The Importance of Rural E9-1-1

By itself, the concept of E9-1-1 (enhanced 9-1-1) makes perfect sense. Under this scheme, whenever someone calls 9-1-1, either by landline or wireless phone, their location data are automatically forwarded to the 9-1-1 call center. This ensures that help is sent to the right location every time and ends the first responders’ reliance on the caller for accurate address information.

In rural areas, E9-1-1 makes even more sense. Not only does precise address information ensure that first responders know where to go—eliminating the confusion of the old post office “rural route” system—but it also minimizes the risk that crews will get lost and thus delayed en route.

“Although E9-1-1 technology has become commonplace in urban areas, remote communities are struggling to incorporate these vital systems because of the perceived high cost of the technology and limited access to staffing,” says William Schwartz, president and founder of XTEND Communications, a provider of computer and local area network-based telecommunication systems that has helped deploy rural E9-1-1 solutions in Washoe County, NV, and Powell County, MT. “What makes this trend even more concerning is that emergency personnel in rural areas are responsible for meeting the needs of communities that can span numerous miles. Without an E9-1-1 system in place it can be virtually impossible to precisely locate where emergency calls originate and then respond as quickly and efficiently as possible.”

Adding to this challenge is the growth of Voice over IP (VoIP), a new form of telephony carried over the Internet rather than conventional telephone carriers. Since VoIP calls are routed through computer networks, there’s no physical originating address information attached to the calls that first responders can tap into.

For people trying to make E9-1-1 work, VoIP is throwing in a whole new level of complexity.

“There are only a few VoIP providers that have E9-1-1 location software built into their networks,” says Rob Martin, executive director of the National Emergency Number Association, a nonprofit group dedicated to creating and implementing a universal emergency telephone number system, whatever the carriage technology. “Unfortunately, there are literally hundreds of new providers offering VoIP.”

On the bright side, “better than 95% of the country has access to E9-1-1 services through conventional landline carriers,” says Martin. This means that most of rural America’s homes and businesses have location data attached to their phone numbers, which come up when one of their subscribers calls 9-1-1 for help.

This is no mean feat considering that actual street addresses were a rarity in rural America until recently. Instead, most homes were identified by the “rural route” (RR) numbers used by the U.S. Postal Service. It took years of surveying and mapping to get accurate street numbers assigned, usually with an eye to ensuring that the numbers reflected the home’s distance from a specific point. For instance, 12457 Smith’s Road could mean that the home is 12.457 miles from the crossroad of Smith’s Road and the main highway, thus providing first responders with meaningful location information.

“In the past, the biggest hurdle was in getting accurate information about new structures being built in the county,” says Brett Forbes, GIS coordinator for Sherburne County (MN) Public Works. “Today, we’ve got a pretty good process whereby a building permit is required in order to get an address. This gives us an idea of what’s going in, which helps us plan what kind of public services will be required in future, including emergency services.”

Meanwhile, more than 73% of 9-1-1 centers in the country are equipped to handle wireless E9-1-1 services, says Martin. However, most of this service is concentrated in urban areas, he adds, and only about 40% have “phase two” location technology provided down to the handset level.

Not surprisingly, cost is one of the factors inhibiting wireless E9-1-1 deployment. Even the largest wireless carriers are fazed by the expense of equipping rural networks with E9-1-1 locating equipment, despite FCC-imposed deadlines. (For more information, see www.fcc.gov/eb/E911/Violations.html.) Another problem is technology.

“There are two to three different kinds of technology for locating wireless phones for E9-1-1, from handset-based with a chip inside the phone itself or triangulation off cell towers to network-based GPS solutions,” says Martin. “Not only does the technology used vary from carrier to carrier, but from cell to cell. For instance, a phone that can access and send locational data while in an urban area may not be able to do so while roaming in the country.”

Given the FCC’s determination to see wireless E9-1-1 deployed nationwide—“The FCC has...established a program requiring wireless telephone carriers to provide E9-1-1 capability,” says the FCC website; note the word “requiring”—having locational data automatically transmitted by all U.S.-based wireless callers is simply a matter of “when” rather than “if.” Still, complete wireless E9-1-1 coverage appears to be a long way off despite the FCC’s final deadline of December 31, 2005.

This said, when E9-1-1 is a given for all wireline and wireless callers—including those using VoIP—life will become immeasurably easier for America’s rural first responders. In fact, with E9-1-1 in place, rural first responders will finally have the opportunity to provide assistance as quickly and accurately as those agencies in big cities.