i3v3 Accelerates the Drive Toward 21st-Century 9-1-1 Services.
North America’s leading 9-1-1 standards-development body today approved a landmark new version of its Next Generation 9-1-1 standard, a move that will accelerate the transition to smarter, faster, and more resilient emergency response. Version 3 of the National Emergency Number Association’s (NENA) i3 Standard for Next Generation 9-1-1 includes key updates to NG911 infrastructure, paving the way for interoperability on a national and international scale.
“This is a landmark moment in the evolution of NG911,” said Gary Bell, ENP, President of NENA. “The public-safety community and the tech industry now have the most up-to-date, comprehensive, consensus-driven, open standard for NG911. This will no doubt hasten and strengthen our push to see NG911 systems, services, and products deployed coast to coast.”
NENA’s family of NG911 standards – with i3 serving as the keystone – enables data-rich, secure, IP-based communications from the public, through 9-1-1, to every field responder. The new version will serve as the foundation of a 21st Century, broadband-based 9-1-1 ecosystem. Version 3 changes include:
- New REST/JSON architecture, following modern best practices for interface design
- Cybersecurity improvements
- Major updates to call bridging
- Discrepancy Reports
- Outgoing Call Interface Function
- Blind transfer support
- Updates to handle novel call types (including non-interactive calls and Advanced Automatic Crash Notifications)
- Harmonization with European specifications
According to NENA:
i3 is an American National Standard candidate, and in the coming weeks NENA expects full ANSI approval, confirming that development of the standard complied with all ANSI Essential Requirements.
NENA has been developing non-proprietary, consensus-based, universally-used, and universally-recognized 9-1-1 standards for more than thirty years. NENA’s more than 1,000 volunteers work an estimated 33,000 hours annually to develop, update, and manage nearly two-hundred operational and technical standards for E9-1-1 and NG9-1-1. NENA is an ANSI-accredited standards-development organization; the association welcomes all interested parties to join its working groups.
“In the midst of a pandemic that disrupted every facet of our lives, NENA volunteers worked tirelessly to develop and publish i3 Version 3 through the rigorous, consensus-based processes that NENA is known for,” said Bell. “We cannot applaud them enough for their dedication to public safety and NG911.”
Maryland is accelerating its move toward NG911, harnessing public safety industry leadership and expertise, and focusing on effective coordination with communications providers to deliver these essential services equitably across the state.
As previously reported on Conduit Street, the Commission to Advance NG911 across Maryland, a 2018 MACo Legislative Initiative, was established to update state laws and the 9-1-1 financing system to provide the flexibility and resources needed for the deployment of a statewide NG911 system. In 2019, the General Assembly passed landmark legislation to update state laws and the 9-1-1 financing system to provide the flexibility and resources needed to deploy a statewide NG911 system.
The Commission includes 9-1-1 directors, technology and telecommunications industry representatives, cybersecurity professionals, a bipartisan group of legislators, and other stakeholders to assure a smooth and equitable transition to NG911.
The General Assembly this year passed omnibus legislation to add necessary expertise to the Maryland 9-1-1 Board by adding additional representation, including a county finance professional, county 9-1-1 specialists, an expert from the cybersecurity industry, and a member to represent persons with disabilities. The bill also requires telecommunications providers to promptly notify 9-1-1 centers in the event of an outage necessary to implement alternative communications methods and provide proper public notice.
MACo also successfully supported legislation to designate the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) as a Cabinet-level agency and transfer the 9-1-1 Board from the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services to MEMA.
Emergency management is a year-round process, a constant loop of preparation, training, testing, and revision that strengthens community preparedness and resilience. A strong partnership among state and local agencies is vital to emergency preparedness and response.
At the 2021 MACo Summer Conference, an expert panel will discuss best practices to strengthen and streamline collaboration in planning, response, and recovery efforts and on why leveraging state/local partnerships is key for ensuring a more effective bridge to FEMA, especially for long-term incidents.
The “Building a Vertical Vision in Times of Crisis: Leveraging Federal and State Emergency Resources” session, hosted by MACo’s Emergency Managers Affiliate, will be held Thursday, August 19, 2021, from 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm.
The MACo Summer Conference will be held August 18-21 at the Roland Powell Convention Center in Ocean City, Maryland. This year’s theme is “Resilient. Responsive…Ready.”
View the brochure for the full schedule and details on sessions being offered at this year’s conference!
Learn more about MACo’s Summer Conference:
