Fairfax County 9-1-1 and Metro Nashville Davidson County, Tenn., have partnered to start the first interstate 9-1-1 network interoperability system in the United States. This innovative initiative helps ensure uninterrupted emergency call services in the event of local or regional communications outages.
The partnership comes at a time of increasing threats to 9-1-1 services, such as natural disasters, system failures and cyberattacks. The two municipalities tapped into advanced technology to build a more resilient system, allowing for emergency dispatch even during significant disruptions.
"We are excited about this groundbreaking interstate 9-1-1 backup between Fairfax County and Metro Nashville Davidson County to establish 9-1-1 network interoperability with an out-of-region partner," said Scott Brillman, Director of Fairfax County 9-1-1. "This partnership will ensure service continuity in the event of a local communications outage, and we hope the model can be used by other 9-1-1 centers nationwide."
The idea for the partnership came about last year while networking with other directors at a conference, Brillman said. Northern Virginia lost its emergency call center services during the July 2012 derecho due to a local telecommunications disruption. The Nashville director spoke of his region losing 9-1-1 services following the Christmas 2020 bomb explosion near a telecommunications facility.
“The director of Nashville and I compared stories and offered to develop a solution if it ever happened again,” Brillman said. “We are witnessing more regional and statewide technology outages each year, and we want to be prepared.”
Key Benefits of the Partnership
Benefits of the out-of-state backup system include:
- Benefits Geographical Separation: Locating a backup center outside the affected region minimizes the risk of localized disruptions affecting 9-1-1 operations, ensuring that emergency calls are answered and prioritized without interruption.
- Service Continuity: The out-of-region center can seamlessly manage calls and coordinate emergency response efforts.
- Enhanced Resilience: The backup system provides critical protection against cyberattacks, infrastructure damage and other threats that could affect local operations, reducing the risk of downtime.
- Faster Recovery: An out-of-region center can significantly shorten recovery time when a local system is down, allowing operations to resume quickly.
- Public Confidence in Emergency Response: A fail-safe plan for uninterrupted service reassures the public that help will always be available, even during large-scale emergencies, bolstering trust in the emergency response system.
The two local governments chose to partner with each other because both emergency call centers are of similar size, have comparable staffing and technology, share a similar governance structure and procedures. Additionally, the leadership of both regions is committed to exploring new ideas to enhance public safety communications.
There are no additional costs associated with the counties’ agreement. The technology required to execute the operation is already in place, offering a cost-effective solution for both regions.
Residents calling 9-1-1 in either Fairfax County or Nashville Davidson County should not notice any difference, even if their call is answered by a 9-1-1 dispatcher in the other jurisdiction. Both 9-1-1 centers follow uniform procedures and ask the same questions.
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