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Everyone says NG911 “needs better maps.”
True… in the same way a teenager says they “need” a car, a phone, and unlimited data. What NG911 actually needs is GIS, and that means a real GIS. Plus, they need standards, sharing practices, and security measures to keep that data current, trusted, and not inadvertently weaponized against the very systems we’re trying to protect.
NG911 will require specific new capabilities to be advanced or significantly developed to enable its evolution. I believe one reason it’s taken so long to implement is that it involves brand-new technology. New technology requires new standards from the ground up.
GIS is table stakes for NG911, and no, I don’t mean “a map”
Let’s start with the blunt part: the one technology that is absolutely table stakes for NG911 is a GIS (geographic information system). If we’re going to route calls accurately, dispatch the right resources, and deliver actionable context to a call taker and responders in real time, we need more than a pin on a screen. GIS isn’t just a map; it is an architecture.
A map is like the “front door,” but GIS is the entire building. From wiring, plumbing, floor plans, labels, fire exits, and that odd closet nobody claims ownership of but somehow always has a mop bucket in.
So, what is GIS, officially (in plain English)?
While one of the NENA Working Groups, is working on the official definition, here’s what I mean when I say “GIS” in NG911:
A Geographic Information System (GIS) is a layered, structured framework for collecting, managing, validating, and presenting location-based information. It can be displayed in map form, but the real value is the stack of connected layers underneath, Each layer representing specific, standardized datasets (addresses, road centerlines, boundaries, building footprints, landmarks, access points, indoor features, and more), all tied to consistent coordinates and rules so the information can be trusted, searched, routed, and used operationally.
Don’t think of GIS as “a map.” Think of GIS as the organized truth behind the map. And remember that in NG911, “organized truth” isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s basic survival.
The layer cake everyone loves… until you ask who brought the ingredients
Everyone talks about the value of GIS in NG911 solutions, and they’re not wrong. They will say and get behind things like:
- “GIS improves call routing.”
- “GIS enables better response.”
- “GIS supports next-gen location.”
- “GIS helps map-based decisioning.”
All of this is true. But they will stop short of defining one key aspect: where the GIS data comes from, and how it is shared. People talk about data being “sourced,” but they don’t elaborate on how the information is collected beyond particular cases, which are typically focused on municipal infrastructure. So, we get good at building GIS layers for:
- roads and intersections
- address points
- PSAP boundaries and response zones
- hydrants and public buildings
- government-managed campuses
That’s the stuff cities and counties can reasonably control. Great. Love it. Keep going. But there is a messy and political part we don’t love because it involves someone saying, “We don’t have a budget for that.”
The private sector is where the calls happen, but not where the GIS lives
Yes, the vast majority of emergency calls occur in the public sector as a service, meaning public safety is responding. However, the actual incident often occurs in privately owned environments like:
- office buildings
- apartment complexes
- malls and stadiums
- hospitals and clinics
- factories and warehouses
- universities (often a hybrid of public/private)
- hotels, casinos, theme parks
- critical infrastructure and utilities
Those buildings and facilities may have GIS space data, or at least digital floorplans, CAD drawings, or building management system (BMS) documentation. But they typically don’t have any mechanism to share it, or a repository to store it where public safety can access it securely during an incident.
We end up in this ridiculous situation nodding and saying:
“NG911 needs indoor location and indoor mapping.”
Then we immediately run into the operational reality:
“Cool. Where is the data? Who owns it? What format is it in? And can we trust it?”
“Indoor” is not just “outdoor but smaller”
Here’s where NG911 gets spicy (the responsible kind of spicy). Indoor GIS isn’t a minor upgrade. It’s a different category of problem. Outdoors, we rely on:
- civic addressing
- road networks
- parcels and boundaries
- GPS-derived location (with known limitations)
Indoors, we need:
- building footprint and entrances
- floor levels (and yes, vertical location matters ALOT)
- interior landmarks (stairs, elevators, AEDs, utility shutoffs)
- room/space identifiers
- restricted areas and access routes
- safe staging locations
- “you can’t get there from here” constraints (badges, locked doors, one-way corridors)
If outdoor GIS is “how do I get to the building,” indoor GIS is “how do I get to the patient… without losing five minutes, three hallways, and my patience.” And since I’m trying to keep this relatable: think of indoor GIS like navigating a giant airport.
If you’ve ever missed a flight because you followed the signs to Gate B12 and ended up in Gate C12, you already understand why “close enough” is not a strategy. Now imagine that same confusion… but it’s an active medical event, or a fire alarm, or an incident involving a threat. That’s not a travel inconvenience. That’s a response delay.
Standards are being built, but standards alone don’t fill the database
So, for GIS to deliver the value we all expect, we must define standards for indoor use. This is true specifically for GIS, and is underway in several NENA workgroup initiatives.
…we also need something that rarely gets the spotlight:
Best practices and implementation guidance for commercial entities to follow and adopt to submit information to Public Safety.
Because standards answer questions like:
- What does the data look like?
- What fields are required?
- What coordinate systems and geometry rules apply?
- How do we represent floors, spaces, pathways, and boundaries consistently?
But best practices answer:
- Who maintains it?
- How often is it updated?
- What triggers an update (construction, renovations, space re-numbering)?
- What’s the validation process?
- How is access controlled?
- How does public safety retrieve it? Automatically, securely, and fast?
If we don’t solve the best-practice problem, we end up with this future:
- The PSAP can accept indoor GIS data
- The network can route and display it
- The CAD can ingest it
- The map can render it
…but the data never shows up. Because nobody upstream is publishing it in a usable, trusted way. That puts us right back to “we need better maps,” except now we’ve spent a decade building the world’s best pipeline… with no water in it.
NG911 is not just a tech upgrade. It’s a trust upgrade.
It’s not only about having data. It’s about:
- how data is created
- how it’s validated
- how it’s updated
- how it’s accessed
- how it’s secured
- and how it’s used under stress
In public safety, you don’t get to “beta test” during an incident. The incident is the test.
What this means for PSAPs, ECCs, and the next generation of professionals
If you’re early in your career, here’s the good news: this is an incredible time to be in public safety communications. You are entering at the precise moment the industry is shifting from voice-only to information-assisted response, and that’s powerful.
If someone tells you NG911 is “just IP,” they’re either oversimplifying, selling something, or both. NG911 is an ecosystem:
- standards
- networks
- GIS
- data governance
- cyber hygiene
- operational policy
- training
- integration with origination networks and enterprises
GIS is the foundation layer that makes many of those pieces work together. So when you hear “GIS,” don’t think “map.” Think:
- location integrity
- operational context
- validated layers
- trusted delivery
- usable under pressure
The future we’re aiming for is simple to describe:
When a 9-1-1 call comes from inside a complex building, public safety should be able to quickly see a reliable indoor context. Without guesswork, without hunting through portals, and without opening the door to new cyber risk. At least, that’s the promise. We just now have to build the reality.
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