https://urgentcomm.com/wp-content/themes/ucm_child/assets/images/logo/footer-new-logo.png
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Multimedia
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Galleries
    • IWCE’s Video Showcase
    • IWCE 2022 Winter Showcase
    • IWCE 2023 Pre-event Guide
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • Commentary
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • All Things IWCE
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • IWCE
    • Conference
    • Special Events
    • Exhibitor Listings
    • Premier Partners
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Register for IWCE
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
    • Cookie Policy
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • Mission Critical Technologies
    • TU-Auto
  • In the field
    • Back
    • In the field
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Internet of Things
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Call Center/Command
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Network Tech
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Operations
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Regulations
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • Organizations
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
Urgent Communications
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Omdia Crit Comms Circle Podcast
    • Galleries
    • IWCE’s Video Showcase
    • IWCE 2023 Pre-event Guide
    • IWCE 2022 Winter Showcase
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • All Things IWCE
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
    • UC eZines
    • Sponsored content
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • Conference
    • Why Attend
    • Exhibitor Listing
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Join the Event Mailing List
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • TU-Auto
  • newsletter
  • In the field
    • Back
    • Internet of Things
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Cybersecurity
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
acc.com

News


News

Speaker: Regarding NG-911, be sure to look before you leap (with related video)

Speaker: Regarding NG-911, be sure to look before you leap (with related video)

The strength of NG-911 is also its biggest problem, because, in many instances, telecommunicators are being overwhelmed, largely due to hiring freezes and cutbacks that have thinned their ranks.
  • Written by Urgent Communications Administrator
  • 22nd August 2012

During this week’s Association of Public Safety Communications Officials conference in Minneapolis, Jim Kuthy, a psychologist who is the principal consultant for CritiCall, a Folsom, Calif.-based company that offers pre-employment testing services for 911 dispatchers and call-takers, offered some cautionary advice regarding next-generation 911 technology.

While a self-described fan of NG-911 and its potential to be a game-changer, Kuthy told attendees to avoid succumbing to the hype and the temptation to keep up with the Joneses — at least until they know exactly what they’re getting themselves into.

“Just because some other dispatch agency is doing something, don’t necessarily think that it’s great for your agency,” he said.

The strength of NG-911 — its ability to enable 911 centers to receive multimedia that will provide dispatchers with greater situational awareness — is also its biggest problem, because telecommunicators already have a lot to do, according to Kuthy. Indeed, in many instances, telecommunicators are being overwhelmed, largely due to hiring freezes and cutbacks that have thinned their ranks.

“If we keep adding things for dispatchers to do without thinking about the human elements that are involved, it’s essentially going to crash and burn,” Kuthy said.

When more things are added to a person’s plate, the response typically is to prioritize. That leads eventually to cognitive overload and burnout because, as it turns out, humans weren’t built to multitask, according to Kuthy.

“Human beings were not designed to do more than one task at a time,” he said. “We tell ourselves we are, but we aren’t.”

Indeed, the common perception is that those who multitask are more productive. But according to Kuthy, research has indicated that people who try to do more than one thing at a time actually are less productive. To illustrate the point, Kuthy told of a research study in which participants took part in a driving simulation while their brain waves were monitored using MRI technology. When they were asked to talk on their cell phones while driving, their brain waves that are associated with the ability to pay attention were cut in half, he said.

One aspect of NG-911 that many — particularly the hearing-impaired community — find exciting is the ability to place a 911 text call. But 911 texting has limitations that will vex many telecommunicators, according to Kuthy. For example, during a 911 voice call, telecommunicators are able to hear what’s happening in the background, as well as the tone and inflection of the caller’s voice, both of which are important clues that can help them make the right dispatch decisions — and which are lacking in a 911 text.

“Text is not printed voice,” Kuthy said. “Because text provides no external clues, you don’t know what’s going on. There are no screaming babies or sirens in the background, there’s no urgency, so you’re kind of in the dark.”

Miscommunication is another big problem, partly because texters often rely on acronyms and shorthand that easily can be misconstrued. As an example, Kuthy pointed out that LOL means “laugh out loud” — or it can mean “lots of love.” The auto-correct function of many phones also creates similar trouble. Kuthy told of one transmission where the sender typed “gonna,” which auto-correct changed to “gunman.”

“Miscommunications due to auto-correct features are extremely common,” Kuthy said. “When words change, context and meaning changes, and that creates all sorts of issues.”

Yet another problem with 911 texts is that they often will be accompanied by attachments, such as video taken by a bystander at an emergency incident. But such attachments can unleash viruses and malware that could do severe damage to the network — something that no public safety answering point (PSAP) can afford.

“What’s the rule that we tell everybody who’s working on a computer? ‘Don’t open any unsolicited information you’ve received that’s attached to an e-mail, or to any other kind of message you get.'” Kuthy said. “With NG-911, you’re now inviting people to send you exactly what you’ve been trained not to open. What happens when you open it and it’s not a video, but a virus that takes your entire system down?”

