http://www.newsbytes.com/pubNews/129960.html

911, Emergency Services Still Shaky On Y2K

29 Apr 1999, 4:37 PM CST

By Robert MacMillan, Newsbytes.

WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A.,

The Senate Special Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem still is concerned by the nation's emergency systems readiness for the Millennium Bug, Chairman Robert Bennett, R-Utah, said in a hearing today.

Meanwhile, Bennett also said that the committee has found an "absence of any overall assessment of the Y2K status of our nation's local law enforcement agencies."

"In a report released last month, the Network Reliability Interoperability Council (NRIC) estimated that only 10 percent of the public safety answering points (PSAP) where 911 calls are processed are prepared for Y2K," Bennett said.

Bennett also said that a recent Federal Communications Commission (FCC) report shows that this number may be as high as 35 percent.

What is more, the GAO's director of government and defense information systems, Jack L. Brock Jr., told the committee that the agency simply does not know enough about the overall 911 and emergency services programs to make an informed decision on their Year 2000 readiness.

Bennett and Committee Ranking Democrat Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., also said they sent a letter to FCC Commissioner Michael Powell and US Fire Administrator Carrye Brown asking them to collaborate on making sure that PSAPs get compliant.

Dodd said that he thinks only 16 percent of the nation's PSAP's are Year 2000-compliant, citing statistics from the Fire Administration. In addition, Dodd said the administration found that only 40 percent of the PSAP's had developed contingency plans to handle the date glitch.

Powell told the committee that he wants to work with Congress, the White House, state and local governments, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Fire Administration and the Justice Department to insure that the percentage of Year 2000-compliant PSAP's increases.

He also said that the four parts of emergency communications systems -- 911 call deliveries, 911 call processing at PSAP's, wireless call dispatches and emergency alert systems -- are not unified at the national level, meaning that each smaller system requires compliance testing and contingency planning.

Reported by Newsbytes News Network, http://www.newsbytes.com .

16:37 CST Reposted 16:46 CST

(19990429/WIRES ONLINE, LEGAL, TELECOM, GOVT/911Y2K/PHOTO)

Copyright (c) Post-Newsweek Business Information, Inc. All rights reserved.

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-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), April 30, 1999

Answers

The numbers in this article are typical of what were seeing with regard to any Y2K projects --

"In a report released last month, the Network Reliability Interoperability Council (NRIC) estimated that only 10 percent of the public safety answering points (PSAP) where 911 calls are processed are prepared for Y2K," Bennett said.

Bennett also said that a recent Federal Communications Commission (FCC) report shows that this number may be as high as 35 percent.

..........Dodd said that he thinks only 16 percent of the nation's PSAP's are Year 2000-compliant, citing statistics from the Fire Administration.

Three different reports, three different numbers. None of them are good, but the fact that even the chair and co-chair of the Senate committee cant pick a number says a lot about the confusion out there.

This also shows why we can get "happy days" posts from a resident good news troll, followed by, Oh, oh, posts from someone else, dealing with exactly the same sector.

-- ---- (learn@tothink.folks), April 30, 1999.

Having worked in the 911/Public Safety software industry for a year now, I thought I'd put in my 2cents worth here ...

I sell software systems to the above industry - computer aided dispatch systems, records management systems, etc - for police, fire and 911/EMS departments. While the past year has been hectic for sure, overall these departments are well prepared for 2000. I'm not say they are TOTALLY, 100%, ABSOLUTELY 'fixed'. But most have spent enormous amounts of time and money covering all their bases. Of course, they will still need reliable electricity, food, water, fuel, etc to provide their services. But that's a whole other story.

Soo, while family and I are still 'preparing for the worst and hoping for the best', 911 is one industry I feel confident about making it into the millenium.

-- lou navarro (lanny1@ix.netcom.com), April 30, 1999.

He also said that the four parts of emergency communications systems -- 911 call deliveries, 911 call processing at PSAP's, wireless call dispatches and emergency alert systems -- are not unified at the national level, meaning that each smaller system requires compliance testing and contingency planning.

If you want to know more about what's happening Y2K-wise with your 911 system, start with whoever is responsible for your calling area's PSAP - Public Safety Access Point.

This is gonna strain the remaining relationships I have with folks in the public safety software business. Hmmm, I can count them on one hand. Ok... remember... we're on the same side.

~C~

-- Critt Jarvis (middleground@critt.com), April 30, 1999.

Lou,

I have to go work now. But, I'm free tonight...

How would you feel about responsibly co-facilitating an online dialogue about 911.

Here's where I spent my last 2 1/2 years of my pre-GI days:

http://www.vision911.com/

Respectfully,

Critt

-- Critt Jarvis (middleground@critt.com), April 30, 1999.

