NENA NG9-1-1 Go-To Handbook

NENA-REF-010.2 2019 Draft

__NUMBEREDHEADINGS__ = Executive Overview =

The purpose and scope of this document is to provide guidance to help 9-1-1 Authorities create a smooth, timely and efficient project management approach and transition plan to accomplish implementation of NG9-1-1. A considerable trove of written material and standards exists about the topic of NG9-1-1 within NENA, APCO, and other standards and industry organizations. An oft stated question is, “where does one start to gain a more complete understanding of all the materials?” This reference document can assist in answering this question. To navigate amongst the many NG9‑1‑1 reference materials, which are dispersed in various online web site locations, can be a daunting task for a new reader to the subject of NG9-1-1, and sometimes even so for a seasoned industry professional. Various topic areas relevant to NG9‑1‑1 are listed in this document to orient a 9-1-1 Authority person in search of context specific information. The topic area contains a very brief description and a list of references is given. The references contain a pointer to the most relevant portions of the referenced document for a reader to focus on to gather an understanding of that topic area. The reference pointers are just a beginning shortcut for a reader to focus on, as only a complete reading of the materials referenced can fully provide the background information a reader should understand to make an orderly and progressive transition to NG9-1-1.

= Introduction =

Reason for Issue/Reissue
NENA reserves the right to modify this document. Upon revision, the reason(s) will be provided in the table below.

Intellectual Property Rights Policy
NENA takes no position regarding the validity or scope of any Intellectual Property Rights or other rights that might be claimed to pertain to the implementation or use of the technology described in this document or the extent to which any license under such rights might or might not be available; nor does it represent that it has made any independent effort to identify any such rights.

Consistent with the NENA IPR Policy, available at www.nena.org/ipr, NENA invites any interested party to bring to its attention any copyrights, patents or patent applications, or other proprietary rights that may cover technology that may be required to implement this standard.

Please address the information to:

National Emergency Number Association

1700 Diagonal Rd, Suite 500

Alexandria, VA 22314

202-466-3911

or [mailto:commleadership@nena.org commleadership@nena.org]

= Planning for NG9-1-1 Transition =

While the development of technical standards and related information is still ongoing, there are many actions that 9-1-1 Authorities should consider in preparing for transitioning to an NG9-1-1 environment. These actions relate mostly to the preparation necessary to lay the proper foundation for this transition. At a high level, this process is relatively logical, and involves efforts to identify and organize the following Project Management actions:


 * Initiatives: Education, governance, scope &amp; goals
 * Drivers: cost factors, emergency event response, institutional, statutory, geo-political situations, opportunities and constraints
 * Constraints: Identify the bounds within which the initiative will need to exist
 * Requirements: What kind of service environment is called for
 * Inventory: What is already in place and what is missing
 * Partnerships: Build Inter-local/inter-authority relationships and communication channels, including the current provider of emergency services
 * Specific Actions: Establish coordination of roles and responsibilities, Funding sources, Documentation, and Performance Measurement Metrics
 * Planning: Technological and Operational deployment, training, communication, testing, and go-live plans and procedures.

More specifically, the remaining topics within section 3 provide additional detail on activities related to these project management actions.

Self-education
Educate the 9-1-1 Authority planning team to understand what NG9‑1‑1 involves and its impacts across Emergency Services Internet Protocol networks (ESInet), NG9-1-1 services (applications &amp; databases), roles, responsibilities and operational procedures. Self-education can span across all references provided in this document, but at a minimum, the below references and a basic understanding of what is important in NG9-1-1 when educating the planning team. This is especially true when comparing NG9-1-1 and the Public Safety Broadband Network (FirstNet).

References:

2011 9-1-1 Tutorial V4.1 : Entire Document

National 911 Program and NASNA's NG911 & FirstNet Guide for State and Local Authorities : Entire Document.

FCC Task Force on Optimal PSAP Architecture (TFOPA) : Section 3, Executive Summary, Section 4.4 on Cybersecurity, Section 5.9 on Architecture, and Section 7 the Findings and Recommendations Summary.

