RACOM Partners with PSAP Personnel to Upgrade to Text-to-911 Capabilities

Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEMD) and State of Iowa personnel joined forces to connect the public safety answering points (PSAPs) to the Iowan Emergency Services IP Network (ESInet) to enable members of the general public to text 911 centers when physical disabilities or situations prohibit them from making voice calls.

As RACOM professionals work to complete 38 such PSAP upgrades so the PSAPs are compatible with ESInet technology by the beginning of May 2017 — one month ahead of the mandated deadline — it’s worth talking about this significant enhancement in service and community protection.

There have already been some instances when the ability to text 911 made a difference. In Black Hawk County, for instance, a deaf woman happened across some children locked in a hot parked car and used the text-to-911 service to get help.

E911 HSEMD Program Manager Blake DeRouchey provided some additional perspective on the project. When we asked him what the text-to-911 project will provide across Iowa, DeRouchey focused on real situations people face in emergencies.

“This project will allow a person in distress to text their emergency information to 911, rather than making a voice call. This has proven beneficial in cases of domestic abuse, a home intruder, and for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community,” DeRouchey said. “The text will display on a call-taker screen similarly to an incoming call.”

When we asked if software maintenance services would become the norm for next-generation E911 consumer-provided equipment (CPE), DeRouchey said government organization members certainly have supported them.

“In general, both the E911 program manager and the E911 Communications Council have strongly encouraged the use of hardware and software maintenance agreements with CPE vendors along with other critical next-gen components. Maintenance agreements and costs are both eligible expenses of 911 surcharge,” said DeRouchey.

HSEMD personnel are conducting a consolidation study regarding the program, and the report is due the first of the year.

[sidebar]Zetron’s MAX Call-Taking Integrates 9-1-1 Text and Voice on One Console

Want more information on text to 911? This case study highlights the Zetron and RACOM Butler County, Iowa, text-to-911 update. Read the case study.
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“Last year, HSEMD was tasked by the legislature with studying the potential cost savings, benefits, and concerns with PSAP consolidation,” said DeRouchey. “HSEMD convened five stakeholder workshops throughout the state to generate discussion and feedback. That feedback will help guide the state and the contractor writing the report. The report is due to the legislature on Jan. 15, 2017. The workshops heavily focused on virtual consolidation — shared services — as well as a merger of the wire line and wireless networks amongst many other topics.”

DeRouchey predicted that the upcoming legislative session will hold a lot of potential as it pertains to E911 and public safety.

“I anticipate another session with much discussion and potential change to Iowa Code 34A. The legislature will have the consolidation report to consider, and it will most likely be a great topic of discussion,” he said.

Additional upgrades and improvements are likely because Iowa Code 34A allows for grant availability through 2022. There was a $4.4 million cap placed on consolidation grants specifically for fiscal year 2016. There isn’t further language addressing a cap in subsequent years within 34A.

RACOM Service Manager Sarah Cochran reiterated what a great service this is for people who can’t see or move well in addition to those who may have disabilities.

Cochran has been in charge of assuring that PSAP personnel schedule their appointments and have their equipment upgraded by May, ahead of the June deadline. She indicates that PSAP personnel have had questions but that the overall transition has been smooth.

“In Iowa, the infrastructure is in place, so it’s a matter of getting the hardware and licenses needed,” said Cochran. “The state of Iowa notifies the carriers that a PSAP is ready to schedule text to 911, and then we schedule a test with all the carriers in that area to make sure that the system works.”

RACOM Chief Operating Officer Steve Holmes was quick to point out that having someone in this important role coordinating PSAP upgrades has made all the difference.

“That is one of the reasons why we have Sarah in charge as the program manager … because it is so important and we wanted a unified effort that could reach out to all of the PSAPs to make sure that they were well-coordinated and scheduled to get this done,” said Holmes.

When we asked if texting might be the way that we all contact 911 in the future, Cochran said there’s room for both. She recognized millennials might be the generation to take us there but that some things can be lost in text, such as dispatchers’ abilities to hear background noises.

As government personnel put the systems in place, reports of people using text to 911 in situations where they can’t safety speak continue to emerge. Black Hawk County officers dealt with an incident in which a woman locked herself in a bedroom when an ex-boyfriend broke into her house. Her text to 911 enabled her to notify law enforcement without her ex-boyfriend hearing her.

One thing is clear: As new technologies develop, the professionals at RACOM value all their relationships with PSAP operators and are committed to being their valued partners for the long haul.

[cta]Are you looking for a cost-effective solution to your radio communications and technology challenges? Call RACOM at 800-722-6643.[/cta]