Dispatches from the Cloud: The 9-1-1 Evolution

When a disaster strikes, there are three numbers we always turn to: 9-1-1.

Whether you are facing the aftermath of a hurricane or a car accident or the effects of a medical emergency, we expect 9-1-1 call centers or public safety answering points (PSAPs) to answer our calls. But it takes the right technology and connectivity to help PSAPs remain on the line.

AT&T ESInet™ is already advancing emergency communications and supporting first responders like 9-1-1 telecommunicators and dispatchers across the country by transforming the legacy 9-1-1 call routing to a NextGen 9-1-1 solution and enabling PSAPs to have more reliable services and interoperability. And by implementing FirstNet®, Built with AT&T as a wireless back up, 9-1-1 call centers maintain their network connectivity in the event their primary fiber connections are disrupted for any reason.

Now, we are turning to the cloud to evolve 9-1-1 operations even further and provide first responders with the information they need to get the help you need—faster.

In every emergency, seconds save lives. By integrating the cloud directly into applications used by 9-1-1 centers, dispatchers can better assess each emergency more quickly than ever before. With mapping, translation and transcription services, and text and video capabilities, as well as location-based routing, operators have more advanced situational awareness to make smarter, faster decisions when coordinating with first responders and emergency vehicles in the field.

The cloud provides a new level of flexibility for call handlers while still maintaining a high level of security. More centralized operations give PSAPs better system management and a faster implementation time. And geodiverse access points provide greater redundancy within each region.

But we are not stopping here. This week at APCO 2024, our experts will be highlighting just how AT&T is building an end-to-end architecture that combines AT&T ESInet with all cloud-based PSAP solutions that include call handling, mapping, call recording, analytics, GIS management and more. These innovations mean more capabilities, better reliability, and more redundancy to keep our PSAPs running—and our first responders at the ready.

Our collaborations with Motorola Solutions, Intrado and Carbyne, are enabling us to modernize 9-1-1 infrastructure and provide PSAPs with access to the latest technologies—upgrading systems more quickly and bringing better emergency response to communities across the country. These partnerships elevate cloud-native call handling to new levels, setting PSAPs up for long-term success.

AT&T is committed to serving the public safety community and that means adapting well and quickly to new technologies. The AT&T NG9-1-1 PSAP Solutions ecosystem is continuing to evolve with further integrations for cloud-based call recording, analytics, and computer-aided dispatch (CAD) and records management system (RMS) solutions, as we move forwards into 2025. Future collaborations with cloud vendors and innovative technologies will allow us to bring every part of the 9-1-1 process to the cloud and create better, more integrated emergency response

And with FirstNet —America’s public safety network—we are the only carrier providing end-to-end emergency communication solutions to support 9-1-1 telecommunicators, first responders in the field, and other emergency personnel from the moment you call 9-1-1 until first responders arrive to help.

When there is a crisis, speed is of the essence and the better information our first responders have, the safer our communities will be.