florida ng-911 study · the structure of the study is analysis of key elements in implementing...

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September 18, 2018

FLORIDA NG-911 STUDY

NG-911 Study Page | 3

Table of Contents

1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................................................................................... 5

1.1 Purpose ...................................................................................................................................................... 5

1.2 History and Advancing to NG-911 Services ............................................................................................... 5

1.3 NG-911 Moving Forward ........................................................................................................................... 7

2 State & National 911 Perspective ...................................................................................................................... 9

2.1 State Perspective (current performance) ................................................................................................... 9

PSAP Assessment ............................................................................................................................. 12

PSAP Assessment (Continued) ......................................................................................................... 15

2.2 National Perspective ................................................................................................................................ 16

3 Technology Analysis & Summary .................................................................................................................... 19

3.1 Emergency Services IP Network (ESInet) Overview ................................................................................ 19

ESInet Categories ............................................................................................................................. 19

ESInet Requirements ....................................................................................................................... 20

Availability and Reliability Industry Recommendations .................................................................. 21

3.2 Industry Standard, and Network Architecture Options .......................................................................... 22

Regional ESInet I .............................................................................................................................. 22

Regional ESInet II ............................................................................................................................. 23

Interconnectivity ............................................................................................................................. 23

3.3 Market Conditions (Examples from other states) ................................................................................... 25

3.4 Leverage Existing State Infrastructure .................................................................................................... 28

3.5 Future Market Conditions ....................................................................................................................... 29

FirstNet ............................................................................................................................................ 29

Emerging Technology ...................................................................................................................... 29

3.6 Legacy Interoperability ............................................................................................................................ 30

3.7 Summary Technology Network Architecture .......................................................................................... 30

4 Procurement Options & Cost Analysis ............................................................................................................ 33

4.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 33

4.2 Business Models for Procuring NG-911 Platforms .................................................................................. 33


4.3 Evaluation of the Options ........................................................................................................................ 33

4.4 Advantages, Disadvantages, Risks, Ease of Implementation, Scalability and Adoptability ..................... 34

Option 1 ........................................................................................................................................... 35

Option 2 ........................................................................................................................................... 35

Option 3 ........................................................................................................................................... 36

Option 4 ........................................................................................................................................... 36

Option 5 ........................................................................................................................................... 37

Summary Procurement Strategy Summary ..................................................................................... 38

4.5 Cost Analysis and Review of Other States ............................................................................................... 38

Examples of Implementation Cost and Reoccurring Cost ............................................................... 38

Summary and Other Cost Factors .................................................................................................... 42

5. NG-911 FUNDING & STATUTE ANALYSIS ......................................................................................................... 43

5.1 Fee Analysis ............................................................................................................................................. 43

5.1.1 Trends .............................................................................................................................................. 44

5.2 Statute and Usage Analysis ..................................................................................................................... 44

5.3 Summary of Florida NG-911 Funding and Statute Analysis .................................................................... 46

6. NG-911 OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS....................................................................................................... 47

7. NG-911 GOVERNANCE ..................................................................................................................................... 48

7.1 National Governance Analysis ................................................................................................................. 49

7.1.1 Governing Body ............................................................................................................................... 49

7.1.2 Governing Responsibilities .............................................................................................................. 52

7.2 Summary NG-911 Governance ................................................................................................................ 54

8. CONTINGENCY PLAN ....................................................................................................................................... 55

9. SUMMARY OF NEXT STEPS .............................................................................................................................. 56

10. APPENDIX......................................................................................................................................................... 58

10.1 Reference List .......................................................................................................................................... 58

10.2 Index of Figures ....................................................................................................................................... 60

10.3 Acronym List ............................................................................................................................................ 61

10.4 Appendix A: Collected Data and Presentations ....................................................................................... 62


1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1.1 Purpose The Next Generation 911 (NG-911) Study was developed to assist the Enhanced-911 (E911) Board and the

Department of Management Services (DMS) in its initiative to progress the State of Florida to NG-911. The

information in this document was gathered through research, interviews and meetings with E911 Board

Members, DMS leadership and staff, discussion with public safety vendors, public safety associations such as the

National Emergency Number Association (NENA), the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials

(APCO), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the National 911 Program (911.gov), and public safety

representatives from other states. Information and data specific to Florida was gathered by working with, public

safety answering point (PSAP) coordinators, and through a statewide survey that captured 100% participation

from each of the states 206 primary and secondary PSAPs.

The structure of the study is analysis of key elements in implementing NG-911 in the State of Florida. This

includes current PSAP services and Emergency Services Internet Protocol (IP) Networks (ESInet) capabilities

along with trends and analysis of how other states across the nation are moving to NG-911. (An ESInet is a

securely managed IP network that is shared by public safety agencies for emergency services communications. A

detailed overview of an ESInet can be found in section 3.)

Network diagrams and architecture analysis provide information on the primary elements that make up the

foundation of a NG-911 system. The study is not intended to be a standards and definitions document outlining

all requirements of an ESInet or Next Generation Core Services (NGCS). There are published industry standards

documents referenced throughout to assist with the design and implementation of a NG-911 system. It should

also be understood that there are several phases in the transition to NG-911 and is an iterative process taking

considerable time before the full benefits of NG-911 can be achieved.

1.2 History and Advancing to NG-911 Services The Public Safety industry has seen the evolution of basic 911 call answering, to enhanced 911 (E911) systems

that attempt to automatically route the 911 call and the 911 caller’s location to the appropriate PSAP. With the

emergence of new wireless technology and continued growth of wireless callers, E911 system limitations where

quickly realized. Wireless calls are not always routed to the appropriate PSAP and inability to transfer wireless

caller information all provide major hurdles for call takers and most importantly First Responders.

In 2002 the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

(NHTSA) introduced the vision of Next Generation 911 to the Public Safety industry. Since that time the NG-911

timeline has been as follows1:

1 The DOT Role in Advancing 911; https://www.911.gov/historyof911.html

https://www.911.gov/historyof911.html


• 2002: Technology Innovation Roundtable held in Silicon Valley to establish Next Generation 911 Vision

• 2003: Wireless E911 Priority Action Plan Released; The US DOT Wireless Enhanced 911 Initiative Steering

Council release a plan detailing six priority action items to accelerate compliance with the Federal

Communications Commission’s (FCC) wireless implementation mandates.

• 2003: Wireless Deployment Profile database funded; DOT provides initial funds to National Emergency

Number Association (NENA) to develop a wireless deployment profile database, which becomes the

primary way to measure state-by-state progress in establishing location enabled wireless Phase 1 &

Phase II across the country.

• 2004: December 2004 US DOT NG911 Initiative starts; This begins the effort to establish a model for the

transition of 911 systems to digital communication. The goal was to design a 911 system that is capable

of using voice, data, and video transmission from different types of devices (cell phones) to 911 centers

(PSAP's) and emergency responders. The program was co-managed by Nation Highway Transportation

Safety Administration (NHTSA), Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Joint Program Office (JPO).

• 2004: Enhanced 911 Act of 2004 Passed; Congress recognized the importance of the 911 system and

passed the Enhanced 911 Act which established a federal “home” for 911 with a program run jointly by

NHTSA and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) at the U.S.

Department of Commerce.

• 2005 Nation 911 Program Office established; NHTSA and NTIA create the National 911 Office now

known as the National 911 Program.

• 2006: Team is assembled to develop NG911 architecture and transition plan; The team solicits content

input from stakeholders and developers to create a design and transition plan that will enable 911

connections using new technologies.

• 2008: NG-911 Proof of Concept Demonstration; Demonstrations in three laboratories and five PSAPs

processing and transmitting calls containing telematics data, video, photos and text data, proving it’s

possible for PSAPs to receive text and transfer calls along with data from one PSAP to another across

long distances.

• 2009: February 2009 First major release of NG911 systems technical and engineering architecture

design; The first major product of the NG-911 project identifies technical and architectural components

to be included in next generation capabilities of voice, data, and video transfer from device to PSAP.


• 2009: Release of NG-911 System Transition Plan; This transition plan identifies institutional and

transition issues and provides options for resolution.

• 2009: 911 Grants Awarded to 30 States; NHTSA and NTIA awarded more than $40 million to help 911

PSAPs across the country improve their ability to locate callers from wireless and internet connected

telephones.

• 2010: National 911 Resource Center established; Resource center established with three key initiatives,

operate as an information clearinghouse, a technical assistance center, and development of a national

911 database used to follow NG-911 advancement.

• 2011: National 911 Profile Database developed; Next Generation 911 “What’s Next Project carried out

by the Transportation Safety Advancement (TSAG); National 911 Education Coalition developed from

industry stakeholders; First NG-911 Standards Identification and Review Released to PSAPs achieve 911

interoperability;

• 2012: Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012; Act reauthorizes the Implementation

Coordination Office (ICO) between NHTSA and NTIA to facilitate E911 and NG-911 services and best

practices, an provides $115 million in grants to PSAPs. (Creation of First Responder Network Authority

FirstNet.)

• 2012: State of 911 Webinar Series; The National 911 Program launches a new forum to share emergency

communication best practices and lessons learned by states and federal agencies involved in 911.

• 2015: Next Generation 911 Cost Study; Effort to gather and analyze the cost, service requirements, and

specifications to implement NG-911 across the country.

• 2016: Recommended 911 Minimum Training Guidelines Released; Established and universally accepted

minimum training guidelines to be used for aspiring and current 911 telecommunicators.

• 2016: Grant Funds Transferred to 911 Grant Program; Grant Program and NTIA received $115 million to

provide funding to help PSAPs effort to provide optimal 911 services.

1.3 NG-911 Moving Forward As seen in section 1.2 the transition of 911 has been a long journey with contributions from many resources in

many capacities to keep our emergency response system in line with the rapid advancement of technology. The

timeline notes the first demonstration of NG-911 identified the PSAPs capabilities to process and transmit calls

containing text, photos, and video with the ability to transfer these calls. Since that demonstration in 2008,

technology has continued to advance at a rapid pace and our society has been introduced to advancements in

location accuracy, wearable technology, Internet of Things (IoT) and development of smart cities.


These advancements in technology have also evolved the industry definition of NG-911. In the National 911

Programs recently released Next Generation 911 Interstate Playbook Chapter 2, it states a recent effort by

NENA, National Association of State 911 Administrators (NASNA), Industry Council for Emergency Response

Technologies (iCERT), National 911 Program Office and NG911 Institute to provide a revised definition of NG-

911. Multiple variations of a NG-911 definition were reviewed to capture a single agreed to statement to define

what is considered todays NG-911.

The following definition is the result of that collaborative effort2:

“Next Generation 9-1-1 (services)” means a secure, IP-based, open-standards system comprised of hardware,

software, data, and operational policies and procedures that:

• Provides standardized interfaces from emergency call and message services to support emergency

communications;

• Process all types of emergency calls, including voice, text, data, and multimedia information;

• Acquire and integrates additional emergency call data useful to call routing and handling;

• Delivers the emergency calls, messages, and data to appropriate public safety answering point and

other appropriate emergency entities based on the location of the caller;

• Supports data, video, and other communications needs for coordinated incident response and

management; and

• Interoperates with services and networks used by first responders to facilitate emergency response.

2 The National 911 Program, Next Generation 911 Interstate Playbook Chapter 2, June 2018 https://www.911.gov/pdf/National_911_Program_NG911_Interstate_Playbook_Chapter_2.pdf

https://www.911.gov/pdf/National_911_Program_NG911_Interstate_Playbook_Chapter_2.pdf


2 State & National 911 Perspective To create a baseline of Florida PSAPs and their current NG-911 capabilities, a PSAP survey was sent out to each

County Coordinator. The survey was completed for each PSAP based on its current performance and

functionality. Survey questions encompassed ESInet capabilities, text capabilities, GIS, system security, network

audits, and PSAP NG-911 stage assessment based on stage guidelines outlined in the NG-911 Interstate Playbook

Chapter 13. Legacy, Foundational, and Transitional PSAP stages were outlined in the survey, however they are

not presented in this document due to inconsistent interpretation of each stage. The complete PSAP survey and

a presentation of responses can be found in Appendix A.

Data gathered from the National 911 Program, U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), U.S. Census Bureau,

National Association of State 911 Administrators (NASNA), and the National Emergency Number Association

(NENA) were used to create a NG-911 outlook and/or baseline from a national perspective. This information is

used and referenced throughout the document as it relates to NG-911 system design, implementation, state fee

analysis, statute analysis and governance. All state and national data collected was presented to the Florida

E911 Board and is accessible via an access link provided by Department of Management Services. It is

recommended that this information be updated annually to provide stakeholders with a current and accurate

view of NG-911 development.

2.1 State Perspective (current performance) State analysis allows an in-depth view of call volume, call type, text volume, and system capabilities sorted by

region, county size (large, medium, rural), or individual county. County size classification are based on

population and the following limits:

• Rural counties have a population up to 75,000,

• Medium counties have a population of more than 75,000 but less than 750,000,

• Large counties have a population of 750,000 or more.

Call volume data is collected annually by the Department of Management Services, however the PSAP Survey

was conducted in 2017, so call volume data for the 2016-2017 county fiscal year are used in this analysis. In

Figure 1 the data is displayed showing the total call volume for the fiscal year broken out by call type and the

volume of text-to-911 during the same period. Also identified are the PSAP types, the number of PSAPs that are

text ready-vs-not text ready, and the number of PSAPs that are ESInet capable-vs-not ESInet capable. It is

important to note that this data is a snapshot in time and does not represent PSAPs that have implemented

text-to-911 or ESInet capabilities after the first quarter of 2018.

3 The National 911 Program, Next Generation 911 Interstate Playbook Chapter 1, October 2016




The following outline provides an overview of data captured in Figures 1 through Figure 5.

