Next generation 911: when technology drives public policy
Elaine D. Seeman, James E. Holloway · International Journal of Business Continuity and Risk Management · 2013
As telecommunications technology has advanced, citizens assume that their communication devices are capable of soliciting emergency assistance. According to Marc Andreessen, developments in information technology are finding their way first to consumers and only later making their way into other arenas (The Economist, 2011). Text, video and calls from voice over IP (VOIP) phones are increasingly popular; however, the ability to procure 911 help via these modes has not been widely implemented. As the technology of 911 becomes more complicated and more expensive, federal and state agencies have struggled to find ways to enable public safety capability to meet consumer assumptions. These agencies have begun to recognise and act upon the need for centralised planning.