergency medical communications are important aspects of ComCARE’s activities.

The National Emergency Number Association (NENA), a member of NRIC VII and the US DOT Wireless E9-1-1 Steering Council, has a number of technical and operational practices committees addressing the implications of new technology on future 9-1-1 services. NENA recently launched a Next Generation E9-1-1 program to create a forum for policy makers and national leaders to utilize the technical and operational standards that have been developed or are currently being developed.

The Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) and NENA jointly convened the Emergency Services Interconnection Forum (ESIF) to identify and resolve technical and operational issues related to the interconnection of telephony and emergency services networks. An IP Coordination Ad Hoc Committee exists under ESIF to deal directly with issues surrounding IP interconnection with E9-1-1 systems.

The Partnership for Public Warning is assessing standards, systems, and strategies for improving citizen alert and warning capabilities. The FCC published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to examine the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and seeks comment on whether the EAS in its present form is the most effective mechanism for warning the American public of an emergency and, if not, on how EAS can be improved.

USDOT believes that a fundamental reexamination of the technological approach to 9-1-1 and emergency alerts is essential as our public safety emergency network struggles to accommodate the challenges of wireless communications. Cellular service and most other commercial and public safety communications systems are transitioning to Internet-like networks. These technologies will enable major advances in the ability of all transportation users and public safety responders to send or receive critical information beyond 9-1-1, such as medically relevant data from a vehicle crash or Amber Alerts.

Heightened security concerns require the ability to notify people quickly based on their proximity to danger. Today, the public learns about weather warnings, AMBER alerts, and traffic incidents primarily through broadcast media. Such alerts would be more efficient and would permit more effective response when targeted based on the recipient’s location, especially when rapid evacuation or traffic rerouting is required. Location capable IP-networks may greatly facilitate such emergency alert notifications.

Proposed Approach

The 9-1-1 system is, and will remain, primarily a local government and telecomm industry responsibility. But this local focus has resulted, in the past, in fragmenting the 9-1-1 system capabilities and limiting the ability to develop and invest in new technologies. The intent of USDOT is to articulate the vision for the next generation 9-1-1 system and provide the leadership and resources to work with the public and private 9-1-1 stakeholders to lay out the path to achieve that vision. There appears to be consensus within the 9-1-1 community on the shortcomings of the present 9-1-1 system and a vision of a ubiquitous 9-1-1 capability. All agree on the need to take advantage of advances in information and communications technologies; however, which technologies to emphasize and when to deploy them remain key issues.

DOT expects that this Initiative will be structured in two phases. In coordination with on-going stakeholder activities, the first phase of this initiative will determine common functional requirements and operational practices for PSAPs and other first responders. It will also increase awareness among public, commercial, and non-governmental organizational (NGO) stakeholders of the issues surrounding an IP/multimedia-capable 9-1-1 system. Multiple approaches will be necessary to ensure sufficient completeness and stakeholder involvement, including stakeholder workshops or forums, interviews, surveys and other data collection and analysis methods. The results will be a crucial input into the next phase, where they will be further refined.

In the second phase of the program, a consensus architecture and a realistic transition and implementation plan for the NG9-1-1 system will be developed and evaluated. It is expected that this activity will build upon the work now underway by NRIC VII and other on-going stakeholder activities. It will describe and document the logical and physical framework to enable common devices (cell phones, PDAs, computers, and others) to communicate effectively with PSAPs and first responders. System constraints will be identified and an implementation plan will be developed. This work requires diverse expertise including knowledge, skills, experience, and commercial expertise in the design, operation, and management of 9-1-1 networks, Public Switched Telephone Networks (PSTN) and IP-networks; customer premises equipment; call center design; and wireless communications. Other considerations include issues related to cost recovery and public policy. The government is considering the formation of a public/private partnership through a cooperative agreement or other mechanism to conduct the research and design activities. Stakeholder input during the first phase of this Initiative, including this RFI, will help clarify the decision on which approach to use.

NG9-1-1 Issues

Responses to the following questions are requested to help USDOT as it finalizes the organization of the NG9-1-1 Initiative. As appropriate, please reference experiences you may have had that address the issues.

• What are the critical issues that need to be addressed to enable the deployment of advanced 9-1-1 capabilities?
• What data are currently available to quantify the expected benefits, user acceptance, and costs of providing NG9-1-1 services?
• What new areas of research, development or analysis would be required to support the NG9-1-1 Initiative?
• What activities should be initiated to hasten the development and deployment of advanced 9-1-1 systems?
• What other significant initiatives, programs, or deployments related to NG9-1-1 warrant USDOT attention?
• What specific agencies/organizations/entities are essential to the development of a comprehensive transition and implementation plan to NG9-1-1?
• What is the proper forum for carrying out the necessary engagement of the various stakeholders and how might the USDOT establish that forum?

8. Would you be interested in participating in some sort of public-private partnership for the NG9-1-1 Initiative? If yes, in what way? If not, what would encourage you to participate?

(23 U.S.C. 307 note and 315; secs. 6051-6059, Pub. L. 102-240, 105 Stat. 1914, 2189 as amended by sec. 404, Pub. L. 102-388, 106 Stat. 1564, and sec. 338, Pub. L. 104-59, 109 Stat. 603, 604; and 49 CFR 1.48).

http://www.its.dot.gov/pubsafety/index.htm

Dale N. Hatfield, former FCC Office Chief; A Report on Technical and Operational Issues Impacting the Provision of Wireless Enhanced 911, October 2002.

NRIC VII Charter accessed via http://www.nric.org/ .

ibid.

Updated October 9, 2008 4:11 PM