Call Types and Call Volume:

• Multi-Line Telephone System (MLTS): The number of 911 calls being delivered to PSAPs via a multi-line

telephone system;

• Telematics: Telematics refers to a device merging telecommunications and vehicle information with the

ability to send receive, and store information. An example of calls in this category would be 911 calls

received through a vehicles OnStar hands free calling capability;

• Text-to-911 and Text-to-911 Total: Identifies the number of text-to-911 messages;

• Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP): The number of 911 calls being delivered to PSAPs from IP networks,

such as those operated by cable TV companies and an increasing number of traditional telephone

companies (ILECs);

• Wireless: The number of 911 calls being delivered to PSAPs from mobile devices (which now makes up

the majority of 911 calls);

• Wireline: The number of 911 calls being delivered to PSAPs from a wireline telephone service (which is a

declining base as telecom networks evolve from TDM to IP); and

• Voice Total: The total number of 911 calls delivered from all voice services MLTS, telematics, VoIP,

wireless, and wireline.

PSAP Type:

• All: The total number of all PSAPs in the state primary, secondary, and backup PSAPs;

• Primary: The number of primary PSAPs in the state. Primary PSAPs are PSAPs that 911 calls are directly

routed to for emergency assistance;

• Secondary: The number of secondary PSAPs in the state. Secondary PSAPs are defined as PSAPs where

911 calls are transferred from primary PSAPs; and

• Backup: The number of back-up PSAPs in the state. Back-up PSAPs receive transferred calls when 911

calls cannot be completed to a primary or secondary PSAP.

PSAP Capabilities:

• Text – Ready: The number of PSAPs that are currently take text-to-911;

• Not Text – Ready: The number of PSAPs that are NOT currently receiving text-to-911;

• ESInet Capable: The number of PSAPs that are currently capable of connecting to an ESInet; and

• Not ESInet Capable: The number of PSAPs that are NOT currently capable of connecting to an ESInet.


Figure 1 – State 911 Data


PSAP Assessment

Sorting the data based on county size allows for more granular analysis of current performance and ESInet and

text capabilities. A good example of this is the volume of text-to-911 sorted by county size. With medium size

counties making up 46.3% of the states PSAPs it is expected that they would handle the majority of text-to-911.

However, the analysis also shows us that in this 2016-2017 data snapshot that rural counties handled more text-

to-911 calls then large counties. Further investigation into these numbers highlighted two contributing factors

for this outcome. First, decreased wireless reception in rural counties will often allow text-to-911 when the

wireless signal may not allow a voice call to be completed. Second, text-to-911 can be implemented more

quickly in smaller more rural counties since the project time and resources needed to implement text-to-911 in

a county with a small number of PSAPs is less versus a county with many PSAPs covering a large geographical

area. The project planning, technical implementation, coordination, and community awareness campaigns slow

delivery in these large counties. In this data snapshot it shows that 58% of the State’s 911 calls are handled by

these 7 counties and 74 PSAP’s, while these same counties only handle 2% of the State’s text-to-911. It is

expected that as the 6 other large counties become text ready that the percentage of text-to-911 volume

handled by these counties will increase.

Figure 2 – Large County PSAP Evaluation

(Large Counties: Broward, Duval, Hillsborough, Miami-Dade, Orange, Palm Beach, Pinellas)


The medium size counties identified in Figure 3 make up over half of the State’s PSAP count and handled 39% of

voice call volume and 91% of the text-to-911 volume in the data snapshot. Text-to-911 is only 39% complete for

the medium counties, however only 8 medium size counties remain without ESInet capability.

Figure 3 – Medium County PSAP Evaluation

(Medium Counties: Alachua, Bay, Brevard, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Escambia, Flagler, Hernando, Highlands, Indian

River, Lake, Lee, Leon, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Monroe, Nassau, Okaloosa, Osceola, Pasco, Polk, Santa Rosa, Sarasota,

Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, Volusia)


The 29 rural counties hold 36 of the State’s PSAP’s and handled 4% of the State’s voice calls during the 2016-

2017 fiscal year. The text-to-911 volume shown in Figure 4 accounts for approximately 100 test text messages

during implementation. Though there are a fewer number of PSAPs, the rural counties often encounter limited

resources and funding hurdles when working to implement text and ESInet capabilities. Some rural counties

have taken an economies of scale strategy and have been able to decrease cost and advance their PSAPs by

partnering and collaborating with surrounding rural counties.

Figure 4 – Rural County PSAP Evaluation

(Rural Counties: Baker, Bradford, Calhoun, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Glades, Gulf, Hamilton,

Hardee, Hendry, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Okeechobee, Putnam, Suwannee, Taylor,

Union, Wakulla, Walton, Washington)


PSAP Assessment (Continued)

Sorting the data by ESInet or text capability is useful in determining the success of statewide intititives like text-

to-911 and for analysis regarding state ESInet cost, design, and implementation. In Figure 5 we are able to

identify counties that have PSAPs Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) capable of implementing an ESInet today.

This data is mentioned throughout the document and should play a large role in determining a statewide ESInet

solution.

This view also illustrates that 138 or 67% of the states primary and secondary PSAPs are already capable of

ESInet implementation possibly reducing the non-recurring cost needed for implementing a statewide ESInet.

This anaylsis is revisited later in the network design and cost analysis sections.

Figure 5 – ESInet Capable

(ESInet Capable Counties: Alachua, Bradford, Brevard, Calhoun, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie,

Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Jackson, Jefferson,

Lee, Liberty, Manatee, Marion, Miami-Dade, Nassau, Okaloosa, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Santa Rosa, Seminole, St. Lucie,

Sumter, Volusia, Wakulla, Washington)


2.2 National Perspective Each State’s population, PSAP count, collected fee total and fee structure, along with its progress to NG-911 are

used in the following analysis. All states are encouraged to voluntarily share their data annually with national

organizations. This information can be used to identify the status and basic functions of State 911 agencies, as

well as to measure and report on their progress in implementing NG-911 technology. This data is useful for

other States as they continue to develop planning, operations, policies and procedures, and implementation

strategies for NG-911. Reports over the past five years show continuous improvement in NG-911

implementation across the country. Figure 6 and Figure 7 identify NG-911 progress by each state and that

progress by a percentage nationally. 4

Figure 6

Figure 7

4 National Emergency Number Association (NENA), Status of NG-911 State Activity

https://www.nena.org/page/NG911_StateActivity?&hhsearchterms=%22national+and+update%22



Though data was collected and analyzed for each state the study was narrowed to show more focus on states

with 150 or more PSAPs. Research showed that implementation design and strategy varied based on state size in

population and in the number of PSAPs within each state. The State’s identified in Figure 8 and in the following

table are States that have 150 or more PSAPs.

State PSAP Count Population5.

(2016) California 441 39,296,476

Florida 206 20,656,589 Georgia 155 10,313,620 Illinois 278 12,835,726

Kentucky 156 4,436,113 Massachusetts 313 6,823,721

Mississippi 167 2,985,415 Ohio 230 11,622,554

Tennessee 170 6,649,404 Texas 581 27,904,862

Virginia 160 8,414,380

Figure 8 – State with 150 or more PSAPs

5 United States Census Bureau https://www.census.gov/

https://www.census.gov/


This space intentionally left blank


3 Technology Analysis & Summary The NENA Emergency Services IP Network Design Information Document is an important resource for this

section of the study. The most recent version released April 2018 serves as a tremendous resource for the entire

911 community. Though it is not intended to provide complete and detailed designed specifications, the

document does define the ESInet, what are the typical network architecture options, summary of standards,

overview of network availability, reliability, security, and impacts of ESInet deployment.

The following sections will elaborate on the ESInet, illustrate typical network architecture options, and provide

ESInet design examples from other states. However, the NENA Emergency Services IP Network Design

Information Document best describes the importance of the ESInet by the following statement:

It is important to understand that an ESInet and NG-911 are not the same. An ESInet can be

implemented without being considered NG-911, but NG-911 cannot operate without an ESInet6

3.1 Emergency Services IP Network (ESInet) Overview The groundwork for NG-911, interoperability, transport, and security are all requirements for a correctly

designed and implemented ESInet. The most important outcomes of such an ESINet are improved access to

emergency response services for 911 callers, improved communications for call takers and first responders, and

overall increased effectiveness and efficiency of emergency communications response.

Per NENA-STA-010 the ESInet is defined as follows:

An ESInet is a managed IP network that is used for emergency services communications, and which can

be shared by all public safety agencies. It provides the IP transport infrastructure upon which

independent application platforms and core functional processes can be deployed, including, but not

restricted to, those necessary for providing NG-911 services. ESInets may be constructed from a mix of

dedicated and shared facilities. ESInets may be interconnected at local, regional, state, federal, national,

and international levels to form IP-based inter-network (network of networks).

ESInet Categories

The design and deployment of ESInets may be local, regional, state, national, or possibly in the future

international in scope. ESINets can grow by interconnection between neighboring ESInets, for example a county

network connecting to another county network. As we are seeing across Florida, multiple counties can be

connected to become a region, although it is not an immediate requirement that these smaller systems be

contiguous. Regions can be interconnected to create a statewide network6. Chapter 2 of the Interstate Playbook

is now starting to reference multiple statewide networks connecting to create a nationwide network that could

then connect to other national ESInets to create an international network.

6NENA Emergency Services IP Network Design Information Documentational

https://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.nena.org/resource/resmgr/standards/NENA-INF-016.2-2018_ESIND_20.pdf



• Local ESInet – a managed IP network for emergency services communications for a single PSAP, county,

or call center;

• Regional ESInet – a managed IP network for emergency services communications that connects multiple

PSAPs across different counties. There are examples of this across Florida where counties have

partnered on cost and development of a regional ESInet. This could also be defined as a connection

between multiple ESInets locally within the same county;

• Statewide ESInet – a managed IP network for emergency services communications that encompasses

the entire state. These connections contain several regional and local ESInets;

• National ESInet – The connection of ESInets across the nation, and providing interconnection for state,

regional, and local ESInets;

• International ESInet – Interconnection across all ESInets creating an ESInet that covers the entire world.

This study focuses solely on local, regional, and statewide ESInets.

ESInet Requirements

ESInet core requirements are outlined below as summarized in the NENA-STA-010 Detailed Functional and

Interface Specification for the NENA i3 Solution – Stage 36:

• The network between the PSAP and an ESInet will be a private or virtual private network based upon

TCP/IP;

• It will have scalable bandwidth to support new enhanced services;

• The Emergency Services IP Network shall be a conventional routed IP network,

• Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) or other sub-IP mechanisms are permitted as appropriate;

• The PSAP should use redundant local area networks for reliability;

• PSAP Local Area Network (LAN) to an ESInet must be resilient, secure, physically diverse, and logically

separate;

• ESInet shall be engineered to sustain real time traffic, including data, audio, and video;

• Connections between the PSAP and an ESInet Wide Area Network (WAN) shall be secured Transmission

Control Protocol (TCP)/IP connections;

• ESInets should be capable of operating on IPv4 and IPv6 network infrastructures;

• ESInets should consider how the Domain Name System (DNS) is designed and managed;

• ESInet implementation should consider coordination efforts to understand Autonomous System (AS)

number implications for statewide deployments;

• ESInet configurations may impact Voice Quality and shall be designed to support the minimal acceptable

levels defined by NENA-STA-010.

These are the core ESInet requirements, but it will be important that the E911 Board and State of Florida work

to identify any additional requirements before ESInet procurement. Vendors participating in a Request for

Information (RFI) or Request for Proposal (RFP) should be encouraged to provide additions or improvements in

their response. The core requirements should be at a minimum met by all participants unless otherwise agreed

upon in a solicitation process.


Availability and Reliability Industry Recommendations

When looking at system architecture, the overall 911 system performance availability and reliability are a top

priority. The availability objective is that 911 service reliability achieve “five nines” (99.999%)5. It is important to

note that this is not a standard, but an objective and this level of availability is not always met in network

connections. The difference between reliability and availability is often misunderstood. High availability and

high reliability often go hand in hand, but they are not interchangeable terms.6

Reliability is the ability of a system or component to perform its required functions under stated

conditions for a specified period of time [IEEE 90].7 For example, the primary goal of an airline is to

complete the flights safely - with no catastrophic failures.

Availability, on the other hand, is the degree to which a system or component is operational and

accessible when required for use [IEEE 90]. For example, if a lamp has 99.9% availability, there will be

one time out of a thousand that someone needs to use the lamp and finds out that the lamp is not

operational, either because the lamp is burned out or the lamp is in the process of being replaced.

The formulas for availability and reliability can be found in the referenced documents, but the table below is a

good illustration of availability when thought of in terms of downtime per year.

Availability Downtime

90% (1-nine) 36.5 days/year

99% (2-nines) 3.65 days/year

99.9% (3-nines) 8.76 hours/year

99.99% (4-nines) 52 minutes/year

99.999% (5-nines) 5 minutes/year

99.9999% (6-nines) 31 seconds/year

The ability to achieve the five nines is technically possible, however funding and other hurdles often act as

roadblocks in reaching that objective. “Lessons learned” studies and industry experts urge the use of Service

Level Agreements (SLAs) established in-line with real system capabilities. Studies show that a system that is

specified and achieves “three nines” is more valuable than a system that is nominally said to be designed to

meet “five nines” but actually achieves “three nines”.

7IEEE 90 – Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, IEEE Standard Computer Dictionary: A Compilation of IEEE Standard Computer Glossaries. New York, NY: 1990ENA Emergency Services IP Network Design Information Documentational


3.2 Industry Standard, and Network Architecture Options The following sections illustrates ESInet architectures from the NENA Design Information Document and ESInet

designs from the states referenced in Figure 8 back in section 2.2 National Perspective. Each of these designs

have their advantages and disadvantages, but each is built with the common goal of maximizing availability and

reliability with the budget that is available.