Call Answering Standard/Model Recommendation : Section 2

FCC’s National Broadband Plan : Chapter 16

NENA Standard Managers Guide to Title II: Direct Access (NENA-STA-035) :Section 2

National 9-1-1 Resource Center : Final Draft Guidelines Section 6 and Appendix B

Governance
Establish a service management (governance) structure with the authority to engage in the project. Recognizing that NG9‑1-1, by nature, reflects layered, interconnected systems, initial transition steps will in many cases occur at local and regional 9-1-1 Authority levels. Those activities, in turn, may progressively link together into larger regional NG9-1-1 systems. That leads to a logical role for states to deploy resources to help support and/or ensure statewide connectivity. Governance structures will need to be established to manage these intergovernmental arrangements, unless such mechanisms already exist. Among other things, agreements governing such arrangements will address relative management roles, responsibilities, and cost sharing. Ultimately, there is no single answer to how these systems will interconnect, and how related governance systems will evolve. Factors that will impact this include things like:

  Local, regional, and state emergency event response considerations   Historical institutional, statutory, geo-political culture, arrangements and related environment   Joint service environment (both existing and proposed)   Resource and cost sharing opportunities, factors and constraints Note: Whatever intergovernmental arrangements are put in place to explore, coordinate and plan for these matters may not necessarily reflect the long-term arrangement necessary to oversee and manage the system(s) involved. 

References:

The USDoT 911 Initiative Procurement Tool kit : Section 2.3 Policy and Governance

The USDoT 911 Initiative Transition Plan Document : Strategic Options for NG9-1-1 Governance and Policy section.

NENA Inter-Agency Agreements Model Recommendations - NENA-INF-012 :Entire document.

Communications Plan
Develop a plan to open lines of communications among the stakeholders throughout the life of the project. Consider the below questions as the Communications Plan is developed:

  Context – what’s happened before? What’s the history?   Environmental Scan – what are the key factors that will affect your success? What is the current situation driving the need for change?   Stakeholders – Identify your stakeholders and their expected reactions. How you will manage them? </li>  Objectives – what do you want to achieve? (should be clear, relevant, measurable) </li>  Strategy – where are you going and why? What are the major activities to move the effort forward? </li>  Audiences – who are the key audiences? </li>  Announcement – given the strategy, are you making an announcement? What are you announcing? </li>  Messages – what are you saying about the announcement? </li>  Tactics – how will you implement your strategy, both before, during and after the main announcement? </li>  Issues – what problems may you have to overcome? </li>  Budget – what will the communications strategy cost? </li>  Evaluation – how will you know if you’ve been successful? The general sections of a communications plan can vary depending on the local environment and the scope of the planned NG9-1-1 effort. This is a sample Communications Plan from a statewide NG9-1-1 effort. </li></ul>

Sample Communications Plan
The general sections of what a typical communications plan might contain are shown below. Inclusion of a specific section shown below will depend on the local environment and the scope of the planned NG9-1-1 effort. The communication plan will likely evolve over time and the contents might vary during the transition effort to NG9-1-1.


 * Purpose
 * Goals and Objectives for NG9-1-1 Specific Communications
 * Stakeholders and Roles
 * Communications Policy and Objectives
 * Communication Channels, Targets and Frequency
 * Communications Plan Activities
 * Mid to Long-term Communications Activities
 * Communications to Support NG9-1-1 Milestones
 * Educational Communications Strategy
 * PSAP and GIS Locality Specific Planning.

Example Communication Plan
A representative example of a communications plan for NG9-1-1 prepared by 9-1-1 Authorities in Virginia can be found at the following link:

https://www.vita.virginia.gov/media/vitavirginiagov/integrated-services/pdf/psc/2018/01112018DraftNG911DepCommPlanv3.pdf

References:

NASNA Model State Plan :Tools and Techniques section, and Table 3.3 NASNA Model State 9-1-1 Plan Project Communications Plan

Statement of Documentation
Establish a library function to memorialize the project. Pertinent documents and communications should be assembled in a formal manner to allow audit and remedial processes. Ensure that all terms used in Project related documents are very clear to all users of the documents, even those who may have a less active role, especially those in control of providing the necessary funding. Utilize document management tools wherever possible including standardized file name structures and metadata tagging.

References:

NENA Master Glossary of 9-1-1 Terms : Entire document as reference for terms only.

ITIL Service Asset and Configuration Management : The sections dealing with Configuration Identification, Configuration Control, and Configuration Verification and Audit.

