This is inspiring news from APCO 2023 event in Nashville, Tenn., for IndoorSOS®
David Furth, deputy chief of the FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau-
“Our rules say that—if dispatchable location is technically feasible in a cost-effective manner—then that [dispatchable location] must be used.”
Currently, dispatchable location is provided in only a fraction of 911 calls—typically via a Wi-Fi hotspot located at a known address—but the FCC plans to explore methods to make it more commonplace, Furth said.
“We would like to see that number [of wireless 911 calls including dispatchable location] grow,” Furth said. “One of the things that we plan to do is look more closely at the question, which is, ‘Where are we, in terms of what technology is capable of doing for dispatchable location—and not just in that home Wi-Fi scenario, but in other scenarios?’
“As we look at that, that’s going to—we hope—raise the floor, so to speak, in terms of what’s technically feasible, because we are very interested in ensuring that the best technology is being used. And when dispatchable location is feasible—whether in a home, an apartment or a conference center—then that’s what is being developed. That is definitely an item on our to-do list.”
IndoorSOS® is a pioneer in providing ever-ready wireless indoor emergency locations by utilising building infrastructural facilities. Its proprietary emergency location detection and communication tech makes it technically feasible at a low cost to implement the permanent automated wireless NG911 dispatchable locations mandated by the FCC.