PSAP Guide to Supplemental Location Data Published - Joint Project

NENA News Release 2/14/19

PSAP Best Practices Guidance for non-carrier supplemental location data

NENA Releases Guidance on Handling Non-Carrier Location Data, Improving 9-1-1’s Ability to Find Wireless Callers

America’s 9-1-1 community is taking another step toward better wireless-device location capability by releasing guidance on how 9-1-1 call centers should handle location data from multiple sources. 

The Recommended Best Practices for Supplemental 9-1-1 Location Data are being released today by NENA: The 9-1-1 Association, after months of collaboration with the National Association of State 911 Administrators (NASNA), the Industry Council for Emergency Response Technologies (iCERT), and the National 9-1-1 Program Office.

Designed for use by both Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) and supplemental location data providers such as mobile applications, third-party location providers, telematics, and others, the guidance will help 9-1-1 systems to safely and efficiently incorporate data that’s in addition to what is required from telecom service providers.

This document was developed by the National Emergency Number Association (NENA),1 the National Association of State 911 Administrators (NASNA),2 and the Industry Council for Emergency Response Technologies (iCERT), in cooperation with the National 9-1-1 Program. It is designed to establish guidance on the potential use by the nation’s Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) of 9-1-1 location data provided outside of the traditional process used by wireless carriers. The potential use of such “supplemental 9-1-1 location data” in addition to data provided by the carriers may assist in locating 9-1-1 callers quickly and accurately. This document describes recommended best practices for how such data should be provided to and used by PSAPs.

This document describes how supplemental 9-1-1 location data is provided to PSAPs, compares and contrasts those processes to the way location information is provided in conjunction with traditional 9-1-1 call processes, and recommends a set of best practices that are designed to guide the development, delivery, and use of such data.