Presentation on the complexities of technology in the 9-1-1 community. (Delivered in June/August 2015)

1. 9-1-1 & EVOLUTION OF
PUBLIC SAFETY
COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS
CHERYL BLEDSOE,
TECHNOLOGY MANAGER AT CLACKAMAS 911
PRESENTED AT THE RDPO PROGRAM COMMITTEE, JUNE 16, 2015

2. OBJECTIVES
• Paint the Picture of 9-1-1
Technologies
• Describe Planning Drivers
• Define Goals & Future Activities at
Federal, State, Regional and Local 9-1-
1 levels
• What Does this Mean for Other RDPO
Working Groups?

3. WHAT IS 9-1-1 TO THE PUBLIC?

4. WHAT IS 9-1-1 TO FIRST
RESPONDERS?

5. WHAT IS 9-1-1 TO A 9-1-1 AGENCY?
TELEPHONE
Types of Incoming Calls
• Landlines
• Wireless
• VOiP | Digital
• Business | PBX
Systems
Logging Recorders
Text-2-911 Interface
RADIO
Analog-Digital Radio
• 11 frequency bands
• Microwave Bands
• Broadband
Paging
Station Alerting
Dispatch Console Radio
COMPUTER-AIDED
DISPATCH (CAD)
Different CAD Systems
CAD2CAD Interface |
Enterprise Service Bus
Significant Hardware &
Furniture
Interactive Mapping
Automatic Vehicle
Location

6. WHAT IS 9-1-1 TO A 9-1-1
AGENCY?
CONNECTIVITY &
NETWORKING
Pathways for
Connectivity
• Fiber
• Microwave
• Commercial
Broadband
• Public Safety
Broadband
FirstNet
Virtualization
Cyber Security
REDUNDANT POWER
Universal Power Supplies
(UPS)
• Building-Wide
• At Work Stations
Fuel Storage
Load Testing
Preventative Maintenance
BACKUP CENTERS
911 Reroutes
Disaster Recovery Plan
Backup Center Logistics &
Exercises

7. FACTORS WHICH DRIVE 9-1-1
CHANGES
Legislation
• FCC Mandates
• State Law
• Court Rulings
Evolution of
Tech
• End of Life
• End of Support
• Constant Innovation
Peer Pressures
• Public Expectations
• Best Practices
• Neighboring Jurisdictions

8. CHALLENGES
Infrastructure Costs = Millions
Solutions Evolving & Unknown
Planning Timelines = Long

9. COORDINATION AMONG PSAP’S
NATIONAL
For Advisory Input…
FCC Committees
APCO Int’l
NENA
STATEWIDE
SIEC
PSAP Advisory
Committee
Next Gen 911 
Ops & Tech
Committees
Quarterly Meetings
between Oregon
APCO & State of
REGIONAL
PDCC
• Since 2006
• Large
• City of Portland
• WCCCA
• Medium
• Clackamas County
• CRESA
• Small
• Columbia County
• Cowlitz County
• City of Lake Oswego
• AMR / MWA
• Secondary PSAP
• Port of Portland

10. PDCC COORDINATION DETAILS
• Monthly Meetings at the Portland Airport (3rd Tuesday at 1:00
p.m.)
• IGA-Based Organization
• Annual Budget = $160K which is cost-shared on PSAP-Size
Based Formula
• Organizational Purpose
• Manage Regional Projects (CAD2CAD, Text-2-911, Public Education)
• Apply for Grants for regional-based projects
• Manage TICP | Inventory of Communication Assets
• Coordinate training & exercise
• Strengthen Redundancy & Continuity Among PSAP’s

11. NEXT GENERATIONS OF 9-1-1
TECHNOLOGY
• Telephone Systems:
• Migration from Frame Relay to IP-Based Network
• Web-Based Interim Solution for Text-2-911
• Not Available Yet: Integration of Text-2-911 Capabilities into the Phone
System
• Radio Systems:
• VHF Systems: Should be upgraded  Lack of Desire to Fund Two Radio
Systems
• Migration from Analog to Digital 800 MHz Systems
• In-Progress in Portland and Clark County
• To Be Funded in Clackamas & Washington Counties

12. NEXT GENERATIONS OF 9-1-1
TECHNOLOGY
• Computer Aided Dispatch Systems:
• Unification in Clark & Cowlitz Counties via Intergraph
• Unification Project coming for WCCCA, CCOM, LOCOM with additional
interest
• Not Yet Available: CAD Systems that integrate Data & Graphics Inputs
(Pictures, Video, WebCams, Drones)
• CAD-2-CAD:
• Committee formed to evaluate Enterprise Bus Replacement within 2-3
years
• Migration of data to open source
• Logging Recorders:
• Currently record voice

13. NEXT GENERATION 9-1-1 OPERATIONAL
CONCERNS
• Personnel
• Data Management added to Voice: Changes recruitment, training and
operational processes
• Not Yet Available: Unclear whether role will be simply data acquisition or
decision-making role
• Space Considerations
• Most dispatch centers have little “visual real estate” left for expansion of
technology
• Cyber Security
• Web-Based Applications added by User Agencies increases access points
• More “Connected” infrastructures increase risk of large-scale system
outages

14. WHAT THIS MEANS FOR RDPO DISCIPLINES
• Interoperability is tricky and not a linear progression
• Depending on local and regional investment, we stand to lose coverage
and functionality without strong levels of support
• Data Management Practices are becoming Increasingly Complex
• Need to thoughtfully plan and evaluate span of control for dispatchers
and users
• “Just because a mobile app looks great, must be evaluated from
workload and security perspectives”
• Technological Evolution Will Trickle Down to All Users
Eventually
• Cyber Security Needs to Become a Regional Priority
• For planning, penetration testing and response-level readiness.

15. POSSIBLE REGIONAL INVESTMENTS
• Enterprise Service Bus Replacement (2016)
• Public Education (2016)
• End User Equipment (Radios, Tablets, AVL/GPS)
• Cyber Security
•Other, as yet, undetermined future
technologies????

16. QUESTIONS / DISCUSSION
PDCC Chair:
Steve Watson
swatson@columbia911.com
Program Committee PDCC Delegate:
Cheryl Bledsoe
cbledsoe@Clackamas.us
503-722-6708