Regional ESInet I

The most commonly utilized ESInet architectures:6

The state-level i3 core services are located at two (2) geographically-diverse sites – Host Site A and Host

Site B. In order to assure high availability, redundant firewalls, Session Border Controllers (SBCs), ESRPs,

and ECRFs are located at each of the state-level host sites. The i3 NGCS (e.g. ESRP, ECRF, and PRF) and

the Legacy Network Gateways (LNGs) are outside the scope of the ESInet, but it was the consensus of the

authors of this document that it would be advantageous to show how the i3 core services should be

connected into an ESInet. It is a best practice to build state-level host sites and regional host sites in

highly available data centers.

Regional ESInet 1 is comprised of an MPLS network. The PSAPs have a single entrance facility through

which all circuits are delivered. A single router that provides connectivity into the regional ESInet is

located in the backroom of each PSAP. Each PSAP has one or more call taker positions and a Border

Control Function (BCF) which consists of a session border controller and a firewall. As discussed in section

3.4, reliability engineering calculations show the reliability and availability of Regional ESInet 1 to be on

the order of two nines (99%). PSAPs utilizing this solution must therefore rely on traditional methods (i.e.,

back-up PSAPs and 10-digit numbers) to achieve five nines (99.999%) availability for the overall 9-1-1

service in their region. The state-level ESInet, which transports call signaling message exchanges, call

media streams that carry the call's audio, and data from the state-level i3 NGCS to the regional host

sites, is designed to achieve five nines availability. Connections to Internet border controllers from

outside an ESInets are shown at both the regional hosts and state-level host sites. Among other things

these connections could be utilized to support requirements to receive emergency 9-1-1 calls via the

Internet and/or to support remote access requirements for monitoring and maintenance.


Figure 9 - Regional ESInet I Example6

Regional ESInet II

Regional ESInet II below in Figure 10 is comprised of two physically diverse and independent networks; a

Metro Ethernet and a 4.9 GHz microwave network. Separate routers and entrance facilities are utilized

for each of the layer 2 technologies. As described throughout this document, there is a long list of other

criteria which must be met, but assuming a typical PSAP environment, if properly designed and

maintained, reliability engineering calculations show ESInet II to be capable of achieving three nines

(99.9%) availability. 6

Interconnectivity

It is anticipated that many regional 9-1-1 entities, and possibly individual PSAPs, will connect into the

state-level i3 NGCS. Figure 11 below shows how ESInets might be interconnected19. It is a best practice

to design connections from regional host sites to state-level i3 core services (i.e., state-level ESInets) to

achieve five nines availability.6


Figure 10 - Regional ESInet II Example6

Figure 11 - Interconnectivity Example6


3.3 Market Conditions (Examples from other states) The national transition to NG-911 is well underway and the adoption of statewide NG-911 plans are growing

each year. The recent 2017 National 911 Progress Report showed the adoption of a statewide NG-911 plan in 20

of the 45 (44%) reporting states, compared to 9 or 27 (33%) reporting states in 2012. Many of the early adopting

states have published their plans as resources for the 911 community.8

Texas has developed and published their Strategic Plan for Statewide 9-1-1 Service 2015-2019 outlining the

transition to NG-911 that will encompass 52 Emergency Communication Districts, 23 Regional Planning

Commissions, and a total of over 580 PSAPs. The state-level ESInet will connect regional ESInets and individual

PSAPs. The “Network of Networks” is shown in Figure 12 below. The interconnected and interoperable system

of local and regional networks is expected to provide the following advantages:9

• Enable call access, transfers and backups among and between PSAPs within Texas, and eventually,

across the nation;

• Provide flexibility in call-taking such that Texas call takers no longer will have to be physically

constrained to a specific communication center;

• Enable Texas PSAPs access to and backups from other emergency services organization such as Texas

Poison Control and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, via the state-level ESInet

interconnection with these and other public safety-grade emergency service network;

• Enable Texas PSAPs and the public the ability to receive up-to-date information, warnings, and/or

instructions on large-scale events; and

• Enhance reliability, robustness and resiliency, but requires additional attention to security, monitoring,

and overall management.

The Commission on State Emergency Communications (CSEC) is providing the states 911 entities with the choice

to connect their PSAPs directly to emergency services networks and utilize NG-911 Core Services (NGCS)

provisioned by NG-911 systems deployed by the CSEC, Texas 9-1-1 Alliance and collaborating 9-1-1 Entities at

the regional level in Texas.9 Large states such as Texas and California are using interconnected regional systems

to serve as input points decreasing the overall number of connections and realizing decreased cost in economies

of scale. The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) Task Force on Optimal PSAP Architecture (TFOPA)

Final Report recommends: 10

9-1-1 Authorities explore the use of a shared infrastructure model and embrace strategies to collaborate and

share resources when transitioning to NG-911 as a way to meet their responsibility for providing an optimally

effective and efficient emergency communications system for their citizens and emergency responders.

82017 National 911 Progress Report, 911.Gov https://www.911.gov/pdf/National-911-Program-Profile-Database-Progress-Report-2017.pdf

9Commission on State Emergency Communications, Next Generation Master Plan Version 5.0, June 2016

https://csec.app.box.com/s/eotaacj4txqpq7olid1g1ng80jucu3xe

102016 Federal Communications Commission, Task Force on Optimal PSAP Architecture, FCC Federal Advisory Committee

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5HEHifGSF-eeXQ5VjA2clZBY1U/view

https://www.911.gov/pdf/National-911-Program-Profile-Database-Progress-Report-2017.pdf




Figure 12 – Texas Emergency Services IP Network “Network of Networks” 9

The California 9-1-1 Emergency Communications Branch has also published its Next Generation 9-1-1

Information and Collaboration Presentation that details the states strategy for implementing NG-911. The plan

divides the state’s 58 counties into 5 regions.11 Regions were determined based on call volume and LA City

makes up its own region. PSAPs within each of the 5 regions will be connect to that regional ESInet. Each

regional ESInet is interconnected to all other regions and backed up by what is being the called the state’s ESInet

Prime. The ESInet Prime will be used to interconnect and backup each Regional ESInet and it will also be used to

connect to ESInets outside the state of California. As shown in Figure 14 the initiative to promote and support

regionalization among PSAPs can be seen in many of the state’s design and implementation strategies. For larger

states this strategic initiative allows resources and funding to be used more efficiently while allowing NG-911

benefits to be realized at all levels of support.

11CAL OES Next Generation 9-1-1 Information & Collaboration, July 2017

http://www.caloes.ca.gov/PublicSafetyCommunicationsSite/Documents/002-

July%202017%20NextGen%20911%20V5.pdf

http://www.caloes.ca.gov/PublicSafetyCommunicationsSite/Documents/002-July%202017%20NextGen%20911%20V5.pdf



Figure 13 - Cal OES NG-911 Regional Map11

Figure 14 - California State NG-911 Design11


3.4 Leverage Existing State Infrastructure To gain efficiencies in implementation many states are exploring existing infrastructure in the development their

statewide ESInet. A key component for any ESInet consideration includes the assessment of alternate networks

provided by other governmental agencies or existing networks. For example, using transport from a higher

education network or other available existing network may positively impact the costs of the overall design.

Connections to networks such as these may allow for an offset of major cost implications in areas where

broadband connectivity is expensive, or redundancy is limited. During the initial planning stages, all available

broadband network resources should be evaluated for possible utilization in design and deployment of the

ESInet. 6

MyFloridaNet2 (MFN2) should be explored as an option for a statewide IP network backbone. MFN1 and MFN2

are already being used by some counties for 911 call transfer and/or routing. It is available to provide the

infrastructure and network access for all public agencies throughout Florida. Even if the MFN infrastructure

network is not currently at the standard needed, updates should be evaluated as they could be more cost

effective than the development and implementation of a new IP network.

Figure 15 - Sample Illustration of Utilizing MFN as ESInet Backbone


3.5 Future Market Conditions Advancement in technology and development of new dedicated public safety networks are driving future

market conditions within public safety.

FirstNet

The Middle-Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 that was highlighted in the beginning of this study for

NG-911 advancements is also the act that created the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet). This

independent authority was created within NTIA to provide emergency responders with the first nationwide,

interoperable, high-speed, broadband network dedicated to public safety. 1 Though FirstNet and NG-911 are

being built and designed as two separate public safety networks it is imperative that collaboration and

communication take place for both systems to achieve their full potential and overall vision for tomorrows

public safety. As seen later in the governance section of the study many governing bodies have a FirstNet

representative as a voting member, or as an active resource on a committee or subcommittee. Engaging a

FirstNet resource on the states NG-911 transition team will provide valuable input to align FirstNet and state

NG-911 initiatives. In a recent publication by the National Association of State 911 Administrators the following

comment was provided by Association’s Executive Director, Evalyn Bailey.12

“As a community, we need to come together to advocate for the resources, political support, and policies

we need locally and nationally to create smart, seamless, digitally-adaptive, responsive public safety

communication networks. Those who are engineering and implementing NG911 and FirstNet need to

work together proactively to ensure that this essential interoperability actually occurs. Both NG911 and

FirstNet implementation are at a point in the design and implementation phase that time still exists to

accomplish this. Let’s keep the big picture firmly in view and approach the most important advancements

in public safety we have ever seen with care and thoughtfulness.”

Emerging Technology

The historical NG-911 timeline that was outlined in section 1.2, does not mimic the speed in which society is

being introduced to new technology. Smartphones, wearable technology, smart city infrastructure, the internet

of things (IoT) are all driving the digital world we live in today. Some of this technology is being introduced into

the 911 community and partnerships are being formed with leading telecommunication providers to improve

location accuracy and deliver increased situational information upon call delivery. The introduction of this new

technology are great opportunities for many PSAPs, however PSAPs with limited funding often are not able to

take advantage of these additional features due to legacy system capabilities or increased operating cost that

these additions may require.

12NG911 & FirstNet, National Association of State 911 Administrators and 911.gov

https://www.911.gov/pdf/NASNA_National_911_Program_NG911_FirstNet_Guide_State_Local_Authorities.pdf



3.6 Legacy Interoperability Based on the PSAP Assessment survey there are 16 primary and 2 secondary PSAPs in the state that consider

themselves a legacy PSAP. Concerns of availability become high priority for legacy PSAPs that are dependent on

backup PSAPs and 10-digit numbers. An individual assessment of each PSAP will provide a better understanding

of each PSAPs capabilities and needs in transitioning to NG-911. Equipment needs such as Legacy PSAP Gateway

(LPG) will need to be identified and included in transition time, resources, and cost. The most crucial concern is

that in a call transfer situation the call delivery is consistent with all PSAPs even when a Legacy PSAP is receiving

or transferring call information (location and data).

3.7 Summary Technology Network Architecture In summary this section has identified the most commonly utilized ESInet architectures per the NENA

Emergency Services IP Network Design Document and has provided examples of two states (Texas and

California) that are currently working to implement their statewide ESInet. As mentioned in section 2.2 National

Perspective all state plans were researched, but to narrow focus states with larger populations and PSAP counts

of 150 or higher were evaluated more closely. In this evaluation it became clear that regardless of the state’s

size or PSAP count the trend of multiple county collaboration and considerable sharing of resources to create

economies of scale is something many states are encouraging in their move to NG-911.

Per the National Association of State of 911 Administrators (NASNA) there has been an increase in

regionalization over the past few years for these key reasons: 13

• Reduce costs;

• Use costly 911 system components more efficiently;

• Minimize the number of times a 911 call must be transferred;

• Enhance purchasing power; and

• Leverage technological advance to improve or expand services to citizens.

Small PSAP’s in rural areas face challenges obtaining and maintaining resources, hardware, software, training,

and support needed to meet the current 911 needs of their citizens. These funding challenges and the evolution

of NG-911 methodology of a system of systems or network of networks that involve the sharing of infrastructure

are driving an increase in regionalization.

Often when regionalization is mentioned consolidation is the approach or term that comes to mind, but they are

not the same. Though there may be instances where consolidation is recommended, regionalization is simply

defined as two or more communities or agencies that join in a formal, mutually beneficial working relationship

to optimize services provided to the customers of their communities.

13NASNA 911 Regionalization – Tools and Information

http://www.nasna911.org/911-regionalization



There are also multiple ways that regionalization can occur, and we see this in different regional 911 systems

across the country.

• Consolidation of multiple PSAPs into a few regional PSAPs serving a large geographic area;

• Consolidation of multiple PSAPs into one single regional PSAP service a large geographic area; and

• Virtual regionalization by sharing 911 infrastructure and technology without consolidation of any PSAPS

or the creation of a large regional PSAP.

The following information is from regionalization case studies performed by NASNA.13

• Case Study: Western Pennsylvania County Regional ESInet – The WestCORE alliance between 10

counties Armstrong, Butler, Cambria, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Mercer, Somerset, and

Westmoreland. Not long after Allegheny County, home of the City of Pittsburgh also joined West Core.

Architecture:

The WestCORE ESInet uses three CPE switches that are located in three host counties. These three

switches are shared by all of the PSAPs and EOCs. PSAP consolidation was not a requirement of the

regionalization project. All PSAPs continue operations as before, with each taking its own calls.

The system is capable of providing transport and connectivity for NG911 applications, Computer Aided

Dispatch (CAD), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), voice recording, Radio and Emergency

Management functions.

PEMA’s NG911 plans provide for the development of a state-level enterprise ESInet that will eventually

link all the regional ESInets together for seamless statewide coverage. Thus, state policy encourages and

incentivizes the development of regionalized NG911 systems based on voluntary local arrangements, but

also ensures that ultimately there will be seamless statewide coverage.

Benefits of Regionalization

The benefits included the ability to replace end-of-life CPE with IP-enabled, NG911 capable CPE and to

reduce the number of CPE switches from 13 to three with a commensurate reduction in capital and

annual recurring costs. The chart below illustrates the savings that were realized by regionalization.

