FCC Blog: Closing the 9-1-1 Location Accuracy Gap
 Print this Article | Send to Colleague
by Admiral David Simpson, Chief, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau
Earlier this year, the Commission proposed rules to help first responders better locate indoor wireless 9-1-1 callers. The reason was clear: The vast majority of 9-1-1 calls are from mobile phones, and we are not where we need to be on location accuracy for wireless 9-1-1 calls. This puts American lives at risk and requires swift action from the FCC, from wireless carriers, and from public safety officials. Next Wednesday marks a deadline for public comments on the latest proposal we have received in this proceeding. To get this right, it is important that the Commission hear from stakeholders on many key questions.
Make no mistake, locating wireless 9-1-1 callers indoors is not easy. The technologies used to locate outdoor callers simply don’t work as well indoors. Additionally, today’s 9-1-1 location technologies can’t tell a 9-1-1 call center what floor a call is coming from. Imagine the challenge this creates for an EMS technician when responding to a medical emergency in a 50-story skyscraper!
Click here to continue reading...
   
|
|
