The 911 National Emergency Address Database (NEAD) has taken a step towards making it easier for emergency responders to locate 911 callers inside buildings. Established by CTIA, NEAD has chosen West’s Safety Services to develop and operate the NEAD platform. West helps carriers, alarm companies and organizations connect subscribers, employees, students and end users to the nearest emergency assistance. That includes providing public safety agencies and first responders’ data to locate individuals and coordinate a response.
More than 70 percent of 911 calls originate from mobile devices, according to the FCC, which adopted rules requiring wireless carriers to improve 911 location accuracy. The Commission rules were based on guidelines adopted by AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon as well as the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) and the National Emergency Number Association (NENA). “The public rightfully expects 911 location technologies to work effectively regardless of whether a 911 call originates indoors or outdoors,” the FCC said in its rules passed last year.
CTIA established NEAD to implement a national database of access point such as WiFi hotspots and beacon location information so wireless service providers can deliver a dispatchable location that will help 911 call centers respond to emergencies.
Evelyn Bailey, executive director of the National Association of State 911 Administrators (NASNA), says NEAD “represents a huge advancement in our ability to locate people who call 911 from indoors using their wireless phone.” Having more reliable indoor location information will help the public, 911 dispatchers and first responders, she added. “We look forward to the day when the NEAD becomes operational.”
The database “is one crucial element of a broad-based strategy aimed at making sure that every person who calls 911 can be located quickly and accurately,” says NENA CEO Brian Fontes.
To oversee West’s implementation of the platform, NEAD previously named the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) as the project manager. West will implement the location database platform in accordance with the FCC’s rules, including privacy and security requirements, and ATIS standards.
Also, the CTIA 911 location accuracy technologies test bed is evaluating 911 location accuracy technology from wireless carriers and technology vendors.
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