$40 Million in Grants to Improve 911 Services

The Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced more than $40 million in grants to 30 states and US territories to help 911 call centers across the country improve the ability to locate people calling from wireless and Internet-connected telephones. The E-911 grant program was authorized under the Ensuring Needed Help Arrives Near Callers Employing 911 (ENHANCE 911) Act of 2004. The grants were available to all states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and U.S. territories. The Act authorizes grants for the implementation and operation of Phase II enhanced 911 services and for migration to an IP-enabled emergency network. To qualify for a grant, an applicant must submit a State 911 plan and project budget, designate an E-911 coordinator, and certify, among other things, that the State and other taxing jurisdictions within the State have not diverted E-911 charges for any other purpose within 180 days preceding the application date. The funds could be used to implement advanced technologies to deliver 9-1-1 calls with automatic crash location information as well as evacuation alerts to people using wireless services, warning them of dangerous situations like a bridge being washed out or a toxic spill.