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The 9-1-1 Take: Spring 2021
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The 9-1-1 Take with John Hunt
Location accuracy for the emergency communications center
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An accurate location is one of the most important pieces of information for 9-1-1 call takers and dispatchers. Z-axis capability gives public safety another level of situational awareness not available with traditional GPS. In addition to latitude and longitude coordinates, it provides the vertical location or z-axis of public safety personnel. By tracking this additional location information, telecommunicators can see where responders are during a call, including the height in a multistory building.
Z-axis capability
Z-axis capability provides vertical location using the barometric sensor built into smartphones. Most smartphones in use today come equipped with this feature. The barometric sensor helps measure the height above terrain, or the elevation in a building or other structure.
This data is accessed using a vertical positioning service that is available to public safety app developers. To find an app with z-axis capability, check the FirstNet App Catalog. The FirstNet App Catalog identifies public safety apps that have undergone a rigorous vetting and approval process to ensure apps are relevant to public safety, have enhanced security and privacy features, and demonstrate reliability.
Z-axis and the emergency communications center
So with just a smartphone and an app, a responder in the field can track his or her in-building vertical location. Responders in the emergency communications center can use an app to pinpoint the location of personnel. This helps to know when to dispatch additional units or determine what type of equipment to send to the scene.
With location-based services, telecommunicators can track a responder’s movement, speed, direction, and orientation. They can also see the height location of a responder in a multistory building or other structure like a parking garage. Through apps, first responders can share their location with their teams on scene and with commanders, incident managers, and dispatchers.
Public safety asked for location-based services
The First Responder Network Authority understands the importance of situational awareness to first responders, especially those working in 9-1-1. In hundreds of engagements with public safety, my colleagues and I heard from first responders who emphasized the need for location-based services and mapping tools to help track personnel and assets. That’s why we’ve made situational awareness a priority for FirstNet.
Eddie Reyes is Director of the of the Department of Public Safety Communications in Prince William County, Virginia. The Office of Public Safety Communications provides command, control, and information support services to police, fire, and rescue services. Director Reyes understands all too well that location accuracy saves lives.
“In 9-1-1, we have to keep track of not only the location of the caller’s emergencies, but also the first responders. Location accuracy is quite possibly the most important thing we focus on every single day,” he said. “From a budget and time perspective, I can't think of another technology that takes more than location accuracy—because locating people in an emergency is our highest priority. Seconds count when somebody needs help. So that's why location accuracy is just so important in the 9-1-1 industry.”
Your experience
What is your experience with location-based services in 9-1-1? How would your agency benefit from z-axis capability? Send me an email to let me know your thoughts.
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The FirstNet network continues to expand across America. In the last three months, new cell sites have gone up in: Arizona, Idaho, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Tennessee, and near the Lake Traverse Reservation in South Dakota.
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FirstNet is helping communities respond to COVID-19, by supporting vaccination efforts, enabling remote 9-1-1 operations, connecting healthcare workers, and supporting social distancing. The network allows responders to maintain reliable communications when and where they need it most – in the field, at work, and at home.
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Tech, Innovations, and Hot Topics in 9-1-1
Read what we’ve been hearing from public safety in the field about trends and drivers for 9-1-1 and emergency communications.*
A regional public safety answering point in New Jersey is rolling out a service that allows Uber drivers or riders who feel unsafe during a trip to notify 9-1-1 using the Uber app. Drivers or riders can call or text 9-1-1 through the in-app emergency button. The app automatically sends the location of the vehicle, trip information, car make and model, and license plate directly to an emergency dispatcher’s screen.
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FirstNet Authority 9-1-1/Emergency Communications Subject Matter Expert John Hunt talks about his 35 years of experience working with public safety communications technology, the future of emergency communications, and the important work of Emergency Communications Centers, 9-1-1 operators, and dispatch.
Watch the video and read's John's interview about the future of telecommunications. |
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John Hunt is a Senior Public Safety Advisor and the First Responder Network Authority 9-1-1 Subject Matter Expert. Learn more about John or email him with your questions. |
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Top photo: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Arlington (Va.) Emergency Communications Center became one of the first in the nation to deploy remote call-taking, dispatching, and supervision, using a setup that includes a FirstNet hotspot.
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*FirstNet Authority may provide hyperlinks for third-party, non-governmental websites in order to offer additional context and added value for our users. FirstNet Authority does not endorse any product or service and is not responsible, nor can it guarantee the validity or timeliness of the content on hyperlinks outside of the federal government. In addition, users may wish to review privacy notices on non-government sites since their information collection practices may differ from ours.
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