Expense Category Cost to Upgrade/Replace

Legacy CPE Cost for Regional Shared

CPE Savings

Capital $9.4M $5.1M $4.3M Annual Operating $564K $392K $172K

The need for each county to have (and pay for) its own back-up PSAP was eliminated, while at the same time

region-wide disaster recovery and continuity of operations capabilities were improved.


• Case Study: Counties of Southern Illinois NG911 ESInet PROJECT – The 13 counties of Williamson,

Jackson, Perry, Union, Saline, Johnson, Pulaski, Alexander, White, Wabash, Clay, Richland, and Gallatin

enter into intergovernmental agreement and become the Counties of Southern Illinois (CSI).

Architecture:

One early decision was that they did not want to consolidate PSAPs. (Though it should be noted that

after system deployment, three PSAPs voluntarily determined they were superfluous and no longer

functions as PSAPs). Another was that they would share all the major NG911 infrastructure components

that replaced the E911 Selective Routers and Databases.

There are two redundant data centers and 17 PSAPs connected to the regional ESInet. Each PSAP as its

own master logging recorder, but 911 voice calls are also recorded at the data centers. Radio is recorded

only at the PSAPs. Future growth was considered, so the infrastructure was designed with enough

capacity to serve the entire southern half of the state.

Benefits of Regionalization

“The ability to share system components and their associated costs is a huge benefit.

Daily activity at the PSAP level remains unchanged. CSI does not function as a virtual PSAP where

calls are answered by first available dispatcher; each PSAP continues to answer its own calls.

The full capability of the ESInet is realized during periods of heavy call volumes or other exigent

circumstances. For example, a geologic fault underlies southern Illinois, the region is on “tornado alley”

and is surrounded by the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. Regionalizing means that PSAPs have more

dispatchers available to back each other up and take calls in the event of a natural disaster. This

interconnectivity assures that no 911 call goes unanswered or gets a busy signal.

Finally, they were able to achieve “virtual consolidation” without closing any buildings, without needing

to construct a large regional 911 facility, and without needing to lay off staff.”

Currently there are both completed and ongoing regionalization or regional IP routing projects across the State,

and PSAPs/regions will continue to move forward with these initiatives. An option in the development of a

statewide NG-911 system would include connectivity of these regional projects thus creating a network or

networks. The statewide ESInet could be designed using the existing IP-based inter-network (network of

networks) using Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) signaling shared by all PSAPs capable of receiving IP-based. The

PSAP Assessment performed in this study identified 23 counties and 68 PSAPs that do not currently have this

capability. Further assessments of individual PSAPs, regional networks, and current state network infrastructure

will need to be performed and technical and operational requirements defined when creating a conceptual

network design.


4 Procurement Options & Cost Analysis

4.1 Introduction This section compares industry procurement strategies and provides an overview of cost estimates/projections

from other states.

4.2 Business Models for Procuring NG-911 Platforms A state’s procurement strategy is another deciding factor in how a state moves towards its delivery of NG-911.

As time has passed and individual PSAPs and regions move independently of their state toward NG-911 services,

states have also had to evaluate what procurement strategy provides the most efficient and cost-effective

solution while also keeping interoperability at the forefront of their network requirements.

4.3 Evaluation of the Options A high-level NG-911 conceptual design that is consistent with NENA i3 standards is depicted in Figure 16

below.14 The diagram breaks out functionality into ingress (originating network), statewide core services, and

egress which is the exit to individual PSAPs and regional ESInets. In this evaluation of procurement strategies,

the network is broken out into the following segments: 15

• Emergency Services IP network (ESInet)

o Ingress

o Core

o Egress

• Next Gen Core Services (NGCS)

o Emergency Services Routing Proxy (ESRP)

o Emergency Call Routing Function (ECRF)

o Location Database (LDB)

o Border Control Function (BCF)

o Legacy Network Gateway (LNG)

o Legacy Selective Router Gateway (LSRG)

o Legacy PSAP Gateway (LPG)

• Call Handling - Customer Premise Equipment (CPE)

• Geographic Information System (GIS) Services

14OHIO Program Office, Department of Administrative Services, Preliminary Design and Operation Requirements

L.R. Kimball, August 30, 2016 http://911.ohio.gov/ESINet 15Migration to NG-911 ESInet & Core Services, Inteliquent, Paddock, Ray, December 2017

http://911.ohio.gov/ESINet


Figure 16 – NG-911 Conceptual Design Illustration14

4.4 Advantages, Disadvantages, Risks, Ease of Implementation, Scalability and

Adoptability These procurement options identify NG-911 procurement strategies that have been used by other states. 15

Though these strategies attempt to provide NG-911 services to an entire state the decision to adopt (opt in) or

not adopt (opt out) is left up to each individual PSAP. The scalability and adoptability information under each

option is referring to the possible opt in / opt out potential related to each procurement strategy.


Option 1

A single procurement selecting one vendor for full implementation of all ESInet, NGCS, CPE, and GIS Services.

Advantages:

One vendor to manage may improve project communication and coordination. This could also possibly shorten the project implementation timeline.

Disadvantages or Potential Concerns

This option could result in a higher cost as and there is no choice or limited choice in who the vendor may select as subcontractors. This limited or no input in subcontractor selection could also mean you may not be getting the best provider for that selected service.

Long Term Risk With this all-inclusive procurement option, a change in prime vendor after initial contract could be disruptive to both the PSAPs and Originating Service Providers (OSPs).

Ease of Implementation In a state where individual PSAPs have already began to procure NG-911 services or implementation strategies this procurement strategy could be difficult to implement.

Potential Scalability and/or Adoptability Scalability and adoptability may be difficult in states where PSAPs have already began individual approaches to NG-911. This may require PSAPs to disregard current implementation strategies and evaluate potential sunk cost towards their current NG-911 initiatives.

Option 2

Procurement of CPE and a separate procurement for ESInet and NGCS.

Advantages:

Advantage with procuring two separate vendors is flexibility to choose best in class CPE vendor and best in class vendor providing ESInet and NGCS. Overall flexibility in the two procurements.


Cost is still a concern in this option and as the procurement strategy moves away from one vendor ensuring interoperability becomes a concern. Requires highly defined scope of services, functional requirements definition and well-defined service level agreement.

Risks In this procurement strategy a change in the vendor providing ESInet and NGCS after initial implementation is disruptive to both the PSAPs and OSPs.

Ease of Implementation Like option 1 implementation could be difficult considering PSAPs in the state have already began to procure NG-911 services or implementation strategies.


Potential Scalability and/or Adoptability Like option 1 scalability and adoptability may be difficult in states where PSAPs have already began individual approaches to NG-911. This may require PSAPs to disregard current implementation strategies and evaluate potential sunk cost towards their current NG-911 initiatives.

Option 3

Procurement of CPE, procurement of ESInet and NGCS, and procurement of GIS services.

Advantages:

With the addition of more vendors we increase flexibility to choose the best in class in each service layer. It also provides the opportunity to reduce cost with the ability to negotiate and evaluate different providers during the procurement of each service.


Ensuring interoperability becomes a concern as different vendors are added to the project. Also, the project schedule will need to be coordinated with multiple vendors possibly increasing the time to implementation. Requires highly defined scope of services, functional requirements definition and well-defined service level agreement.

Risks With the option a change in the vendor providing NGCS vendor after initial implementation is disruptive to PSAPs and OSPs.

Ease of Implementation Implementation is less difficult then option one and/or option two, however this implementation strategy is still very costly and will require an in-depth cost benefit analysis when consideration is given by PSAPs in the state that have already began to procure NG-911 services or implementation strategies.

Potential Scalability and/or Adoptability Increased adoptability as PSAPs that are not far along in their individual plan to move towards NG-911

would more closely evaluate adopting provided solutions.

Option 4

Procurement of CPE, procurement of ESInet, procurement of NCGS, and procurement of GIS services.

Advantages:

With increased flexibility in vendor selection there is potential for cost savings and provides greater

opportunity to select best in class in each procurement.


Ensuring interoperability and project timeline remain concerns as more vendors are introduced into the

project. Requires highly defined scope of services, functional requirements definition and well-defined

service level agreement.


Risks A change in in the vendor providing NGCS vendor after initial implementation is disruptive to PSAPs and OSPs.

Ease of Implementation Ease of implementation regardless of each PSAPs stage towards NG-911 upgrades/implementation.

Potential Scalability and/or Adoptability Increased adoptability as the multiple procurement options provides flexibility for PSAPs in different

stages of NG-911 implementation.

Option 5

Procurement of CPE, procurement of NGCS, procurement of GIS, procurement of ESInet Core and ESInet Egress,

and procurement of ESInet Ingress

Advantages:

Increased flexibility in vendor selection increases potential for cost savings and provides greater

opportunity to select best in class in each procurement.

• A change in the vendor providing NGCS after initial implementation does not impact OSPs;

• Separating the ESInet Ingress in this procurement strategy allows for a mix of NGCS providers; and

• Provides state-wide OSPs simplified interconnection.


Ensuring interoperability and project timeline remain concerns as more vendors are introduced into the project. Requires highly defined scope of services, functional requirements definition and well-defined service level agreement.

Risks

A change in the vendor providing NGCS after initial implementation is disruptive to PSAPs.

Ease of Implementation Increased ease of implementation for individual PSAPs and/or regions.

Potential Scalability and/or Adoptability

High adoptability and scalability with all PSAPs regardless of their NG-911 implementation stage.


Summary Procurement Strategy Summary

Cost is the key factor in determining what ESInet structure and NG-911 core functions a state will provide out to

its PSAPs and what will be left up to local funding. The analysis in this decision-making process is how each of

the procurement strategies presented were formed. The options shown with multiple procurements does not

necessarily mean one party (state or locals) is responsible for each procurement within that option. As an

example, in option 5 it could be the state that decides to take the responsibility and procure just the ESInet

ingress and individual PSAPs (locals) take the responsibility of procuring all other services in that option. This

illustrates why a mix of NGCS providers is highlighted as an advantage in option 5.

4.5 Cost Analysis and Review of Other States There are many factors in play when estimating the anticipated cost of the NG-911 transition. Cost estimates

from other states are provided in this section, however each state has its own set of unique variables that

determine the path of implementation and its transition cost. The common thread in all the cost examples

provided is that the ESInet backbone and NG-911 core functions that would be provided via that ESInet are

clearly identified in the states completed transition plan. The range of $12 million to $80 million provided in the

examples should be used as evaluation tools when analyzing implementation and procurement strategies and

not as cost estimates for transitioning to NG-911 for the state of Florida.

Examples of Implementation Cost and Reoccurring Cost

States are sharing their cost information with The National 911 Program to assist other states in their

preparation and planning for NG-911 transition. This information along with states annual reporting was used to

provide the following examples of NG-911 transition cost. 16

• Tennessee: Implemented NetTN a secure state-wide platform

o Approximate Cost Estimates are $50-$60 million to deploy the system and this cost does not

include local PSAP equipment or system deployment cost

o Estimated $16-$16.5 million annually to operate the system

o The state has reported that it has been under budget every year since deployment began

o For FY 2011-2012 they reported over $30 million under budget

o In 2013 Tennessee reported it was about $5 million under budget.

o In fiscal year 2017 the Tennessee Emergency Communication Board spent almost $11.4 million

implementing the NG-911 project.

▪ $0.6 million to provide NG-911 equipment to Tennessee PSAPs;

▪ $7.1 million to integrate with and adapt the Net TN system for NG-911 purposes;

16Federal Communications Commission, Next Generation 911 Inter-Governmental Advisory Committee, July1,

2013, David L. Furth Deputy Bureau Chief

https://transition.fcc.gov/statelocal/Next-Generation-911-Text-to-911.pdf



▪ $3.7 million to maintain the twenty-four-hour network operations center assist PSAPs

with technical issues; and

▪ $17,600 for ESRI licensing

▪ In this 2017 report the Board projected recurring and operation costs of approximately

$16.5 million annually to maintain the NG-911 program.

Figure 17 below illustrates the Tennessee Emergency Communications Board Expenditures from 7/1/2010

through 6/30/2017. Highlighted is the NG-911 expenditures totaling $62,810,402 over this time. 17

Figure 17 – Tennessee Emergency Communications NG-911 Board Expenditures 2010 - 201717

• Oregon: L.R. Kimball Cost Study

o Estimated transition cost of $18 million over 3 years

o Estimate includes equipment replacement, equipment upgrades, software and maintenance

o As a point of reference Oregon operates 57 PSAPs

• Washington: L.R. Kimball Cost Study

o Determined annual recurring cost for statewide ESInet is approximately $12.9 million

o As a point of reference Washington operates 63 PSAPs

17Annual Report of the Tennessee Emergency Communications Board, Fiscal Year 2017, TN Department of

Commerce & Insurance

https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/commerce/documents/e911/posts/TECB_Annual-Report_FY-2017-

FULL.pdf

https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/commerce/documents/e911/posts/TECB_Annual-Report_FY-2017-FULL.pdf



• California

In July 2017 California released its estimated cost total (Figure 18) for NG-911 transition. 11 In the

presentation they reiterated that it took a good bit of analysis before they felt comfortable releasing these

estimates. The current infrastructure cost is the cost associated with maintaining equipment that is operable

in the PSAPs today. The figure illustrates that as the implementation of NG-911 increases each year, the cost

of supporting current infrastructure begins to decrease. This type of correlation in transition cost is to be

expected as PSAPs and/or regional networks begin to transition over to NG-911. The end column represents

the estimated total annual project cost.

Figure 18 – California Estimated Cost Total for NG-911 Transition11


• Texas

Legislating budget request in Figure 19 show appropriated NG-911 funding for FY 201-2017, and the

requested and projected request for FY 2018-2021. 18 These appropriated, requested, and projected

requested funds would bring the project total to $84,800,000. This cost is associated with the Digital 9-1-1

Network Project, NG-911 Geospatial Data Project, Regional ESInet Projects, Text-to-9-1-1 Project, and the

State Level ESInet Project.

Figure 19 - Appropriated and Requested Funding for Texas NG-91118

189-1-1 In Texas

https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/85R/handouts/C4202017022808001/187f7790-83d8-4e1b-9732-

bd53d8b78687.PDF

https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/85R/handouts/C4202017022808001/187f7790-83d8-4e1b-9732-bd53d8b78687.PDF



Summary and Other Cost Factors

Key cost drivers in Florida will depend on the system being developed including the number of routing cores,

redundancy and diversity, current standards and equipment availability, cost of any supplemental emergency

databases and interface connectivity needed for NG-911 systems and more. Other determining factors include,

but are not limited to 6

• Broadband Connectivity: Assessment of broadband connectivity throughout the state and at each

connecting site/location;

• ESInet Design and Deployment: Is it possible that a current statewide IP platform can be used (MFN2)

reducing cost;

• Number of PSAPs Transitioning: Identifying the number of PSAPs requiring transition and determining

and analyzing all opt in and/or opt out scenarios;

• Centralized or shared network architecture: Analysis on regionalization and consolidation scenarios and

assessing regional ESInet already in place around the state;

• Timeline and Implementation Stages: A shortened timeline to speed up implementation introduces new

cost variables and possibly additional exposure to risk and its correlating cost;

• Direct PSAP control versus hosted solution for provision of NG-911;

• New or Upgraded CPE to handle multimedia communications such as text, data, and video;

• New or enhanced system capabilities such as GIS, MIS, and translation services;

• Operations and Personnel cost including training for coordinators, call takers, and other stakeholders;

• Public Education cost associated with informing stakeholders and citizens of the transition, system

capabilities, and implementation timeline; and

• Maintaining current operations and legacy 911 systems during the transition.

A transition plan and cost analysis must be developed to determine an estimate for a statewide ESInet and any

additional NG-911 core functions. Further detail of these plans is outlined in Summary of Next Steps at the end

of this document.


5. NG-911 FUNDING & STATUTE ANALYSIS

This section of the study provides an overview and comparison of the states 911 fees, collection of fees, and

national trends. It also provides statute analysis related to the allowable uses of collected 911 fees.

5.1 Fee Analysis Currently the state 911 fee for wireline, wireless, and VoIP services is $0.40. In the recently released Ninth

Annual Report to Congress on State Collection and Disbursement of 911 and Enhanced 911 Fees and Charges,

Florida’s flat fee on all three services is at a minimum of $0.52 below the national average. 19

The table below shows a comparison of the previous states that were identified in section 2.2 National

Perspective with more than 150 PSAPs. The average 911 fee for wireline-flat fee is $1.00, for wireless – flat fee

the average is $0.92, and the average VoIP-flat fee $0.96. The lowest for all three service types is Michigan at

$0.19. The highest for wireline is Arkansas at $2.00, wireless is West Virginia at $3.00, and Alabama VoIP fee of

$1.75. Prepaid is not shown in the table, however Florida is also at a flat fee of $0.40 and the national average is

$0.83, and the national low is $0.40 by Maine. 19

State PSAP

Count Population

(2016) Fee Total Wireline

Fee Wireless

Fee VoIP

Fee California 441 39,296,476 $79,648,535 .0075 .0075 .0075 Florida 206 20,656,589 $111,799,871 $0.40 $0.40 $0.40 Georgia 155 10,313,620 $19,840,298 $1.50 $1.00 $1.50 Illinois 278 12,835,726 $234,070,304 $0.87 $0.87 $0.87 Kentucky 156 4,436,113 $111,089,076 $0.36 -

$4.50 $0.70 $0.36

$4.50 Massachusetts 313 6,823,721 $117,883,889 $1.00 $1.00 $1.00 Mississippi 167 2,985,415 $31,884,472 $1.05 Res.

$2.05 Com. $1.00 $1.00

Ohio 230 11,622,554 $44,720,083 $0.50 $0.25 NA Tennessee 170 6,649,404 $102,699,644 $1.16 $1.16 $1.16 Texas 581 27,904,862 $223,315,125 $0.50 $0.50 $0.50 Virginia 160 8,414,380 $86,028,766 $0.75 $0.75 $0.75

Table 1: Fee overview for states with 150 or more PSAPs

19Federal Communications Commissions Ninth Annual Report to Congress, On State Collection and Distribution

of 911 and Enhanced 911 Fees and Charges, For the Period January 1, 2016 To December 31, 2016

https://www.fcc.gov/general/911-fee-reports

https://www.fcc.gov/files/9thannual911feereportpdf

Information Request and Responses. In April 2017, the Bureau sent questionnaires to the Governor of each state and territory and the Mayor of the District of Columbia requesting information on 911 fee collection and expenditure for calendar year 2016.4 The Bureau received responsive information from 46 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.5 The Bureau did not receive responses from Missouri, Montana, New York, and Oklahoma. Other nonresponding jurisdictions include Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and Puerto Rico.




5.1.1 Trends

As expected, 911 and E911 fees are increasing across the country. Many states are operating in a deficit or are

projecting a deficit as they transition towards NG-911. In the ninth annual fee report 38 states reported their

total estimated cost and their total amount of fees collected. When looking at fees as a percentage of cost only

13 states showed fees covering 100% of their total estimated cost. Florida reported a total estimated cost of

$203,420,288 and total fees collected of $111,799,871. In relation to fees as a percentage of cost this puts the

state at 55%. There were 11 states that ranked lower than Florida in this analysis, however it should be noted

that 7 of those states are well into their implementation of NG-911 and may have also included transition cost

into to their total estimated cost (Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Oregon, and South Dakota).

5.2 Statute and Usage Analysis

As we see rapid advancement in technology state statutes are being modified to encompass the change and its

impact in the public safety community. Fee amounts, collection, usage, and governance all must work hand in

hand to avoid large funding deficits in transitioning to NG-911. Table 2 identifies some recent changes reported

in the Ninth Annual Fee Report to Congress. 19

State: Overview: IL “The Emergency Telephone System Act with an effective date of January 1, 2016 equalized the surcharge

collected for wireline, wireless and VoIP across the State, except for the City of Chicago, to $.87. The City of

Chicago’s surcharged increased to $3.90. Prepaid wireless was increased to 3%.” KY “In July 2016 HB 585 was passed into law by the Kentucky General Assembly that changed the funding formula

for pre-paid wireless connections to a point of sale collection method. Each pre-paid connection is now charged

$0.93 per transaction.” LA “In 2016 the Louisiana State Legislature Passed Act 665 and Act 590 adjusting the Wireless and Prepaid

Wireless Rates for the State of Louisiana.” MA “The funding mechanism was not altered. However, the Enhanced 911 Surcharge was adjusted from $1.25 to

$1.00 effective July 1, 2016.” NH “Effective January 1, 2016 the state imposed a prepaid commercial mobile radio service E911 surcharge that

shall be levied on each retail transaction sourced to New Hampshire. The amount of the surcharge levied for

each retail transaction shall be the same as the surcharge imposed under RSA 106-H:9 I (a).”

Table 2: States That Amended or Enlarged 911 Funding Mechanism19

Statutes broadening the allowable usage of 911 and E911 fees have also been looked at as a possible strategy to

generate support when fee increases are proposed. Though this may increase support and funding for other

public safety initiatives there are concerns with broadening allowable uses. As in any statute change it is

imperative that the language clearly define allowable public safety expenditures and that legislative

representatives work closely with their public safety stakeholders in this effort.


A fear of many in the 911 community is that even if this strategy leads to a fee increase it allows the 911 fund to

be used for other public safety systems/networks increasing roadblocks for updating state 911 systems and

delaying the realization of NG-911. The lease, purchase, maintenance of radio dispatch networks is allowable

expense for some states and is illustrated below in Table 3.

When looking at the seventh, eighth, and ninth annual fee report to congress the allowable usage has slightly

fluctuated regarding dispatch use. Minnesota is an example of a state that has had success using their 911

Special Revenue Fund for funding multiple public safety services through the state 911 fee. As a point of

reference Minnesota operates 104 PSAPS and has a flat rate fee for wireline of $1.05, wireless, $1.05, prepaid

$1.02 and VoIP $0.95. The state fee collected total covers 100% of its total estimated cost. 19

The Minnesota Special Revenue Fund is used for the following: 20

• Statewide 911 Program;

• Wireline telephone company costs to connect to the 911 network;

• 911 PSAP equipment and dispatch proficiency expenses;

• Debt service on the revenue bonds sold to construct the Allied Radio Matrix for Emergency Response

(ARMER), ARMER backbone, maintenance and operation costs;

• Minnesota’s interoperability program; and

• Statewide Emergency Communications Board (SECB).

Minnesota Revenue Fund

The Minnesota Statewide 911 Program costs were funded from the state’s general fund until December

1986. In 1987, the state began collecting a 911 service fee on wired telephone lines to pay expenses

related to the 911 program. Beginning July 1994, the fee was extended to include wireless telephone

lines and today it includes voice over internet protocol (VoIP) providers.

Revenues from the 911 fee are deposited into a special revenue account from which the 911 Program

costs are paid. In the 2015–2016 biennium, over $62 million was appropriated for the 911 Special

Revenue Account to fund the 911 Program, 911 wireline and wireless carrier cost recovery, and 911 PSAP

equipment and proficiency expenses. The special revenue account also provides funding for the east and

west medical resource communications centers, debt service on the revenue bonds sold to construct the

ARMER system, ARMER backbone maintenance and operation costs, and Minnesota’s interoperability

program.

20Minnesota Emergency Communication Network, A Division of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety

https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/ecn/programs/911/Pages/default.aspx



ALLOWABLE USES DESCRIPTION TOTAL STATES Operating Costs CPE 46 Operating Costs CAD 37 Operating Costs Building and Facilities 28

Personnel Salaries 30 Personnel Training 43

Administrative Programs 42 Administrative Travel 40

Dispatch (2016) Reimbursement to Other Law

Enforcement Providing Dispatch 17

Dispatch (2016) Lease, Purchase, Maintenance of Radio

Dispatch Networks 26









Table 3: Allowable Fee Uses by State Total19

5.3 Summary of Florida NG-911 Funding and Statute Analysis A major concern in sustaining the state’s current level of E911 service and implementation of the transition to

NG-911 is the funding required for statewide implementation. Section 365.172, Florida Statutes, provides for the

collection of a fee (currently set at 40 cents and capped under the statute at 50 cents) assessed to each

subscriber with a Florida billing address (place of primary use) for wireless, VoIP, local access lines and prepaid

wireless. All fees are collected by the state and disbursed by DMS based on the allocation and pro-rata

disbursement approval of the board. As outlined, the state revenues have only been able to pay for 55 percent

of the E911 total estimated expenses. This is the extent of any allowable surcharge for the provision of E911

services statewide, either at the state or local level. 21

Though an immediate fee increase would cover a higher percentage of total estimated expenses, it may be a

better approach to request a fee increase at the completion of the transition plan and cost analysis. At this time

the E911 Board will have a cost estimate supporting a requested fee increase and possible statute change

requesting removal of the 50 cent cap on the fee.

21Florida Statute, Section 365.172

http://www.leg.state.fl.us/STATUTES/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0300-

0399/0365/Sections/0365.172.html

http://www.leg.state.fl.us/STATUTES/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0300-0399/0365/Sections/0365.172.html



Further evaluation of broadening allowable fee use should also be completed at this time to allow for a higher

degree of first responder telecommunications integration service layers. E.g., State Law Enforcement Radio

System (SLERS) integration and support. Federal grant participation is strongly encouraged for immediate

increases in NG-911 transitional funding for state and individual PSAP NG-911 initiatives.

6. NG-911 OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS The technical needs and requirements of transitioning to NG-911 continue to be well documented and dominate

much of the transition conversation. However, managing the operational impacts of a more enhanced and

comprehensive 911 system is a key component in the NG-911 transition. States are developing operational

committees to develop operational policies and procedures to assist PSAPs and all stakeholders in the transition

to NG-911. Strategic initiatives such as communication and public awareness, training, operational performance,

resource management, and annual audits are all components in developing operational guidelines for NG-911.

In NENA’s NG-911 Transition Plan Considerations Information Document it points out that operational impacts

are felt by all stakeholders and that it’s just as important to identify these stakeholders and the level of impact

as it is to create these operational policies and procedures. 22 As new technology continues to emerge, and the

development of interconnected networks become the new norm, the list of stakeholders will continue to grow.

Law enforcement, fire, EMS, dispatch are all stakeholders that are immediately identified, but with next

generation the stakeholder list also includes hospitals, mental health organizations, media, and many more

beyond the traditional public safety community. It is important to maintain a vision for the big picture of public

safety and the mechanisms that provide that support at all levels.

The NENA Transition Plan classifies these stakeholders into the following sub-sections: 22

• PSAP Oriented Stakeholder;

• Commercial Mobile Radio Service Providers;

• Wireline Service Providers;

• VoIP Service Providers;

• E911 System Service Providers;

• Equipment Vendors;

• Enterprises;

• Telecommunications Call Centers; and

• Regulators and/or Legislators.

Though this study focuses mainly on the PSAP Oriented Stakeholders it is imperative with enhanced system

capabilities providing greater situational information touching many stakeholders that increased interaction,

communication, and coordination of all stakeholders happens beyond the PSAP. Individual PSAPs and regional

work groups across the state are meeting to discuss new operational challenges they are beginning to encounter

with the transition to NG-911.

