pennsylvania EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY

Testimony for the Senate Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness Committee

October 19, 2017

Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency

Jeffrey Boyle, Deputy Director for 911

Good morning Mr. Chairman and members of the Veterans' Affairs and Emergency Preparedness

Committee and Senate Committee on Communications and Technology. I am Jeff Boyle, Deputy Director for

911 at the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA). Thank you for the opportunity to discuss

Next Generation 911 (NG911) and its integration with the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network

(NPSBN), also known as FirstNet.

911 is a vital part of public safety as the first point of contact in emergency situations. 911 centers,

known as Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP's), processed over 9.5 million requests for emergency service

from citizens and visitors to Pennsylvania in 2016. Today, our 911 system is facing technical challenges that

have a direct impact on the ability of PSAPs to continue providing critical services to both the public and first

responders. Consumer communications technology has outpaced improvements and capabilities in 911 and

the public safety community in general. The 911 system must be enhanced to meet the public's needs and

expectations, and provide equal access to emergency services for at-risk communities such as the deaf and hard

of hearing. Act 12 of 2015 (Act 12} recognized the need to increase the capabilities of the 911 system and to

facilitate the implementation of Next Generation 911 (NG911) in Pennsylvania .

NG911 is a necessary transition from the decades old legacy 911 system infrastructure to an internet

protocol (IP) based 911 system. Communication to a PSAP today is primarily limited to a voice call with very

little data, which was sufficient when calls were placed on a wireline phone inside a business or residence.

Today, more than three-quarters of all 911 calls are placed on mobile devices, and the trend of communication

currently includes, or will soon include, other modes of media such as livestreaming video, photos, text

messages, and data from digitally connected items such as alarms, sensors, and video monitors. NG911 will

support all modes of communication from the traditional wireline telephone to most recent sensor or device.

NG911 also provides a more robust and interconnected infrastructure than today's legacy 911 systems that can

support quick and efficient data-sharing capabilities throughout the entire 911 community. In addition, pre­

planned and on-the-fly call routing functionality will allow PSAPs to share the call volume load during large scale

incidents, or transfer calls if a PSAP is physically damaged or otherwise incapable of answering 911 calls. NG911

also allows for cost and operational efficiencies through regional or statewide system-sharing solutions and the

retirement of expensive legacy technologies.

NG911 Progress

The Commonwealth's 911 community has been successful in advancing its 9 1-1 systems over a changing

landscape since its formation. We are at the beginning of another significant period of change for our public

safety communications system. One of the great successes of Act 12 continues to be the close coordination

between PEMA and the 9 1-1 community through the thirty-nine member 911 Advisory Board. Members of the

Board include state agency representatives (PEMA, PSP, OA, PUC and OSFC), county representatives, first

responder associations, local government associations, communications provider associations, along with

members of the General Assembly. The 911 Advisory Board is supported by robust subcommittees focused on

funding, technology, training, and quality assurance. PEMA, in consultation with the 911 Advisory Board, had

significant accomplishments since the passage Act 12 that have set a solid foundation to implement and sustain

a commonwealth-wide NG911 system.

Accomplishments include completing a physical inventory of each PSAP in 2016. A statewide 911 Plan,

NG911 GIS Strategic Plan, and 911 system standards and requirements were adopted by PEMA in consultation

with the 911 advisory Board. Many needed reforms have been implemented in the 911 Program to streamline

business processes and to improve planning, budgeting, and oversight. A combination of increased revenue,

streamlined business processes within the 911 Program, improved oversight, and incentivizing efficiencies have

put Pennsylvania on the path towards a sustainable 911 Fund and Program. PEMA is currently in the process of

obtaining aerial imagery of the Commonwealth to assist local efforts with developing and maintaining the GIS

data sets necessary for supporting a statewide NG911 system. PEMA and the 911 Advisory Board continue to

develop NG911 system requirements and a NG911 Implementation Plan.

NG911 and FirstNet

NG911 and FirstNet are two equally essential components of a comprehensive public safety

communication system that are being planned and implemented in Pennsylvania and across the country. NG911

is a necessary upgrade of our legacy 911 system infrastructure to an internet-protocol platform that allows for

more data-rich communication between the PSAPs and those calling 911 to request emergency services.

FirstNet will provide a wireless broadband network between the PSAPs and first responder community. NG911

and FirstNet are two separate public safety systems but complementary of each other. FirstNet will serve first

responders in the field while NG9-1-1 will serve them in the PSAP.

The success of NG911 and FirstNet depends on the ability of these two systems to share data. When

coordinated, NG911 and FirstNet will greatly improve public safety communications by providing the seamless

exchange of data between the public, our PSAPs, and first responders. In a NG911/FirstNet er:ivironment,

information and data from the public and digitally connected devices will be routed to PSAPs through NG911.

