Public Safety Next Generation 9-1-1 Coalition Launches Major Grassroots Campaign

Please write to your U.S. House of Representative asking for support of this Bill

PRESS RELEASE

On the heels of the introduction of important legislation to fund the modernization of the
nation’s 9-1-1 systems to Next Generation 9-1-1, the Public Safety Next Generation 9-1-1
Coalition announces the launch of a wide-ranging grassroots campaign to educate policymakers
and build additional support.

The Public Safety Next Generation 9-1-1 Coalition consists of national public safety associations
representing law enforcement, fire, EMS, and 9-1-1 professionals who know best what is
needed to modernize 9-1-1 and improve emergency response. The coalition’s website at
www.ng-911coalition.org contains detailed information including facts and myths about NG9-1-
1 legislation.

The Coalition helped develop and fully supports the Next Generation 9-1-1 legislation that was
included in the LIFT America Act with the leadership of Representatives Frank Pallone and Anna
Eshoo. The Coalition’s approach is to secure the best outcome for public safety professionals
and the communities they serve as they carry out their life-saving missions. Accordingly, the
Coalition believes that this legislation is deserving of widespread bipartisan support throughout
Congress.

Unfortunately, some parties that disagree with the Coalition’s public safety-oriented principles
are spreading misinformation about the legislation. Contrary to those opposed to the
Coalition’s public safety focused approach, the NG9-1-1 legislation the Coalition supports will:

• Not only build upon current investments but rescue public safety agencies from being
left with overly costly, substandard, incomplete, and non-interoperable solutions. This
includes ensuring that existing deployments can become interoperable with new
implementations.
• Ensure that technology standards prevalent in the consumer marketplace, and which
have led to enormous innovation, interoperability, and economies of scale, are
employed for NG9-1-1.• Ensure that other standards that vendors desire to use have the approval of a well recognized standards development accreditation body. This is important for avoiding
the use of one-off “standards” that result in proprietary and non-interoperable
solutions.
• Adhere to the cybersecurity protections for 9-1-1 recommended by an esteemed federal
advisory committee. This consists of an efficient, distributed network of cybersecurity
centers at state or regional levels serving multiple 9-1-1 centers.
• Create a well-rounded, balanced, and efficient advisory board composed of a cross section of public safety professionals to provide initial and ongoing expertise to the
federal agency responsible for administering the grant program.
• Not only preserve state and local control of NG9-1-1 operations but ensure that diverse
local public safety input is fully accounted for in all NG9-1-1 plans and grant
applications.

The Coalition is solely motivated by what is needed by public safety professionals as they carry
out their missions to save and protect the public every day. The Coalition appreciates the
federal commitment to fund the transition to NG9-1-1 and respects the need to ensure that
federal funds are expended in the most efficient and cost-effective manner. Our grassroots
effort will serve to express our support for the NG9-1-1 legislation, educate and, when
necessary, dispel any misconceptions.