HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 054 (3) INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 23-054
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council March 7, 2023
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SUBJECT: TARRANT COUNTY 911 DISTRICT AND THE TRANSITION TO NEXT
rr, GENERATION 911 TECHNOLOGY
The purpose of this Informal Report is to provide an update on the Tarrant County 911 Districts
implementation of Next Generation 911 (NG-911) technology, a change that will lead to improved
customer service for individuals who need to access the 911 system. Tarrant County is one of the
last Texas jurisdictions to get NG-911 implemented.
NG-911 is a digital, internet protocol (IP)-based system that will replace the analog 911
infrastructure that has been in place for decades, has reached end-of-life, and no longer able to
keep up with communications technology.
Background
In late 2016 the Federal Communications Commission began working with the National
Association of State 911 Administrators Association to officially start the Next Generation 911
(NG-911) migration process. In 2017, Texas 911 Regional Planning Commissions, Districts, and
Municipal Emergency Communications Districts began preparations for NG-911 .
TX HB2911 (2021) established a target date of September 1 , 2025 for all parts of the State to be
covered by NG-911 service. The map below shows jurisdictions that have implemented NG-911
ahead of the established target date. Note that areas in gray, including the Tarrant County 911
District, have not implemented NG-911 technology.
PRPC
23
27
17 SPAG NR OG
WCTCOG 8
i
22 25 Y
24
15 1 14 2
y 10 20 HOTCO
PBRPC CTCOG 18
VC
CVCOG
RGCOG 4 13
7 21
16 II
M 2
12
19 3 C 11
AAC
5
CBCOG
AT&T ESlnet—Live
STDC
Implementing Novv
Other WKS Provider
28
6 No Decision Made
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 23-054
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council March 7, 2023
Page 2 of 2
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SUBJECT: TARRANT COUNTY 911 DISTRICT AND THE TRANSITION TO NEXT
rrn GENERATION 911 TECHNOLOGY
Cost to Fund NG-911
The estimated cost is $30 million. In an effort to prepare for this implementation, the Tarrant
County 911 District received a grant for $12 million, leaving a gap of$18 million dollars.
Funding Strategy— Dedicate assistance funds to NG-911
A strategy being proposed by the Tarrant County 911 District is to eliminate providing grants to
the 34 PSAP's located in Tarrant County. Specially, the $3 million set aside for the radio
assistance program, and the PSAP assistance program. In FY21, City of Fort Worth received
Tarrant County 911 District program funding totaling $995,000. Eliminating the two assistance
programs will help dedicate funding required for the NG-911 implementation, within the timeline
set aside by the state. Due to NG-911 providing direct benefits to PSAP's (ability to help manage
call overload, transfer f 911 calls based on caller location data, better support during natural
disasters), supporting this strategy yields longer term benefits to the residents and visitors to Fort
Worth and Tarrant County.
Benefits of NG-911
• Helps 911 more accurately locate a caller
• Helps ensure calls are routed to the right 91 Center the first time
• Enables call transfers and data sharing across jurisdiction and county lines
• Creates a robust and redundant 911 call handling system
• Allows for different media types (text, pictures, videos) to flow from callers to emergency
responders
• Improves scene and responder safety and provides real-time updates on evolving
situations
• Improved customer service
For questions regarding this information, please contact Valerie Washington at
Valerie.washington(a)fortworthtexas.gov.
David Cooke
City Manager
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS