Today, NTIA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced the opening of the 911 Grant Program, which will provide as much as $110 million to help 911 call centers across the country upgrade equipment and operations to Next Generation (NG911) capabilities.
With these upgrades, citizens, first responders, and 911 call-takers will be able to use modern communications technology – such as text messaging and video calls – during emergencies. NG911 will improve coordination and allow first responders to quickly connect with key health and government services. It will also enable 911 calls to contain real-time caller location and emergency information.
Details on how eligible states, territories and tribal organizations can apply for funding can be found in the Notice of Funding Opportunity on Grants.gov. The program has a two-step application process. Initial applications, which include identification of a designated 911 Coordinator and a required certification on non-diversion of 911 charges, need to be submitted by September 10, 2018, to nhtsa.national911@dot.gov. Following these submissions, NTIA and NHTSA will publish preliminary funding allocations for each of the applicants that meet the certification requirements, along with the deadline for the second application step.
This is an exciting program that will support vital upgrades to 911 operations, helping to ensure that our public safety telecommunicators and first responders keep pace with advances in communications technologies. We look forward to hearing from applicants in the coming weeks.