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Successful NENA i3 Pilot Implementation -
Winston-Salem and Surry County Team Up to
Implement Pilot EsiNets
“We are very pleased to have the core NG9-1-1 infrastructure in place and are now in the
commissioning phase of the multi-year project. During the next 12 months, we anticipate that all
of the TSPs (Telephone Service Providers) in our region will be interconnected to the ESInet and
then NG9-1-1 will be ready to go live. At the core of NG9-1-1 is Geographic Information System
(GIS) technology and the regional spatial database developed by GeoComm."
Julia B. Conley, Winston-Salem Police Department IT Manager
Julia B. Conley, Winston-Salem Police Department IT Manager
Public Safety Consulting
In 2009, the State of North Carolina's 9-1-1 Board approved a Next
Generation 9-1-1 grant to provide the funding for a multiple county/city
NG9-1-1 project in North Central North Carolina (NCNC). The goal of this
system was to encompass the 9-1-1 operations of Surry County, as well
as the cities Eden and Winston/Salem.
Now, two years later, these two North Carolina public safety agencies have a pilot version of one of the nation's first NENA i3 - compliant Emergency Services IP networks (ESInets). The NCNC NG9-1-1 Regional Compact, consisting of the Winston-Salem Police Department (WSPD) and neighboring Surry County, recently accepted a newly implemented pilot i3 NG9-1-1 system. The system provides NG9-1-1 location-based call routing and an updated IP network capable of delivering voice, video, text, and data to Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) when the agencies determine it is appropriate timing.
The pilot NG9-1-1 system is a collaborative effort between GeoComm, Synergem, RedSky Technologies, and Avaya. The four companies worked together to implement a complete system fulfilling the technical and operational requirements for the NG9-1-1 i3 ESInet. This initial 12 month provisioning phase of the NG9-1-1 project was primarily funded by a $2.4 million grant from the NC 9-1-1 Board to the NCNC NG9-1-1 Compact.
Each of GeoComm's three divisions: Consulting, GIS, and Software contributed to the success of this project. GeoComm provided consulting services for NG9-1-1 Transition Management, GIS services for creating and maintaining a NG9-1-1 ready GIS data set and provisioning it into the network, and the NENA i3 Emergency Call Routing Function/Location Validation Function (ECRF/LVF) in the ESInet.
GeoComm Consulting Services
GeoComm's consulting team assisted with the project in many different ways. One of the teams major tasks included transitioning the current 9-1-1 Automatic Location Information (ALI) database to a Location Information Server (LIS) and subscriber database. The LIS is a functional entity that holds location information for devices that may attempt to contact 9-1-1. Service providers uploaded their records into the LIS system and the LIS database then validates the records against the GIS data. Unlike an ALI database of today that contains records from all carries providing service for a county, a LIS can be setup by individual service providers or can be contracted with LIS providers. A LIS database is bound by service providers not geography like a city or county boundary.
In addition, the consulting services team assisted with creating and implementing a Database Transition Plan, as well as examining the Master Street Address Guide (MSAG) to ensure it complied with industry standards. The Database Transition Plan documented each entity's responsibilities and timeline and assisted each local jurisdiction in evaluating the records submitted by the LIS providers. The existing MSAG was then analyzed to ensure the existing format and procedures in place compiled with industry standards.
GeoComm GIS Services
GeoComm's GIS team created a regional Geographic Information System (GIS) data set for Surry County and the city of Winston-Salem for this project. The GIS data set was a major component in this pilot project. In a NG9-1-1 system, the GIS data has two main functions. First, as part of the Location Validation Function (LVF), the map data ensures civic location addresses are valid and can therefore be used to discern a route to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). Secondly, as part of the Emergency Call Routing Function (ECRF), the map data is used for routing 9-1-1 calls to the correct PSAP.
The GIS team began with a thorough analysis of the three primary components utilized in each locality's existing E9-1-1 system: GIS data, MSAG, and ALI database. GeoComm reviewed the completeness, consistency, and accuracy of each component individually and then ran a series of comparisons to assess the level of synchronization between them. Specific GIS layers analyzed included address points, road centerlines, ESNs, and community boundaries.
