Copyright: Aleksandra Gigowska
Apartment communities could benefit from new rules unanimously approved by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on January 29 that will help emergency responders more accurately identify the location of 911 calls made indoors using mobile phones. Specifically, the rules will enable emergency dispatchers to more precisely find the location of mobile callers with vertical and horizontal coordinates based on data from wireless providers.
This change will fill a growing gap in the FCC’s original standard, which was optimized for locating mobile calls placed from outdoor versus indoor locations. According to the FCC, about 70 percent of 911 calls are now placed from mobile phones and about 80 percent of emergency calls originate inside buildings.
The rule will be implemented in phases based on a road map developed by the major wireless providers with national public safety organizations, and was urged by members of Congress.
NMHC/NAA will continue to follow this issue and provide related information to members. Please see the following FCC resources for additional background on the topic:
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