The Virginia Department of Emergency Management continues to work on the deployment of the Next Generation 9-1-1 system across the Commonwealth.
Fairfax County, in 2020, was the first public safety answering point (PSAP) to cutover to the AT&T Emergency Services IP Network. Today, the number of NG9-1-1 PSAPs in Virginia has increased to 25.
As described in the 2021 E9-1-1 Border Response Workgroup Report to the General Assembly, the Commonwealth’s legacy 9-1-1 system was built in the 1970s and is based on decades-old technology originally built to process landline calls. As Virginia moves forward to evolve 9-1-1 and ensure quality service to its residents and visitors, the Virginia 9-1-1 Services Board funded the move to a Next Generation 9-1-1 system.
NG9-1-1 is based on a modern internet protocol network that securely delivers 9-1-1 calls to the appropriate 9-1-1 center faster, transfers 9-1-1 calls and associated data where needed, and interconnects with other public safety systems and databases.
NG9-1-1 will also provide future capabilities to receive multimedia communications like text, photos and videos.
The NG9-1-1 system not only upgrades outdated technology but also provides many benefits to the public when they call 9-1-1.
- More resilient 9-1-1 network: As more PSAPs deploy NG9-1-1, there is increased capacity for PSAPs to back one another up.
- Geospatially routing 9-1-1 calls: The number of 9-1-1 calls that can be geospatially routed to the correct PSAP will increase as more wireless carriers connect to the Next Generation system and provide location data with the call.
- Improved 9-1-1 transfers: Transitioning to Next Generation 911 will not prevent the need, from time to time, to transfer 9-1-1 calls to other PSAPs. When transfers occur between NG9-1-1 PSAPs, the ability to transfer valuable voice and data together will save seconds and minutes – time that can positively impact outcomes in emergencies.
- Part of a nationwide modernization of 9-1-1: As Virginia continues to deploy NG9-1-1, there will be improved capabilities to transfer calls across state boundaries. Currently, Maryland, the District of Columbia, North Carolina, and Tennessee are deploying NG9-1-1 as well.
As the commonwealth moves forward in bringing the latest technologies to the residents and visitors of Virginia it is vital to modernize our 9-1-1 system to support public safety and improve response to emergencies. Continued progress towards full NG9-1-1 deployment in the commonwealth can be followed through the Virginia NG9-1-1 Dashboard.
Additional facts about the commonwealth’s transition to NG9-1-1:
- 20 percent of Virginia’s PSAPs are currently NG9-1-1 PSAPs
- 43 percent of Virginia’s population served by NG9-1-1 PSAPs
- 14 percent of Virginia’s geographic area served by NG9-1-1 PSAPs
- 34 percent of the roughly 4 million annual 9-1-1 Calls in Virginia are going through the NG9-1-1 ESINET
- 41 percent of Virginia’s 9-1-1 on the AT&T ESINET were geospatially routed in January 2022 using the caller’s location to send the call to the correct PSAP.
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