The Run Down

Keeping Busy

Updates on our Current Projects

by Brady McCamley

Alabama – 911 Authority has supported the Alabama State 911 Board in CPE (Call Processing Equipment) procurement to ensure the best client to vendor experience and product availability possible. We have also assisted and continue to support Alabama in text implementation, GIS services procurement and project management of PSAP migration to the ESInet.

California – Cal OES contracted with 911 Authority, LLC to perform a statewide feasibility study. The goal of the study was to determine the feasibility of developing a statewide system to enable all Californians, including older adults, individuals with disabilities, and other at-risk persons, to voluntarily provide vital health and safety information, with an encrypted connection, to be available to all first responders in an emergency if a 911 call is placed.

With the introduction of new technologies and the ongoing staffing PSAP staffing challenges, a study will be conducted to determine the best practices and challenges facing the PSAPs in recruiting, retention, and training of Public Safety Dispatchers (PSDs). 

  • Recruitment – Identify PSAP needs and align state resources that can be used to provide local assistance 
  • Retention- Identify strategies to improve PSD retention 
  • Training Redundancy – Identify training gaps and strategies that can be implemented to meet the training needs as new technologies are integrated into the PSAP 

Indiana – 911 Authority has been assisting the State of Indiana with NG911 RFP development. This has helped the State develop an ESInet helping interconnect PSAPS statewide. We have also helped with technical support, PSAP site visits, and implementation of SMS text across the state ensuring text-to-911 is a possibility to the citizens of Indiana.

Maine – 911 Authority has contracted with the State of Maine to proactively look at the future of 911 in Maine With our extensive operational and administrative expertise we will evaluate and report on Maine’s PSAP Oversight, staffing, and retention. Further, we will make recommendations on improvements for the overall 911 system improvement within the state of Maine.

South Dakota – 911 Authority was contracted to provide NG911 Project Management, Implementation Oversight, NG911 Technical Support, Legislative Support and RFP Development to the South Dakota 911 Board for the ongoing CPE and ESInet implementation and re-competition of the NG911 system and services contract. Part of our duties entail developing and defining NG911 RFPs for ESInet, I3 core services, Text services and OSP Carrier interconnection.

Vermont – 911 Authority provided an Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) of the ESInet and NG Core services for the State of Vermont.  Our team reviewed the network configurations and analyzed the system as deployed against the expected contractual components.  This effort allowed the State of Vermont to ensure with confidence that the ESInet was built to specification and met the objectives of the procurement.

Wisconsin – 911 Authority has been contracted to complete a NG911 System Assessment, develop a NG911 Request for Proposal for a state-wide ESInet and NG Core Services, provide Project Management, Procurement Management and NG911 Technical Support to the Office of Emergency Communications.  Our efforts include system and services contract, contract award, vendor negotiations, implementation oversight, project management and legislative support.

Keeping Busy

Want to Help?

by Joel McCamley
April 29, 2014

Volunteers Sought for ESIND Work Group

The Emergency Services IP Network Design (ESIND) Work Group is currently looking for volunteers to assist in reviewing the Emergency Services IP Network Design document. Several areas in the document will need to be improved including:

  • Assignment of Autonomous System Number (AS) Numbers ? including interaction with American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN)
  • Uniform DNS entries for ESInets
  • Coordinate and document empirical testing on the performance thresholds described in the document

This important work will result in the updating of NENA 08-506 that can be used by vendors and 9-1-1 authorities when implementing NG9-1-1 systems. To join this group, please go here, complete and submit the form, which will go to the work group co-chairs,  Jim Lockard and Joel McCamley.

Keeping Busy

SMS Text-to-9-1-1

by Joel McCamley
October 19, 2013

We’ve spent the summer months visiting almost 100 PSAPs across the State of Indiana determining the capability of implementing SMS Text-to-9-1-1 and collecting information for a Next Generation 9-1-1 Baseline Assessment report for the Statewide 9-1-1 Board.

Needless to say these visits with 9-1-1 professionals in Indiana have only reinforced the fact that Public Safety folks are a resilient bunch, continuously doing more with less. The approach to SMS Text-to-9-1-1 is no different. The overwhelming response from those who will be on the receiving end of text messages of an emergency nature from the public is a resounding “Bring It!!”


There is a lot of information on the web about SMS Text-to-9-1-1 and an awful lot of speculation. The predominant delivery method is shaping up to be the Web browser method for most, with some Text to TTY implementations for those larger centers that need to integrate Text-to-9-1-1 into ACD type environments. There are pro’s and con’s with each, make sure you do your homework before you decide to go down a certain path. There is no “one size fits all” solution for SMS Text-to-9-1-1


Here are some useful materials for some additional background on SMS Text-to-9-1-1
 

 


We are doing some additional project work on the SMS Text-to-9-1-1 implementation process and will share those experiences and work products here as we can. 

Keeping Busy

NENA 2013 Charlotte – A Great Success

by Joel McCamley
August 22, 2013

Just returning from a great NENA conference in Charlotte North Carolina. What a beautiful city!

It was great seeing so many friends and attending some outstanding sessions. A lot of great information was presented at the conference and as usual, the NENA staff put on a great show.

We were fortunate enough to give a presentation on 911 funding, and it was very well attended. We got some great feedback on the presentation. We have included a link to the presentation below.

A lot of buzz during the show about SMS Text to 911 service that is coming to a PSAP near you. Stay tuned to this blog for more information on this critical technology implementation as we progress through our project with the State of Indiana this summer.

Keeping Busy

The First Run

by Joel McCamley
October 1, 2012

Welcome to our site. 


We are a new business, but we are not new to the business. We have been providing services to public safety professionals across the country for the past 13 years and doing technology implementations for over 20+ years.


My name is Joel McCamley and together with my wife Margaret, we have begun a new chapter of our lives together as business partners. I was fortunate to be able to include Margaret on many of my travels across the country working on public safety projects and she too has developed a passion for the business and most importantly the people of public safety.  


Our mission is to continue to connect public safety with technology so that the vital service that protects the public in times of need can work better, more efficiently, cost effectively and more reliably so that the focus of the first responders can be on helping, not trying to overcome inoperative or complicated technology.