Next Generation 911

Each year, millions of Americans call 9-1-1 for help during emergencies. However, the nation’s 9-1-1 systems rely on aging infrastructure that is not designed to accommodate modern communications technologies. Some states, localities, and federal agencies that operate 9-1-1 call centers are upgrading to Next Generation 911 (NG911), which offers benefits such as the ability to process images, audio files, and video. While deploying NG911 is the responsibility of entities that operate call centers, some federal agencies also support implementation. Federal and public safety officials had differing views on whether assigning an agency to coordinate upgrade efforts would be useful.