RD218 - Commonwealth of Virginia Wireless E-911 Services Board FY2009 Annual Report


Executive Summary:
The Code of Virginia (§ 56-484.14) requires the Wireless E-911 Services Board (the Board) to report annually to the Governor, the Senate Committee on Finance, the House Committee on Appropriations, and the Virginia State Crime Commission on the following:

(i) the state of enhanced 9-1-1 services in the Commonwealth,

(ii) the impact of, or need for, legislation affecting enhanced 9-1-1 services in the Commonwealth,

(iii) the need for changes in the E-911 funding mechanism provided to the Board, as appropriate, and

(iv) monitor developments in enhanced 9-1-1 service and multi-line telephone systems and the impact of such technologies upon the implementation of Article 8 (§ 56-484.19 et seq.) of Chapter 15 of Title 56.

The state of enhanced 9-1-1 services in the Commonwealth

Though the original goal was to have all localities providing wireline E-911 service by July 1, 2003, there is still one (1) locality left that is diligently working to deploy this level of service. Due to issues beyond its control, the locality was forced to secure the services of another addressing vendor to complete its wireline project. A new vendor has been selected and the locality will complete their wireline project by June 30, 2010. An extension has been sought and granted by the Board, as allowed by Code.

Wireless enhanced 9-1-1 (E-911) Phase I service, where the caller’s telephone number and the address of the cell site are provided to the public safety answering point (PSAP), is essentially complete, with only two deployments remaining. The two localities that are not completed are among the most rural Virginia localities and are aggressively working toward deployment.

The deployment of wireless E-911 Phase II, which provides the PSAP with the caller’s actual location by longitude and latitude, is nearing completion, due to the hard work and dedication of the PSAPs and telecommunications service providers. Phase II service is available to more than 99% of wireless telephone service subscribers in the Commonwealth. The wireless service providers and all of the localities involved should be commended for their efforts to protect the public. While Phase II is not 100% accurate, the locations provided are typically within 50 to 300 meters, with some calls actually showing the caller’s location within a matter of a few feet. It is not the same level of accuracy as wireline E-911, but it does provide the 9-1-1 call taker with a valuable tool to quickly locate a caller in need of emergency assistance, especially if the caller is unfamiliar with their location.

With the deployment of Phase II many of the wireless service providers opted for a handset-based Phase II solution, which uses a global positioning system (GPS) chip in the telephone to locate the caller. Though this requires the subscriber to upgrade their telephone, most of the major carriers using this technology are now reporting that over 95% of their customers have GPS equipped telephones, which was the goal established by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

As the Commonwealth approaches completion of the deployment of enhanced 9-1-1 services on all traditional telecommunications services, the focus of the E-911 industry shifts to the future of E-911 and service improvement. Several new technologies already exist that challenge the current E-911 infrastructure such as VoIP and text messaging. The localities, telecommunications service providers and E-911 vendors should be commended for all of the effort expended thus far to provide the citizens with the best E-911 system available, but it is critical that work continue to ensure this life saving service is available when it is needed most.

The impact of, or need for, legislation affecting enhanced wireless emergency telecommunications services in the Commonwealth

The Wireless E-911 Services Board is not recommending any legislative changes for the 2010 General Assembly Session. The changes made in 2006 to the funding process appear to be working well. Minimum costs and wireless call load percentages are applied to ensure that the smallest PSAPs in Virginia get a fair share of the funding. To ensure that this is still the case, the Board has appointed a committee to review the current methodology to see if any adjustments need to be made moving forward. Additionally, the Board continues to work on the planning for the future of E-911 and has completed the Statewide Comprehensive Plan for 9-1-1 http://www.va911.org/wirelesshome.shtml , which identifies the key strategic initiatives for improving 9-1-1 services and functionality across Virginia. As the tasks and deliverables that were identified within the initiatives included in the current Plan near completion, the Board will begin discussing its next planning cycle in the upcoming fiscal year.

The need for changes in the E-911 funding mechanism provided to the Board, as appropriate

The Wireless E-911 Fund remains fiscally sound. With the legislative changes made in 2006, the funding process has been substantially changed. The revised process, which utilizes a formula-based distribution methodology, appears to provide consistent funding to the localities while greatly reducing the administrative bureaucracy associated with applying for the funding. Additionally, three cycles have been completed for the PSAP Grant Program, which was also established in 2006. This has resulted in over $16 million being provided to the localities for the replacement of outdated equipment and to expand services to the citizens of the Commonwealth.

The current biennial budget also includes a $3.7 million appropriation to the State Police for wireless 9-1-1 call taking. However, all localities in the Commonwealth are currently accepting wireless calls and no longer rely on the State Police to transfer wireless 9-1-1 calls to them. Thus, justification for the State Police receiving Wireless E-911 funding no longer exist. Continuing the appropriation to the State Police after they are no longer taking the wireless 9-1-1 calls could jeopardize the eligibility of the Commonwealth and all of the localities for federal E-911 grant funding. Also included in the biennial budget is a $6M transfer from the Wireless E-911 Fund to the Compensation Board to support Sheriffs’ dispatchers. It has been pointed out that this transfer may also be considered a diversion.

Monitor developments in enhanced 9-1-1 service and multi-line telephone systems

This is a new duty of the Board that was enacted on July 1, 2007. Since most of the provisions of Article 8 (§ 56-484.19 et seq.) of Chapter 15 of Title 56 did not take effect until July 1, 2009, the focus of the Board for the past fiscal year has been on providing information to interested parties. The Board will provide more information on this topic in its next Annual Report.

The following sections of the report provide a more detailed analysis of the current state of E-911 in the Commonwealth and the Wireless E-911 Fund.