911 Call Handling Systems: What PSAP Leaders Should Evaluate in 2026

Posted in All, NGA911 on Sep 28, 2026

A call handling system is the one piece of technology a telecommunicator touches on every single call, so getting the evaluation right matters more than almost any other 911 procurement decision.

A call handling system (CHS) typically stays in place for many years, which means the choice made this cycle will carry a PSAP through several technology generations, several vendor mergers, and whatever comes after the current wave of NG911 rollouts. That is a long time to live with the wrong fit.

This piece is a practical framework for comparing CHS platforms in 2026: what the system actually ne...

What Is an EIDO, and Why Does It Matter for Data Sharing Between Agencies?

Posted in All, NGA911 on Sep 23, 2026

An EIDO, or Emergency Incident Data Object, is a standardized JSON package that

carries everything one system currently knows about a single emergency incident, and hands it

to another system in a format both sides understand. NENA's own glossary defines it as "a JSON- based object that is used to share emergency incident information between and among

authorized entities and systems." In plain operational terms, the EIDO replaces the old serial

cable between call handling equipment and dispatch, and gives agencies a common CAD-to-CAD interface at the same time.

That second half is the part w...

When There Is No Signal: How Satellite SOS Texts Reach a 911 Center

Posted in All, NGA911 on Sep 18, 2026

Short answer: when a phone with satellite emergency messaging cannot find a cell tower, it

sends a compressed emergency text through a satellite instead. That session reaches your

center one of two ways. If your PSAP accepts text, it arrives through your existing Text Control

Center like any other text-to-911 conversation. 

If your PSAP is voice only, an emergency relay center texts the caller, then calls you on a regular 911 trunk with the caller's number and location in the usual ANI and ALI fields. That second path is the one that surprises people. A satellite emergency can land on your c...

When Systems Drop, Lives Shouldn't: Why Emergency Failover Planning is Non-Negotiable for PH LGUs

Posted in NGA911PH-BLOGS on Sep 08, 2026

Imagine a super typhoon making landfall. Supercharged winds knock out regional power grids, fiber optic cables snap under uprooted trees, and floodwaters inundate local switching centers. Right now when thousands of citizens dial emergency hotlines for help, the dispatch center goes dark.

In the Philippines—one of the world's most disaster-prone nations—this scenario isn't a hypothetical movie plot. It's a reality local government units (LGUs) and disaster management teams face every year.

Having emergency response protocols isn't enough if the communication network itself fails. To ensure tha...

Every Second Counts: Why Situational Awareness is the Backbone of Philippine Emergency Response

Posted in NGA911PH-BLOGS on Sep 03, 2026

Every Second Counts: Why Situational Awareness is the Backbone of Philippine Emergency Response

When an emergency call rings—whether it’s a flash flood sweeping through a residential barangay, an urban fire spreading through narrow alleys, or a highway road crash—first responders aren't just racing against the clock. They are fighting against incomplete information.

In high-stakes public safety work across the Philippines, situational awareness is the line between a swift, life-saving deployment and a delayed, risky operation.

What is Situational Awareness in Public Safety?

At its core, situat...

DILG: UNIFIED 911 EXPANDS TO CENTRAL LUZON

Posted in NGA911PH, NGA911PH-Events on Aug 28, 2026

www.ikot.ph

Unified 911 stays online as ‘habagat’ floods trigger emergency calls

Posted in NGA911PH, NGA911PH-Events on Aug 28, 2026

Interaksyon

NGA 911 receives international award for PH emergency response system

Posted in NGA911PH, NGA911PH-Events on Aug 27, 2026

https://www.newswatchplus.ph/

NGA 911 receives international award for PH emergency response system

Posted in NGA911PH, NGA911PH-Events on Aug 27, 2026

https://www.newswatchplus.ph/

Where Your 911 Fees Actually Go: Funding, Fee Diversion, and the Push for Federal NG911 Dollars

Posted in All, NGA911 on Aug 25, 2026

There is a line item on almost every phone bill in America that most people never read.

It might say 911 surcharge, emergency communications fee, or E911 assessment. It is usually

less than a dollar. Multiply it across hundreds of millions of phone lines, wireless devices, and

voice over IP connections, and it becomes the financial foundation of the entire emergency

communications system in the United States.

For the people who run that system, understanding where those dollars come from, what they

are legally permitted to fund, and why they so often fall short of what modernization actual...