STATEWIDE — IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LONG-PROMISED NEXT GENERATION 911 (NG911), an upgrade to New York state’s emergency communications system, is years behind schedule, with NYC’s 911 service far outpacing it, according to an audit that NY State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli released on Wednesday, June 4.
NG911 would allow photos, voice and video calls and text messaging to be rerouted to other county call centers when major events like natural disasters overwhelm local centers. However, the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES), the primary agency responsible for overseeing the state’s transition to NG911, is years behind schedule on adopting the required transition plans, DiNapoli said.
Furthermore, the comptroller noted, DHSES has not sufficiently provided counties with the guidance needed to move forward with implementing statewide interoperable communications, with most counties expressing confusion on moving forward. The transition to NG911 has complexities beyond just equipment updates, and it requires coordination between emergency and public safety officials and multiple state and local government agencies, necessitating a statewide plan and roadmap to be completed and approved…