FCC (News - Alert) Chairman Julius Genachowski has announced a five-step action plan to chart the transition to Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG911) services that will allow people to text, and send photographs or videos to 911 dispatchers in an emergency.

“The shift to NG911 can’t be about if, but about when and how,” Genachowski said in an announcement.

NG911 relies on an IP-based network architecture and encompasses both the core functionalities of legacy E911 and enhanced capabilities of IP-based devices, including voice, text, data, photos, and video between the public and public safety answering points (PSAPs). 

The FCC’s plan contains the following steps:

·         Develop automatic location accuracy mechanisms for NG911;

·         Facilitate the completion and implementation of NG911 technical standards;

·         Work with state and Federal 911 authorities to develop an NG911 governance framework;

·         Develop an NG911 funding model; and

·         Enable consumers to send text, photos, and videos to PSAPs.

The plan is just one of several pieces in the FCC’s current Public Safety agenda, including the launch of an emergency alert system for wireless phones, strengthening E911 location accuracy rules, and moving toward a nationwide, interoperable public safety network, according to a release.

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