Our dedicated and trained 911 personnel will review and coordinate all information and then send the data in

real time through FirstNet to first responders in the field. In controlled cases, some pre-determined data may

bypass the PSAP and be sent directly to the first responders -further decreasing notification time. Both systems

are at a point in their planning and design in Pennsylvania where we can ensure these systems are interoperable,

find efficiencies through shared resources, and coordinate on cybersecurity requirements.

PEMA has taken a collaborative approach with the 911 community on the planning, design, and

forthcoming implementation of NG911. PEMA and the Pennsylvania State Police have taken a similar

collaborative approach to ensure NG911 and FirstNet are coordinated efforts. PEMA and the PA State Police

have been proactively meeting as part of the Public Safety Communications Council to ensure our efforts are

coordinated are dedicated to making sure NG911 and FirstNet are well-integrated and secure. NG911 and

FirstNet represent a significant opportunity to upgrade the public safety communications system. All

stakeholders have a mutual interest in enabling the public safety community to share critical emergency

information in real time. We look forward to the successful integration of these two important public safety

initiatives.

Fi rstNet Opt-In States as of Oct ober 11, 2017 27 U.S. States/Territories Have Opted-In to Nationwide Network to Transform

Communications for First Responders

Guam Northern

Mariana Islands

American Samoa

,•

Conducting State Plan Review

• Made decision to opt-in to FirstNet

© 2017 AT&T Intellectual Property_ All rights reserved.

-.... -US Virgin Islands

Puerto Rico

Side-By-Side Comparison of Deploying a FirstNet-Compatible Radio Access Network (RAN)1

Category: Expense

CAPEX: eNodeBs, Backhaul equipment, Other infrastructure

OPEX: Operate for 25 years

Maintenance, tech refresres, security upgrades, ard reconstitution of the RAN fdlovving potential degadation or loss: Over 25 years

Program Execution Risk: Delays, Compliance

Spectrum Acc~ss to Band 1 4

Program Administration

Public Safety Adoption Target(s): Proportional to State

RAN Integration with the RrstNet network, including testhg, certification, and re[Xlrthg costs

Device and Applications Management over 25 years

Time to Deployment

Category: Network Services

Coverage

Priority/Pre-emption

Customer Care

Cybersecurity

Deployables: Disaster Response, Network Augmentation

In-Building Coverage solutions

Local Control

Category: Other

Devices, including testing , certification, and reporting

Applications

Opt-In (FirstNet Provided)

No cost to state

No cost to state

No cost to state

No cost to state

-------

Not applicable

No cost to state

No cost to state

N/A

No cost to state

Immediate access to existing AT&T network with Priority access over LTE bands and Pre-emption for first responder subscribers by end of 2017.

Opt-In (FirstNet Provided)

AT&T current footprint plus 5-year deployrrent w1tl-out. pus expmsion over nexi 20 yrs. post inrtial deploy.nent

Immediate access to existing AT&T network with Priority access over LTE bands and Pre-emption for first responder subsc1·ibers by end of 2017

FirstNet (Federal) Customer Care Organization Oversight & AT&T Dedicated, FirstNet-specific. US-based customer care center 2417 /365

End to end security with dedrated Security Operations Center (SOC), netv\IQr'~ monbng, cyber response

Access to fleet of AT&T NOR deployables for disaster response as well as 72 dedicated FirstNet BC14 deployables ---------Access to in excess of 6000 Distributed Antennas Systems & 32.000 Wi-F1 Hotspots ------------ ------Access to Public Safety portal

Opt-In (FirstNet Provided)

AT&T portfolio with market influence of AT&T for future devices and cost.

Dedicated Public Safety App Store

Opt-Out (State Financed)

State responsible tor cost

State responsible for cost

State responsible for cost

State responsible for cost

State responsible for yearly tee under spectrum lease agreement with FirstNet that is coterminous with FirstNet's contract with AT&T

State responsible tor cost

State responsible for cost (mandatory, incl:..iding disincentive payments)

State responsible for cost (solution-dependent and likely to change as upgrades occur along w/ continual testing. certification, & r8porting requirements)

State responsible for cost

Due to statutory opt·out process, there is estimated to be at least a two·year delay until constll.ciion can begin on the 1·adio accP..ss network in the state.

Opt-Out (State Financed)

Dependent on state build·out schedule

Dependent on state build-out schedule and only priority/pre-emption over Band 1 4 unless partner provides other bands.

State responsible

State responsible

State responsible

State responsible

----- -- ------State responsible

Opt-Out (State Financed)

Dependent on state solution. Could be limited to BC14

Dependent on state solution

1 This list in not meant to be an exhaustive or comprehensive list and is informational in nature only to help provide context to states as they make an opt-in v. opt-out decision

Key Steps - National Deployment

Opt-In/Opt-Out Process

Governor Accepts

Firs1Net Pla1 1

No

90 Days

No additional action required by state

240 Days

OPT-IN

OPT-OUT