NENA/APCO Next Generation 9-1-1 Public Safety Answering Point Requirements.

Estimated Scope and Project Timelines
This is an early statement of expectations. At a minimum, the agencies expected to have access to the NG9-1-1 system should be identified. The scale of the project, such as regional or state level, must be considered (see Governance). If the network is intended to transport more than 9-1-1 calls, (e.g., NCIC, IP radio, Poison Control), specify exactly what other emergency services applications are intended to be supported on the network. This helps establish the network engineering criteria for the systems involved. Resource and cost sharing may occur at basic network levels, and must be factored into this analysis.

When scope and governance are identified, a project definition and timeline should be initiated, for review and approval with project stakeholders.

References:

The USDoT 911 Initiative Transition Plan Document : Entire document

NASNA Model State Plan : Entire document.

PSAP Interim Text to 9-1-1 Support Documents NENA-REF-002 :Entire document.

SMS Text to 9-1-1 Resources : The web page has several documents that all can be useful to a jurisdiction in the planning and implementation of this capability.

Budget &amp; Funding
Create a preliminary budget based upon estimated costs to deploy NG9-1-1 and evaluate recurring costs. Additionally, current funding sources should be evaluated in order to determine whether transition costs can be covered. If any gaps exist, new funding sources will need to be identified in order to close the gap.

References:

The USDoT 911 Initiative Procurement Tool kit : Section 2.4 Funding

The USDoT 911 Initiative Transition Plan Document : Strategic Options for NG9‑1‑1 Funding Section

NASNA Model State Plan : Section 3.4 Economics

Next Generation 911 Cost Estimate : Sections 2, 3, 4 and 5.

US DoT Final Analysis of Cost, Value, and Risk Executive Summary document : Entire document.

Financial Forecasting
Create a realistic fiscal plan for the project in terms of both startup and ongoing obligations with input from the stakeholder community. Outreach and coaching from the commercial stakeholders can greatly assist in developing this forecast.

References:

Next Generation 9-1-1 Transition Policy Implementation Handbook : NG9-1-1 Transition Policy Issue Number: Two

Next Generation 911 Cost Estimate : Sections 2, 3, 4 and 5

Model State 911 Plan - NHTSA : Section 9.4.3.

Functional Requirements
Functional Requirements are the capabilities that can be reasonably expected to be deployed. The Functional Requirements should be developed within the NG9-1-1 project effort and should be kept open for review and modification for the life of the project.

 References 

NENA NG9-1-1 Tutorial : Slide 23

Overview of Policy Rules for Call Routing and Handling in NG9-1-1 NENA 71-502 v1 : Section 3

USDoT 911 Initiative System Description &amp; Requirements Document : Entire document

NG9-1-1 Transition Planning Considerations – (NENA-INF-008) : Section 7

Detailed Functional and Interface Specification for the NENA i3 Solution – Stage 3 : Section 5.

Data Inventory &amp; Standardization
For Data Inventory and Standardization, data sources should be identified for use in the development of this project. For example, while the Master Street Address Guide (MSAG) is required as a data source, this project will require migration from tabular data to a combination of tabular and spatial data. A clear understanding of the source of all required data, including spatial/mapping data stored in a Geographic Information System (GIS), ownership, responsibility and maintenance must be established.

References: 

NENA White Paper - A PSAP Managers’ Guide to Geographic Information Technology : Entire document

NG9-1-1 Transition Planning Considerations – NENA-INF-008 : Entire document

USDoT Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) System Initiative: Final System Design Document : Section 7

NG9-1-1 Additional Data NENA 71-001v1 : Entire document

Synchronizing GIS with MSAG and ALI NENA 71-501 : Entire document

NENA Provisioning and Maintenance of GIS Data to ECRF/LVF - NENA-STA-005 NENA Provisioning and Maintenance of GIS Data to ECRF/LVF - NENA-STA-005 : Entire document

NENA NG9-1-1 Civic Location Data Exchange Format Standard - NENA-STA-004 : Section 3

NENA Standard for NG9-1-1 GIS Data Model - NENA-STA-006 : Section 3.

