It’s time for the annual assessment of 911 law and policy both in the U.S. and here in Erie County. You’ve heard of spoiler alerts? Don’t let this be a snooze alert. Knowledge about how 911 works could save your life or the life of someone you love. There have been some significant developments in the past 12 months, mostly related to location identification. While we’re a still a long way from an optimal state, slowly but surely, the laws and rules that govern American wireless carriers and the (mostly) municipally-owned Public Safety Access Points (PSAP) that are the bones of the network infrastructure that ultimately connect the caller to the first responder, are evolving all the time. Maybe someday, the laws will match the technology. But we’re not there yet. Not anywhere close.
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