Federal Roles

While deploying and operating 911 is the responsibility of entities at the  state and local level, federal agencies—including NHTSA, NTIA, FCC,  and DHS—have responsibilities to support state and local  implementation, including through facilitating coordination of activities  among 911 stakeholders and administering federal grants, for example:
NHTSA houses the National 911 Program as part of its Office of  Emergency Medical Services (Office of EMS) to provide national  leadership and coordination for the NG911 transition throughout the  United States, as previously mentioned. States and Localities Have Reported Varied Progress in Implementing NG911 and Identified Funding, Technology, and Governance Challenges

		Reported Progress among States Varies in Implementing Next Generation 911

According to NHTSA’s most recent national survey, state and local  progress implementing NG911 varies, and about half of all states  reported being in some phase of transition to NG911 in 2015. In total, 25 of 45 states  reported having a state or at least one local NG911 plan in place;  conversely, 18 states reported having no NG911 plan in place at either  the state or local level—which may indicate they are in the early stages of  planning for the NG911 transition or have not yet begun the transition to  NG911. Of these 21 states, 10 reported that all 911 authorities  within the state were using NG911 technology to process emergency  calls. Officials Identified State and Local Funding, Technology, and Governance Challenges to Implementing NG911

Federal officials, industry stakeholders, and state and local 911 officials  we interviewed from nine states identified a number of challenges to  implementing NG911, including challenges related to funding, evolving  technology and operations, and governance. Federal Agencies Are Addressing NG911 Implementation Challenges, but the National 911 Program Lacks Measurable Goals and Next Steps for the NG911 Roadmap Initiative

		Federal Agencies Are Taking Actions to Address NG911 Implementation Challenges

While state and local entities have the primary responsibility for  implementing NG911 technology and services, federal agencies are  taking actions to assist state and local 911 entities to address NG911  implementation challenges. Actions taken include developing resources,  offering technical assistance, and convening stakeholders. However,  the program lacks goals and performance measures to assess whether  these activities are achieving desired results. As the lead entity for coordinating federal NG911 efforts, the National 911  Program faces a complex and challenging task of assisting the 911  community while the nation’s 911 systems undergo a major  transformation. While the National 911 Program  is taking steps to develop a National NG911 Roadmap, the program does  not have a plan to identify: (1) roles or responsibilities for federal entities  to carry out national-level tasks or (2) how the program plans to achieve  the roadmap’s objectives. As we have previously  found, a lack of clarity on the roles and responsibilities of agencies  participating in an interagency effort—such as the execution of the  roadmap’s tasks—may limit agencies’ abilities to effectively achieve  shared objectives. Given the complexity of the task and the number of  agencies that could be involved, following selected leading collaboration  practices for the roadmap initiative—particularly with regard to  collaborating with roadmap stakeholders to clarify their roles and  responsibilities (whether during the creation of the task list or  afterwards)—could reduce barriers to agencies effectively working  together to achieve the national-level tasks. Once the  roadmap is completed, developing an implementation plan that details  what is to be achieved and how it will be accomplished will place the  National 911 Program in a better position moving forward to support the  completion of the national-level tasks. We also  interviewed local officials in four of the selected states. We also interviewed officials from federal  agencies, including NHTSA, the National Telecommunications and  Information Administration (NTIA), FCC, and the U.S. Department of  Homeland Security (DHS), about federal actions taken and plans for next  steps. To understand planning activities undertaken by NHTSA’s National  911 Program, and its planned project to develop a National NG911  Roadmap, we reviewed the National 911 Program’s internal planning  documents, the program’s request for proposal to develop a national  roadmap, the program’s written responses to our questions, and  interviewed National 911 Program officials. Appendix II: Selected Federal Actions since 2013 to Address State and Local Challenges in Implementing Next Generation 911 (NG911), as of October 2017

	Challenges Funding

Description of challenge  State and local funding may  not be sufficient to support  costs associated with  transitioning to NG911  equipment and infrastructure. Cost study: NHTSA’s National 911 Program and the National  Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), in consultation  with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and DHS, plan to issue  a study of the range of costs for 911 call centers and service providers to  implement NG911 systems and on the nationwide progress of implementing  NG911 services.
Why GAO Did This Study

Each year, millions of Americans call 911 for help during emergencies. However, the nation's legacy 911 system relies on aging infrastructure that is not designed to accommodate modern communications technologies. As a result, states and localities are upgrading to NG911, which offers improved capabilities, such as the ability to process images, audio files, and video. While deploying NG911 is the responsibility of state and local entities, federal agencies also support implementation, led by NHTSA's National 911 Program, which facilitates collaboration among federal, state, and local 911 stakeholders.
GAO was asked to review NG911 implementation nationwide. This report examines: (1) state and local progress and challenges in implementing NG911 and (2) federal actions to address challenges and planned next steps. GAO reviewed relevant statutes, regulations, and federal agency reports and plans. GAO also analyzed NHTSA's survey data on state 911 implementation for calendar year 2015, the most recent year for which data were available, and interviewed federal officials, state and local officials from nine states (selected to represent different regions and various phases of NG911 implementation), and officials from industry and advocacy groups.

What GAO Found

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) National 911 Program's most recent national survey on Next Generation 911 (NG911) implementation indicated that about half of states were in some phase of transition to NG911 in 2015, but that state and local progress varied. Specifically, 10 states reported that all 911 authorities in their state processed calls using NG911 systems; however, 18 states reported having no state or local NG911 transition plans in place—which may indicate these states were in the early phases of planning for the transition to NG911 or had not yet begun. GAO spoke with state and local 911 officials in 9 states, which were in various phases of implementing NG911, and found that none of the 9 selected states were accepting images, audio files, or video. State and local 911 officials identified a number of challenges to implementing NG911. Such challenges are related to funding, evolving technology and operations, and governance. For example, officials in 3 states said that the current funding they collect from telephone service subscribers may not be sufficient to support NG911's transition costs while simultaneously funding the operation of existing 911 systems.
Federal agencies—including NHTSA, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the Federal Communications Commission, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security—have responsibilities to support NG911 implementation, such as through coordinating activities and administering grants, and are taking actions to assist state and local entities in addressing challenges to NG911's implementation. Such actions include developing resources, offering technical assistance, and convening stakeholders to explore emerging NG911 issues. For example, as the lead entity for coordinating federal NG911 efforts, NHTSA's National 911 Program is developing resources on NG911 topics, such as federal funding and governance structures. While the National 911 Program is taking steps to facilitate the state and local transition to NG911, the program lacks specific performance goals and measures to assess its progress. Without such goals and measures, it is not clear to what extent the program is effectively achieving its mission.
In 2018, the National 911 Program plans to establish an interagency initiative tasked with creating a National NG911 Roadmap. This roadmap is intended to identify next steps for the federal government in supporting the creation of a national, interconnected NG911 system. While the National 911 Program is taking steps to develop a list of national-level tasks as part of its roadmap initiative, the program does not have a plan to identify: (1) roles or responsibilities for federal entities to carry out these tasks or (2) how the program plans to achieve the roadmap's objectives. Collaborating with the appropriate federal agencies to determine federal roles and responsibilities to carry out the roadmap's national-level tasks could reduce barriers to agencies effectively working together to achieve those tasks. Furthermore, developing an implementation plan that details how the roadmap's tasks will be achieved would place the National 911 Program in a better position to effectively lead interagency efforts to implement NG911 nationwide.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends that NHTSA's National 911 Program develop performance goals and measures and, for the National NG911 Roadmap, determine agencies' roles and responsibilities and develop an implementation plan. NHTSA agreed with GAO's recommendations.