Transforming California’s Outage Reporting System

As the federal government proposes a new framework for regional telecommunications network outages, California is leading the way by approving the development of the first NG9-1-1 statewide outage reporting system. But the process of choosing the right NG9-1-1 provider can be difficult, particularly when the solution must be deployed quickly, effectively, and affordably in a state with more than 400 Public Safety Answering Points and 39 million residents.

The California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) recently awarded NGA 911 the Statewide Telecommunications Outage Reporting contract. This partnership has allowed NGA 911 to improve California’s outage reporting system at a critical time, as state officials respond to a series of devastating wildfires.

Providing Statewide Outage Reporting For Cal OES

In October 2019, California Senate Bill 670 was signed into law. Under the provisions of this new statute, telecommunications providers must notify Cal OES within 60 minutes if there is a network outage. This law is important because without access to wired or wireless communication, local residents could lose the ability to dial 9-1-1 or receive access to emergency services during a crisis. By giving Cal OES advanced warning, government officials can offer county sheriffs, emergency services, and Public Safety Answering Points the opportunity to respond quickly and efficiently to any needs within their communities.

As part of the state’s ongoing efforts to develop a robust outage reporting system, NGA 911 was recently awarded the Cal OES Statewide Telecommunications Outage Reporting Contract to establish a notification tool for first responders. This came at a critical time when a series of wildfires would ravage the state a few days later. However, the NGA 911 notification tool was up and running right away to collect, report, and distribute essential data to Cal OES and impacted municipalities throughout the state.

The Value Of Coast-To-Coast Network Outage Reporting Services

These community isolation outages have been an ongoing issue in California. When service goes down, there is no way for a community's first responders to communicate with the public or for the public to communicate with emergency professionals. This leads to inefficient use of services and greater loss of life – a tragedy that could easily be prevented with a robust community outage reporting system.

But California isn’t the only state trying to address this issue; network outages have been an ongoing problem in communities across the country. When more than 240 million calls are made to 9-1-1 each year, emergency services must be provided when wired, and wireless networks are down.

As the Golden State responds to some of the most devastating natural disasters in its recent history, our solution is giving critical data to those who need it most. Cal OES officials state that real-time reporting for wired, wireless, and VOIP network outages has given first responders the ability to improve service to affected areas.

NGA 911 is committed to providing the very best NG9-1-1 tools, including real-time network outage reporting to PSAPs across the country. If you are ready to bring an effective system to your community, give us a call. We love to learn more about you and share why our NG9-1-1 solutions are the perfect choice for your state or region!