The current state of 911: Good, bad and ugly

This article originally appeared in print with the headline, "A matter of perspective."

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times …  it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair …”

Perhaps a passage from classic literature has never fit a sector quite as well as Charles Dickens’ opening to “A Tale of Two Cities” fits the 911 sector. At the very least, these certainly are interesting times. Next-generation technology is rolling out in some parts of the country, but fears exist that it might spawn operational nightmares. Meanwhile, the sector appears to finally be taking its rightful seat at the first-response table, but severe funding issues not only threaten the migration to NG-911 but also the ability to maintain current operations.

Add it all up and it’s difficult to say how things are going to turn out for a sector that arguably is the hub of the first-response wheel.