New York City Takes Another Step Towards Modernizing 911

Improvements to the city's 911 emergency call system are shifting to a new phase.

The Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications issued a request for proposals Tuesday seeking vendors who can enhance the call system to ensure people can reach 911 dispatchers with more than just a voice call.

"Could be pictures, it could be video," said David Kirks, the deputy commissioner for DoITT, who explained an ideal scenario in which "any multimedia type of product could be communicated to the 9-1-1 call takers."

The envisioning is part of what the city is calling its Next Generation 911 solution. Responses to incoming proposals are expected to issued in early August with a newly-enhanced emergency system scheduled to launch in 2022.

In the interim, Kirks said the city will launch a text-to-911 solution in the first quarter of 2018, in which people who are speech or hearing impaired or crime victims will be able to communicate with 911 dispatchers.

Last year, Mayor Bill de Blasio signed a law passed by the City Council that required DoITT to provide a report documenting its progress towards a text-to-911 solution.

The city’s handling of the modernization project has been the subject of scrutiny in media reports and by the city’s Department of Investigation for long delays and its ballooning budget.

Since 2004, more than $2 billion has been spent to modernize New York City's emergency call system. That includes what's been considered a milestone — a second call center in the Bronx backing up the existing one in Brooklyn — became fully functional on June 1st, according to city officials.

Here's the DoITT's official request for proposal: 

NYC NG9-1-1 Emergency Services RFP VFinal.3.5 by Brigid Bergin on Scribd