PSAP & Emergency Communications Centers Explained | PSBTA

When you watch police dramas on TV, you see them: 911 call centers full of harried yet concerned telephone operators, or first responder control centers with police, fire, and EMS commanders debating options with banks of operators behind them. Whatever the storyline, it always makes for compelling drama.

Well, there are proper names for both of these TV favorites, both of which have their roots in real life. The 911 communications centers are actually known as “Public Safety Answering Points” (PSAPs). The first responder control centers are called “Emergency Communications Centers” (ECCs). Here is what they both actually do, and why an increasing number of them rely on the FirstNet broadband wireless network — the only public safety network in the United States to have bandwidth exclusively reserved for U.S. first responders with 24/7 “always available” access.

What is a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP)?

When you call 911 for help, you are actually calling a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). 

It is a communications center and/or dispatch center that receives 911 calls and helps to coordinate emergency responses. PSAPs are usually operated by local or regional government agencies, such as police, fire, and EMS departments.

There are three levels of PSAPs. A Primary PSAP is usually outfitted with automatic number identification (ANI) and automatic location identification (ALI) displays. It is often located in a centralized facility that serves two or more public safety agencies within a specific jurisdiction. A Secondary PSAP has the same ANI/ALI displays as a Primary PSAP, but only receives calls when the Primary PSAP is at peak capacity or unavailable due to technical issues. A Limited Secondary Public Safety Answering Point fulfills the same backup function and also has ANI/ALI, but less capabilities than either the Primary or Secondary PSAPs

The distinctions above apply to jurisdictions where 911 calls are handled on a consolidated basis. “In those areas where police, fire, and EMS do not have integrated PSAPs, law enforcement usually will provide the Primary PSAP for 911 calls,” said Stephen Martini, Director of Metro Nashville’s Department of Emergency Communications. “If the caller needs fire or EMS, the Primary PSAP public safety dispatcher will make a ‘warm transfer’ to a Secondary PSAP that handles fire and EMS calls.”

What is an Emergency Communications Center (ECC)? 

An Emergency Communications Center “is a facility designated to receive and process requests for emergency assistance, which may include 911 calls, determine the appropriate emergency response based on available resources, and coordinate the emergency response according to a specific operational policy,” said the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) website. 

In other words, an ECC performs the 911 call center functions of a PSAP, but can offer additional capabilities as well. For instance, an ECC can handle non-emergency calls, assist in coordinating responses to multiple emergencies, and manage multi-agency communications during large-scale incidents. As a result, an ECC is a highly useful capability for any public safety agency to have in their toolbox, because it enhances their ability to deal with major incidents effectively.

This being said, an ECC doesn’t have to be a major operation. In fact, “ECCs can be very small, with some specifically serving just air medical services, for example,” said Martini. “This said, ECCs are typically focused solely on dispatching fire, medical, or law enforcement resources.”

How PSAPs and ECCs Work Together 

PSAPs and ECCs work together to respond to 911 calls and dispatch assistance on a coordinated scale. This coordinated approach ensures that limited resources can be deployed in the most effective manner, and that any threats to first responder lives (and those of the public) are minimized as much as possible.

This is a general description: How PSAPs and ECCs are constituted and interconnected varies from one jurisdiction to another. A case in point: “We have counties in Tennessee that have five PSAPs,” said Martini. “They all take different individual 911 calls routed separately to them that they handle on behalf of the police, and then they have an ECC that manages rural fire and rural EMS.”

The key point to remember is that PSAPs and ECCs working together can deliver the best possible public safety responses in their respective jurisdictions.

Why PSAPs and ECCs Need FirstNet  

PSAPs and ECCs aren’t just about taking 911 calls. They exist to respond to those calls and send the most appropriate assistance to the callers as soon as possible, while still leaving public safety resources available to answer other calls.

Of course, the ability of PSAPs and ECCs to do their jobs is largely affected by the quality of communications available to their first responders. This is why FirstNet is so important to them: As the only public safety broadband wireless system with radio spectrum dedicated (set aside) for police, fire, and EMS, FirstNet is the only system that can ensure that first responder voice, video, and data transmission always get through — even when commercial cellular networks are overloaded with traffic. 

“This is why PSAPs and ECCs need solutions like FirstNet,” Martini said. “It’s not just a matter of dealing with emergencies, but indeed any situation where the commercial cellular networks are overloaded due to excessive traffic. For instance, when the Country Music Association Festival takes place in Nashville each June, hundreds of thousands of people go to the downtown area for four days straight for concerts. Most of them are using at least one cell device each, which totally overloads the commercial carriers.”

The Bottom Line

PSAPs, ECCs, and FirstNet are the most effective combination for ensuring that first responder, voice, video, and data calls always go through, no matter what the situation is. When your safety is on the line, this is the combination you want protecting you and your family, 24/7/365 everywhere in America.