Establish Performance Measurement Metrics
To establish Performance Measurement Metrics, determine the methodology that will be used to ensure that network and system operation and reliability meet acceptable and adopted standards. Solutions should provide the capability to monitor, record, and analyze system performance data against predefined metrics (i.e., establish system norms and flag exceptions). A key element of reliability is security and specifically Cybersecurity which should be addressed during all phases of planning, deployment and testing.

References:

USDoT Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) System Initiative: Final System Design Document : Section 7

Security for Next-Generation 9-1-1 : Entire Document

Minimum Training Standards for Public Safety Telecommunicators (APCO ANS 3.103.2.2015 ) : Sections 4, 6, and 7

NENA NG9-1-1 Processing Metrics Standard : Section 2

Next Generation 9-1-1 Security (NG-SEC) Audit Checklist : Section 3

NENA NG9-1-1 Evaluation and Testing Programs : Entire Document.

Network Analysis
For the geographic area being served, an analysis of existing broadband infrastructure must be developed. The analysis should be as complete as possible and include both private and public facilities. Record both the network architecture design and signaling used for each identified source of bandwidth and associate each with the user-stakeholder location. Where possible, note areas that lack physical diversity, so they can be analyzed further for possible remedies to lessen the risk of service failures. Consider how this area will interconnect with adjoining networks. Assess the need to interconnect with the E9-1-1 System Service Provider for routing and bridging of 9-1-1 calls. This may be needed when originating carriers remain supported by the legacy Selective Router and the appropriate Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) have transitioned to the NG9-1-1 system. It may also be necessary if calls are to be bridged between PSAPs supported by the NG9-1-1 system and those remaining on the legacy emergency system.

References:

NG9-1-1 Transition Planning Considerations – NENA-INF-008 : Sections 9.3.1, 9.5.1.1, 9.5.1.2, and 9.5.2

NENA Security for Next-Generation 9-1-1 Standard (NG-SEC) NENA 75-001 : Sections 6.4 and 9.6

NENA Emergency Services IP Network Design for NG9-1-1 (ESIND) - NENA INF-016 : Section 3.12.

Socialization and Education
For socialization and education once the steps above have matured to a point where they can be expressed in common language, use your “Communications Plan” to begin the process of describing the project its current state and estimated timelines to your stakeholders. Keep in mind an important part of this process is answering the question of “what’s in it for me” from the perspective of all stakeholders.

References:

The USDoT 911 Initiative Procurement Tool kit : Section 2.10 Stakeholder Education and Awareness

The USDoT 911 Initiative Transition Plan Document : Strategic Options for NG9-1-1 Transition Education and Awareness section

NASNA Model State Plan : Entire document.

NENA Recommended NG9-1-1 Public Education Plan for Elected Officials and Decision Maker : Entire Document

Sample Brochure for Elected Official Explaining NG9-1-1 : Entire Document

What is the Future of 9-1-1? What is the Future of 9-1-1? : Entire Document.

PSAP Inventory
If there is no central repository for information regarding the equipment and software inventories within the PSAP, one must be assembled. Going beyond just Call Handling application, this inventory should be as granular as reasonably possible, and may include items such as types of Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD), other public safety applications, mobile data applications, control of radio consoles and related administrative communications, used in the PSAP operational environment. These documents must be kept open for updates on a regular basis. This activity supports overall planning, and includes identifying opportunities to share resources, and assists in ensuring interoperability.

References:

Virtual PSAP Management NENA 53-507 : Section 8 Training and Section 10 Staffing.

Refinement of Scope
Using input from the former tasks, develop a refined, realistic scope for the project. Specificity and clarity are required of this step and it is urged that the entire stakeholder community be aware of the scope.

References:

The USDoT 911 Initiative Transition Plan Document : How NG9-1-1 Could Be Implemented Across the Nation: Implementation Environments and Potential Deployment Approaches.

NG9-1-1 Transition Planning Considerations – NENA-INF-008.2-2013 : Section 9.4.3

USDoT NG9-1-1 POC Test Plan : Appendix D – Use Case Tests.

Deployment and Testing Planning
Creation of a plan for deploying and testing, even if incomplete must begin prior to the “Acquisition” phase of the project. Reasonably estimate the amount of effort not only for the public agencies including central 9-1-1 Authority groups, but the provider community as well. Assess the interaction and testing that may be required with the SSP (there may be more than one). Use a methodical approach to deployment and expect a thorough test period prior to going live with any installation. This plan, including specific test scripts must be in written form. Initially the test scripts might be high level. But before testing begins, those high-level scripts will need to be detailed and shared with all impacted stakeholders. Everyone involved in testing must understand their role and responsibility.

