The Technical Evolution of the PSAP in a NG911 and Public Safety Broadband Environment

In Summary:

• Data inputs that stream into a public safety answering point (PSAP) are increasing significantly, driven by the fact that public safety broadband and next generation 911 systems are Internet Protocol (IP)-based.

• This will raise situational awareness in the PSAP to levels unimaginable only a short time ago.

• Public safety broadband and NG911 must be converged for data to flow seamlessly between these two networks in order to be fully harnessed.

When public safety broadband networks, such as the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network being implemented under the auspices of the First Responder Network Authority, and Next Generation 911 (NG911) systems are implemented, responding to emergency events will be dramatically different than it is today for the public safety community. Today, the amount of information that telecommunicators and first responders have is severely limited. In the future, the data inputs that data inputs that stream into a public safety answering point (PSAP) are increasing significantly, driven by the fact that public safety broadband and next generation 911 systems are Internet Protocol (IP)-based.

Examples of these data opportunities include: real-time video streams, state-of-the-art surveillance systems, geofencing, video communication with first responders, social media alerts and monitoring, traffic light control systems, video-to-911, and gunshot alerting systems, to name a few. These data inputs will raise situational awareness to levels unimaginable only a short time ago if public safety broadband networks are converged with NG911 systems. In order for emergency communications centers to harness the full power of these converged networks, a number of technical limitations must be overcome.

This whitepaper discusses the technical impacts that PSAPs will need to overcome, as well as touches upon the considerations and limitations for each of them. Also discussed are must haves for public safety and key foundations for success.

Readers will learn:

• Hypothetical examples of how emergency events might play out
• The capabilities new data inputs will provide to PSAPs
• The opportunities MCP sees in an NG911 and public safety broadband environment
• What work must be done in order for the nation to harness the full power of these modern, digital networks

Download the whitepaper to learn more.