22NENA NG-911 Transition Planning Considerations https://www.nena.org/page/NG911_TransitionPlng

https://www.nena.org/page/NG911_TransitionPlng


Telecommunicators working in a multimedia environment, receiving improved caller location information,

operational guidelines for system upgrade, maintenance, and testing are examples of just a few of the topics

being discussed. Stakeholder Awareness campaigns have been created and presented to drive awareness and

education of NG-911. States that are advancing in NG-911 have developed operations committee and have

tasked them with developing key initiatives for future strategic plans.

7. NG-911 GOVERNANCE Florida’s E911 Board was established by the Legislature in 2007 and it is comprised of eleven members. The

secretary of the Department of Management Services (DMS) designates the chair of the board and the governor

appoints five members who are county 911 coordinators and five members from the telecommunications

industry. The E911 Board’s Mission Statement: 23

Promote and support the development, coordination, and integration for an evolved, fully-functional,

seamless "Next Generation 911” system that is accessible anytime, anywhere, from any device in order

to realize the full potential for 911 to provide emergency services, enable interoperability between

systems, protect human life, preserve property, and maintain public safety for the residents, visitors, and

first responders in the State of Florida.

In addition to assisting and monitoring the progress of E911 systems by the counties and wireless service

providers, the E911 Board also administers the Emergency Communications Number E911 System Fund (E911

Trust Fund), used for:

• Wireless service provider Phase I and Phase II E911 deployment and services;

• County E911 funding for equipment and services specified in subsection 365.172(10), Florida Statutes;

• Rural County Grants (annual grant program utilizing two percent of the non-wireless and three percent

of the wireless E911 fee revenue for equipment and maintenance of E911 systems);

• E911 State Grants (grant program opens to all counties utilizing E911 trust fund revenues); and

• E911 Board administration and operations.

The E911 Board was established to help implement a statewide E911 system for wireless and non-wireless voice

communication users. The E911 Board's primary function is to administer the funds derived from a monthly fee

on each subscriber with a Florida billing address (place of primary use).

23Department of Management Services, E911 Board

https://www.dms.myflorida.com/business_operations/telecommunications/enhanced_911/e911_board



The E911 Board makes disbursements from the E911 Trust Fund to county governments and wireless providers

in strict accordance with section 365.173, Florida Statutes.

Though the E911 Board is made up of only eleven individuals the Bureau of Public Safety within DMS provides a

small support staff for board meetings, financial reporting, financial collection and disbursements, and board

initiatives. The Public Safety Bureau Chief and the Statewide E911 Coordinator are a part of this support group

and they also act as the liaison between DMS, the E911 Board, and the 67 County Coordinators.

7.1 National Governance Analysis Analysis of NG-911 governance was performed on two levels. First, the evaluation and representation that

makes up governing bodies in other states compared to the Florida E911 Board. Second, the evaluation of the

duties and responsibilities of these governing bodies in comparison to the duties and responsibilities of the

Florida E911 Board.

7.1.1 Governing Body

Board diversity and development of committees and subcommittees arose as key differences in examining NG-

911 governing bodies from a national perspective. Two states that are leading the way in the transition to NG-

911 are Indiana and Kansas, and both states provide good examples of board diversity and support committees.

Indiana

Indiana’s Statewide 911 Board is comprised of 15 members appointed by the Governor. The board is a quasi-

state government agency established by IC 36-8-16.7 and operates under the Indiana Treasurer's Office. It has

statewide jurisdiction over 911 services. It's chair, by statute, is an elected official - the state treasurer. The

board's two primary responsibilities include collecting surcharges from all communication service providers and

distributing the funding to local units of government, as well as the operation of a statewide public safety ESInet

for 911 calls. Board seats are as follows: 24

• Three PSAP representatives

• One county sheriff

• One county commissioner

• One municipal government

• One large LEC

• One small LEC

• One VOIP provider

• One CMRS provider

• State Fire Marshal

24Indiana Statewide 911 Board

https://www.in911.net/911-board.html



• Superintendent of State Police

• Director of Homeland Security

• State GIS coordinator

• The state treasurer

Kansas

The Kansas 911 Coordinating Council is tasked with monitoring the delivery of 911 services, developing

strategies for future enhancements to the 911 system.

There is a Kansas 911 Council Staff that is made up of an administrator, liaison, implementation support

specialist, and program/project manager. The council staff and the executive committee provide support and

champion state NG-911 initiatives. Kansas 911 Council Members are appointed by the Governor and each

member is a subject matter expert having special background and experience with each critical element of 911

public safety. Council membership includes 16 voting members and nine non-voting members. Board seat

representation for voting members is as follows: 25

• Information Technology/Government Units (2)

• Law Enforcement (e.g., Sheriffs’ Association) (1)

• Fire Chiefs (1)

• Adjutant General Representative (1)

• Emergency Medical Services Board (1)

• Public Safety Answering Points

o Any Size (1)

o Counties less than 75,000 population (2)

o Counties greater than 75,000 population (2)

o

• Kansas Senate (2)

• Kansas House of Representatives (2)

• Kansas Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (1)

25Kansas 911 Act; K.S.A. 12-5364 (a)(2)(a)(3) and (a)(4).


Representation for non-voting members recommended by or selected from:

• Kansas Association of Counties

• League of Kansas Municipalities

• Kansas Office of Information Technology Services

• VoIP service providers

• Incumbent Local Exchange Companies serving over 50,000 lines

• Mid-America Regional Council (regional organization of Kansas City – area governments)

• Large Wireless Providers

• Geographic Information System (GIS) Policy Board

• Rural Independent Telecommunications Companies

The transition to NG-911 is a major undertaking for all states regardless of size, population, or PSAP count. Many

states that are leading the way in this transition have realized the importance of engaging resources throughout

their states. The organization chart for the Kansas 911 Coordinating Council below illustrates administration,

technical, operations, and GIS committees that were formed to help develop, guide, and maintain each of these

key components of NG-911. 25 Sub-committees include security, training, text-to-911 policy and education, and

two working sub groups all assist the committees on their initiatives. Some of the task or duties of these

committees are evaluating and recommending standards, protocols, and possible service providers related to

their subject. Committees oversee RFI and RFP’s issued on behalf of the council and provides insight and

recommendation on vendors and services. Provide oversight to service contracts related to their subject and

they coordinate with other committees and stakeholder to educate and drive public awareness.


Figure 20 – Kansas 911 Coordinating Council Organization Chart25

7.1.2 Governing Responsibilities

As previously illustrated in section 5.2 Table 3 fee usage differs from state to state and now in 26 states the fee

can be used for the lease, purchase, and maintenance of radio dispatch networks. In states where the fee usage

encompasses a larger portion or even all their public safety network, the governing body structure and

stakeholder representation also becomes larger and more diverse.

As technology advances interoperability between all public safety networks and the collaboration and

communication between each of the public safety segments become vital. A good example of this approach and

previously mentioned in this document is the state of Minnesota. The following outlines their approach to

ensure interoperability between all public safety initiatives throughout the state and the membership of its

Interoperability Committee. 26

26Minnesota Statewide Emergency Communications Board

https://dps.mn.gov/entity/secb/about/Documents/SECB%20Rosters/SECB-Roster-2018-05-01.pdf



Minnesota:

The state of Minnesota has a Division within the Minnesota Department of Public Safety known as the

Emergency Communication Networks (ECN). This division oversees the Statewide 911 Program, Allied Radio

Matrix for Emergency Response (ARMER) radio communications network, the Interoperability Program,

Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (PAWS), and a statewide Wireless Broadband initiative in

coordination with FirstNet. 20

Interoperability

Interoperability is the ability to communicate, as needed, on demand, and as authorized at all levels of

government and across all Public Safety disciplines. In Minnesota, the Interoperability Program is

directed and supported by a Statewide Interoperability Coordinator (SWIC), the Statewide Emergency

Communications Board (SECB), the seven regional Emergency Communications/Services Boards

(ECB/ESB), and the Urban Area Security Initiative Board (UASI).

All 87 Minnesota Counties and a number of cities are participating in regional governance structures

which manage interoperability in the State of Minnesota. These legally recognized joint powers boards

are made up of elected county commissioners and city council members. The boards’ mission is to fill the

interoperability gaps on a regional level and manage local migration to the ARMER system. The Regional

Advisory committees and Regional Emergency Communications/Services Boards are the core of

Minnesota’s governance structure. Resolving communications interoperability gaps is fundamentally

changing how emergency services are delivered across Minnesota.

Minnesota Statute §403.36 Sub. 1 and the Bylaws of the Statewide Emergency Communications Board

prescribes the membership of its Interoperability Committee as follows:

• The commissioner of public safety;

• The commissioner of transportation;

• The state chief information officer;

• The commissioner of natural resources;

• The chief of the Minnesota State Patrol;

• The chair of the Metropolitan Council;

• Two elected city officials, one from the nine-county metropolitan area and one from greater

Minnesota, appointed by the governing body of the League of Minnesota Cities;

• Two elected county officials, one from the nine-county metropolitan area and one from greater

Minnesota appointed by the governing body of the Association of Minnesota Counties;

• Two sheriffs, one from the nine-county metropolitan area and one from greater Minnesota,

appointed by the governing body of the Minnesota Sheriffs’ Association;

• Two chiefs of police, one from the nine-county metropolitan area and one from greater

Minnesota, appointed by the governor after considering recommendations made by the

Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association;


• Two fire chiefs, one from the nine-county metropolitan area and one from greater Minnesota,

appointed by the governor after considering recommendations made by the Minnesota State

Fire Chiefs Association;

• Two representatives of emergency medical service providers, one from the nine-county

metropolitan area and one from greater Minnesota, appointed by the governor after considering

recommendations made by the Minnesota Ambulance Association;

• The chair of the regional emergency services board for the metropolitan area;

• A representative of greater Minnesota elected by those units of government in phase three and

any subsequent phase of development as defined in the statewide, shared radio and

communication plan, who have submitted a plan to the Statewide Emergency Communications

Board and where development has been initiated. The Statewide Emergency Communications

Board shall coordinate the appointment of board members representing greater Minnesota with

the appointing authorities and may designate the geographic region or regions from which an

appointed board member is selected where necessary to provide representation from throughout

the state in accordance with ARMER Standard 8.1.0 adopted on January 24, 2011.

Each member or designee shall be allowed to choose an alternate and all members shall annually

identify in writing to the chair of the Statewide Emergency Communications Board the name and

contact information of members and alternates.

7.2 Summary NG-911 Governance The Florida E911 Board has done a tremendous job advancing 911 initiates throughout Florida and promoting

the transition to NG-911. With the growing importance of communication across all public safety networks

many advantages can be identified with a governance structure like the examples provided. Adding Board

membership diversity allows for collaboration among all key stakeholders and develops a unified approach with

future initiatives and education.

As with any change in governance structure or makeup, an in-depth evaluation and review by all stakeholders

would need to happen before rule or statute changes could begin to take place. It should be noted that though

long-term advantages may exist with this type of governance structure, the evaluation and transition happening

in parallel with the transition to NG-911 would require many resources and could impact the timeline to a

statewide NG-911 solution.

The creation of committees and subcommittee to engage more resources around the state is an initiative that is

less resource intensive and may provide some of the same advantages that can be seen with a Board

restructure. Development of these committees allows for:

• Insight and expertise from subject matter experts around the state;

• Collaboration on lessons learned;

• Review of industry standards and recommendations;

• Increased stakeholder awareness programs and education;


• Greater support for NG-911 initiatives; and

• Shared workload across a larger resource pool.

The structure and operational guidelines of these committees and subcommittees would need to be clearly

outlined by the E911 Board. Support and development of this initiative could greatly advance the state’s

transition to NG-911.

8. CONTINGENCY PLAN The transition to NG-911 is well underway by counties and individual PSAPs across the state. These initiatives

will continue to move forward dependent on local funding, the E911 Board grant programs and through the

introduction of new technology that allows for some NG-911 features without a statewide ESInet. Full NG-911

can’t be realized without the implementation of a statewide NG-911 routing system and statewide ESInet

connecting individual PSAPs and/or regional ESInets. Limitations in identifying caller location, incorrect call

routing, issues re-routing calls, delivery failures over congested outdated systems, and limited or no ability to

transfer calls statewide with data and location information are all limitations that will exist with any plan other

than the implementation of statewide ESInet.

It is well documented that the transition to NG-911 is a costly and an extremely broad long-term initiative. In

addition to the public safety concerns mentioned above there are other cost involved with not moving forward

with a statewide solution. The E911 fee disbursements are not keeping pace with the costs of NG-911

equipment and services in every county. Statewide NG-911 and hosted NG-911 services will provide enterprise

services to assist all counties, with a possible prioritization to assist the rural counties that do not have the

funding and technical resources to maintain a NG-911 system.

Delays in implementing a statewide approach are increasing county costs to fund parallel systems, maintain

legacy 911 gateways, circuits and services and new NG-911 IP based PSAP systems. Differing stages of county

system migrations are adding system complications, possible points of failure, outage risk, and interoperability

concerns when evaluating statewide solutions.


9. SUMMARY OF NEXT STEPS The overall goal of the study is to provide the E911 Board and the Department of Management Services with

state and national NG-911 data that can assist in taking the next steps in the transition to NG-911. As identified

in the state assessment individual PSAPs and regions are moving forward in their preparation for NG-911. As it is

today the state will not be able to realize full NG-911 capabilities without additional funding and the

development of an ESInet providing connectivity throughout the state.

The first step in this process is the creation of a technical and operational requirements document that will

outline ESInet and NG-911 core functions that should be considered in procurement. This study outlines some

procurement options that should assist in this discussion and research. An in-depth technical assessment is

encouraged to evaluate existing local or regional ESInets, state PSAPs, and existing state networks like MFN2.