Going back about five weeks, here's a snip from another article about 911 and emergency services:

http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB19990322S0026

[snip]

Fire service and 9-1-1 calling centers, in particular, need increased attention, said Mike Walker, deputy director, Federal Emergency Management Agency before the House Government Reform Committee. FEMA is working more closely now with state emergency services, which expect to be fully compliant by Jan. 1. Currently, only 17 percent of 9-1-1 centers and 35 percent of fire departments are prepared.

[snip]

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), April 30, 1999.

Hey Lou!

Up til last week I worked for the ambulance service for 2 counties around me - first as an EMT then injured so worked in dispatch. I was disturbed to learn that their "computer guy" had warned them that their dispatch system is not going to work come y2k but they are just recently going to the supplier to learn what is new and then bring back info to discuss with the boss. They commented they didn't know when they would actually get it. I hope it goes well but it does seem a bit late. I think the name of the system is Comstar.

Of course the local OES guy told me that all emergency services are Y2K compliant!

I worked during a recent flood evacuation, first in the Command Center, then dispatching, then as a field employee as the event progressed. I know how hectic and crazy it was and we were not faced with power outages or flickers (computers were up) and had assistance from an ambulance service from out of the area.

Oh, and the evacuation I am discussing was on 1-1-97. Sure hope we aren't having heavy rains and rising rivers THIS winter, LOL.

Bye!

-- Kristi (securx@Succeed.Net), April 30, 1999.

Interesting difference between what the GAO/Congress/national people are saying (only 10-30% (take your pick) are compliant) and what Lou feels based on his experience "in the trenches" selling software/system solutions.

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), April 30, 1999.

The 911 witness testimony isnt up yet at ...

http:// www.senate.gov/~y2k/hearings/042999/

But they usually get linked within a few days.

However, the inital opening statements from Senator Bennet are available ...

http://www.senate.gov/~y2k/hearings/042999/bennett.html

... Keep in mind that in the United States, there are approximately 300,000 calls for emergency assistance made via the 911 system each day, not counting the additional 86,000 911 calls made daily from cellular phones. That is over 110 million 911 calls made per year. If problems within the systems supporting these public safety answering points are not properly addressed, these systems will fail, leading to degradation in the processing of 911 calls.  ...

... There may very well be some people out there that have a problem, but don't yet realize it, even at this late date. The supervisor of one PSAP told Committee staff that the radio system in his dispatch center required a $60,000 patch. Without the patch, they would have been unable to communicate with emergency service units at all.  ...

... In regard to local law enforcement, the Committee has noted the absence of any overall assessment of the Y2K status of our nation's local law enforcement agencies. ... However, we are concerned about the lack of information on the segment of law enforcement that our citizens rely on most in their everyday lives, and that is the local law enforcement sector. This includes approximately 17,000 police and sheriff's departments across the country .  ...

... As I have emphasized previously, we don't want to overstate the problem, or needlessly incite public panic. We have no reason to believe that our emergency service departments are not taking very seriously their responsibility to prepare for Y2K. We recognize however, that they are highly vulnerable to Y2K both in the 911 area and other areas of vital information technology.  ...

And Senator Dodds statements ...

http:// www.senate.gov/~y2k/hearings/042999/dodd.html

... While we all recognize the contribution that 911 systems make to public safety, few of us recognize how advanced the technology underpinning these systems have become. Dialing 911 gets a caller to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). When that 911 call comes in to the PSAP, the phone number and location of the caller is transferred from special location databases and displayed at a computer console where an attendant verifies the accuracy. Each 911 call that reaches a PSAP is handled according to its location and nature. Typically, calls are then referred to law enforcement, emergency medical services, or local fire departments. The telecommunications industry has gone to great lengths to assure that 911 calls will not be disrupted by Y2K related problems. But the telephone companies can only ensure delivery of the calls to the PSAPs .

However, I would like to point out that we potentially have a very serious problem on our hands. The Y2K readiness of America's Public Service Answering Points may be in jeopardy. Recent survey information from the United States Fire Administration found that approximately16 % of the nation's PSAPS were ready. The Fire Administration surveyed over 4300 PSAPs and received answers from only 766 PSAPs. So, we have no idea how prepared 3534 critical answering points are for Y2K. Of the less than 20% percent of the answering points that responded 16% say they are ready. If these systems are not repaired they will increase response time and present a grave risk to the public.

Of the surveys they did receive, the Fire Administration was surprised to learn that only 40% of the responding organizations had a contingency plan. I quite frankly am a little surprised that such a critical link in the emergency response chain would not have contingency plans. I have had a chance to review some of these survey responses. The respondents consistently cite a lack of leadership, lack of funding, concerns about interdependency and the failure of vendors to supply compliance information. ...

*Sigh*

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), April 30, 1999.

Working the issue offline....

Thanks,

~C~

-- Critt Jarvis (middleground@critt.com), May 01, 1999.