Reference:

NENA Security for Next-Generation 9-1-1 Standard (NG-SEC) NENA 75-001v1 : Section 11: Compliance Audits and Reviews.

Acquisition
Acquisition is usually done as a Request for Proposal (RFP) or similar. Acquisition may be done as a single provider solution or be provided by more than one source. Regardless of how the solution is acquired, local and state procurement laws will dictate the process.

References:

The USDoT 911 Initiative Procurement Tool kit : Section 2 NG9-1-1 Planning Tool and Section 3 Procurement Tool.

NASNA Model State Plan : Appendix A.

Training
Expect and plan for training of telecommunicators, technical and administrative personnel. It is important to include training for the technical staff who will be called upon to perform administration of the system once it is up and running.

References:

NASNA Model State Plan : Appendix A

Virtual PSAP Management NENA 53-507 : Section

Synchronizing GIS with MSAG and ALI NENA 71-501v1 : Entire document.

APCO ANS 3.103.2.2015 Minimum Training Standards for Public Safety Telecommunicators : Entire Document

Handling Text-to-9-1-1 in the PSAP Information Document : Section 4.

Testing
Prior to going live a thorough test of all system components should be performed. Using the testing processes developed during the “Deployment and Testing Planning” step, apply the tests, as appropriate, and document the results for all system components.

References:

NENA Security for Next-Generation 9-1-1 Standard (NG-SEC) NENA 75-001v1 : Sections 7.1.5.3; 7.2.8.3.1; 7.4.5; 13.2.1

NENA NG9-1-1 System and PSAP Operational Features and Capabilities Requirements NENA 57-750v1 : Sections 3.1; 5; 7

Detailed Functional and Interface Specification for the NENA i3 Solution – Stage 3 : Section 10.

Go-Live
A Go-Live Checklist should be developed to be used to determine if all procedures, system capabilities, fallback or failover considerations, and interoperating systems are ready for cutover to live operations on the NG9-1-1 system. Among possible items for such a high-level checklist are the following:


 * Has compliance been achieved with all statutes or regulations that allow a state, regional, or local 9-1-1 authority to deploy, operate, or manage software-and database controlled NG9-1-1 systems?
 * Does the 9-1-1 Authority have sufficient jurisdiction to implement NG9‑1‑1 emergency service IP networks to replace dedicated 9-1-1 systems that are shared among multiple emergency response entities?
 * Are existing liability protection statutes or regulations in place to cover all services and information that may be delivered over NG9-1-1 systems and shared among emergency response entities (e.g., voice, sensors, images and other data, video, medical records, and any new, not yet developed, product or service)?


 * Are existing privacy, confidentiality, disclosure, and retention statutes or regulations sufficient to apply to all types of 9-1-1 calls and call content that are possible with an NG9-1-1 system (e.g., voice, data, images, video, information from third-party databases added to a 9-1-1 call record)?
 * Has full coordination and planning been achieved with Originating Service Providers (OSPs) to allow native delivery of emergency calls via Internet Protocols?
 * Are all system maintenance and Service Level Agreements in place to allow the NG9-1-1 network and system to be managed and operated operate in a secure 24/7/365 fashion?
 * Have all Policy Routing Rules and Call Diversion strategies been established and agreed to with surrounding jurisdictions?
 * Has a rollback plan been developed that would be implemented if the Go-Live is not successful? For instance, if a situation at the PSAP requires a physical evacuation to the organization’s backup facility, the secondary location must can begin live operations relatively quickly and not be susceptible to service interruptions.
 * Has all system and end-user training been completed to ensure the user community and