The requirements document should also outline the process for evaluating ESInet providers and identify key

stakeholders that will lead this effort. The final version of this requirements document should assist in creating a

procurement document to obtain a statewide ESInet solution that provides the best overall value to the state

and all stakeholders.

The state’s strategic plan, this study, the technical and operational requirements document, and other

information gathered will assist in creating a state NG-911 transition plan and cost analysis. The finalization of

the transition plan and cost analysis is dependent on obtaining answers to the following five questions.

1. What service or system will provide the ESInet backbone for statewide connectivity?

2. What is the cost estimate of the selected ESInet backbone?

3. Based on #1 and #2 what additional core functionality should be evaluated for possible delivery to

PSAP’s via the ESInet backbone? And what will be left up to local PSAP funding?

4. What are cost estimates of the additional core functionality identified in #3, as we know the decision of

additional functionality is relied heavily on total cost from #2 and #3.

5. What funding model should be used for the states transition to NG-911?

This study provides example solutions to these questions used by states across the country but answering these

questions specifically to Florida is necessary to create a clear and concise path to NG-911 in Florida. In Table 4

below a draft project outline has been developed illustrating project phases, what activities may be

accomplished within each phase, and what key outputs could be expected from each phase.

The historical timeline of NG-911 provided in section 1.2 serves as a reminder that this is a transition over time

requiring many resources. The creation of committees and subcommittees is highly encouraged to manage the

intense workload outlined in Table 4. Identifying key stakeholders around the state in the development of an

ESInet Deployment Team tasked with the completion of the transition plan and cost analysis provides leadership

at project initiation. The development of this team could also generate public awareness, support, and

collaboration from other public safety officials around the state. The E911 Board has done a tremendous job in

moving the state through the evolution of 911 and will continue to provide guidance and leadership in the

transition to NG-911.


PROJECT PHASE ACTIVITIES KEY OUTPUTS

Initiating • Strategic Analysis • State and National

Assessment • Identify Next Steps and

Authorization • Identify Stakeholders • Identify Support Resources • Education and Awareness

• Board Strategic Plan • NG-911 Study • Project Charter and Draft

Project Plan • Stakeholder Register/Matrix • Development of Committees

and Subcommittees • Stakeholder Awareness

Presentation

Planning and Evaluation • Governance Review • Legislative Review with

Legislative Affairs • Discussion of Funding Models • Operational Review • Technology and Operational

Requirements

• Draft Transition Plan • Business Case • RFQ • Draft Cost Analysis

Define Requirements and

Finalize Transition

Planning

• Funding Review • Security Review • Governance Review • Legislative Review with

Legislative Affairs • Discussion of Funding Models • Operational Review

• Funding Model • Statute Update • Governance Model • Operations Model • Procurement • Finalized Transition Plan • Finalize Cost Analysis

Testing • Continue design of conceptual

plan • System Testing

• Finalized Proof of Concept

Plan • Pilot Project

Implementation • Execute

Implementation/Transition

Plan • Begin Support and

Maintenance Phase • Document Lessons Learned

• Finalize Project

Documentation • Close Procurement

Table 4 – Draft Project Outline


10. APPENDIX

10.1 Reference List 1. The DOT Role in Advancing 911;


2. The National 911 Program, Next Generation 911 Interstate Playbook Chapter 2, June 2018 https://www.911.gov/pdf/National_911_Program_NG911_Interstate_Playbook_Chapter_2.pdf

3. The National 911 Program, Next Generation 911 Interstate Playbook Chapter 1, October 2016 https://www.911.gov/pdf/National_911_Program_NG911_Interstate_Playbook_Chapter_1.pdf

4. National Emergency Number Association (NENA), Status of NG-911 State Activity


5. United States Census Bureau https://www.census.gov/

6. NENA Emergency Services IP Network Design Information Documentational https://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.nena.org/resource/resmgr/standards/NENA-INF-016.2-

2018_ESIND_20.pdf

7. IEEE 90 – Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, IEEE Standard Computer Dictionary: A Compilation of IEEE Standard Computer Glossaries. New York, NY: 1990ENA Emergency Services IP Network Design Information Documentational

8. 2017 National 911 Progress Report, 911.Gov


9. Commission on State Emergency Communications, Next Generation Master Plan Version 5.0, June 2016 https://csec.app.box.com/s/eotaacj4txqpq7olid1g1ng80jucu3xe

10. 2016 Federal Communications Commission, Task Force on Optimal PSAP Architecture, FCC Federal Advisory Committee https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5HEHifGSF-eeXQ5VjA2clZBY1U/view

11. CAL OES Next Generation 9-1-1 Information & Collaboration, July 2017

http://www.caloes.ca.gov/PublicSafetyCommunicationsSite/Documents/002-

July%202017%20NextGen%20911%20V5.pdf

12. NG911 & FirstNet, National Association of State 911 Administrators and 911.gov

https://www.911.gov/pdf/NASNA_National_911_Program_NG911_FirstNet_Guide_State_Local_Authoritie

s.pdf





https://www.census.gov/











13. NASNA 911 Regionalization – Tools and Information


14. OHIO Program Office, Department of Administrative Services Preliminary Design and Operation

Requirements L.R. Kimball, August 30, 2016 http://911.ohio.gov/ESINet

15. Migration to NG-911 ESInet & Core Services, Inteliquent, Paddock, Ray, December 2017

16. Federal Communications Commission, Next Generation 911 Inter-Governmental Advisory Committee,

July1, 2013, David L. Furth Deputy Bureau Chief


17. Annual Report of the Tennessee Emergency Communications Board, Fiscal Year 2017, TN Department of

Commerce & Insurance

https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/commerce/documents/e911/posts/TECB_Annual-Report_FY-2017-

FULL.pdf

18. 9-1-1 In Texas

https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/85R/handouts/C4202017022808001/187f7790-83d8-4e1b-9732-

bd53d8b78687.PDF

19. Federal Communications Commission’s Ninth Annual Report to Congress, On State Collection and

Distribution of 911 and Enhanced 911 Fees and Charges, For the Period January 1, 2016 To December 31,

2016



20. Minnesota Emergency Communication Network, A Division of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety


21. Florida Statute, Section 365.172

http://www.leg.state.fl.us/STATUTES/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0300-

0399/0365/Sections/0365.172.html

22. NENA NG-911 Transition Planning Considerations https://www.nena.org/page/NG911_TransitionPlng

23. Department of Management Services, E911 Board



http://911.ohio.gov/ESINet











https://www.nena.org/page/NG911_TransitionPlng



24. Indiana Statewide 911 Board


25. Kansas 911 Coordinating Council

http://www.kansas911.org/about-us/#staff

26. Minnesota Statewide Emergency Communications Board


10.2 Index of Figures Figure Detail Page

Figure 1 State 911 Data 14

Figure 2 Large County PSAP Evaluation 15

Figure 3 Medium County PSAP Evaluation 16

Figure 4 Rural County PSAP Evaluation 17

Figure 5 ESInet Capable 18

Figure 6 NG-911 Progress Nationally 19

Figure 7 NG-911 Progress by State 19

Figure 8 States with 150 or more PSAPs 20

Figure 9 Regional ESInet 1 Example 26

Figure 10 Regional ESInet II Example 27

Figure 11 Interconnectivity Example 27

Figure 12 Texas Emergency Services IP Network “Network of Networks” 29

Figure 13 Cal OES NG-911 Regional Map 30

Figure 14 California State NG-911 Design 30

Figure 15 Sample Illustration of Utilizing MFN as ESInet Backbone 31

Figure 16 NG-911 Conceptual Design Illustration 37

Figure 17 Tennessee Emergency Communications NG-911 Board Expenditures 2010 - 2017 42

Figure 18 California Estimated Cost Total for NG-911 Transition 43

Figure 19 Appropriated and Requested Funding for Texas NG-911 44

Figure 20 Kansas 911 Coordinating Council Organization Chart 55


http://www.kansas911.org/about-us/#staff



10.3 Acronym List APCO Association of Public Safety Communications

ARMER Allied Radio Matrix for Emergency Response

AS Autonomous System

BCF Border Control Function

CAD Computer Aided Dispatch

CPE Customer Premise Equipment

CSEC Commission on State Emergency Communications

CSI Counties of Southern Illinois

DMS Department of Management Services

DNS Domain Name System

DOT Department of Transportation

E911 Enhanced 911

ECB Emergency Communications Board

ECRF Emergency Call Routing Function

ESB Emergency Service Boards

ESInet Emergency Services Internet Protocol Network

ESRP Emergency Services Routing Proxy

FCC Federal Communications Commission

FirstNet First Responder Network Authority

GIS Geographic Information Systems

iCERT Industry Council for Emergency Response Technologies

ICO Implementation Coordination Office

IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

IoT Internet of Things

IP Internet Protocol

ITS Intelligent Transportation System

JPO Joint Program Office

LAN Local Area Network

LDB Location Database

LEC Local Exchange Carrier

LNG Legacy Network Gateway

LPG Legacy PSAP Gateway

LSRG Legacy Selective Router Gateway

MARC Mid-American Regional Council

MFN My Florida Network

MLTS Multi Line Telephone System

MPLS Multiprotocol Label Switching

NASNA National Association of State 911 Administrators

NENA National Emergency Number Association

NG-911 Next Generation 911


NGCS Next Generation Core Services

NHTSA National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

NTIA National Telecommunications and Information Administration

OSP Originating Service Provider

PSAP Public Safety Answering Point

RFI Request for Information

RFP Request for Proposal

RFQ Request for Quote

SECB Statewide Emergency Communications Board

SIP Session Initiation Protocol

SWIC Statewide Interoperability Council

TCP Transmission Control Protocol

TSAG Transportation Safety Advancement

UASI Urban Area Security Initiative Board

VoIP Voice over Internet Protocol

WAN Wide Area Network

10.4 Appendix A: Collected Data and Presentations

NG9-1-1 Study Survey

PSAP FCC ID *

PSAP County and Coordinator Name *

PSAP Address and Phone *

Introduction:The following PSAP assessment will be used to assist in the development of the NG9-1-1 Study. The questions have been selected from published FCC, NENA, and APCO documents in regards to NG9-1-1 standards.

4.Is your PSAP CPE capable of implementing an ESInet today?

5.If 'No" above, please identify what equipment would be needed in an upgrade to implement an ESInet?

6.Is the County currently working to upgrade your CPE in an effort to accommodate an ESInet?

YesNoN/A

Yes

7.Does your PSAP have an ICA/MOU with another PSAP in the State?

8.If "Yes" with whom?

9.Is your PSAP currently using text to 9-1-1?

10.Is your GIS data accurate and robust encompassing not only the area of your PSAP but also reaching into boarding PSAP's?

11.Have you created a GIS data process across the service area based on published standards? (Example: NENA, APCO, FCC)

12.If 'Yes" please identify the standard used.

NoN/A

YesNoN/A

YesNoN/A

YesNoN/A

YesNoN/A

13.Does your PSAP have a System Security Plan?

14.If "Yes" please identify what standards are being used for the System Security Plan Framework?

15.Do you currently perform an annual network audit?

16.If "Yes" please identify if audit is performed by internal staff or external vendor?

17.Do you currently perform an annual GIS audit?

YesNoN/A

YesNoN/A

18.If "Yes" please identify if audit is performed by internal staff or external vendor?

19.Does your PSAP's current operation depend on any hardware or software that was developed and implemented internally and is not supported by an external vendor?

20.If "Yes" please identify this hardware or software.

21.Is there another answering point in your area that your PSAP works in conjunction with? (Example: Tribal Authorities, Navy Base, Air Force Base)

22. NG9-1-1 Stage AssessmentPlease select the current stage that best describes your PSAP based on the definitions below.

YesNoN/A

YesNoN/A

YesNoN/A

Legacy StageLegacy – The Stage is characterized as the point in time where the 9-1-1 services provided by the traditional incumbent local exchange carrier ILEC with circuit

23.Based on the stage definitions above does your PSAP plan to transition to another phase within the next 12 months?

24.If "Yes" which phase will you be transitioning?

25.Please identify partner vendors that are assisting you with these transitional efforts.

switched infrastructure and ALI circuits. Planning for NG9-1-1 has yet to occur and technology serving PSAP provides no advanced feature functionality.

Foundational StageFoundational – The first migration activity from Legacy systems to NG is considered the Foundational stage. As the name implies, the Foundational stage is where the groundwork and planning for NG911 implementation is initiated. NG911 feasibility studies are performed; governance, operational, and technical planning occurs; data preparation commences; and IP networks may be implemented. NG911 systems are not yet operational and system procurement is either planned or underway.

Transitional StageTransitional – The Transitional stage is the tipping point where services have migrated partially from the legacy environment and the 9-1-1 services are enabled by an IP infrastructure. The NG9-1-1 call routing services may be transitional IPSR or use i3 geospatial call routing. The ESInet is in place and delivering calls and location data to the PSAPs. At this point, a governance model has been established and a detailed NG9-1-1 roadmap will be developed.

YesNoN/A

Comments:Thank you for completing the NG9-1-1 Study Survey. Please provide any additional comments below.

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NG9-1-1 PSAP Assessment

• 65 or 67 Counties or 97% Participated in Assessment

• Represents 260 of 263 State PSAPs

• NG9-1-1 Technology, GIS, Data Management, System Security, Operations, and Industry Standards

Is your PSAP CPE capable of implementing an ESInet today?

Yes72%

No19%

N/A8%

Unknown1%

PSAP

If “No” please identify what equipment would be needed in an upgrade to implement ESInet.

Complete25%

N/A4%

Unknown71%

PSAP

Is the County currently working to upgrade your CPE in an effort to accommodate an ESInet?

Yes41%

No32%

N/A25%

Unknown2%

COUNTIES

Does your PSAP have an ICA/MOU with another PSAP in the State?

Yes32%

No62%

N/A5%

Unknown1%

PSAP

Is your PSAP currently using text to 9-1-1?

