House passes Rep. Fogarty bill mandating updates to state’s
E-911 system
EDITOR’S NOTE: John Oliver did this segment on his HBO
show that sets out why Rep. Fogarty’s bill is important:
To watch this video directly on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-XlyB_QQYs
The House of Representatives has passed legislation introduced by Rep. Kathleen A. Fogarty (D-Dist. 35, South Kingstown) that would bring about updates to the state’s E-911 system. The bill now heads to the Senate.
“This
legislation will update the system, bringing it in line with federal mandates,”
said Representative Fogarty.
“Next
Generation-911 allows digital information such as voice, photos, videos and
text messages to flow seamlessly from the public, through the 911 network, and
on to emergency responders. It’s catching up with new technology that’s
available and utilizing it to keep all of us safe. And it’s not going to cost
us anything, because we’re already paying for it through our cell phone bills.”
The legislation (2016-H 7748) would require the E-911 Uniform Emergency telephone system division to update the system by allowing users to access the system by text, video and other methods.
The
bill would require the division to take all steps necessary to implement “Next
Generation-911,” “NG 911,” or “Text-to-9-1-1” technologies as soon as
practicable, and report back to the General Assembly no later than March 30,
2017, a timeline that anticipates the date of completion.
Next Generation-911 will enhance the 911 system to
create a faster, more flexible, resilient and scalable system that allows 911
to keep up with communication technology used by the public.