Two fixes, one lifeline: What Congress must do to strengthen 911 in every community
AndreyPopov via Getty Images
COMMENTARY | Legislation is on the table to improve the technology that call centers rely on, and better classify the workforce. The need for action is urgent.
Every day in America, more than 650,000 people hear five words that can save their lives: “911, where is your emergency?”
Behind those words are trained professionals who help manage the chaos — heart attacks, shootings, domestic violence, wildfires, hurricanes — oftentimes multiple crises in the same shift. They calm callers, gather life-saving information and coordinate first responders in situations they can’t see but must instantly understand. For more than 50 years, 911 has been our nation’s most essential public-safety lifeline.
Yet today, that lifeline is under strain. And the reasons are not mysterious. For state and local governments that operate 911 systems, this creates a growing gap between public expectations and what current funding models can sustain.
If Congress wants to ensure better, more reliable 911 service in every community — urban and rural, large and small — it must address two priorities together: modernizing the technology behind 911 and finally recognizing the professionals who make it work.
First, the technology.
Despite the smartphones in our pockets, most 911 call centers still operate on systems designed for the landline era. Many cannot receive texts, photos, or video from the scene of an emergency. They cannot automatically receive medical data that could inform a response. They are vulnerable to cyberattacks. And when disasters strike, calls are often trapped within jurisdictional boundaries, unable to move quickly to functioning centers elsewhere.
The solution already exists. Next Generation 911 replaces outdated, voice-only systems with secure, IP-based networks that allow emergency calls — and the data that comes with them — to flow where they are needed most. When Hurricane Helene knocked multiple call centers offline in North Carolina, a dedicated, NG911-capable network allowed calls to be rerouted seamlessly, saving lives precisely when seconds mattered most.
But upgrading to NG911 while maintaining legacy systems is simply beyond the reach of most local agencies and the communities they serve. The result is uneven progress and a growing divide between communities that modernize and those that cannot.
A full nationwide upgrade is estimated at roughly $15 billion, which is modest compared to other federal infrastructure and public-safety investments. Congress has bipartisan legislation on the table to begin closing that gap.
The second priority is the 911 workforce itself.
Despite their role at the front end of almost every emergency response, 911 agencies suffer chronic workforce challenges. It doesn’t help that 911 professionals are still classified by the federal government and many states as “office and administrative support.”
This misclassification obscures the complexity, stress and inherently public-safety nature of their work. It excludes them from public-safety programs and benefits. It also hampers workforce recruitment and retention at a time when staffing shortages threaten service levels in many communities.
The bipartisan Enhancing First Response Act 911 — the Senate companion to the 911 SAVES Act in the House — would fix this by reclassifying 911 telecommunicators as “protective service professionals,” alongside the police officers, firefighters and EMTs they work with so closely. This simple, no-cost change would bring federal data and policy into alignment with reality: 911 professionals are the first first responders.
These two priorities are inseparable. Advanced technology is only as effective as the people trained to use it. Professionals asked to shoulder life-and-death responsibilities deserve both modern tools and professional recognition.
America has always valued public safety. Now Congress has a chance to prove it with landmark action. By funding NG911 and properly recognizing 911 as a public safety occupation, lawmakers can strengthen the nation’s most essential lifeline, support the people under the headset and ensure that no matter where an emergency happens, help is truly just a call — or text, or video — away.
The technology exists. The workforce solutions are known. The solutions are bipartisan. The need is urgent. It’s time for Congress to act.
John Provenzano is CEO of NENA — The 911 Association (www.nena.org). Provenzano has more than 25 years of professional experience in corporate and association management in retail, aviation and public safety.