NGA911
  • Can My Phone Send Video or Photos to 911? What NG911 Means for Multimedia Calls

    Posted in All, NGA911 on Dec 30, 2025

    A life-saving upgrade has already happened. Let’s say you’re driving home when you see a serious accident. Your hands shake as you pull over and grab your phone. You could call 911, but you also know that a video of the scene or a photo of the license plate could help emergency responders even faster.

    Here’s the good news: you can send that video or photo to public safety personnel in real time.

    The era of voice-only 911 calls is officially over. Next Generation 911 (NG911) — a nationwide modernization initiative — now enables people to text, send photos, videos, and even real-time location da...

  • Next Generation 911 Text: How It Can Help During Disasters and When Voice Calls Fail

    Posted in All, NGA911 on Dec 11, 2025

    Imagine this: you’re trapped in your car after a pile-up on the freeway. Cell towers are overloaded. You try calling 911 — nothing. The call won’t connect. The signal flickers in and out. Seconds feel like hours. Then you remember: you can text 911. A message as simple as “Car crash, Hwy 10 eastbound near exit 64, 2 injured, can’t move” could save your life.

    In this blog from NGA, we’ll cover Next Generation 911 (NG911) text, how it works, and how this technology keeps you in direct contact with emergency response, even when your voice can’t reach anyone.

    Understanding Next Generation 911 (NG9...

  • Why NG911 Systems Are the Next Big Cyber Frontline — and Why That’s a Good Thing for Public Safety

    Posted in All, NGA911 on Nov 25, 2025

    Every 911 call starts with one thing: trust. For decades, legacy 911 networks have kept that trust alive — but they were built for landlines, not for the world we live in now.

    Today’s emergencies happen over text, video, apps, and connected devices. And that’s exactly why Next Generation 911 (NG911) is transforming emergency response.

    Contrary to the fear surrounding “cyber risk,” the truth is this: modernizing 911 makes it stronger, not weaker. NG911’s digital backbone gives PSAPs the power to detect, prevent, and recover from attacks far faster than any legacy network ever could.

    In this blo...

  • Training for the Cutover: What Dispatchers Say They Need Before Going Live on NG911

    Posted in All, NGA911 on Nov 14, 2025

    When a PSAP flips the switch to Next Generation 911, it’s not just a technical cutover — it’s an emotional one. Behind every router upgrade and GIS layer are people who’ve spent years mastering legacy systems. They’ve built muscle memory on analog consoles and now face a digital interface that rewires how they think, respond, and route calls — all while someone’s life is on the line.

    And here’s the truth most RFPs and vendor playbooks gloss over: The biggest hurdle to NG911 success isn’t technology failure. It’s human unpreparedness.

    In this blog from NGA, we take a closer look at what dispatc...

  • Disaster & Failover Planning for NG911: Keeping Emergency Calls Going

    Posted in All, NGA911 on Nov 10, 2025

    When disaster strikes, every second counts — and every call matters. Whether it’s a hurricane, cyberattack, or network failure, Next Generation 911 (NG911) must stay operational when everything else fails.

    In this guide from NGA, we’ll break down exactly how to design disaster and failover systems that keep 911 online no matter what happens — using best practices, real Reddit and industry insights, and Google-compliant quality standards.

     

    Why Failover Isn’t Optional in NG911

    NG911’s IP-based network delivers speed, flexibility, and advanced data. And failover planning ensures those points nev...

  • How NG911 Cloud Solutions Are Helping Public Safety Agencies Cut Down Costs

    Posted in All, NGA911 on Oct 06, 2025

    On average, around 240 million 911 calls are made annually in the United States. Handling about 600,000 emergency calls per day is no easy feat, and the responsibility falls to Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) as they continue to face numerous challenges such as:

    • Pinpointing 911 caller locations in minimal time
    • Deploying the right emergency resources
    • Translating emergency calls when call-takers and callers don’t speak the same language
    • Maintaining a constant stream of records and requests required by law
    • Managing overhead costs and technology maintenance
    • Improving emp...

  • NG911 FAQs: What Every Emergency Communications Leader Should Know

    Posted in All, NGA911 on Sep 27, 2025

    Public safety communications is entering a new era. Legacy 911 systems, designed on outdated landline and analog infrastructure, can no longer meet the demands of today's fast-paced and digital world. This is where NG911 (Next Generation 911) comes in. Next Generation 911 leverages modern IP and cloud-based networks to provide more versatile, reliable, and faster emergency services. 

     

    This blog, from NGA, answers some of the most common FAQs about NG911 so emergency communications leaders can better prepare for this year and beyond. 

     

    Table of Contents:

     

    1. What is Next Generation 911?
    2. Why...

  • Why NG911 Is No Longer Optional: How Next Generation 911 Empowers Emergency Call Handlers

    Posted in All, NGA911 on Sep 10, 2025

    Millions rely on 911 every day–yet, in some states, our public safety infrastructure is often still decades behind modern communication standards and demands. Legacy systems, built for limited data and landlines, struggle to meet today’s public safety needs—from multimedia emergencies to smartphone and device calls. With pressing FCC (Federal Communications Commission) compliance deadlines around this year, it’s clear that NG911 is no longer optional. 

     

    More than just a technical overhaul, NG911 (Next Generation 911) is a revolutionary system that equips emergency call handlers with streamlin...

  • Beyond the 911 Phone Call: How NG911 Turns Every Emergency Interaction into a Smarter, Faster Response

    Posted in All, NGA911 on Aug 20, 2025

    When dialing 911, you expect assistance to be on the way—and fast. But what actually happens behind the scenes after the call is placed and connected? For decades, emergency calls were routed based on cell towers, their locations, limited to voice-only communication, and often struggled with incomplete information. Today, a new era of emergency response is here thanks to Next Generation 911 (NG911). This emergency telecommunications system is modernizing how 911 calls are routed, evaluated, and responded to.

     

    In this blog from trusted NG911 providers at NGA, we’ll discuss how Next Generation ...

  • NG911: Advancing from Operational Foundations to Complete Situational Awareness Across Agencies

    Posted in All, NGA911 on Jul 23, 2025

    Simply answering 911 calls is no longer enough to meet today’s public safety needs and demands. Emergency response teams now require live insights, multimedia data, and multi-agency coordination to make crucial decisions faster and more effectively than ever before. That’s where NG911 (Next Generation 911) comes in—transforming 911 call centers into data-powered, interoperable command hubs. 

     

    In this blog from NGA, we’ll discuss how the shift from basic operational awareness to complete situational awareness is not just a technological transition—it’s an operational necessity for public safet...