From integrating new technologies to staffing shortages, report highlights challenges faced by 911 answering centers

Over the last decade, administrators of public safety answering points (PSAPs) and 911 answering centers have faced innumerable challenges—from securing systems against cyberattacks, to keeping up with the latest technologies and meeting staffing demands in an increasingly stressful environment. It hasn’t been easy.

“The public safety leaders tasked with managing today’s 911 centers face tremendous pressure—staying on top of these factors can seem like an impossible undertaking,” said Darrin Reilly, president and chief executive officer of Mission Critical Partners, which released a report this week documenting these and other challenges faced by PSAPs titled “2022 Model for Advancing Public Safety Analysis and Insights report.” It’s intended to help leaders “make purposeful decisions based on how their organization fares in critical areas,” while enabling the industry at large “to collectively see where efforts should be invested in order to build a thriving and efficient public-safety communications environment for the betterment the communities where we live, work and play.”

The report groups challenges into categories, such as land mobile radio (LMR), emergency communication center (ECC) operations, and cybersecurity and physical security, among others, and suggests solutions. For example, while there’s been a lot of changes in communication technology and interoperability over the last few decades, the report found that “many LMR systems still operate largely on analog technology and a large proportion of radios lack advanced features.”

Common issues with LMR systems include piecemeal construction, with tower sites added incrementally and gradually as they’re needed. And because they weren’t designed together, interoperability or interconnectivity problems could arise. And in large structures like schools and shopping malls, which are constructed with materials that can block radio waves, signal-amplification systems are sometimes lacking.

Industry-wide, there’s a shortage of people with expertise in radio systems, and there isn’t enough money to cover maintenance costs or equipment upgrades. There’s also a lack of understanding among county and city leaders about PSAP operations and 911 answering center management, and a resistance to change among officials.

Outside the jurisdiction, there’s still work to be done at the state and federal level.

To read the complete article, visit American City & County.