Global Incident Notification (GIN) Secondary Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) Test and Evaluation

摘要

The number of cellular calls to 9-1-1 has been increasing every year with the increase in cellular telephones. There are currently over 50,000 emergency calls from cell phones a year. If the trend continues, cellular phones could become the source of the majority of all 9-1-1 calls. As the overall usage of cell phones to call 9-1-1 increases, the number of maritime 9- 1-1 calls is also likely to increase. Acquisition of Search and Rescue (SAR)- relevant information can be streamlined by integrating the U.S. Coast Guard (CG) as a Secondary Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for marine distress cellular calls. In order to assess the pros and cons of Enhanced 9-1-1 (E9-1-1) integration with CG operations, the Research and Development Center established a prototype Secondary PSAP in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, monitored usage, and collected data on the calls handled during the 2004 SAR season. This final report on the project documents the installation of the CG's Secondary PSAP system (both the circuits and the customer premises equipment), discusses the costs of the system, identifies the responses to the various challenges encountered in setting up the prototype, and discusses the operational use and benefits of the system. Based on the information learned in this study, the following recommendations are made: perform a cost-benefit analysis of a full coastal E9-1-1 system, analyze the impact and value of federal E9-1-1 standards, and authorize limited Secondary PSAPs in all coastal areas where allowed by state/local regulations.