NENA`s Wireless Initiative Brings Stakeholders to Table

The progress of 9-1-1 modernization remains slow, but SWAT is on the case.

Late in 2002, the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) debuted its Strategic Wireless Action Team (SWAT). SWAT's purpose was to help speed 9-1-1 service upgrades across the country, in particular, implementation of automatic location technology for callers on wireless phones (wireless enhanced 9-1-1, or E9-1-1), through a series of studies and consultations with industry and government leaders. A year and change later, there's a good bit to show for the group's work.

"It's been the fullest effort in recent history to bring all the stakeholders to the table," says John Melcher, chair of the initiative and past president of NENA. "Obviously, we couldn't solve all the world's problems in a year, but the cause of 9-1-1 is now higher on everyone's radar screen."

Up until now, E9-1-1 progress hasn't been good. An analysis by the Monitor Group concluded that at the current rate of advance, by the end of 2005-four years after the government's initial deadline-only half of all PSAPs will be able to locate wireless callers with any true precision.

SWAT is working not only to speed that pace, but to make 9-1-1 coverage ubiquitous for everyone. Thus far the group has produced a detailed estimate of E9-1-1 infrastructure requirements and costs; generated a stakeholders' report assessing the current state of 9-1-1 dialogue; developed staffing guidelines and an operational evaluation checklist for PSAPs; and provided direct technical advice and assistance to more than a dozen states, localities and tribes.

Its efforts have also contributed to a sharper national focus on the issue. The FCC has expanded its E9-1-1 requirements to include some telematics services and other two-way voice-service technologies. The House of Representatives has passed a bill to provide states with matching grants for 9-1-1 system upgrades, and at press time, the Senate was expected to act soon on a companion bill. Congress has even formed an E9-1-1 Caucus to work on solutions at the federal level.

What's left now, from SWAT's perspective, is for state and local governments to step up. Increasingly, the burden is theirs.

"Public safety and emergency response are essentially a local, regional and state responsibility," says Melcher. "Unless we're going to nationalize public-safety emergency response, state legislators, regulatory officials and local emergency responders and elected officials will have to take the responsibility to make sure that when anybody calls for help, you can find them, no matter what kind of device they're using or where they're calling from."

For more on SWAT and its work, visit www.nena.org.