NENA Response to FCC Report on 9-1-1 Fund Diversion

On November 8, NENA President Rick Galway issued the following statement in response to the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) 3rd Annual Report to Congress on State Collection and Distribution of 911 and Enhanced 911 Fees and Charges:

"Lives are saved every day thanks to America’s 9-1-1 system. Decades of government leadership and steady technological progress have given citizens a reliable 9-1-1 system they can trust. In return, citizens trust their state and local governments to responsibly manage the funds collected to pay for 9-1-1 systems. Misuse of 9-1-1 funds not only puts one of the nation’s most critical systems at risk; it also breaks the trust established with the public.

"Unfortunately, some state and local governments continue to see 9-1-1 revenues as a funding source for other programs. Funds the public remits in good faith specifically for 9-1-1 purposes must be used to further 9-1-1’s most basic purpose: to ensure that 9-1-1 callers can quickly be located in emergency situations and receive an effective emergency response. NENA encourages Congress, the FCC, and leaders in all fifty states to take action to end the practice of redirecting 9-1-1 fee revenues and ensure 9-1-1 systems have the funding necessary for the technological upgrades necessary to keep pace with consumer expectations and enable the seamless sharing of voice, text, video, and other data between citizens, 9-1-1 centers, and first responders."

Click here to read statements from other public safety and wireless industry groups.