In general, the state’s push to bring Next-Generation 911 (NG911) tools to residents “is years behind schedule,” according to a statement from New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.
The report blamed the New York Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) for failing to adopt “the required transition plans and [falling] short in providing counties with needed guidance on moving forward with implementing statewide interoperable communications.”
The audit accuses that state agency of “not effectively” overseeing the transition to better 911 services, and says that DHSES has not progressed past the “draft stage” of the state 911 plan — a plan that has been seven years in the making.
“The transition to Next-Generation 911 is a complex, but vital upgrade that requires close coordination and communication with local counties,” DiNapoli said in the statement. “The sooner it's implemented, the better equipped we'll be to respond to a large-scale emergency.”
In response, DHSES said via an email to Government Technology that it “is proud to have worked diligently for more than a decade to support those partners in their efforts to modernize 911 systems and deliver effective public safety services to New Yorkers.”
The spokesperson for the agency said it regularly communicates and provides guidance to counties about 911 upgrades, and that it has “administered more than $500 million since 2010 to strengthen and modernize 911 systems statewide.”
DHSES also said that more help is coming.
“As we continue to accept applications to access a share of the $85 million in NG911 transition funding secured by Gov. Hochul in last year’s state budget, we are committed to doing all we can to further support our county partners and strengthen emergency communications statewide,” the spokesperson said.
Next-Generation 911 refers to equipping emergency call centers and personnel with digital systems that can provide more precise information in this era of mobile communication. Backers say NG911 improves call routing and handling.
Emergency call takers, along with police, fire and medical personnel, are gaining more access to real-time data including video and text messages, further increasing their response times and efficiency.
Artificial intelligence also is playing a role.
The work toward providing NG911 services stands as a significant driver of government technology sales and business deals, underscoring its importance.
As the New York state comptroller’s office sees it, NG911 “is a long-promised upgrade to New York’s emergency communications system that would allow photos, voice and video calls and text messaging to be rerouted to other county call centers when major events like natural disasters overwhelm local centers,” according to the statement.
NG911 will add more power and precision to an emergency communications system that dates back to the 1960s, according to the comptroller’s office.
Its audit notes that success with NG911 depends not only on software and hardware but coordination among various agencies and governments. The audit criticizes the state’s homeland security agency of falling behind on such coordination and guidance, in part because of a major pandemic-related delay.
That has “left counties in limbo,” the comptroller’s office said, concluding that the state is still “years away from having NG911 implemented.”
More specifically, the audit found that 61 percent of surveyed counties have not received “any guidance” from the homeland security agency on transitioning to NG911.
Fourteen counties that did receive guidance were apparently displeased with what they got. That’s because the guidance “did not contain details or specifics and they remained unsure how they were supposed to plan for the upgrade or fund it,” according to the comptroller's office.
By contrast, New York City comes out looking good in the comptroller’s report, which credited the Big Apple with “nearly” completing its move to NG911.
The city handles 9 million emergency calls each year.
DiNapoli called for the homeland security agency to “finalize the State 911 Plan to include NG911 and monitor counties' progress in implementing technologies to meet the goals it sets.”
The comptroller’s office also said that DHSES “agreed” with the recommendations from the audit but not the findings.
According to DiNapoli, the homeland security agency argued that counties can upgrade emergency dispatch without such a plan, and that funding is available via grants.