Finally, SMS messages often arrive out of sequence, something that can be very problematic when time is of the essence and lives are at stake.

“So, you can get the second message before you get the first,” Kuthy said. “Talk about confusing. Do you really want to have people’s lives depend on something like that?”

The answer to that question is not necessarily “no,” Kuthy said. He simply wants PSAPs to do the necessary research to ensure that migrating to NG-911 is the right decision.

“Make decisions based on facts, not opinions, and don’t be driven by the cool new technology,” Kuthy said. “Keep in mind that, once this is introduced, it’s going to be tough to go back, even if it doesn’t work. So, it’s kind of like, what’s the rush? I’m not a big fan of introducing things just because people want it — it should work.

“I’m not saying don’t do this. I’m saying do the research first. What can we do to make sure it works properly before we implement it? Don’t implement it first and then do the research. It’s too late — people are going to die.”

What do you think? Tell us in the comment box below.

Tags: PSAP News NG-911 Public Safety Wireless Networks News

Most Recent


  • How AT&T won DFW Airport's $10 million private 5G business
    According to Mike Youngs, it all started with the bathrooms at Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport. Youngs, the airport’s VP for IT, wanted to use wireless technology to reduce crowding in restroom lines during the COVID-19 pandemic. His team installed sensors and lights above stalls and monitors outside restrooms to let people know when […]
  • Russia's war in Ukraine shows cyberattacks can be war crimes
    Russia’s cyberattacks against Ukrainian civilian and critical infrastructure has shown what it looks like when cyberattacks are part of warfare. What remains to be seen is whether the world will treat them as war crimes. “For too long, the world has been considering cyber terrorism as something unrealistic, too sci-fi-ish, and cyber weapons as not […]
  • FCC grants 700 MHz Band 14 license renewal to FirstNet Authority
    An FCC bureau yesterday renewed the FirstNet Authority’s spectrum license into at least 2027, allowing the nationwide public-safety broadband network (NPSBN) to continue operating over the 700 MHz Band 14 airwaves—a key component of the FirstNet Authority’s 25-year agreement with contractor AT&T. Approved by the FCC Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB), the license […]
  • How vehicle insurance and autonomy intertwined
    In early 2023 Oxbotica claimed at an event, which was held at Lloyd’s of London about the Future of Autonomy that insurance and autonomy are intertwined. At the event, Sam Tiltman, sharing economy and mobility leader for the UK & Ireland at Marsh, claimed that the combined impact of Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS), electric vehicles and automation is huge. […]

Leave a comment Cancel reply

To leave a comment login with your Urgent Comms account:

Log in with your Urgent Comms account

Or alternatively provide your name, email address below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • Speaker: Regarding NG-911, be sure to look before you leap (with related video)
  • Speaker: Regarding NG-911, be sure to look before you leap (with related video)
  • Speaker: Regarding NG-911, be sure to look before you leap (with related video)
  • Speaker: Regarding NG-911, be sure to look before you leap (with related video)

Commentary


Updated: How ‘sidelink’ peer-to-peer communications can enhance public-safety operations

  • 1
27th February 2023

NG911 needed to secure our communities and nation

24th February 2023

How 5G is making cities safer, smarter, and more efficient

26th January 2023
view all

Events


UC Ezines


IWCE 2019 Wrap Up

13th May 2019
view all

Twitter


UrgentComm

How AT&T won DFW Airport’s $10 million private 5G business dlvr.it/Spj4Pt

27th May 2023
UrgentComm

Russia’s war in Ukraine shows cyberattacks can be war crimes dlvr.it/Spj3c2

27th May 2023
UrgentComm

FCC grants 700 MHz Band 14 license renewal to FirstNet Authority dlvr.it/Spj2Ny

27th May 2023
UrgentComm

Broadband for Critical Communications Everywhere Providing Connectivity When Seconds Count dlvr.it/Sph602

26th May 2023
UrgentComm

How vehicle insurance and autonomy intertwined dlvr.it/SpglBb

26th May 2023
UrgentComm

World’s least-expensive self-driving vehicle revealed dlvr.it/Spgc88

26th May 2023
UrgentComm

Voice calling is finally making its way onto 5G dlvr.it/SpdtYW

26th May 2023
UrgentComm

With many cities facing a fiscal cliff as ARPA funding ends, debt ceiling debate continues on Capitol Hill dlvr.it/Spdsnq

26th May 2023

Newsletter

Sign up for UrgentComm’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about Communications and Technology.

Expert Commentary

Learn from experts about the latest technology in automation, machine-learning, big data and cybersecurity.

Business Media

Find the latest videos and media from the market leaders.

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital and print audiences? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • American City & County
  • IWCE
  • Light Reading
  • IOT World Today
  • Mission Critical Technologies
  • TU-Auto

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Events
  • Careers

FOLLOW Urgent Comms ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2023 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.