This year, over 400 attendees arrived in Clearwater, Florida to share their thoughts and ideas with the industry. With over 150 brand-new, first-time attendees, the conference proved to be a shining success for yet another year; here are 5 of my top takeaways from this year.
I’m back and fresh off the plane from the 2024 NENA Standards and Best Practices Conference in Clearwater, FL where over 400 industry professionals gathered this past week. While there they:
- Exchanged ideas on current issues and solutions
- Learned from experts on deploying new technologies
- Most importantly, they discussed future trends in the 911 industry and how the direction and velocity of technology will impact the existing life-safety standards that have been in place for decades
NENA, the National Emergency Number Association – considered ‘the voice of 911’ – hosts this critical conference each year to foster a face-to-face forum for like-minded individuals to meet and connect outside of a typical tradeshow environment. This year consisted of many past attendees but also drew in 150 new first-time attendees – a testament to the stature this conference has built for itself and its relevance in developing the public safety industry.
After reviewing my many discussions with colleagues over the week, I’ve distilled these personal top 5 takeaways:
· Getting the ECC on an NG911 platform with a connection to a regional or statewide ESINet needs to be a priority
New data is coming fast and furious. To efficiently collect and use this new information, you need a NENA i3 compliant NG911 call handling solution. If needed, an LNG (Legacy Network Gateway) can be installed ahead of the NG911 equipment if you’re waiting on your carrier, and then easily removed later. Be sure to get involved with any state-wide or regional government initiatives and help drive their rollout of an ESINet.
· Like it or not – AI is here. The ECC should embrace it with a “trust but verify” policy for AI automation and additional data.
Don’t be frightened by AI, and don’t let the tail wag the dog. AI is here, and it is being used every day. As time passes, it only gets better, and remember – AI doesn’t have to make decisions for you. It‘s a tool – just like a calculator helping you to do math!
· Multimedia IS NOT COMING to the ECC. It’s already here now. The public is assuming and expecting PSAPs to use this data.
Speaking of smartphones, various sources are calculating somewhere around 92% of the us population has a smart device capable of delivering live data from the scene. Today, many over-the-top solutions are available and are a great path forward during the NG911 transition.
· The staffing issue may be fixable with fewer – but better-trained and better-paid – tech-savvy individuals earning higher salaries. This may provide an overall net savings.
Think about this carefully. If more work can be accomplished by a better-trained employee, then corrective action may be to slowly raise salaries while training and increasing the efficiency of the existing base. This may be a mathematical solution to the issue of addressing the knowledge gap of the existing 911 workforce with additional training using new technologies.
· Finally, if you are not following the NENA FutureThink Group – you will likely find yourself drowning in a sea of new technology.
Technology trend cycles are much shorter today than in the past, and the availability, growth rate, and adoption of new technologies are sure to outpace any policy changes in our industry.
Please remember . . .
These opinions are my own and don’t necessarily reflect the opinions of NENA or its board.
Mark J. Fletcher, ENP
911inform, LLC
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