The National Emergency Number Association (NENA) and the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International recently signed a joint statement of cooperation regarding NG9-1-1 migration and transition planning. The agreement outlines current activities of both organizations related to NG 9-1-1 and how the organizations plan to work together on future activities geared toward modernizing America’s 9-1-1 systems.

Within the agreement, the two associations have outlined a framework for information sharing, acknowledged areas of overlap and organizational expertise, and identified the scope of each group’s NG9-1-1 transition initiatives – NENA’s Next Generation Transition Planning Committee (NGTPC) and APCO’s Project 41.

An element of NENA’s overall NG9-1-1 Project, the NGPTC exists to “identify and describe the NG9-1-1 transition steps useful to Public Safety Authorities and other stakeholders in moving from each 9-1-1 system and service environment starting point, to NG9-1-1, and the related development actions needed to enable that transition to a fully capable NG9-1-1 service.” Project 41’s charge is to “address the impact upon operational practices facing the public safety communications industry specific to voice over internet protocol and other related emerging technologies.” APCO is also an active member of the NENA Next Generation Partner Program.

Both associations are engaging in activities relating to the development of NG9-1-1 systems, which will ultimately occur within a broader array of interconnected networks and systems comprehensively supporting emergency services; from public access to those services to the delivery of emergency information to call-takers, dispatchers, and first responders. NENA and APCO view this development as an evolutionary process to enable the general public to make a 9-1-1 communication from any wired, wireless, or Internet Protocol (IP) based device.

For more information visit www.nena.org or www.apcointl.org.