In all, GeoComm analyzed approximately 30,000 road segments, 150,000 address points, 15,000 MSAG records, and 350,000 ALI database records.
After the data was gathered and analyzed, the map data errors that were identified during the analysis were fixed and enhanced so they could be used for a NG9-1-1 system. The GIS map data was also synchronized with the MSAG and ALI database by resolving any road name address range, ESN and any community name discrepancies between the three databases.
GIS Software Implementation
Winston-Salem and Surry County implemented, as one of the pilot system NENA i3 functions, GeoComm's GeoLynx Spatial Router, NG9-1-1 ECRF/LVF. This is one of the first NENA i3 ECRF/LVF's to be implemented in the country. It is fully compliant as requirements are developed and goes beyond the requirements for more advanced geographic call routing capabilities.
Project Testimonial
“We are very pleased to have the core NG9-1-1 infrastructure in place and are now in the commissioning phase of the multi-year project. During the next 12 months, we anticipate that all of the TSPs (Telephone Service Providers) in our region will be interconnected to the ESInet and then NG9-1-1 will be ready to go live. At the core of NG9-1-1 is Geographic Information System (GIS) technology and the regional spatial database developed by GeoComm. We are excited about the future benefits to our citizens that NG9-1-1 can deliver with GIS enabled selective call routing and location based multi-media input, such as mobile phone video/images and traffic cameras feeds that can augment PSAP call information for the emergency responders. However, before we can fully utilize the potential of NG9-1-1 information that the ESInet can provide, PSAP enhancements must also be implemented. We want to emphasize that the NG9-1-1 system is not live at this time and WSPD and Surry County PSAPs are not yet capable of accepting video or text messaging from the public." Julia B. Conley, Winston-Salem Police Department IT Manager
End Result
Two public safety agencies in North Carolina now have one of the nation’s first NENA i3-compliant Emergency Services IP networks (ESInets). The system provides NG9-1-1 location based call routing and an updated IP network capable of delivering voice, video, text, and data to Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) when available.
This new system supports the public safety agencies responsible for providing 9-1-1 service to their constituents in a number of ways:
• Improves response times by routing emergency calls to the correct PSAP faster
• Enables common location based selective call transfers across PSAPs using different 9-1-1 CPE/CTI brands
• Accomplishes fast routing changes in just a few seconds, such as to a virtual PSAP during a public event or large-scale manmade or natural disaster
• Utilizes the industry leading Esri ArcGIS Framework commonly used by cities and counties across the country, thus leveraging existing GIS data, staff, expertise, and investment, available to 9-1-1 Authorities
• Standards based to ensure compatibility with the nation’s emerging NG9-1-1 system
Now, two years later, these two North Carolina public safety agencies have a pilot version of one of the nation's first NENA i3 - compliant Emergency Services IP networks (ESInets). The NCNC NG9-1-1 Regional Compact, consisting of the Winston-Salem Police Department (WSPD) and neighboring Surry County, recently accepted a newly implemented pilot i3 NG9-1-1 system. The system provides NG9-1-1 location-based call routing and an updated IP network capable of delivering voice, video, text, and data to Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) when the agencies determine it is appropriate timing.
The pilot NG9-1-1 system is a collaborative effort between GeoComm, Synergem, RedSky Technologies, and Avaya. The four companies worked together to implement a complete system fulfilling the technical and operational requirements for the NG9-1-1 i3 ESInet. This initial 12 month provisioning phase of the NG9-1-1 project was primarily funded by a $2.4 million grant from the NC 9-1-1 Board to the NCNC NG9-1-1 Compact.
Each of GeoComm's three divisions: Consulting, GIS, and Software contributed to the success of this project. GeoComm provided consulting services for NG9-1-1 Transition Management, GIS services for creating and maintaining a NG9-1-1 ready GIS data set and provisioning it into the network, and the NENA i3 Emergency Call Routing Function/Location Validation Function (ECRF/LVF) in the ESInet.
GeoComm Consulting Services
GeoComm's consulting team assisted with the project in many different ways. One of the teams major tasks included transitioning the current 9-1-1 Automatic Location Information (ALI) database to a Location Information Server (LIS) and subscriber database. The LIS is a functional entity that holds location information for devices that may attempt to contact 9-1-1. Service providers uploaded their records into the LIS system and the LIS database then validates the records against the GIS data. Unlike an ALI database of today that contains records from all carries providing service for a county, a LIS can be setup by individual service providers or can be contracted with LIS providers. A LIS database is bound by service providers not geography like a city or county boundary.