maintenance staff are prepared to operate and support the system?
 * Has a complete treatment of verification and validation taken place to ensure GIS data for NG9‑1‑1 meets or exceeds the NENA 98% accuracy threshold?
 * Has the NG9-1-1 Service Provider completed all Operational Readiness Tests of the network to include end-to-end tests, integration with NG9-1-1 Core Services Functional Elements, system and network failover tests, third-party integration tests, and Call Handling System integration tests?
 * Has consideration and planning for denial of service attacks, telephony denial of service attacks and other cybersecurity protections been completed and thoroughly tested?
 * Are the necessary call and system performance metrics for NG9-1-1 identified and able to be captured within reporting and systems and management monitors to allow the 9-1-1 Authority to measure system performance and to monitor key performance thresholds?
 * Is there a detailed Transition Go-Live Plan (including tasks delineated in hourly increments with specific individuals assigned to tasks for Go-Live Day) in place with all system and network partners? A well-coordinated and well-documented cutover plan is needed to systematically and efficiently make the cutover from the legacy 9-1-1 system and legacy Service Provider to taking calls with the new SSP within the NG9-1-1 system.

References:

The USDoT 911 Initiative Procurement Tool kit.

Management and Maintenance
As an ongoing element of the project, both the provider and public stakeholder will have a role in continual management and maintenance of the NG9-1-1 system and its components. Maintenance becomes an active part of the” Statement of Documentation” process and will remain an active role throughout the life of the network and system.

References:

Next Generation 9-1-1 Transition Policy Implementation Handbook (March 2010) : NG9-1-1 Transition Policy Issue Number: One; NG9-1-1 Transition Policy Issue Number: Two

NASNA Model State Plan : Appendix A

NENA NG9-1-1 System and PSAP Operational Features and Capabilities Requirements NENA 57-750v1 : Sections 3.1; 5; 7

NENA Mutual Aid Standard/Model Recommendation - NENA-STA-009.2-2015 (originally NENA 53-002) : Section 3.12

NENA Requirements for NG9-1-1 Data Management - NENA-REQ-002.1-2016 : Section 3

Other References under Development
The following documents are under development within NENA and nearing completion and will prove very useful to those looking for guidance and insight to prepare for NG9-1-1. Links to the documents are not yet available.

NENA Managing and Monitoring NG9-1-1 (Under development – link not available yet) NENA-INF-040: Entire Document.

NENA Next Generation 9-1-1 Fundamentals. (Under development – link not available yet). The intent of the Guide to NG9-1-1 is to make the NG specs understandable for the 9-1-1 authorities and PSAP managers.

= ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS =

The National Emergency Number Association (NENA) [Development Steering Council’s Go-To Handbook WG developed this document. NENA recognizes the following industry experts and their employers for their contributions in development of this document.

Development Steering Council Approval Date [MM/DD/YYYY]

Special Acknowledgements:

Delaine Arnold ENP, Committee Resource Manager, has facilitated the production of this document through the prescribed approval process.

The NG Go To Handbook Working Group is part of the NENA Development Group that is led by:


 * Pete Eggimann ENP and Jim Shepard ENP, Development Steering Council Co-Chairs
 * Roger Hixson ENP, Technical Issues Director
 * Chris Carver ENP, PSAP Operations Director

= Recommended Reading and References =

A comprehensive list of references is found below. The reader should be aware of an annual effort undertaken by the National 911 Program to prepare a document, “The Next Generation 911 (NG911) Standards Identification and Review” document. The Next Generation 911 (NG911) Standards Identification and Review document is a compilation of existing and planned standards for NG9-1-1 systems distributed by the National 911 Program, a department of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the US Department of Transportation. The mission of the National 911 program is to provide federal leadership and coordination in supporting and promoting optimal 9-1-1 services.

The NG911 Standards Identification and Review document is updated annually to reflect the latest status in NG911 and related standards. It is a living document that contains information on various standards activities related to NG911. The document includes a description of the importance of Product, Interface, Data, Design, Test, Performance, and Operational standards, and provides information on the best practices, stakeholders, and standards organizations. The document highlights NG9-1-1/ESInet standards but not lower level standards such as SIP and VoIP.

The core of the document includes references to standards documents from the various organizations including 3GPP, APCO, ATIS, DOC, FCC, ISAO, NENA, and USTelecom. All of the relevant standards committees are also listed. The appendix to the document contains a table with all NG9-1-1 standards documents listed with information on their relevance to the NENA i3 Architecture. The standards documents are categorized based upon whether they relate to Client, Access Networks, Origination Networks, NG9-1-1/ESInets, or PSAPs.