Yes31%

No68%

Unknown1%

PSAP

Is your GIS data accurate and robust encompassing not only the area of your PSAP, but also reaching into bordering PSAPs?

Yes71%

No25%

N/A1%

Unknown3%

PSAP

Have you created a GIS data process across the service area based on published standards? (Example: NENA, APCO, FCC)

Yes64%

No25%

N/A9%

Unknown2%

PSAP

Standards used for GIS data process.

NENA48%

Multiple6%

Other6%

Unknown40%

PSAP

Does your PSAP have a System Security Plan?

Yes48%

No42%

N/A7%

Unknown3%

PSAP

Standards used for System Security Plan Framework.

CJIS6%

Vendor24%

Unknown70%

PSAP

Do you currently perform an annual network audit?

Yes60%

No31%

N/A6%

Unknown3%

PSAP

Is the annual network audit performed by internal staff or external vendor?

External20%

Internal37%

Both7%

Unknown36%

PSAP

Do you currently perform an annual GIS audit?

Yes52%

No44%

N/A3%

Unknown1%

PSAP

Is the annual GIS audit performed by internal staff or external vendor?

Internal35%

External15%

Both1%

Unknown49%

PSAP

Does your PSAP’s current operation depend on any hardware or software that was developed and implemented internally and is not supported by an external vendor?

Yes18%

No80%

Unknown2%

PSAP

Is there another answering point in your area that your PSAP works in conjunction with?(Example: Tribal Authorities, Navy Base, Air Force Base)

Yes48%

No51%

Unknown1%

PSAP

NG9-1-1 Stage Assessment (Legacy, Foundational, Transitional)

Legacy12%

Foundational48%

Transitional39%

Unknown1%

PSAP

Based on the stage identified, does your PSAP plan to transition to another phase within the next 12 months?

Yes36%

No50%

N/A13%

Unknown1%

PSAP

NG9-1-1 ESInet & Cost Analysis

Technical & Cost Overview

Jason Fuqua, Inspired Technologies

Emergency Services IP network (ESInet)

ESInet is a managed IP network that is used for emergency services communication and which can be shared by all public safety agencies. It provides the IP transport infrastructure upon which independent application platforms and core functional processes can be deployed, including, but not restricted to, those necessary for providing NG9-1-1 services. ESInets may be constructed at local, regional, state, federal, national and international levels to form an IP-based inter-network (network of networks).

- NENA-INF-016.2-2018 (originally 08-506)

General ESInet Categories

• Local ESInets – a single PSAP, county, or small call center area.

• Regional ESInets – an ESInet that may contain multiple PSAP’s, counties, or potentially multiple local ESInets.

• Statewide ESInets – an ESInet that covers an entire State, Statewide configurations typically may contain several regional and local ESInets.

• National ESInet – an ESInet that is deployed across the entire nation, and interconnects all Statewide ESInets, Regions or Local ESInets.

• International ESInet – an ESInet that covers the entire world once interconnections are made across all participating ESInets.

NENA i3 ESInet Requirements Summarized

• The network between the PSAP and an ESInet will be a private or virtual private network based upon TCP/IP

• It will have scalable bandwidth to support new enhanced services

• The ESInet shall be a conventional routed IP network

• MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching) or other sub-IP mechanisms are permitted as appropriate

• The PSAP should use redundant local area networks for reliability

• PSAP LAN to an ESInet must be resilient, secure, physically diverse, and logically separate

• ESInets shall be engineered to sustain real time traffic, including data, audio and video

• Connections between the PSAP and an ESInet WAN shall be secure TCP/IP connections

• ESInets should be capable of operating on IPv4 and IPv6 network infrastructures

• ESInets should consider how the Domain Name System (DNS) is designed and managed

• ESInet implementations should consider coordination efforts to understand Autonomous System (AS) number implications for statewide deployments

Availability and Reliability

Achieving Five Nines

“If funding or other impediments prohibit achieving five nines, the SLA’s/SlO’s should be established that are actually achievable, and affordable. An NG9-1-1 system that is specified and achieves three nines is more valuable than a system that is nominally said to be designed to meet five nines but actually achieves three nines.”

- NENA-INF-016.2-2018 (originally 08-506)

Network Architecture• State Level i-3 core services located at 2

geographically diverse sites

• Transports call signaling message exchanges, call media streams, audio and data to regional host site

• Reliability and Availability five nines (99.999%)

• Regional ESInet 1 MPLS network

• PSAP’s single entrance facility for circuit delivery

• Single router

• Reliability and Availability two nines (99%)

• Back-up and 10 digit numbers to achieve five nines

Network Architecture• Regional ESInet II 2 physically diverse and

independent networks (Metro Ethernet and 4.9 GHz microwave network)

• PSAP’s entrance facilities are utilized for each of the layer 2 technologies

• Separate routers

• Reliability and Availability three nines (99.9%)

• Back-up and 10 digit numbers to achieve five nines

Network Architecture• Regional ESInet and even individual

PSAP’s connected to state-level i3 NGCS

• ESInet Interconnection

• Best practice to design connections from a regional host site to state level i3 core services to reach five nines availability (99.999%)

Texas 9-1-1

California 9-1-1

California 9-1-1

Year Current Infrastructure Cost NG9-1-1 Cost Estimated Total

FY 2017-18 $104,250,000 $10,000,000 $114,250,000

FY 2018-19 $102,250,000 $25,000,000 $127,250,000

FY 2019-20 $76,469,000 $44,000,000 $120,469,000

FY 2020-21 $65,569,000 $66,000,000 $131,569,000

FY 2021-22 $54,669,000 $88,000,000 $142,669,000

FY 2022-23 $50,200,000 $97,020,000 $147,220,000

Regional Review

Region # of Counties

2016-2017 Population

# of PSAP’s

2017 Call Volume

Region 1 10 1,117,714 36 815,183

Region 2 13 592,153 18 359,663

Region 3 13 2,546,081 28 1,600,864

Region 4 8 3,996,025 35 2,663,959

Region 5 9 4,040,199 44 3,417,814

Region 6 10 2,179,680 24 1,415,618

Region 7 4 6,184,737 42 4,981,724

NG9-1-1 Cost Considerations & Variables

• ESInet Deployment and Procurement Strategy

• Number of PSAP’s transitioning

• Centralized or shared network architecture (Consolidation)

• Timeline and implementation stages

• Direct PSAP control versus hosted solution

• New or Upgraded CPE (text, data, video)

• System Capabilities (GIS, MIS)

• Maintaining legacy 911 systems during transition

State Examples

• Tennessee: NetTN, secure state-wide platform• Approximate $50 - $60 million system deployment cost• System does not include local PSAP equipment• Estimated $16 - $16.5 million annually to operate system

• Oregon• L.R. Kimball cost study estimated transition cost of $18 million over 3 years• Estimate includes equipment replacement, equipment upgrades, software

and maintenance

• Washington• L.R. Kimball cost study determined annual recurring cost for statewide ESInet

is approximately $12.9 million

Procurement Option 1• Single Procurement

• Prime with multiple subs

• ESInet, CPE, and NGCS

• Strengths

• One Prime

• Concerns

• Potentially Higher Cost

• Limited and/or No choice in subs

• A change in prime after initial contract could be disruptive to PSAP’s and OSP’s

Procurement Option 2• CPE

• ESInet and NGCS

• Strengths

• Separate choices allows for best selection in each platform

• Concerns

• Potentially Higher Cost

• Ensuring Interoperability

• A change in ESInet/NGCS prime after initial contract could be disruptive to PSAP’s and OSP’s


• ESInet & NGCS

• GIS

• Strengths• Separate choices allow for best selection

in each platform

• Aligns with provider focus

• Lower costs

• Concerns• Ensuring interoperability

• A change in NGCS vendor after initial contract could be disruptive to PSAP’s and OSP’s


• ESInet

• NGCS

• GIS

• Strengths• Separate choice allows best selection for

each platform


• Lower costs

• Concerns• Ensuring interoperability

• A change in NGCS vendor after initial contract could be disruptive to PSAP’s and OSP’s


• NGCS

• GIS

• ESInet Core and ESInet Egress

• ESInet Ingress

• Strengths

• Separate choices allows best selection for each platform


• A change in NGCS vendor after initial term does not disrupt OSP’s

• Lower costs

• Separating ingress allows for a mix of NGCS providers

• Provides state-wide OSP’s simplified interconnection

• Concerns

• Ensuring interoperability

• A change in NGCS vendor after initial contract could be disruptive to PSAP’s

References:

• 2017 National 911 Progress Report, 911.gov, November 2017 https://www.911.gov/pdf/National-911-Program-Profile-Database-Progress-Report-2017.pdf

• Commission on State Emergency Communications, Next Generation 9-1-1 Master Plan, Version 5.0, June 2016 https://csec.app.box.com/s/eotaacj4txqpq7olid1g1ng80jucu3xe

• Migration to NG9-1-1 ESInet & Core Services, Inteliquent, Paddock, Ray, December, 2017

• NENA Detailed Functional and Interface Standards for the NENA i3 Solution, NENA-STA-010.2-2016 (originally 08-003) https://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.nena.org/resource/resmgr/standards/NENA-STA-010.2_i3_Architectu.pdf

• NENA Emergency Services IP Network Design (ESIND) Information Document, NENA-INF-016.2-2018 (originally 08-506) http://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.nena.org/resource/resmgr/standards/NENA-INF-016.2-2018_ESIND_20.pdf

• Next Generation 9-1-1 Information & Collaboration, Cal OES, July, 2017, http://www.caloes.ca.gov/PublicSafetyCommunicationsSite/Documents/July_2017_NextGen_911_V5.pdf

• Next Generation 911, Inter-Governmental Advisory Committee, Furth, David, Public Safety & Homeland Security Bureau, July 2013 https://transition.fcc.gov/statelocal/Next-Generation-911-Text-to-911.pdf



https://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.nena.org/resource/resmgr/standards/NENA-STA-010.2_i3_Architectu.pdf

http://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.nena.org/resource/resmgr/standards/NENA-INF-016.2-2018_ESIND_20.pdf

http://www.caloes.ca.gov/PublicSafetyCommunicationsSite/Documents/July_2017_NextGen_911_V5.pdf


NG-911 Study UpdateSeptember 18, 2018

Jason Fuqua, Inspired Technologies

NG-911 Study Overview

• State and National Perspective

• Technology Analysis

• Procurement Options & Cost Analysis

• NG-911 Funding & Statute Analysis

• NG-911 Operational Considerations

• NG-911 Governance

• Contingency Plan

• Next Steps

Technology and Cost Analysis

• Leveraging Existing State Infrastructure

• Regionalization

• Consolidation of multiple PSAPs into a few regional PSAPs serving a large geographical area;

• Consolidation of multiple PSAPs into one single regional PSAP;

• Virtual regionalization by sharing 911 infrastructure and technology without consolidation of any PSAPs.

Funding & Statute Analysis

• National Fee Average:

• Wireline-Flat Fee: $1.00

• Wireless-Flat Fee: $0.92

• VoIP-Flat Fee: $0.96

• Prepaid-Flat Fee: $0.83

State PSAP

Count

Population

(2016)

Fee Total Wireline Fee Wireless

Fee

VoIP

Fee

California 441 39,296,476 $79,648,535 .0075 .0075 .0075

Florida 206 20,656,589 $111,799,871 $0.40 $0.40 $0.40

Georgia 155 10,313,620 $19,840,298 $1.50 $1.00 $1.50

Illinois 278 12,835,726 $234,070,304 $0.87 $0.87 $0.87

Kentucky 156 4,436,113 $111,089,076 $0.36 - $4.50 $0.70 $0.36

$4.50

Massachusetts 313 6,823,721 $117,883,889 $1.00 $1.00 $1.00

Mississippi 167 2,985,415 $31,884,472 $1.05 Res. $2.05

Com.

$1.00 $1.00

Ohio 230 11,622,554 $44,720,083 $0.50 $0.25 NA

Tennessee 170 6,649,404 $102,699,644 $1.16 $1.16 $1.16

Texas 581 27,904,862 $223,315,125 $0.50 $0.50 $0.50

Virginia 160 8,414,380 $86,028,766 $0.75 $0.75 $0.75

Funding & Statute Analysis

ALLOWABLE USES DESCRIPTION TOTAL STATES

Operating Costs CPE 46

Operating Costs CAD 37

Operating Costs Building and Facilities 28

Personnel Salaries 30

Personnel Training 43

Administrative Programs 42

Administrative Travel 40

Dispatch (2016) Reimbursement to Other Law Enforcement Providing Dispatch 17

Dispatch (2016) Lease, Purchase, Maintenance of Radio Dispatch Networks 26





Operational Considerations

• Stakeholder Identification

• Interconnected networks increases stakeholder list; and

• Increased need for diverse stakeholder awareness plan

• Regional Working Groups

Governance

• Governing Body

• County Sheriff and/or Sheriff Association

• Commissioner

• Municipal Government

• City Police Chief and/or Superintendent of State Police

• State Fire Marshal

• GIS Coordinator

• Governing Body Responsibilities

• Interoperability

• 911 Program

• Statewide Radio Network

• Statewide Emergency Communication (FirstNet)

Governance

• Board Diversity (Committee & Sub-Committee)

• Insight and expertise from subject mater experts around the state;

• Collaboration on lessons learned;

• Review of industry standards and recommendations;

• Increased stakeholder awareness programs and education;

• Greater support for NG-911 initiatives; and

• Shared workload across a larger resource pool.

References:

• Federal Communications Commissions Ninth Annual Report to Congress, On State Collection and Distribution of 911 and Enhanced 911 Fees and Charges, For the Period January 1, 2016 To December 31, 2016



• NASNA 911 Regionalization – Tools and Information



