Why Robust Federal NG9‑1‑1 Funding Remains Essential
Whatever stage your state or region is at in modernizing its 9‑1‑1 communications network, every community has a stake in securing a significant federal NG9‑1‑1 grant program—not only to strengthen interoperability, resilience, and innovation across jurisdictions, but to complete the full end-to-end transformation of emergency response systems. The bipartisan text of the Next Generation 9‑1‑1 Act of 2023 (H.R. 1784) remains the clearest legislative roadmap.
The Act defines NG9‑1‑1 as a comprehensive, fully integrated system—from call receipt to dispatch—meeting key technical, operational, and interoperability requirements. Defined this way, no jurisdiction has yet completed full NG9‑1‑1 deployment, underscoring that even the most advanced states can benefit from federal investment to fully realize the capabilities envisioned in the legislation, including:
Complete call receipt-to-dispatch chain
Native multimedia capability (voice, text, images, video)
Comprehensive cybersecurity posture
Jurisdiction‑agnostic interoperability across all equipment, networks, and providers
Reliability with no single point of failure
Upgraded Call Handling Equipment (CHE), Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD), Records Management System (RMS), and recording systems—premises‑based or cloud‑native
NG9-1-1-specific training
Video and data analytics systems to process new inputs
AI-driven tools to support analysis and decision-making
Flexibility to adopt emerging technologies
The legislation also builds in strong governance and oversight measures:
Open, competitive RFP processes to ensure transparency and best value
Meaningful stakeholder input from urban and rural Emergency Communications Centers (ECCs) and local, regional, and Tribal 9‑1‑1 authorities
State commitments to sustainable funding mechanisms for maintenance, operations, and upgrades beyond the grant period
Vendor restrictions on suppliers prohibited on national security grounds
Multi‑discipline NG9‑1‑1 Advisory Board to guide NTIA in grant administration
Nationwide NG9‑1‑1 cybersecurity center to coordinate intrusion detection and prevention efforts
Bottom line—without significant federal support, nationwide deployment will remain incomplete and fragmented, putting interoperability and resilience at risk precisely when they’re needed most: during natural disasters, cyberattacks, or cross‑jurisdictional emergencies.