In addition, the consulting services team assisted with creating and implementing a Database Transition Plan, as well as examining the Master Street Address Guide (MSAG) to ensure it complied with industry standards. The Database Transition Plan documented each entity's responsibilities and timeline and assisted each local jurisdiction in evaluating the records submitted by the LIS providers. The existing MSAG was then analyzed to ensure the existing format and procedures in place compiled with industry standards.
GeoComm GIS Services
GeoComm's GIS team created a regional Geographic Information System (GIS) data set for Surry County and the city of Winston-Salem for this project. The GIS data set was a major component in this pilot project. In a NG9-1-1 system, the GIS data has two main functions. First, as part of the Location Validation Function (LVF), the map data ensures civic location addresses are valid and can therefore be used to discern a route to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). Secondly, as part of the Emergency Call Routing Function (ECRF), the map data is used for routing 9-1-1 calls to the correct PSAP.
The GIS team began with a thorough analysis of the three primary components utilized in each locality's existing E9-1-1 system: GIS data, MSAG, and ALI database. GeoComm reviewed the completeness, consistency, and accuracy of each component individually and then ran a series of comparisons to assess the level of synchronization between them. Specific GIS layers analyzed included address points, road centerlines, ESNs, and community boundaries.
In all, GeoComm analyzed approximately 30,000 road segments, 150,000 address points, 15,000 MSAG records, and 350,000 ALI database records.
After the data was gathered and analyzed, the map data errors that were identified during the analysis were fixed and enhanced so they could be used for a NG9-1-1 system. The GIS map data was also synchronized with the MSAG and ALI database by resolving any road name address range, ESN and any community name discrepancies between the three databases.
GIS Software Implementation
Winston-Salem and Surry County implemented, as one of the pilot system NENA i3 functions, GeoComm's GeoLynx Spatial Router, NG9-1-1 ECRF/LVF. This is one of the first NENA i3 ECRF/LVF's to be implemented in the country. It is fully compliant as requirements are developed and goes beyond the requirements for more advanced geographic call routing capabilities.
Project Testimonial
“We are very pleased to have the core NG9-1-1 infrastructure in place and are now in the commissioning phase of the multi-year project. During the next 12 months, we anticipate that all of the TSPs (Telephone Service Providers) in our region will be interconnected to the ESInet and then NG9-1-1 will be ready to go live. At the core of NG9-1-1 is Geographic Information System (GIS) technology and the regional spatial database developed by GeoComm. We are excited about the future benefits to our citizens that NG9-1-1 can deliver with GIS enabled selective call routing and location based multi-media input, such as mobile phone video/images and traffic cameras feeds that can augment PSAP call information for the emergency responders. However, before we can fully utilize the potential of NG9-1-1 information that the ESInet can provide, PSAP enhancements must also be implemented. We want to emphasize that the NG9-1-1 system is not live at this time and WSPD and Surry County PSAPs are not yet capable of accepting video or text messaging from the public." Julia B. Conley, Winston-Salem Police Department IT Manager
End Result
Two public safety agencies in North Carolina now have one of the nation’s first NENA i3-compliant Emergency Services IP networks (ESInets). The system provides NG9-1-1 location based call routing and an updated IP network capable of delivering voice, video, text, and data to Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) when available.
This new system supports the public safety agencies responsible for providing 9-1-1 service to their constituents in a number of ways:
• Improves response times by routing emergency calls to the correct PSAP faster
• Enables common location based selective call transfers across PSAPs using different 9-1-1 CPE/CTI brands
• Accomplishes fast routing changes in just a few seconds, such as to a virtual PSAP during a public event or large-scale manmade or natural disaster
• Utilizes the industry leading Esri ArcGIS Framework commonly used by cities and counties across the country, thus leveraging existing GIS data, staff, expertise, and investment, available to 9-1-1 Authorities
• Standards based to ensure compatibility with the nation’s emerging NG9-1-1 system
Product Information